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my friend failed, and I succeeded. He remained at home to follow an honourable occupation, by which he has advanced himself to competence and credit; whilst I, lying by my watch fire before Hernani, desired nothing more on earth, than to be freed from that great good, which both of us then so anxiously hoped for.

These, and such reflections, were passing through my mind, when a shot rung clear and sharp on the night air outside. I immediately sprung to the door, and passing to the man who stood by the corner of the house, demanded

"Who fired ?"

He answered: "'Tis the Carlist battery that has opened." And scarcely had the word passed his lips, when a flash shot from the Carlist battery in front, and I felt the wind of the ball on my cheek, as it crashed through the house, rattling along the boards up stairs. An awful shriek of agony, which followed, told too well that the ball had done its work among the sleepers on the loft. Another and another shot followed instantaneously, with the same terrible effect; and now I could perceive by the quick flashes every where in our front, and the whish of the balls about my head, that the light troops of the enemy were in considerable force advancing.

There was no time to be lost; I rushed into the house, and shouted to the sleepers above. Those on the ground I kicked and struck with the flat of my sword, in vain effort to awaken them, for so worn out were the men with fatigue, and so used to the sound of musketry and cannon, that many could sleep soundly, with artillery firing over their heads.

What a moment of agony was that, in which I endeavoured to wake up my unconscious comrades, who seemed in the torpor of death, so entrancing was their slumber. I endeavoured to ascend by the ladder to those above, but a ball had dashed it from its place, and I found it impossible to readjust it. And now the sentry shouted outside, "They are here, sir, they are here, we must run." I seized two of those who were still stretched on the floor, and dragged them along to the door; another, roused at length, staggered after me. With difficulty I got the two on their legs, and we had just got round the house, and had struggled through the garden hedge behind, when the Carlist light troops entered it. We pressed on to the breast-works, as men flying for their lives might be supposed to do; but before we reached it, some of the enemy who

had passed through the hedge in pursuit, fired a volley. One man who ran nearly abreast of me, fell, and when we got behind the breast-works, I found, that of the whole guard, including the sentries outside, but seven men and myself had escaped. We returned the enemy's fire, I believe, with some effect, and they retreated to the house precipitately. A fearful pause of a few moments ensued, when screams, such as went to the hearts of all who heard them, burst from the house, and told us that the enemy were massacreing those within.

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At this moment I heard the tramp of men behind, and a company of the Legion, led on by Captain joined us within the breast-works. It appeared that our troops had been alarmed by the firing, and Captain, with his company, had been sent to reinforce the picket. a very fine young man, and truly brave and resolute. After a hurried consultation, we drew up the men in line, still partly protected by the low breast-works; and who burned with ardour to retrieve the loss, which he had not come up in time to prevent, was about to give the word to fire, when a volley was poured from the windows of the cottage. Captain who stood by my side, received a ball through the head, and, having gasped "Oh! God," fell, and died instantaneously. The men were greatly disheartened by the fall of their officer, and a second retreat, without waiting for orders, would have ensued infallibly if Colonel had not come up at full gallop. "The enemy have taken the picket house?" he said.

"They have."

"Then you must charge them out of it again directly." "'tis

"Charge them out of it," I said, impossible."

You must try, notwithstanding," he answered coolly. "So charge directly."

"I cannot do so," I answered,—“ their force is three times ours. I am not an officer of the Legion now; and it is no affair of mine whether the house be lost or taken."

To this remonstrance, he answered promptly, "I know nothing of that; I find you in command here; you have lost the picket house, and you must endeavour to recover it."

Stung by the taunt which his words conveyed, though knowing it to be only a piece of desperate folly, I resolved to do my utmost. I drew up the men again, and giving the word to "charge," over we dashed across the breast-works. A volley burst from the

windows of the house, which thinned our ranks considerably, another, and a another followed, and, at length, half smothered in the smoke of the enemy's fire, and breathless from exhaustion, I found myself stopped by the hedge which had bounded the cottage-garden; and on looking round to see how the men fared, I found that only six had followed me. With a blind desperation, which I find it now impossible to account for, I passed through the hedge, followed by the men, who seemed to be equally incapable of judgment or reflection; and under cover of the smoke, and the noise of the enemy's fire, we got close up to the house, and placed our backs against it without being discovered. Here was a fatal predicament, in which we could neither fight nor flythough, for the present, we were safe enough, whilst we escaped observation. But that security could not last long; and when discovered, it was obvious that we had nothing for it but to surrender at discretion; for to attempt to return by the way we came, was to be cut down infallibly from the windows, or possibly by one of our own comrades. However, for some minutes, we remained undiscovered, when the Carlists seeing no enemy, ceased firing; and after a whispered consultation with Sergeant of my own company, I directed the men to reverse their arms, and taking my sword by the point, I dropped the hilt to the ground, and stood, as quietly as I could, to await the result.

"

A pause like the stillness of death followed, rendered painfully intense by the contrast with the former noise and clamour of the battle; and a few moments elapsed, of such fearful anxiety, as I fervently hope never again to experience. At length one of the Carlist soldiers, sent out I suppose to collect information, stepped cautiously round the end of the house, and, when his eye fell on us where we stood, he uttered a startled cry, "Inglise," Inglise," and disappeared instantly. The enemy immediately crowded round both ends of the house, and with levelled bayonets were rushing upon us, whilst others brought their guns to bear on us from the windows. At this critical moment I raised the hilt of my sword from the ground to my shoulder, and cried " Vira Don Carlos." This cry, and the defenceless position in which we stood, arrested our impending destruction; and, having some little knowledge of Spanish, I could gather from their hurried exclamations that they took us for deserters, who had come over voluntarily to join them. However, their hesitation was ended. They flung themselves upon us in

a body, and we were instantly disarmed.— When this presage had been completed, our captors crowded round us with eager questions, which they soon found the men could not answer, and I evaded as well as I could. Some valuable moments had thus been lost, without their having obtained any information, for I pretended to understand still less of their language than I really did, and blundered at every answer, when a distant volley from both ends of the house, followed by another from the breast-works, startled them effectually. Our men, being left unguarded, through the notion which the Carlists had adopted, that we were voluntary deserters, and by their anxiety to overwhelm me with questions, took advantage of the confusion. They one and all darted through the hedge, and were out of reach of pursuit immediately, whilst I, left alone in the centre of the now furious Carlists, would have been instantly immolated, if the necessity of immediate flight (for the house was now nearly surrounded, under the direction of Colonel , by our troops, who had come up in sufficient numbers), had not prevented it.

Notwithstanding that my captors had thus been forced to suspend my doom for a while, they seemed quite resolved that I should not follow the example of my comrades, and, accordingly, two of the Carlists having unfixed their bayonets, and handed their musquets to their comrades, seized me by the collar, and having their bayonets pointed at my breast, proceeded to drag me round towards the front of the house, whilst the rest scattered, and made the best of their way towards the lines of the enemy. It was at this moment, that a thought flashed like lightning into my mind, which, under Providence, was the cause that I am here now to detail my story. It occurred to me that if I could detain my captors a little, my comrades might come up, and retake me, and thus preserve me from the miserable fate, which was sure to await me in the camp of the enemy. Acting on this thought, it gave me but little trouble to counterfeit extreme exhaustion, worn out as I was by this night's exertions, added to my former sufferings. Therefore at the first rude effort which they made to drag me forward, I pretended to trip over a stone, and cast myself at full length on the ground. With fearful threats and execrations, my captors raised me again on my legs, and we moved a few steps forward. Again I tried the same device, and this time having cast myself across before the man who was on my right, he too came

to the ground over me, wounding me slightly in the back with the point of his bayonet, as he fell. Again I was set on my legs, and dragged forward. We had now passed along the side of the house, and were close to the corner of the front, and I was gathering all my energies for one great effort to shake off my captors, when the man on my right, either anticipating my purpose, or resolved to wait no longer, suddenly drew back his weapon, and was about to plunge it in my breast, when the trained fall of feet behind, arrested his attention. We both turned our heads at the same instant, and then, about twenty yards behind, I could perceive by the gray dawn of the morning, which was just breaking, one of the Irish, who had been under my command, hastening to my rescue. The moment he recognised me, he stopped and levelled his musquet at the head of my intended murderer. Quick as thought the man abandoned his grasp of my collar, and darted round the corner of the house. All this passed far more rapidly than I can possibly relate it; and now the same deadly resolution that I should not escape, seemed to possess my remaining captor, for I had just turned from observing the flight of the other, when I found, that he had shifted his bayonet to his right hand, and was aiming it at my throat. I had only time to dash its point down, when it ripped up the breast of my coat, and passed under my right arm. Pinning the weapon to my side with my arm, I grasped it by the blade, and placing my left foot behind him, I flung my whole weight on his chest. We fell together, the Carlist being under. A very short struggle ensued, for the man must have been injured by the fall, or with any exhausted strength, I could not have mastered him. However, knowing that I fought for life, and cheered with the consciousness that aid was near, I made one great effort. 1 wrenched the weapon from his grasp, and gathering all my remaining strength, I

struck him a violent blow across the face with the socket of the bayonet. It was enough, he lay without motion, and I fell across him, insensible.

How long I remained in that state I know not; but it could not be long, for when I recovered, I found that my comrades were conveying me to my quarters. They laid me on my straw, and after a few hours rest I awoke, and finding myself considerably refreshed, I arose, and set about to prepare for my immediate departure. But first I resolved to communicate the adventures of this eventful night to Hayden. I proceeded to his miserable hut, which was not far from my own; I called when I reached the entrance, but no answer followed; I entered, and there by the imperfect light which found its way through the door, I could see him extended exactly as I had laid him. I shook him by the shoulders,-still no motion betrayed returning consciousness. I laid my hand on his forehead-it was claminy and cold. He was dead-he must have died soon after I left him. His melancholy prediction was soon fulfilled-his earthly troubles were indeed ended, and nothing remained for friendship now to do, but to fulfil his last wish, and "rake some Spanish earth over his bones."

With a heavy heart, I went forth among the lines, and gathered all who knew him, and these were all who valued worth in man. There were enough to do honour his remains, and we gave him a soldier's funeral. Beneath the tree which had witnessed our last conversation, we hollowed out his home. And not one of the hollow-hearted, the frivolous, and the gay, with whom he once mixed, and who, doubtless, in his short hour of prosperity, overwhelmed him with friend ship, can tell that beneath that tree in front of Hernani, rests the true-hearted, the mild, the generous, and the brave, without stone, or mark, or name, to preserve his memory.

THE FAIRY AND THE PERI.

FROM THE FRENCH OF VICTOR HUGO.

Dear children, if you die, let no false sprite
Allure your spirits from their home of light,
Thus taught me an old eremite long since.
Some angels, saved from the eternal flames,
Less guilty than the archangelic prince-

Sprites of the elements, with many names,
Of fire, of earth, of water, and the air,

Await the coming of the Lord from heaven.

Of these, from God's bright legionary driven,
Some speak with voice so soft, that it appears
That of an angel.-O, of these beware!
Banished from Paradise a thousand years,
They would betray you into purgatory.
Do not demand whence I derive my story;
But that which I relate has oft been told,
As you shall hear it, by our sires of old.

THE PERI.

Ah! stay, little spirit, listen and stay!
My palace of beauty is open for thee.
So infant a pilgrim will wander astray,
And heaven is so far, and you know not the way,
Then turn from the skies, and be happy with me.

Come, come; amid flow'rets and fruitage of gold

Thou shalt sport in my gardens, a gratified guest: Thou shalt look from thy home of delight, and behold Thy mother, sweet spirit, that weeps unconsoled Near the cradle yet warm with thy innocent rest.

I'm the fairest of Peris; I dwell in the bowers

In the clime where the sunbeams are born from above, And I shine among Peris as shines among flowers The flower that is sought by the hand in the hours When the heart of the loving is dreaming of love.

A gay silken turban encircles my brow,

And the splendour of rubies, bright beautiful things,

I set on my arms, and wherever I go

Three eyes full of fire all incessantly glow

On the pure purple field of my glittering wings.

My form is far whiter than whitest symar,

Or white sail at sea; but no paleness is there.

And whenever my presence alights from afar,

It rests on the spot like the ray of a star,

Like the breath of a flower on the sweetness of air.

THE FAIRY.

A fairy, lovely child, am I:

Around those distant shores I reign, Where the bright sun, with deepening die,

Sinks glorious down to the mighty maju. And mine is the homage of all the West. And mine are the heavenly vapours drest In the golden tints of the summer sky, When I touch the clouds as I hover by ; And I am queen of the sleepy shades When reveries rise, and daylight fades; And magic palaces many a one,

I build in the clouds of the setting sun.

My light transparent wing is blue,

And on my back, in the sylphid's gaze, As I flutter about, is the tremulous hue

Of two soft delicate silver rays.

And my hand shines clear of the tint of the rose,
And my breath is the odorous breeze that goes,
At the vesper hour thro' the meads along :

My radiant hair flows fair and free,
And my musical mouth unceasingly

Will mingle a smile with its airy song.

And I have grottoes of shining shells,

And beautiful tents of the boughs of trees;
And I stir the leaves, and I raise the swells
Of the gentle waves on the sparkling seas.
Then come with me, and I'll shew thee where
The rolling clouds in the fields of air

Depart on their far and fleecy wings,
And the gushing rivers have their springs;
And I'll teach thee, baby-sprite, the words
Of the mystic language of the birds!

THE PERI.

The East; sweet region, where the glorious sun,

On his glad mission evermore intent,

Thro' the pure skies doth move resplendent on,

Like a gold ship on regal message sent, Bearing an emir to the harmonies

Of sacred flutes athwart the azure seas.

All gifts are showered around the eastern zone:
In other climes where happy fruits arise,
The bitter too, abound; but still have shone
On ancient Asia God's propitious eyes;
And there around more flowers to earth are given,
More pearls unto the wave, more stars to heaven.

I reign from the hoar catacombs that, formed
Like mountains, are but sepulchres, away
To that long wall by nations vainly stormed,
Which, as a belt encircling old Cathay,
Holds a vast empire in its winding girth,
Like a strange world within the bounds of earth.

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