A Norwegian Hero.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 180, 27 November 1886, Page 8

A Norwegian Hero.

Swain Dujsta was one of a family of nine,. , all of them sons, and all living with their' father, an old man, who had been a soldier, and had been out in "the Eighty- eight," but who now followed the peaceful profea» eion of a farmer . It was allowed by the neighbours that the old man had brains, but none of them would ewear he had enough to spare for such a large family. Swain came last, and was put off with the ' scantiest Bhar©., In spite of this deficiency — some will say in virtue of it— Swain grew up in strength and stature a perfect giant, • to whom the variety of - toil which the management of a farm imposes was only a change of paitime. He was, be- ! sides, of the moat docile disposition conceivable. Nothing was labounoug, nothinguncongenial to him. Whatever he wa» told to do he did ; but he always did it wrong. Ilis mistakes and mifcdoeds, whilethey amusod his brothers, vexed his father* and one day the old man, losing all patienca, . exclaimed, half in anger and half in hopelessness, " God help you, you poor simpleton ! What will become of you ?" To the surprise of everybody present on that memorable occasion, Swain, who had usually nothing to say for himself, opened his great. . jaws, and said quite solemnly, " I'll be a soldier?' The old man laughed in scorn. "What? A good-for-nothing like you become a soldier ?" "Ay," paid Swain, quietly. "Whynot? Everything goes wrong with me, you see, though I do my best. It will require loss cleverness, perhaps, to die for my country." There was a touch of true pathos in this simple confession which drew a silent tear down the old man's cheek. Swain was as good as hie word. He leffe the farm, and enlisted at the nearest barracks. But he bad drill to attend, and the manual to learn, and those were tasks to which poor Swain was unequal. His appearances on parade became notorious. The drill-sergeant was screaming either with laughter or with rage ; as for the officers of his regiment and his comiades^ when they were making meiry over his mistakes, they were pityiug or ridiculing his stupidity. Swain bore every variety of treatment without even the slightest opposition, remonstrance, or angry comment. He certainly did his utmost to master^his duties. Though perspiring with long and repeated exercises, still without complaint he persevered ; his march shook the parade ground. At last he could shoulder arms nearly as soon as any one ; he was not* very much behind, either, in loading and firing ; but he never yet once failed to turn to the right when the order was " Left about," and he always mistook "Present arms"' for "Charge." In fact, he generally did just the contrary of what he was commanded. Swain nover minded the derisive jokes of the regiment. He was patiently biding his time, and, at la?t, war broke out. Marching orders arrived at the barracks, and in the course of the hurried preparations it was suggested that Duffa at least should lemain behind as incompetent. Swain listened to the euggestion with characteristic carelessness. "If you don't take me you, you shan't leave ins behind you," said he. " I'll come and fight for myself." It was a plucky reply, and secured him the permission he did not even ask. A few weeks after the outbreak of the war a party of scai eely twenty, w ho had been sent in advance of a retreating army to repair a road, wero regaling themselves at a iarmhouse not far from where they had been working. Swain wa<? stationed on the lookout, while hia comrades feasted and risted. Up came an aide-de-camp at the eallop with intelligence that the enemy in lull force were near, and that nothing could save the retreating army unless the bridge just below the road where they meant to cross could be thrown off. "If you cannot thiow off the bridge, the general's orders are ( Fight till the last man !' He will bo here to fupporfc you himself—depend upon that •' And away back galloped the aide-de-camp. The little party had hardly got to the river side, when they spied fhe foe on the opposite bank, who, on boing discovcicd, spread, and closed again, and presently fired a volley. Eight of the little party dropped. Another volley, and only five wero left! "Shoulder arms!" ciied the officer, in despair ; and at the same time ha gave the order to retreat. They were only too glad to run, all— except Swain. Ha. mistook the fh*st order as far as to " present " instead, and his manner of retreating was to rush down upon the bridge in the face ot a crowd of the enemy. And there, in the centre of the bridge, he stood — hero that he was !—! — tall, square, broad shouldered, and not ashamed to chow his exercise to any that might now look on. It was not long before he had an opportunity of displaying his soldiei ship— the narrow bridge was thronged with savage foes in a moment. With a rush they one by one confronted him— one by one Swain taught them their " right about." There was not among them a match for his gigantic strength ; and th6y were afraid to fire at him, lest they should shoot their foremost comrades, who thus served Swain as a shield to keep off their bulletsEach fresh repulse, however, only inflamed their ardour, and matters were beginning to look serious for Swain, when up came the colonel of Swain's own regiment, and beheld the position at glance. ''Well done, comrade!" he bawled hold the bridge a minute yet ! That's right Don't let a single rascal over ! Ah, that's the way to fight !" Animated by the example of the hero on the bridge— animated by their colonel's order, "Charge, my men! That lad has saved ue !'.' the arxivals swept down with a ringing cheer upon the bridge ; and tho enemy, indignant at boing b&flled by a ?:t>g!e soldier, made one final, but fruitles°, elfort to force a passage, and fled. They were pursued, and put to rout. As soon as victory was fully secured, the colonel asked for the brave fellow who had kept the bridge so well. For reply, he was led to tho centre of tho bridge, and a soldier pointed out the body of the hero. He looked like one who had laid down to rest after finishing tbe task that had been set him. In the evening twilight the colonel stooped to examine the features of the prostrate stranger. The colonel was no stranger to those features. How well he recognised them ! It was the face of Swain Duffa, scarcely calmer than usual, but certainly a good deal paler. Poor Swain had been shot through theheart. " That bullet knew well where to lodge," said the commander, regretfully, "It knew better than we did. It did not touch his brain, for that was very poor at tbo best, but cbose his heart — and a right noble and gallant heart it was !"

A London society journal recently offered a prize for the best definition of an Englishman, a Scotchman, and an Irishman. There were > many clever answers, but the referee, eventually decided that the victory iay^feetween a gentleman who pronounced 8 'an Englishman solid, a Scotchman stolid, and an Irishman squalid, and a lady who thought Englishmen strong-headed, Scotchmen long-headed, and Irishmen wrong-headed.