The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-05-11
VOL. Mo. Al.


u lTtnch veteran with one arm was seated
before the door OF his neat cottage one uleasant
evening IN July lie was surrounded bv several
village lads, WHO with one voice cntrcated him to
commence his promised story. The old man took
his pipe from his mouth, wiped his Inns with the
back Of hs remaining hand, and began thus:
/ "ln my tlme boys, IrenChmen would have
scorned to fight with Frenchman in the streets a,
thcy do now. No, no; when nc fought il was for
the honor OF France, and against her foreign enc.
INES. Well my story begins on the 9th Of No
ycmbcr, lSl2, u short time after the battle of
Wanna. ewcrc beating retreat. not before
the Russians, for thcy kept respectable distance
from our cantonments, bat before the biting cold
OF their dctcsab,e country more terrible TO US
than Russians, Austrians ind Bayarans put to.
gether. For the last few days our officers had
been telling Us that We were approaching Smolen.
sko, where we should be certain Of finding food,
fre, brandy and shoes, but in the meantime we
Were pcrlsnng IN the ice, and porpetually harras.
sod by bands Of Cossack riders
I'VE had marched for six hours without nan.
inS to draw breath, for we knew that rcposc was
certain death. A bitter wind hurled snow flakes
against our flces and now and then we stumbled
over the frozen curpscs Of our comrades. No
singing or talking them Even the crumblers
ceased to complain and that was bad sign
walked behind my captain; he was short man,
strongly built, rugged and severe, but brave and
true as his own sword blade We called him
Captain Positive; for when once he said thing,
soft was-no appeal-he never changed his mind.
lie had boen wounded at Wiazma, and his usual.
~ red face was now quite pale while the pieces
of IN old white handkerchief which he had wrap.
ped around his lcgss were soaked with blood |
saw hIm first move slowly. then stagger like =
drunken man, and at last he fell down like Il
block:
"NorjEca! captain" said bending over him,
you cant lie there"
ou see that can because do" replied hc
pointing to his limbs
certainly said !, "you mustn't die thus :" and
raising him in my arms managed to place him
on his feet. He leaned on me, and tried to walk;
but in vain hc fell once more, dragging me with
him.
John, sad he, "tis all over Just leave me
here, and join your column rs quickly as you can
mobile Eves ,,noJ v,;;;; ,,,;; "a qEepnc pear Gre
mv--mv uctnor On to bor Zoo bo, on,l,,cn
her .cli brr tbot-tbo,N, ,,u ber vL,,.,.,r ,,,,
Ike I'm. rive her this nrr.r and nv cross TLnt,s
ALL
rs that all cantainp
81 said so Gond.bvo and mako hosto"
"Bovs I don't know how; i, was lint G.lt two
tears fraczinp ON my cbral,
NO CAPTAIN" cried | ~ wvnt leave Won. ri.
,her Won hall come with me ,r I .boll STAY with
Won"
II forbid Won stayinr"
Captain. Won mi,lt inst rs well f,rljd > wo.
man talking
"lf | cscapc. III punish Won severely"
"You n,nt place me under arrest tIlen Lr.irst
now you must Let me do inst os I nlpnsc"
you're an nsolent fellow"
"Verv likely, captain; but YOU must come with
mo"
"Hc bit lis lips with on-rr, but soil no moro
raj i.ed him and ,locrJ Ii.bod, ocross NV .to,l.
der. Ike .ack You may ca.i'y imagine that
willie bcarip., smell n bur.Ion | copll not mnve
~ quickly ns my comrades Indeed T soon Inst
siyht Of their columns and could perccive no,bin,
but the white silent plain orouni ,ne | novel
on and rresen,ly there anpe,red n band of Cos.
sacks prl!opini toward me tbeir Innrcs in rest
and ,bnu,iul- lLrir fcndish war cry
The captain was bv this time inn stat, Of TO-
tai Inconsistencies, and resolved. cos, what il
might. not to abandon him | laid him ON tb.
-roand. covered linn with snow. and then crcrt
under heap Of dead comrade,. loayip, hovey.
or INV eve, at liberty. soon the CossaCks reach.
ed Is, AMI beyan striking with their loucns ri,bt
and left, while their horses tromnIcd the hoIcs
Presently ore ofthcsa rude beasts placed his bocf
on nv let arm and crushed II topieces Bows
did not saw avor,l. | did not move. save tothrp.,
nv RIGHT hand into nv mouth +, keen down the
cry Of torture: and in few minutes lie C.-s,cl.
di.ncr.cd
"Whcn the las. oft'er, la, ri.,.l,r Of 7 cr,,L
ont AMI managed 10 di,ipter tbe cantajn lie
showed few .i.-ns Of life. nevertheless Irnutriyol
with nv one hand to drag him toward \ roc;
which offered a sort Of shelter and then lo- down
no.. him. warming nv copntc orcund us Moi.
wa, closing in and snow continued TO fail The
last of the rear guard had long di appc9rel and
the only sounds that broke the silence were tho
vListlinr of distant bullets. anil The u,lrrr howl
ing octhc wolves. which were deyoprirg the deld
bodies. God knows what things were p,s.in, in
nv bosom that hour. which f,lt assured would
he my last on earth But / remembered the
PRAYER nv mother had taught me long a.,o when
| was n child bv her side: and Incclin, down
said it frrycntly.
"Hovs, it did me cool: anla,wavs rar,nbcr
that sincere earnest PRAYER will do Won GOOD too
E't woplprfillv calm WHOM | Ics,,,n,l ms,
place next the cartain But time nasgea on and
was becoming quite nvubel. when saw = mar.
tv Of French aprrolchinr. Before had time to
address them, the forcmost-a low.sizcd man
dressed in a fur pclssce-stepped toward me snv
inr, what are YOU doing here} WHY did Won
STAY behind your rcnimcnti'
"For two GOOD reasons" saii !. pointipr first