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man's。  A common soldier; poor brute though you called him just now;

has this advantage in the stormy times we live in; that he always

does his duty before a host of sympathising witnesses。  Do you doubt

that he may so do it as to be extolled through a whole regiment;

through a whole army; through a whole country?  Turn while you may

yet retrieve the past; and try。〃



〃I will!  I ask for only one witness; sir;〃 cried Richard; with a

bursting heart。



〃I understand you。  I will be a watchful and a faithful one。〃



I have heard from Private Richard Doubledick's own lips; that he

dropped down upon his knee; kissed that officer's hand; arose; and

went out of the light of the dark; bright eyes; an altered man。



In that year; one thousand seven hundred and ninety…nine; the French

were in Egypt; in Italy; in Germany; where not?  Napoleon Bonaparte

had likewise begun to stir against us in India; and most men could

read the signs of the great troubles that were coming on。  In the

very next year; when we formed an alliance with Austria against him;

Captain Taunton's regiment was on service in India。  And there was

not a finer non…commissioned officer in it;no; nor in the whole

linethan Corporal Richard Doubledick。



In eighteen hundred and one; the Indian army were on the coast of

Egypt。  Next year was the year of the proclamation of the short

peace; and they were recalled。  It had then become well known to

thousands of men; that wherever Captain Taunton; with the dark;

bright eyes; led; there; close to him; ever at his side; firm as a

rock; true as the sun; and brave as Mars; would be certain to be

found; while life beat in their hearts; that famous soldier;

Sergeant Richard Doubledick。



Eighteen hundred and five; besides being the great year of

Trafalgar; was a year of hard fighting in India。  That year saw such

wonders done by a Sergeant…Major; who cut his way single…handed

through a solid mass of men; recovered the colours of his regiment;

which had been seized from the hand of a poor boy shot through the

heart; and rescued his wounded Captain; who was down; and in a very

jungle of horses' hoofs and sabres;saw such wonders done; I say;

by this brave Sergeant…Major; that he was specially made the bearer

of the colours he had won; and Ensign Richard Doubledick had risen

from the ranks。



Sorely cut up in every battle; but always reinforced by the bravest

of men;for the fame of following the old colours; shot through and

through; which Ensign Richard Doubledick had saved; inspired all

breasts;this regiment fought its way through the Peninsular war;

up to the investment of Badajos in eighteen hundred and twelve。

Again and again it had been cheered through the British ranks until

the tears had sprung into men's eyes at the mere hearing of the

mighty British voice; so exultant in their valour; and there was not

a drummer…boy but knew the legend; that wherever the two friends;

Major Taunton; with the dark; bright eyes; and Ensign Richard

Doubledick; who was devoted to him; were seen to go; there the

boldest spirits in the English army became wild to follow。



One day; at Badajos;not in the great storming; but in repelling a

hot sally of the besieged upon our men at work in the trenches; who

had given way;the two officers found themselves hurrying forward;

face to face; against a party of French infantry; who made a stand。

There was an officer at their head; encouraging his men;a

courageous; handsome; gallant officer of five…and…thirty; whom

Doubledick saw hurriedly; almost momentarily; but saw well。  He

particularly noticed this officer waving his sword; and rallying his

men with an eager and excited cry; when they fired in obedience to

his gesture; and Major Taunton dropped。



It was over in ten minutes more; and Doubledick returned to the spot

where he had laid the best friend man ever had on a coat spread upon

the wet clay。  Major Taunton's uniform was opened at the breast; and

on his shirt were three little spots of blood。



〃Dear Doubledick;〃 said he; 〃I am dying。〃



〃For the love of Heaven; no!〃 exclaimed the other; kneeling down

beside him; and passing his arm round his neck to raise his head。

〃Taunton!  My preserver; my guardian angel; my witness!  Dearest;

truest; kindest of human beings!  Taunton!  For God's sake!〃



The bright; dark eyesso very; very dark now; in the pale face

smiled upon him; and the hand he had kissed thirteen years ago laid

itself fondly on his breast。



〃Write to my mother。  You will see Home again。  Tell her how we

became friends。  It will comfort her; as it comforts me。〃



He spoke no more; but faintly signed for a moment towards his hair

as it fluttered in the wind。  The Ensign understood him。  He smiled

again when he saw that; and; gently turning his face over on the

supporting arm as if for rest; died; with his hand upon the breast

in which he had revived a soul。



No dry eye looked on Ensign Richard Doubledick that melancholy day。

He buried his friend on the field; and became a lone; bereaved man。

Beyond his duty he appeared to have but two remaining cares in

life;one; to preserve the little packet of hair he was to give to

Taunton's mother; the other; to encounter that French officer who

had rallied the men under whose fire Taunton fell。  A new legend now

began to circulate among our troops; and it was; that when he and

the French officer came face to face once more; there would be

weeping in France。



The war went onand through it went the exact picture of the French

officer on the one side; and the bodily reality upon the other

until the Battle of Toulouse was fought。  In the returns sent home

appeared these words:  〃Severely wounded; but not dangerously;

Lieutenant Richard Doubledick。〃



At Midsummer…time; in the year eighteen hundred and fourteen;

Lieutenant Richard Doubledick; now a browned soldier; seven…and…

thirty years of age; came home to England invalided。  He brought the

hair with him; near his heart。  Many a French officer had he seen

since that day; many a dreadful night; in searching with men and

lanterns for his wounded; had he relieved French officers lying

disabled; but the mental picture and the reality had never come

together。



Though he was weak and suffered pain; he lost not an hour in getting

down to Frome in Somersetshire; where Taunton's mother lived。  In

the sweet; compassionate words that naturally present themselves to

the mind to…night; 〃he was the only son of his mother; and she was a

widow。〃



It was a Sunday evening; and the lady sat at her quiet garden…

window; reading the Bible; reading to herself; in a trembling voice;

that very passage in it; as I have heard him tell。  He heard the

words:  〃Young man; I say unto thee; arise!〃



He had to pass the window; and the bright; dark eyes of his debased

time seemed to look at him。  Her heart told her who he was; she came

to the door quickly; and fell upon his neck。



〃He saved me from ruin; made me a human creature; won me from infamy

and shame。  O; God for ever bless him!  As He will; He Will!〃



〃He will!〃 the lady answered。  〃I know he is in heaven!〃  Then she

piteously cried; 〃But O; my darling boy; my darling boy!〃



Never from the hour when Private Richard Doubledick enlisted at

Chatham had the Private; Corporal; Sergeant; Sergeant…Major; Ensign;

or Lieutenant breathed his right name; or the name of Mary Marshall;

or a word of the story of his life; into any ear except his

reclaimer's。  That previous scene in his existence was closed。  He

had firmly resolved that his expiation should be to live unknown; to

disturb no more the peace that had long grown over his old offences;

to let it be revealed; when he was dead; that he had striven and

suffered; and had never forgotten; and then; if they could forgive

him and believe himwell; it would be time enoughtime enough!



But that night; remembering the words he had cherished for two

years; 〃Tell her how we became friends。  It will comfort her; as it

comforts me;〃 he related everything。  It gradually seemed to him as

if in his maturity he had recovered a mother; it gradually seemed to

her as if in her bereavement she had found a son。  During his stay

in England; the quiet garden into which he had slowly and painfully

crept; a stranger; became the boundary of his home; when he was able

to rejoin his regiment in the spring; he left the garden; thinking

was this indeed the first time he had ever turned his face towards

the old colours with a woman's blessing!



He followed themso ragged; so scarred and pierced now; that they

would scarcely hold togetherto Quatre Bras and Ligny。  He stood

beside them; in an awful stillness of many men; shadowy through the

mist and drizzle of a wet June forenoon; on the field of Waterloo。

And down to that hour the picture in his mind of the French officer

had never been compared with the

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