The free South. (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864, March 26, 1864, Image 1
VOLUME II.
THE THREE VISITS* I
'from tiib frrnch of auuustk vii.u.
In tlio month of August, 1845, a col- '
tiinn of French soldiers, compo:.ed of
Chasseurs d ; Afrhjue, sapprcs and some
battdiious of ii: .i.?!ry. crossed the beautiful
v.iil. _y o u: " and guavu trees
which lie.s h o. . i) ' Aaimcr, one of
the pr:iiei >.ii?-.! ?: >. -Has. It was
nine o'clock, ?>.: ' i i had set in
clear nn< - . ? ? . ' t ... .stoned, for
-*-1- -- ' > <+ iwissihle the i
tu.-J ii.i . .1. r- - * * - .
x advacc-i gu .r i .a hid been engaged J
iiice <v ?n u. a routing a raid against the i
mutinous .tribes to compel to return to i
their aliegi m re. The field officer in com- I
laand of this detachment, ha; stopped j
with another ollioor to s v. them defile before
hira, and then took his place in the
rearguard. It-had been very warm all
day, and luminous exhalations arose from
the eai^h, having a spectral appearance
against tho darkness.
" Look there,, corporal Gobin," said a
soldier?"look down there; I saw something
that looked like, a white rag. That
couldn't be a Bedouin, could it?"
" Imbecih !" said the corporal, gravely,
"it is a c.;ctus leaf, with tho moon shining
on it."
" Parblen?I see that well enough.
But I meant some liing else that I don't
?eo now. Ah?hold ?there's another!"
44 It is heat ligldning, my lad."
"Possibly, possibly, corporal. But it ;
seems very queer, and I don't feel safe in |
this country." At this moment the Generuhpassed
before the young soldier.
" What is it that scares you so much?"
ssked the corporal.
" Not as luurli as yen would think?
but all these things dancing backwards
and forewards iu the air?these plants
which have great arms, shar|> as sabres,
. ,?^1, tliiit. !;ii,1c like
IUCOU Cb 1111 qLVI U utuvu>u%? i
melons armed with needles?all this don't |
acorn to he natural, aud the night is just
Ttt^h a ?uo would muho <?ue tlii. k it
was haunted by evil spirits."
"Hold vour tongue, couscript!" si.id
the ciupc^H. "Don't go and talk o;
ghosts now."
44 Why shouldn't I talk of them? I aui
hot afraid wlmn yon and all the rest are
here; but ghosts of Arab? would he lunny
enough." * v
44 One might know from what village
you couio, young man," said Gobiu. soutentiously?44
to he so wanting, in hie i
may say sens**. Know, then, he contain
ed, lowering his voice, that no one must
speak of ghosts before the General."
44 Afraid! couio, that is a good jok?*i?
Gen. Verguuiier afiaid! A brave'm.ni who
lias won his rahk by thrusting aims Ai ,?p
to the cannon's mouth; wh ?is coiii.ii.m-o
er of the Legion of Honor, au't wu ias
other cross-s hctmhs, enough to *ov?r
every Beam m .'as coat! My friend Ua* ?*?,
you willjuovirr la minister of war - -i say
'*o."
44 Well, tli u, if your Gen rai - m>
brave, why lioa't he ilks to hear ; . j
? talk of ghosts?"
? 44 That h an idea of his. He s<>^.>
such stories weary him, especially at u g .
It is a weakness, conscript, i coin -s.
weakness umvorihy suCu a
then he hides ii so well no one s.i.m? v..s
it."
"Then how do you know it, corpora.?"
"An old friend of mint?luibn^?? . a ;
sapper of the fwenty-second, who ... i '
been a servant of the General's, told ti ;?> !
n;o as a secret when he was drunk."
"Ah, you keep your secret fin. iy. J
May I ask ii the General?"
"Silence, Gabet, my friend; I think lie
suspects we are talking of him."
?n fact the General had not. lost a word
+ of the conversion between the two .soldiers,
and the iuiprt ssion it had made upon
him was so marked, that his companion,
surgeon Edward Ban is, could not
help inquiring the reason.
"Doyou believe in ghosts ?" asked the
General abruptly.
The Surgeon hesitated. 44 Why notr j
. he answered.. ,
"So then, tho body being dead the
f soul survives?"
44 Stated 011 thoso te ms it tdters the
tho question."
44 Tell me your views on the subject"
*'Mafoi, General, I hardly know. If
life is manifestation, or better, the emanation
of a principle general and enternal,
Under a form complete but perishable, as
the Swedenborgians and others think, spiritual
communications, are not only possible
but natural."
: FRE
BEAUFORT. SOUTH CAR(
" Aud your opinion cmrgeon Y"
' Frankly, it is difficult for me to say?
I never saw an apparition, consequently I
have t e right to doubt. My faith is like
that of Thomas. I would wish to see and
tou<-h."
I have seeu one, my dear Edward,"!
said the General in a hollow voice.
The brave officer?the brave General?
who made this strage confession f'? M.
Bauis, was a man still young?hardly thir- j
ty-eight years old. His noble, handsome i
face had a melancholy grace, which was
given it by the sad, tender look of his
large blue eyes, which softened the effect
of his bronzed complexion and immense j
moustache. With his large statue, broad .
shoulders, General Etienue Vergamier I
might have served,as a model for one of
the heroes of Ossiau.
The Surgeon, a man of cold and methodical,
hut of unlimited research and i
knowledge, received the singular avowal j
of the General with much astonishment.'
but greater curiosity. Was he a thousand |
tidies physician and sceptic, the marvel- J
ouh li id for him a charm which surpassed
every tiling else.
Ver gamier put tus Horse to a Trot, aim
was silent. The Surgeon finally yielded
to his curiosity, which his intimate rrluticns
with the General warranted him in j
doing.
44 \Vo have a long ride before us," said
he, 44 the road is rough und wo must
slacken our. paee. Tell me the incident
to which you ailuded just now. General. |
Is nott -is just the hour for ghost stories?" '
44F??r what purpose, Surgeon ? You will
not believe me."
441 believe m all sensations, only I permit
myself to discuss those principles of
yours."
44 You are going to carry the scalpel of
ray physiology into the most secret rress8
?s of ray heart. Cost what it may, 1 will j
fratify your wish ; but, I beg of you, do
not laugli All 1 am going to tell you is I
true.v j
*4 At twer.r; years old," said the G**ae- j
ral, 441 i.-it St. Cvr at the same time as ray
best friend, George Marcel, u young man,
pale and slender, dreamy as a poet, string |
as a Kabvh*, brave as a lion. We wi re
iutimate from ? urlirstyear? tSt. Cyr, and]
in those brutal quarrels which are so com- j
mon tin iv, he la d often undertaken my
d lease and fought for m?r, as I fought for !
iiim. We lor ed each other deariy, and i
a enlv r givtted tin* approaching separa- j
t ou wlncii wa-to see our elrtranee into ;
tile S. rviee. ' " I
Moiv fortunate than we had hoped, we j
found ours* 1 v? s iDgeiht r at the taking of
toe Fort be I'Fuipeivur, sul?-li< liferents i
. ! r,,ll I
IKH21 Ui ir, Jlivtni!> III Mill
A ifW ?luv> >i?ii r Altera whs t ikrti I?v assault,
an I G-iii tr.- \v>ia iMn> of tIi?j fti.sr to
p. net l it- into !..? ' 1 saw hint tali,
smirk hi the in a-t I?y : bull I j
it-i i .Mi i- ill mi : >s to ;t :
lnt; imii^ ?v;.i ** l;;i.l i: i. ;.:i)iii.ioiu il iiy i
t.. iinua i'N li i ? fit's- i i !i;ioli:l<liH:.' i j
iiiiil niv poofl* *'#4'" *lj* " !l 'M"l 'Hi'l rli- |
. .v? f st;?- i'C!i t;> on??! , hut it was I
i.. vi n , ii .ir i u.oiiv 'm ! l oiijiii' tif- i
. i A?' . . ..\' fiii- .ss ii o.oii i. i|i> j
I*'. H .J* }? 11 illK . I'H I I 'Z ' lit I III', |
ut lie . .i m h ti'i i Ton h s j
?\v.i ?. -Ns .ill ..iv;i 1*. .v h -ii it s J
j> :.ll eivnit'llisllpporu.tiie. H IliuL liovvv
r, a ? iUoiii' uts oi c;is .
' iiti* i??* said, I die v?-iy young,
n iil n gift ii ; lif.. !ms been wry s.v.'i-t to
iitr Wit.c iuy ri idship. We 11ust part,
\ m? -km miiy ?t .t is foiwer. .Not ou:*
oi i ?'il w nit waits tor tis ht-yoiid the tomb;
|i i*iiuj>K more mfferiny, jx maps moi't*
liH|.p;if. s>, or nothingness JJut i'i my
soul is .niuiortui, if it preserves ill those
unknown regions the aii'jetious and incui
ones which tilled it in its pnssa e oil i
earth, blessed he God! Aud if it is true
that we can visit those whom we tenderly
love, Ik* sure that I will return to thee
some evening in the spring, i hope. I !
feel death cai-" r now. My dear mother
said to me, : n dying, " I will return,",
and she did i turn?this night?ah!?
there?look?so siuiltg at nic??ow she
is weeping. Etienne?adieu. He sighed j
and expired."
The General paused, overcome with
grief; theu resumed in a saddened voice :
"I cannot depict my grief; 'twas terrible
and when they buried George to the
sound of the drum and songs of victory, I
was shedding b.tter tears, fori felt that
my youth was buried in the tomb, side by
side with my young friend. The strange
farewell ot George bad singularly affected
me. At night I haa the nightmare ; hid- J
J A h J V_>' V.
)L1NA, MARCH 20, 1M54.
(*?.*!ifi v L?ll US blUl'oUUdtd "hie. 1 OX' nu
mouth 41 was sis nervous as a woman, and. ;
to you, Surgeon, alone I eoufe.s* ir tint at j
night only, in the dark, I am afraid.
But a year, two years, rolled aw.iy, an 1
the remembrance of George, deeply gruv*
' en on my heart, yielded, without being
effaced; to the preoccupation of the. war, j
to my anxiety for the future. My puerile
fears fled of themselves, I was myself
once more, my mind free, my brain sound,
when the event I am about to toll you
happened. I wsis first lieutenant. After
rough and glorious campaigns I came to
Algiers with mv regiment. Young and
impetuous, rich with gold from our first'
captures, I threw myself headlong iiro
i the pleasures of garrison life; day and
[ night were for mc but one interminable
rrund of pleasure. I gambled with'a perfect.
frenzy, as one #dways for the tl;*mL
| time. I gained always and then fortune
j became contrary. One night iu a cafe,
; in the street Bab Byoun, I lost fourtn n
> thousand, francs, all that was left of my
I money and ray share of the booty. Tin
j loss was great, and they talked of nothing
i else iu Algiers. Towards i :j o'clock the
' ii xt day, a message reached mo from the
Colonel. 1 repaired to his head*ju.irt.T4,
| jiHle and uneasy, without knowing wlty. |
t T found my worthy Colonel, as pale uud !
8 id as myself.
Lieutenant." ho Raid, "my military
I client lias been broken open this morning i
, and fourteen thousand francs are gone? |
| fourteen thousand francs! do you hear, I
sir V*
j recoiled with a cry of indignation
"Herois a handkerchief lost by the
thief, and found under the chair of tie*
paymaster. Look, sir, it belongs to you;
there are your intiata?23. V."
r. i-iV. i ^?u: t ..jj?
A tO H Hit! UitUUlvri ruii'i luc.uiiur. l"."It
was mine?my limbs tremble I under ;
id?, I could not speak.
44 And now, sir," resumed the Colonel, j
* go nud blow your brains out."
! 1 wont out without a word?crushed i
ami branded liken thief?as ? robber. I !
did not attempt to justify myself?110, I
; went to my room, and taking a horse pis- '
I tol loaded it ; at. that moment I paused, j
I and in oue glance I recalled lay happy i
childhood, my first feat of arms, ray tnoth- j
er, George!
4 To die! I groaned; to die dishonored!' i
44 Thou slm!t not die!" said a voice;
clear and ringing, but which did not j
sound human. Tiie pistol fell from my :
hand,?George stood before me, his eves !
sinning with an unearthly light which il- {
lummated his whole face, white as alabastar.
Explain this, Surgeon. While I am j
telling you this, J feel my hair rise, my
teeth chatter, and my voice tremble. In j
the presence of George, I experienced ,
only serene joy and unmixed happiness.
My youth, my radiant dreams of giorv,. j
rose before rue. Weighed down an in- j
stunt before under the burden of the ;
most, inconceivable fatality, I 'elfc myself j
... - - - - -1 ? ? 11 i (lliiinsh
IlOW iilldt I II jruwr-lliu uvi-oi, ...... |
divine. Tiie apparition of George did ;
.not astonish 111". I accepted it as a fact, j
siiopjo and natural. We talked to each j
oth'-r, like brothers. !ik<? friends that bad
liec n separated for a long time.
' Etienue," be said gently, " what are
you going to do ? "
" I came- to save von. Your servant is
tlie tliief ; he stole the fourteen thousand <
francs a$ he ntole the handkerchief found
by the Colonel. You had confidence in !
tli is man, and he was w orthy of it until I
now, but lie has a mistress, a morisca, ! 1
aril it is for her he has stolen. They will I
find two thousand francs in his mattress, j
and twelve thousand at the dwelling of i
the girl. Go quickly aud toll the Colonel. 1
I have said all I have to say. Adic-n." <
George .vanished, and I found myself [ 1
alone. j \
The result verified all that the spectre j i
had revealed to me. The thief confessed | i
his crime and the money was found. ?Jy j <
brave Colonel, in his regret for his unjust 1
' . - *-mi ?.; it I .
suspicion, was reaay to kui uiiu:><-h m < <
place. All the ofilcers came atul called on <
me in a body, as a mark of their regret at <
what had happened. A few days after. I f
was appointed, at the solicitati n of the 1
Colonel, a Chevalier of the Legion of J
Honor. The reparation was complete.? 1
The surgeon seemed lost in thought. 1
*4 You do not believe ; is it not so my ?
friend ? I liave seen George, I am sure i
of that; it must be so, surgeon, or am I i
a lunatic ? " - 1
"Did this apparition never appear to I
NUMBER 1^.
you : .t.>lveti Hie .surgeon, wnorn ima
recitwl had singularly affected.
" I saw George ??ain,'' said the General,
vrith a gloomy air; "I haw him tha
night befofe J. hilled, in a drH. the Commandant
Bernard ;ie TM?. That- < v ninf%
X was returning; f/oni parade, tired and
will. T entered my rcnm suddenly. w; :u :i
w;w lit only vy the flames of a 3: 'ko
of dry bran hcs. Goorrs was jc:' *Jr\
my leather arm chair. I To vcs**, fr f.v>.. -.1
solera nT
" I was waiting for you." Jvk. M. f; " t
fight to-morrow with Com*::an * '
U?rd de His, v.*lu> ir? bully.. . -v..i
neglected gready your 3won! e\c; . "
George 1 ?nn#??l Ji/rornsf, the wall, and I
sow he had a sword in h?3 hand.
I took down ? foil and put myself 011
guard. " Pay atbmtioa," suid George.-? v
411 am go:ng to give you what Trisi-v gallantly
calls :i 1< >ron in du: Ho. Look, this
is an irr. si.-fih' > thrmt. Well douo, but
you do not thrust I jar-1 eunuch."
" I due not," I said, with a cold rweat *
on my brow.
V fa ut smile passed over George's lips.
We commenced again, r.nd this time I
thrust with so ranch violence that rey
sword broke against the wall. I bad
picrccl George through, but my swjrd
had met with 110 resiKfjtn-e.
"Well d ne," said George. "A keen
e; h, a **to?uly "ctud :m 1 coolness, and yon
will conquer "
"Gtsvg*," { .oitsd, with.a reproachful
accent, "you are g"vi:g t<? leave me.?
What is theve above that keep* you from
me,? Stay!"
Genrve shook liis head, ;?nd T said earie*sf!y.
" Will roil i> t '."ii agrtin ?"
e I will return o' ce juorc, Mtienne, but \
that lime vo v.-IJl depart together."
Ann the vision vanished into the air.
' I am s m slid the Grie?rol with increasing
exultation, ' T uu sure of wlmt
1 tell you. I. Verge. frii>r, took a lesson
of a spoctv, and *he next day T hilled a
uuui in :? ne! ?ifc in a long time
ago, soi l ? ??it ti - fl i *d visit ?f (reoige."
Banis could control a rnovmucrit, of
uneasiness; the feVv-riej state of the General
alarmed him. , # v
" Come. Ger.i ml," he said. 44T>eyourself
again. Yon have been fading nie drouins
and v/i'd fancies. Is if. not eo ? You
must think uo longer of th?:n. You have
need of mot and quiet. Se , the day is
break iig." *
44 Surgeon." sai l the General, a prey to
profound dopr'-tvsion, 44it is a !oi g time
since I have seen George?"
Tlio column here turo?d to the left to
avoid the. tmhuieiifc liver which bounded
. I- --. V. oln'iTiM-inrr
Wlf [MUlii. VH'li. !U^?iU*n.
under his {luck burnous, broke thesilence
at i:it?*rvuls to gbv brief commands to in
oCVt-r. As day broke i:?? s could be seen
oil th?* thinks of Djohei Ammer. These
fitvs indicate* I the bivouac of the first colli
iiii of tlio expedition, which Vergamier
h id ordered to halt t ere. The conjunction
was promptly made, and they .stacked
their arms. At the command, "Break
ranks," given l?ty Gen. Vervainie?\ and re- ?
peated by all tin* ofii-ers, the soldiers
scattered ovi r the plain, shouting and
laughing.
"Look, conscript, "s, lid Corporal Gobin,
throwing to Git bet u bunch of chemical
mulches, "you are going to make your
first shot."
" One cent a bunch ! two cents a box! "
cried another scldier, who had formerly
been a 4 gamin ' of the Boulevard da Teinpl
.
Already the p:ain was on fire, a crack?
ling was heard among the bushes, and
then rose it spiral column of smoke and
dame. These chemical matches, harmless
in Paris, became a tcrrilrie and devastating
weapon in Africa, in the hands of the soldiery.
When the harvest was all on fir ,
the column rallied to ascend.the moI;in
?it glided across ravine and v.- lej
i i o a gorge .formed by a gigantic liiu
the rock and descended the south il... .
>f rjebel, shouting hurras. The French
iifttl only to run down the slope, and already
the Arab village burned like a heap
>f .str.iw. Some of flie Arabs eaine out
>f the burning houses and exchanged
?hots with the saphis, without rnueh damage
being done on one side or the other.
However there were two or three men
tvoanded, and Surgeon Banis made them
lis first care, while the column, arriviug
it the foot of Djebel Amuier, reached the
valley and sheltered themselves under a
natural wall of granite. The flame folowed
the soldiers so closely that it seemed
x> pursue, twisting and writhing like a
V