The Soldier's Wife — page 93: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

76 and having thw .>% ren, he opened his memo- randum-book aad %\ k a pencil to write down the numoer of sack ash as he counted them ope after the other. Lhe drummer took the murderous weapon in his hand—made the i1ine lashes swing twice round above his head -and at the same mo- ment that the drum be t, the first blow was inflicted. Nine long d).tinet marks of a livid hue appeared upon Frede. ick’s back: while the Sergeant-Major called out “One! in a loud voice. Vhe victim felt a song quiver of mor- tal agony thrill along evo,'y nerve, fibre, and muscle, from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet; but. no sound evraped him, His lips were compressed firmly together, as if to keep down even the slightes, murmur that might be passing behind, Lhe drummer-boy drew the ta's of the mur- derous weapon through the fing.vs of the left hand, and then looked on the p\\m to see if any sanguinary stains were there. but blood had not been drawn by that first st.oke. He had stepped back a pace or two after ruflicting it—then he swung twice round his haal again —advanced—and dealt the second blow. The|c Sergeant-Major called out “ Z'wo /’—but arnidst the rolling of the drums, not a murmur, nach less a ery from the lips of Lonsdale, mingled therewith. Yet it had seemed as if a quantity of red hot cinders had been suddenly thrown upon his back. Of a livelier red were the traces which the accursed instrument had left behind; and a close observer might have seen that the precise spots which the knots touched, were marked by a little larger space and with a brighter red. The third blow fell, and this time, as the drummer-boy drew the lashes through his left hand, the stains of blood were left. behind. Lonsdale had writhed with a quick spasmodic movement: but still no sound from his lips! The fearful work went on up to twenty-five strokes; and then Sergeant Langley cried out “ Halt!” Lonsdale’s back was by this time a lump of raw flesh: the blood was trickling down upon his pantaloons—and clots fell upon the ground. Not a murmur had as yet escaped him, ep nse at each successive blow .the anguish had be- come more intense—so that it seemed as if boiling oil oc molten lead were being sprinkled upon all the nerves laid bare—or as if vulture- ‘talons were fixed upon every fibre and muscle, rending, tearing, and pulling them pitilessly. The surgeon felt the victim’s pulse; and water was given to him. He maintained a firm look while the medical man gazed upon his counte-|covered with blood from head to foot ; but he drank the water with avidity—|there were pieces of skin and flesh adhering to nance: for his throat felt as dry and parched as if he had been swallowing ashes. The second drummer-boy now took a fresh cat; and prompted by a fierce threatening lock from Sergeant Langley, he commenced his turn with a vigorous arm. Blow after blow fell, the sergeant counting them in due order, and the drums rolling: but still nota sound—not a ery—nob a mun, from the lips ef Lonsdale! Yet at each fresh stroke, it ap- nyt as if every fibre and@nuscle in Weis back, vg eompletely laid bare, had knives scraped |no emotion was exhibited by the officers, “fad THE SOLDIER’S WIFE. rapidly over them. Now pieces of skin and flesh came off with each successive blow, and the drummer-boy sickened at the sight ard the contact, as he drew the lashes of the we on through his hand to clear them thereof. ‘The second twenty-five strokes were given; and again the sergeant eried, “ THalt !” ~ Meanwhile several private soldiers of the re giment had fallen out of the ranks in a fainting fit at the horrible spectacle ; but as soon £8 re covered by their comrades, ‘they were forced to stand up again. The Colonel gullopped up to each who thus fell; and as they came back to consciousness, he levelled the most brutal impreeations at their heads,—threaten- ing to have them served in the same naoner, “i¥ they showed any more of their nonsense,” But while the men were thus succumbing be- neath the influence of their horrified and sick- ened feelings, not one of the officers exhibited the shightest emotion—unless it were old Lieu- tenant Heathcote; but even his good heart haa been habituated, during his long years of ser- vice, to these ghastly revolting spectacles— ee therefore he was at least enabled to con- ‘al whatsoever inward emotion he might have felt, ’ The surgeon having again felt Lonsdale’s pulse, and more water having been adminis tered to him, the first drummer-boy resumed the cat, and the punishment progressed. It must ot be thought that a repetition of the blows rendered the flesh gradually insensible to pain: there was no numbness of the kind; but each fresh stroke produced a livelier and a keener sense of excruciation. Sometimes there was a horrible tingling—then it felt as if all the cords were furnished with razors that smote edgeways upon the flesh—then as if myriads of pins, propelled bv some powerful force, had shot with their points deep into the raw palpi- tating flesh—then as if a bunch of brambles had suddenly been pressed hard upon the back —and then again the tearing of the vulture talons at the fibres—the scraping of the nerves with knives—the dropping of boiling oil and molten lead: these were the excruciations— Varied, intense, ineffable—which the victim had to endure! Thus the punishment went on, until he had received three hundred lashes; and during the whole time he had not uttered a sound. But it was impossible even for that strong resolute-minded young man to repress the awful writhings and convulsions which seized upon him! By this time the two drummer-boys were - an their garments. Oh! it was horrible, horrible, to think that they should thus be besnieared with the gore of a fellow-ereature,—horrible, most horrible, that morsels from the living man should thus be cut aw: ay to aflix themselves upon their clothes! But still more horrible te look upon that back where the skin was all literally cut up and flayed off, and where the quivering muscles were laid bare amidst the raw palpitating flesh! Many of the soldiers continued to fall fainting from the ranks; bat = EComicbooks. ’ ; Ms : es