DAVE'S MINISTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2014, 29 September 1892, Page 38

DAVE'S MINISTRY.

A STORY OF THE CRIMEAN WAR.

By Hei/ene.

Chapter IV.

It is the first week in September 1854, and all arrangements are at length completed for the attack on Sebastapol. The immense fleet of men-of-war and transports in tow of steamers had left Varna "and were sailing and s.teaming eastward-bound for Russian territory.

On one of the transports belonging to the third division, distinguished by its red triangular flag, stood a tall commanding figure, with stern face, and dressed in private's uniform. Beside him, and in desultory conversation with him, was a comrade in arms, slighter though not less manly looking than his companion. He was above middle height and daik, his manners and bearing being unmistakably those of a gentleman. His face clean shaven with the exception of a slight dark moustache was squarely shaped and rather pale, and as yet perfectly smooth and unwrinkled, except for that single perpendicular line between the brows, which is supposed by. some to denote accurate and just judgment. The dark eyes had in them that peculiar soft chining look that tells of deep and earnest feeling, and the mingled strength and sweetness of the whole face made it inexpressibly winning and attractive. He was a man whose laugh was rarely heard, but the quiet unbroken cheerfulness that he carried with him under every trial and through every discomfort had a ino^e brightening and enspjriting effect upon those around him than the most boisterous spirits could ever haye had. And there was not a man in the regiment, either soldier or officer, who could have found it in his heart to say a word in disparagement of Dav<i Malcolm, or who would have gained a hearidg if he had.

He has won the esteem and affection of even Guy Holmes, who now stands by his side — the young private whose reserve and taciturnity have silenced and driven from ifrim many of his brother soldiers who might iji'aye been led through their ie3pect for bim and their knowledge of his honour and integrity to make a friend of him. They cannot know what a heavy heart be carries with him -through every waking hour or how bitterly ho is reproaching himself now for the want of love he had shown towards his mother in leaving her as he did in 1 spite of her most 1 earnest and'tearful entreaties.

Dave Malcolm alone 1 seemed to have possessed himself of some secret knowledge which enabled him to pierce' through this wall of coldness and reserve, so impenetrable to all others, for the two had become" fast friends. Dave's sympathies had in fact been aroused by tbe feeling he had that Guy's strangeness was caused by some great loss he had suffered and was unable to speak Guy had just been growling out invectives against the Biitish Government for what he designated as their heartless and disgraceful oonduot, in matting such bad and inefficient arrangements for tbe needs and comfort of their troops,

"If the commissariat manage as badly in the Crimea as they have hitherto done," he wound up, " there won't be half an army left standing to go into action." Guy delivered- himself of this closing speech with the sort of air that defied con-, tradiction, but Dave, ever ready to ponr oil on troubled waters, answered with a quiet, indulgent smile. " Ob, I don't fancy it will be quite as bad as that, and you know the Government need not necessarily be as much to blame as you think. I should imagine it was merely a question of miscalculation. They probably did not exactly foresee how things would be, or how much would be 'required. They would have made better provision if they had." " More likely they didn't want to foresee," replied Guy shortly. "It's no good your trying to breathe charity into me, old man, because it won't have any effect. I know you're so impregnated yourself with that one microbe that there's no room for any other, bnt it is not so with me, I can assure you. It is not given to every man to be able to see his fellow creatures en masse through rose-coloured spectacles, as you do. Why, man, I believe you'd feel charitably disposed towards your own executioner."

Dave smiled.

" I'm afraid, Holmes, that your opinion of me is not founded on fact," he said. " I'm not the fellow you seem to imagine me to be. Still," he went on gravely, v charity is a quality that all Christians should struggle after, and I do try to throw in my mite on the right side of the scale, but I am afraid I am not often very successful. However," he added, quaintly smiling at his friend, " perhaps it would be as well for me to let you fancy me the happy possessor of so many virtues, because the more highly you think of me the more likely yon are to listen tJ my opinions." Here Guy, who instantly took this as heralding the approach of a religious controversy — a thing he dreaded,— plunged desperately into protest, before there was anything to protest against. 41 Look here, Malcolm," he broke in irrelevantly, " have you ever been blessed with an old Christian aunt 7 " "No, not that I know of," Dave answered, wondering vaguely what was comirg next. " I believe I have only one aunt living, and I have never seen her. Why do you ask 7 "

" Because I have— and I have learned qaite as much of religion from hi-r as I ever tvish to learn. She is my father's eldest sister. How he ever came to have such a sister is a question I have never been able to answer — and she lives in London, too close by far, Bveiy now and then — generally speaking when we are lsast expecting her and least in the humour for pntting up with her vagaries— she bears down upon us with van loads of luggage and a French maid, whom she knows we all detest, and settles herself as comfortably in the house as if it belonged to her for th^ee months at a time. She always insists upon having the very best bedroom (with a fireplace), the very best waiting, and in fact the very best there is to be had of everything, no matter who suffers in consequence, and in return the old witch sows so many seeds of dissension all round her that I'm sure I wonder she doesn't find herself smothered in the growth that she takes so much trouble to stimulate, She delights above all things in setting the youngsters by the ears, and then when the battle is raging at its highest she will sit and dilate upon the sin of bringipg children up with so little discipline, the evils that invariably follow upon undue, indulgence to the young, and the dangers attending such a shameful want of religious instruction— all of which we thoroughly understand is intended for our mother, who, I believe, secretly stands a good deal, in awe of her. On Sunday she drives to church, at the point of the bayonet, all those who will allow themselves to be driven-^which number, I may mention, has never yet included me— while, not being strong enough to go herself, poor invalid, she remains comfortably at homi and preaches to every unfortunate member of the family who comes, within range of her tongue, enlarging qpon the frailties of youth— sour grape?, I suspect— and telling, in long : drawn-outi pious tones, of all the good she has done in the past and all the good she' means to do in the future, till one feels that one's only hope is to lock her up, figuratively speaking, and lose the key. With all her sermons and all her self : righteousness,' I know her to be at bottom the greatest old schemer, hypocrite, and romancer that you would meet with in a day's march." Guy stopped almost out of breath with this unaccustomed energy of expression, and then D,ave, who had not once interrupted him, began with a half smile to frame an. answer. " •• yefy well, Holmes," he said, ',' now that you have quite finished your harangue, I. will show you,' if you will allow me, where you are wrong.' 1 " Quite right, fire away, old man," replied his friend, " but you won't win your case, I warn you. My descriptive powers may not be great as a general'rule, but they are perfectly reliable in this instance, I'll take my affidavit of that. I've seen into every corner of my respected relative, and can gauge her to a T, and she knows it, too," be added grimly, remembering the special aversion Bis aunt had alway3 entertained towards him. ' ' . V I am not going to say any thicg either for, or against your description," answered Dave! " As I am not personally acquainted with the lady in question, I can scarcely consider myself a competent judge. Bat it is the argument I wish to combat, the old false argument. It would be impossible for me to believe from what you tell me of your aunt that ehe could be 1 in any true sense a Christian ; but even allowing her to be so— you are wrong in your reasoning, Holme 3, entirely wrong. ' Now, will you lißten to me for a moment, while I try to give you an illustration of what I mean 1 "

Guy nodded. "Then we will begin by supposing you to be an art student, one of a number of art students." 11 Certainly," answered Guy drily, " I don't happen ever to have done anything more worthy of note in that line than a pijjf with my eyes shut, but 1' suppose that's neither here nor there— well, go on " " Now pictme to yourself a painting," resumed Dave, "a wonderful painting—per-

fect in outline, perfect in form and colonripg, perfect in every particular."

" And suppose that all these art students, yourself of course included, had been instructed to reproduce that painting each according to the ability within him. Now, answer me, Holmes, would you wait until all your fellow students had finished their work, and then single out as a copy the most inferior reproduction from the most incapable brush, or would you go to the original painting and make as far as in you lay a faithful copy of that?"

" I imagine I should go to the original," answered Guy slowly. •

"Of course you would. Then why," replied Dave half sadly, " will you not do the 3ame with your religion, and go to the fountain head 7 "

Just as he finished speaking one of the young surgeonß of their regiment — by name Talbot — ranged up beside them, and the conversation, being thus broken in upon, changed its character, and fell to more mundane matters.

A few days later, on September 13, the main body of the fleet anchored off Eupatoiia. This, 'however, was merely with a view to puzzling tbe enemy with regard to their tactics, for eatly on the morning of the 14th they left again under cover of the darkness for Old Fort, where the work of disembarkation began, and con tinned steadily hour after hour, until 27,000 British troops had landed. The French meanwhile having effected a landing a little farther to the south, and the Turks south again of them.

The day had been dear and bright to start with, but it clouded over about midday, and at night the rain came down in torrents. Scarcely any of the tents had beeu brought ashore, and in consequence both officers and men were drenched to the skin, having no protection against the weather, other than blankets and great coat?, and many of the poor fellows died during the night from the effects of cholera.

Guy, afterwards, in writing home to his mother an account of their landing, and subsequent events, said that he never in the whole course of his.life remembered to have spent such an awful night as that first night in the Crimea. Its miseries and discomforts defied description. Still, he allowed that the officers were no better off than the men, that all suffered alike, and all had equal reason to remember their first 24 hours on Russian territory.

For the next three or four days following that memorable night, the troops were actively employed in the disembarkation of guns, ammunition, stores, &c. By the evening of the 18th this had been accomplished, and Lord Raglan then issued orders that the troops should prepare for the march to the Ahna at daybreak on the 19th. This was to be to many of them their journey's end. And it saddens one to think even after the lapse of nearly four decades how many of those brave fellows, in the short space of seven weeks, found their last rest* ing plaoe in an alien land, among strangers.

|t is evening of the 19th. The Russians have retired to the Alma, and the Allies having all crossed the Buiganak are pre-. paring to bivouac for the night. The commissaries are busy serving out rations, while the men employ themselves in gathering nettles, weeds, and grass, to aid with broken casks, and .such scraps of fuel as they can find, in making up camp fires. Two young privates, easily recognisable as Holmes and Malcolm, had gone off together, to gather their share of inflammable matter, and had apparently fallen immediately into conversation. .

Dave was speaking to his friend in low intense tones with what appeared to be an utter unconsciousness of all the whirl and bustle around him. He had stopped working, and seemed to be throwing his whole being into what he said, while Guy listened almost in silence, and with a growing wonder.

It was only one of many effort* on Dave's part to bring the revelation of the truth home to his friend ; but on this particular occasion there was a force and intensity in his words and manner which was wholly new to Guy, He could not understand itHe could see no reason for it. The young soldier Eeemed to be possessed by some hidden power which urged him on in spite of himself ; and ihe half-suppressed energy of mind and soul, observable even in the tones of his voice, impressed Guy strongly. It was so different to the quiet demeanour and restful ways he had become familiar with.

He was still pondering over in his mind the reason of it al}, when Dave suddenly stopped speaking and stood silent and motionless, almost as if he were listening for something. And when at last be addressed iris, companion again his whole manner bad altered, and he spoke in the same quiet; tones as of old.

Guy felt touched— he scarcely knew why —and turniog to his friend, he laid a hand, on either shoulder, looking steadily into Mb face, and speaking very gravely and earnestly said :-

" Dave, your friendship means a great deal to me— more perhaps than you will ever know, and I have never yet ftl,t deserving of it! But belieye at least this much, that I am not ungrateful to you for alj your efforts on my behalf, and 'that I Bhall never forget all that you have tried to do for me. oven should it never bear iruit."

His arms, dropped to his side &s ho finished speaking, and he was about to turn away, when Dave's hand was silently ex' ended to, him through the half darkness. He understood the feeling too deep for words that prompted the action, and he took the hand in his as silently as it was given, holding it in a firm close grasp for several second?.

Standing thus the two friends felt that they had never been' so much to. each other, or understood each other so well as at that moment.

" Oorne now," said Guy, the first to bre^k the silence after this, •• don't you think that we have got together about enough of this rubbish 1 "

" Well, we seem to have certainly," replied Dave smiling ; " but I'm pure I don't ktiow where it has all come from — I seem to have been talking all the time.' 1

" You have been talking most of the time, I think," was the laughing response ; " but this pile proves that I have not been exactly a Bleeping partner, doesn't it V 1

And gathering up as much as he could carry, Guy prepared to march off to where their camp fire was already beginning to blaze merrily.

Dave followed his example and in a few strides was beside him.

" I'm glad I procured that rag of canvas," remarked Guy as Dave came up with him, "though I did have to pay through the nose for it, and though it has been shipped ■ off for the time being."

" Ob, the tent, you mean."

"Well, yes — the tent, if you choose to dignify it with such a title. To my mind it is more like a hastily improvised dogkennel."

"In a region where timber is at a discount," replied his companion with a smile, " you know it isn't customary to make dog kennels tff cant as, is it 7 "

" Oh, I don't know ; it might be in default of anything better to make them of," answered Guy, " but I was thinking of the size of the thing when I spoke. We'll scarcely be able to pass one another in it once we are inside ; but still I suppose thera is a certain advantage even in that. Oar privacy is not so likely to be broken in upon. You know, Dave," he went on, " I never mind having you with me, and would gladly Bbare an; thing with you at any time; but I'm an unsociable fe low nowadays. You must have discovered fchat for yourself long ago. It was not always so. I used to be fond of mixing with other men, but somehow this year everything in me seems changed, and I scarcely know myself."

There was a deep pathetic sadness in the man's tones, and Dave realised now for the first time how bitter the trial must have been he had passed through, and what a lonely, aohing heart it .bad left behind it, and he looged more than ever to see his friend with a firm grasp of the only true comfort, and with his feet securely planted on that sure foundation that never fails.

The tent Guy had spoken of had been the property of a young soldier of the 68th Regiment named Gray. He had had it made before leaving England for himself and a younger brother to whom be was much attached, and whom he wished to have as much as possible to himself during the campaign. The younger Gray had died in Varna of cholera, and the elder no longer feeling able to use the tent after his brother's death sold it to a friend, and this friend bad disposed of it again to Gay at a considerable profit.

Early on the morning following this conversation between Guy and Dave, the troops prepared for a further march of between four and five miles to the banks of the Alma, where it was by this time known that the Russians had strongly posted themselves.

The French, had bivouacked during tbe" night nearest to the sea ; next to them tbe Tuiks, and tbe English further inland ; and when the three armies commenced the march they formed a line more than three miles in length.

Guy had never before felt so stirred at the thought^ of the coming conflict with the enemy as he felt now., marching as one of that vast armament, with the probability, almost the certainty, of an engagement before night, and knowing that every soldier's heart amongst them was animated with the same feelings as his own,

On reaching the right bank of tho Alma they found that they were commanded by higher ground on tbe other side, and that the Russians had not failed to make use of this advantage. They had spent the week since the landing of the Allies in making strong fortifications on every height and commanding position their bank of the river afforded.

A sergeant in writing home after the battle expressed his belief that the position that the Russians occupied at this time waa one which the English with half their number would have held against tho whole world.

It fell to the lot of General Bosquet, commander of the seaond French division, to commence the battle. His division, with the Turks in the rear, was within a short distance of the sea and formed the right wing of the allied army, which comprised about 65,000 men, and faced the enemy with a frontage of nearly four miles and a depth of half a mile.

The heights on the side of the river occupied by the Russians descended so abraptly and steeply to the sea that Prince Menehi* coff appeared to have relied mainly on natural defences at this part, and bad placed most of his men and guns farther inland.

Tbe allied oommandera had noticed this* and Bosquet's attack was. part of. a plan fo)f taking advantage of it. Rapidly but ateadUj the French and Tuifca advanced, crossed the Alma near its mouth,, and with inconceivable activity climbed? the cliff. T-faey gained the plateau, and then,, and then only, did the Rissians open upon them.

Ijn the meantime Oanrobe rt with the firefc and par,fc of tbe fourth divisions was making arrangements to afford Bosquet what aid ha could. Ho boldly crossed" the river by a ford at the village of Almatamak and ascended tlw heights opposite by a small path which he was fortunate enough, to $ght upon. He reached- the top, and advancing was met by Bosquet neer^an unfinished octagonal tower, which, was psohably intended- for a tele-* grapb^ their numbers having been added to. by the remainder of the fourth, division* wn'e'i had been sent to them, by Marshal St. Arnaud. Here where the Russians had assembled a formidable body of infantry with field ba^terie* the engagement took place.. It was short bu,t terrible, and when at last the French obtained command of the position and the Russians retired the vioinity of the tower was covered wijbb an unbroken maaa of wounded and dying men, the opponents intermingled one among another. Probably many of. them lay as they felt* and passed from time to eternity, alone ana uncared for, before means oould be found to extricate them, while those to whom they were moßt dear w ore living, over a whole lifetime of anguish in the thought of what those few short hours might mean to them. Over 100,000 men on this day lifted their hands one against another, and four nations suffered irretrievable loss, while a piteous, despairing cry swept across them, from frontier to frontier and from shore to shore —the echo of a million voices,* speaking from a million bleeding hearts, which had.

been left desolate and well-nigh woanded to death by the terrible results of that first day's fighting. But amid the roar of cannon and clash of cold steel, we must not forget our hero. Guy had longed from the first to be in the torefront of the battle, in the thickest of the fight, and was now ohafing at finding that his division was placed in the rear, wherr, he thought impatiently, it might remain for all he knew to the contrary until the great question of the day had been decided. The first movement forward of the French in the centre of the line, commenced almost simultaneously with the appearance of Bosquet's division on the heights. They dashed into the river, crossing anyhow and anywhere, and reforming on the other side, swarmed up the heights with irresistible force, enthusiastically shouting " Vive VEmpereur." The English at the same time pressed forward daringly with three divisions— the light division under 3ir George Browc, the first under the Duke of Cambridge, and the second under Sir de Lacy Evans. They were mowed down with fearful rapidity, bnt those who escaped the murderous hail from above dashed unwaveringly forward to death or victory— their country and their country's honour their one thought. Three hours of desperate fighting, of unceasing effort, in which Guy's regiment, having at last been brought partially to the front, joins, and their reward is won. The Russians were now completely paralysed, falling back, and under cover of their reserve cavalry and artillery teat a hasty retreat, while the Allies, loudly cheering, find themselves undisputed possessors of the coveted position and victors of the day. But, ala 3, at what a cost. Hundreds of noble fellows, who had bravely shared in all the dangers and hardships of the day, were no longer there to share in the gbry of its close. The number of deaths in some of the regiments, especially in those belonging to tbo light division, was appalling, but in GuyV, which bad not been so largely engaged, the loss was veiy slight. Now that the excitement was over and the one great object of the day accomplished, Guy's thoughts drifted back into the old natural groove, and now — oh, pity him. What ha 9 caused this change to come over his lace 1 H«s heart bad given one bound and then seemed to stand still, paralysed with the dread of the moment. For he had become conscious of a blank. Only one, hie sight could travel no further, even the power to act seemed for the moment to have left him. The one face that was dearest to him in all his regiment— nay, on the whole wide battlefield, was missing, bhe form that he bad grown so accustomed to have always by him was now for the first time absent. How was it he had not noticed it sooner 1 He could not tell. " Oh, Dave I Dave 1 shot down at my side and I not to know if," he thought despairingly, as he turned with a hopeless feeling at hi* heart to search amoDg all the thousands of dead and wounded lying so thickly all around, from the river bed to the hei.hts above, for the one man among them, who had been to him both friend and brother. (To le continued.)