Polynesian., 1844-11-30
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 80, 1874.

eliminating and intelligent, examining for it.
self, and liable to a certain point. | beheld
even the tender submission of woman
reach its limits, the law taking up her
defence, when the authority she obeys com
mands a wrong. But military obedience is
blind and dumb, because at the same time
passive and active-receiving its order and
executing it-striking with eyes shut, like
the Fate of antiquity. | followed out through
all It's possible consequences, this %abnegdtion
OF the soldier, without retreat, without con-
dition. and leading him sometimes to tasks
OF illest omen. Such were my reflections
as walked on at my horses own pleasure
looking at my watch from time to time, and
beholdlng the road as it stretched along for
ever in a staight line, varied neither by
house nor tree, and intersecting the plain as
far as the horizon, like a yellow stripe on a
gray cloth. Sometimes the liquid line was
lost in the liquid ground that surrounded it
and when a little Frightening ofthe dull and
pale light of the day spread over that most
melancholy eXpanse of land, | saw myself in
the midst of a muddy ocean, following a cur
rent of clay and plaster.
Examining attcntively the yellow line of
the road, observed upon it, at the distance
of about a mile, ii little black point which
was in motion. | was delighted with the
sight-it was somebody. l kept my eyes
steadily fixed upon it. l saw that the black
point was going in the same direction with
myself, towards Lille, and that it went with
a zigzag motion, as though with painful toll.
l quickened my gait, and gained ground upon
the object, which began to lengthen a little
and increase in bulk to my sight. Reaching
a firmer soil, | resumed a trot, and soon fam
cied that | could distinguish a little black
wagon. l was hungry, and hoped that it
was the wagon of a sutler and, looking up
on my poor horse as a vessel, l crowded all
sail to arrive at that fortunate island in this
sea of mud, where he sometimes sank down
above his knees.
When about a hundred yards off, I at last
distinguished plainly a little wagon of white
wood, covered by a black oil-cloth stretched
over three hoops. 1t looked like a little era
die mounted on two wheels. The wheels
sank down to the a~xeltree the mule which
drew it was wearisomely led by a man on
foot, who held the bride. l drew near, and
took an attentive look at him.
He was a man of about fifty, mustachioed
tall and strong, and his back rounded, like
that of an old infantry officers who had car
ricd the knapsack. He had also their uni
form; and you could see, from under short
and well-worn blue cloak, the epaulette Of a
chig-de-bataiHon. His face was rough and
hard, but good, as you often see in the ar
my. He looked at me sideways from under
his heavy black eyebrows, and drawing a
muskct quickly out of the wagon, he cooked
it, passing to the other side of the mule. of
which he thus made rampant. Having seen
his white cockade, | simply showed him the
sleeve of my red coat, when he replaced the
musket in the wagon, saying -
son ! that's another matter. took you
for one OF those coveys who are running af-
ter us. Will you take a drop?
with all my heart | answered, draw
ing near; ut Is tour-and-twenty hours since
| tasted one"
He had round his neck a cocoa-nut beau
titully carved, and made into a bottle with a
silver neck, of which he seemed a little vain.
lie reached it to me, and | drank a little
poor white wine with a great deal of salts
faction, and returned him the cocoa-nut.
"To the health of the king !" said he
drinking he has made me an officer of the
Legion of Honor, and it is but right that |
should follow him to the frontier. And as |
have only my epaulettc by which to live, |
shall then reloin my battalion. That's INV
duty"
AS he thus spoke, to himself as it were, he
set his little mule in march again, saying
that he had no time TO lose and as | was
OF the same opinion, | resumed my route
two or three steps in his rear. | still kept
looking at him, but without asking any ques-
tons, as | never liked that laxative indis-
crctlon which is so common among us.
We went on in silence for about a mile