burlesques-第33章

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following　words：



〃Sir；　you　are　known；　you　come　of　an　heroic　nation。　　Your　third

brother；　the　Chef　de　Bataillon；　Count　Godfrey　Gahagan；　was　in　my

Irish　brigade。〃



Gahagan。〃Sire；　it　is　true。　　He　and　my　countrymen　in　your

Majesty's　service　stood　under　the　green　flag　in　the　breach　of

Burgos；　and　beat　Wellington　back。　　It　was　the　only　time；　as　your

Majesty　knows；　that　Irishmen　and　Englishmen　were　beaten　in　that

war。〃



Napoleon　（looking　as　if　he　would　say；　〃D…　your　candor；　Major

Gahagan〃）。〃Well；　well；　it　was　so。　　Your　brother　was　a　Count；　and

died　a　General　in　my　service。〃



Gahagan。〃He　was　found　lying　upon　the　bodies　of　nine…and…twenty

Cossacks　at　Borodino。　　They　were　all　dead；　and　bore　the　Gahagan

mark。〃



Napoleon　（to　Montholon）。〃C'est　vrai；　Montholon：　je　vous　donne　ma

parole　d'honneur　la　plus　sacree；　que　c'est　vrai。　　Ils　ne　sont　pas

d'autres；　ces　terribles　Ga'gans。　　You　must　know　that　Monsieur

gained　the　battle　of　Delhi　as　certainly　as　I　did　that　of　Austerlitz。

In　this　way：Ce　belitre　de　Lor　Lake；　after　calling　up　his　cavalry；

and　placing　them　in　front　of　Holkar's　batteries；　qui　balayaient　la

plaine；　was　for　charging　the　enemy's　batteries　with　his　horse；　who

would　have　been　ecrases；　mitrailles；　foudroyes　to　a　man　but　for　the

cunning　of　ce　grand　rogue　que　vous　voyez。〃



Montholon。〃Coquin　de　Major；　va！〃



Napoleon。〃Montholon！　tais…toi。　　When　Lord　Lake；　with　his　great

bull…headed　English　obstinacy；　saw　the　facheuse　position　into　which

he　had　brought　his　troops；　he　was　for　dying　on　the　spot；　and　would

infallibly　have　done　soand　the　loss　of　his　army　would　have　been

the　ruin　of　the　East　India　Companyand　the　ruin　of　the　English

East　India　Company　would　have　established　my　empire　（bah！　it　was　a

republic　then！）　in　the　Eastbut　that　the　man　before　us；　Lieutenant

Goliah　Gahagan；　was　riding　at　the　side　of　General　Lake。〃



Montholon　（with　an　accent　of　despair　and　fury）。〃Gredin！　cent

mille　tonnerres　de　Dieu！〃



Napoleon　（benignantly）。〃Calme…toi；　mon　fidele　ami。　　What　will

you？　　It　was　fate。　　Gahagan；　at　the　critical　period　of　the　battle；

or　rather　slaughter　（for　the　English　had　not　slain　a　man　of　the

enemy）；　advised　a　retreat。〃



Montholon。　　〃Le　lache！　　Un　Francais　meurt；　mais　il　ne　recule

jamais。〃



Napoleon。〃STUPIDE！　　Don't　you　see　WHY　the　retreat　was　ordered？

don't　you　know　that　it　was　a　feint　on　the　part　of　Gahagan　to　draw

Holkar　from　his　impregnable　intrenchments？　　Don't　you　know　that　the

ignorant　Indian　fell　into　the　snare；　and　issuing　from　behind　the

cover　of　his　guns；　came　down　with　his　cavalry　on　the　plains　in

pursuit　of　Lake　and　his　dragoons？　　Then　it　was　that　the　Englishmen

turned　upon　him；　the　hardy　children　of　the　north　swept　down　his

feeble　horsemen；　bore　them　back　to　their　guns；　which　were　useless；

entered　Holkar's　intrenchments　along　with　his　troops；　sabred　the

artillerymen　at　their　pieces；　and　won　the　battle　of　Delhi！〃



As　the　Emperor　spoke；　his　pale　cheek　glowed　red；　his　eye　flashed

fire；　his　deep　clear　voice　rung　as　of　old　when　he　pointed　out　the

enemy　from　beneath　the　shadow　of　the　Pyramids；　or　rallied　his

regiments　to　the　charge　upon　the　death…strewn　plain　of　Wagram。　　I

have　had　many　a　proud　moment　in　my　life；　but　never　such　a　proud　one

as　this；　and　I　would　readily　pardon　the　word　〃coward；〃　as　applied

to　me　by　Montholon；　in　consideration　of　the　testimony　which　his

master　bore　in　my　favor。



〃Major；〃　said　the　Emperor　to　me　in　conclusion；　〃why　had　I　not　such

a　man　as　you　in　my　service？　　I　would　have　made　you　a　Prince　and　a

Marshal！〃　and　here　he　fell　into　a　reverie；　of　which　I　knew　and

respected　the　purport。　　He　was　thinking；　doubtless；　that　I　might

have　retrieved　his　fortunes；　and　indeed　I　have　very　little　doubt

that　I　might。



Very　soon　after；　coffee　was　brought　by　Monsieur　Marchand；

Napoleon's　valet…de…chambre；　and　after　partaking　of　that　beverage；

and　talking　upon　the　politics　of　the　day；　the　Emperor　withdrew；

leaving　me　deeply　impressed　by　the　condescension　he　had　shown　in

this　remarkable　interview。





CHAPTER　III。



A　PEEP　INTO　SPAINACCOUNT　OF　THE　ORIGIN　AND　SERVICES　OF　THE

AHMEDNUGGAR　IRREGULARS。





HEAD　QUARTERS；　MORELLA；　Sept。　16；　1838。



I　have　been　here　for　some　months；　along　with　my　young　friend

Cabrera：　and　in　the　hurry　and　bustle　of　wardaily　on　guard　and　in

the　batteries　for　sixteen　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four；　with

fourteen　severe　wounds　and　seven　musket…balls　in　my　bodyit　may　be

imagined　that　I　have　had　little　time　to　think　about　the　publication

of　my　memoirs。　　Inter　arma　silent　legesin　the　midst　of　fighting

be　hanged　to　writing！　as　the　poet　says；　and　I　never　would　have

bothered　myself　with　a　pen；　had　not　common　gratitude　incited　me　to

throw　off　a　few　pages。



Along　with　Oraa's　troops；　who　have　of　late　been　beleaguering　this

place；　there　was　a　young　Milesian　gentleman；　Mr。　Toone　O'Connor

Emmett　Fitzgerald　Sheeny；　by　name；　a　law　student；　and　member　of

Gray's　Inn；　and　what　be　called　Bay　Ah　of　Trinity　College；　Dublin。

Mr。　Sheeny　was　with　the　Queen's　people；　not　in　a　military　capacity；

but　as　representative　of　an　English　journal；　to　which；　for　a

trifling　weekly　remuneration；　he　was　in　the　habit　of　transmitting

accounts　of　the　movements　of　the　belligerents；　and　his　own　opinion

of　the　politics　of　Spain。　　Receiving；　for　the　discharge　of　his

duty；　a　couple　of　guineas　a　week　from　the　proprietors　of　the

journal　in　question；　he　was　enabled；　as　I　need　scarcely　say；　to

make　such　a　show　in　Oraa's　camp　as　only　a　Christino　general

officer；　or　at　the　very　least　a　colonel　of　a　regiment；　can　afford

to　keep　up。



In　the　famous　sortie　which　we　made　upon　the　twenty…third；　I　was　of

course　among　the　foremost　in　the　melee；　and　found　myself；　after　a

good　deal　of　slaughtering　（which　it　would　be　as　disagreeable　as

useless　to　describe　here）；　in　the　court　of　a　small　inn　or　podesta；

which　had　been　made　the　head…quarters　of　several　Queenite　officers

during　the　siege。　　The　pesatero　or　landlord　of　the　inn　had　been

despatched　by　my　brave　chapel…churies；　with　his　fine　family　of

childrenthe　officers　quartered　in　the　podesta　had　of　course

bolted；　but　one　man　remained；　and　my　fellows　were　on　the　point　of

cutting　him　into　ten　thousand　pieces　with　their　borachios；　when　I

arrived　in　the　room　time　enough　to　prevent　the　catastrophe。　　Seeing

before　me　an　individual　in　the　costume　of　a　civiliana　white　hat；

a　light　blue　satin　cravat；　embroidered　with　butterflies　and　other

quadrupeds；　a　green　coat　and　brass　buttons；　and　a　pair　of　blue

plaid　trousers；　I　recognized　at　once　a　countryman；　and　interposed

to　save　his　life。



In　an　agonized　brogue　the　unhappy　young　man　was　saying　all　that　he

could　to　induce　the　chapel…churies　to　give　up　their　intention　of

slaughtering　him；　but　it　is　very　little　likely　that　his

protestations　would　have　had　any　effect　upon　them；　had　not　I

appeared　in　the　room；　and　shouted　to　the　ruffians　to　hold　their

hand。



Seeing　a　general　officer　before　them　（I　have　the　honor　to　hold　that

rank　in　the　service　of　his　Catholic　Majesty）；　and　moreover　one　six

feet　four　in　height；　and　armed　with　that　terrible　cabecilla　（a

sword　so　called；　because　it　is　five　feet　long）　which　is　so　well

known　among　the　Spanish　armiesseeing；　I　say；　this　figure；　the

fellows　retired；　exclaiming；　〃Adios；　corpo　di　bacco；　nosotros；〃　and

so　on；　clearly　proving　（by　their　words）　that　they　would；　if　they

dared；　have　immolated　the　victim　whom　I　had　thus　rescued　from　their

fury。　　〃Villains！〃　shouted　I；　hearing　them　grumble；　〃away！　quit　the

apartment！〃　　Each　man；　sulkily　sheathing　his　sombrero；　obeyed；　and

quitted　the　camarilla。



It　was　then　that　Mr。　Sheeny　detailed　to　me　the　particulars　to　which

I　have　briefly　adverted；　and；　informing　me　at　the　same　time　that　he

had　a　family　in　England　who　would　feel　obliged　to　me　for　his

release；　and　that　his　most　intimate　friend　the　English　ambassador

would　move　heaven　and　earth　to　revenge　his　fall；　he　directed　my

attention　to　a　portmanteau　passably　well　filled；　which　he　hoped

would　satisfy　the　cupidity　of　my　troops。　　I　said；　though　with　much

regret；　that　I　must　subject　his　person　to　a　search；　and　hence　arose

the　circumstance　which　has　called　for　what　I　fear　you　will　consider

a　somewhat　tedious　explanation。　　I　found　upon　Mr。　Sheeny's　person

three　sovereigns　in　English　money　（which　I　have　to　this　day）；　and

singularly　enough　a　copy　of　The　New　Monthly　Magazine；　containing　a

portion　of　my　adventures。　　It　was　a　toss…up　whether　I　should　let

the　poor　young　man　be　shot　or　no；　but　this　little　circumstance

saved　his　life。　　The　gratified　vanity　of　authorship　induced　me　to

accept　his　portmanteau　and　valuables；　and　to　allow　the　poor　wretch

to　go　free。　　I　put　the　Magazine　in　my　coat…pocket；　and　left　him　and

the　podesta。



The　men；　to　my　surprise；　had　quitted　the　building；　and　it　was　full

time　for　me　to　follow；　for　I　found　our　sallying　party；　after

committing　dreadful　ravages　in　Oraa's　lines；　were　in　full　retreat

upon　the　fort；　hotly　pressed　by　a　superior　force　of　the　enemy。　　I

am　pretty　well　known　and　respected　by　the　men　of　both　parties　in

Spain　（indeed　I　served　for　some　months　on　the　Queen's　side　before　I

came　over　to　Don　Carlos）；　and；　as　it　is　my　maxim　never　to　give

quarter；　I　never　expect　to　receive　it　when　taken　myself。　　On

issuing　from　the　podesta　with　Sheeny's　portmanteau　and　my　sword　in

my　hand；　I　was　a　little　disgusted　and　annoyed　to　see　our　own　men　in

a　pretty　good　column　retreating　at　double…quick；　and　about　four

hundred　yards　beyond　me；　up　the　hill　leading　to　the　fort；　while　on

my　left　hand；　and　at　only　a　hundred　yards；　a　troop　of　the　Queenite

lancers　were　clattering　along　the　road。



I　had　got　into　the　very　middle　of　the　road　before　I　made　this

discovery；　so　that　the　fellows　had　a　full　sight　of　me；　and　whiz！

came　a　bullet　by　my　left　whisker　before　I　could　say　Jack　Robinson。

I　looked　roundthere　were　seventy　of　the　accursed　malvados　at　the

least；　and　within；　as　I　said；　a　hundred　yards。　　Were　I　to　say　that

I　stopped　to　fight　seventy　men；　you　would　write　me　down　a　fool　or　a

liar：　no；　sir；　I　did　not　fight；　I　ran　away。



I　am　six　feet　fourmy　figure　is　as　well　known　in　the　Spanish　army

as　that　of　the　Count　de　Luchana；　or　my　fierce　little　friend　Cabrera

himself。　　〃GAHAGAN！〃　shouted　out　half　a　dozen　scoundrelly　voices；

and　fifty　more　shots　came　rattling　after　me。　　I　was　running

running　as　the　brave　stag　before　the　houndsrunning　as　I　have　done

a　great　number　of　times　before　in　my　life；　when　there　was　no　help

for　it　but　a　race。



After　I　had　run　about　five　hundred　yards；　I　saw　that　I　had　gained

nearly　three　upon　our　column　in　front；　and　that　likewise　the

Christino　horsemen　were　left　behind　some　hundred　yards　more；　with

the　exception　of　three；　who　were　fearfully　near　me。　　The　first　was

an　officer　without　a　lance；　he　had　fired　both　his　pistols　at　me；

and　was　twenty　yards　in　advanc