Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1859-08-11
Written for the Marshall Co. Republican ]
I q 4 .
OR, THE
RETREAT FROM MOSCOW
BY MAJOR JOHN F. LANGENBAUGH, SEN.
CHAPTER XIV.

), The blazing fire soon attracted Struggling So
ders ofdfferent regiments; they all lay down in
: com?act hifcircle. near the fire as tn
neat permitted lt appeared if they cou
never have enough of this life inspiring warmth {
!. which they had so long been deprived But th
accession beclme continually greater. Room wa
already wanting, and finally if another companio
was to be received, it hid to be efecteI by som
already established exchanging his place for a les
ciSble ono. But this WAS not the time or plac,
when any one felt disposed with ready sympathy {
sacrifice pirt his own ease and comfort Ne
cessty had become too imperious; the line setwce
life an death was too Imminent
Larush watched the first hour While the rest o
Us slept. Ny tusn ctme next instantly arose
scizcis long stick OF fir AMI stirred up the fire.
Everything around was rs still as the grave, not
foot stirred, nota sound was heard Even Larusl
slept the moment he laid down. Suddenly a lou,
laugh burst upon my ears. quite near. | cowerc,
down on hearing this unusual sound Directly on
OF the surrounding dirkness grim figure stake,
into circle OF fire light. 1t was gigantic curas
sier, wrapped in tattered cloak, a bloody elot,
bound round his head beneath his helmet. I,
his hand he carried young fir tree, as staff to sup
port his steps.
"GJod evening"" he said to me. in hollow
voice. "Good evening, comrade. You seem mer
ry here!''
"What seek your' demanded |, am ,zed At tbi.
sudden apparition. There is no place for Won
here; youhid better leave us and begoner'
The cuirassicr stared at me with his hollow
eyes, twisted his mouth into frightful grin, and
gnashcd his teeth like some infilriated beast.
"fa, ha, ha.'' he laughed, or rather vclle,
"Sleep You then sound, We idlers." And as h,
spoke hest t'macd his foot on a frozen corpse upon
which he stood. awake, awaker' he cried. "and
come with met"
For m 'ment he stood as if listening to some
distant sound, then totcrei pnrully forward to the
IRE as If to grasp the A ,mes in his arms.
"Btck." cried, "bacL, or [ shoot Won n, ,bo
spo''' at the same time levcling my pistol.
Tue lunatic stared at me with stupid Indifference
his sunkcn features varying in their EXPRESSION
from ghistly smile to the deepest misery. 7
g1ed al him in silent horror Atlengtr tho hno.
figure stretched its lean arms out from unler tbe
cloak, and made strange anu unintellirib,e oes
lures.
"io. lam frozcn." howled the hum IN spectre
at last and shook himself Then h- clutched nj
the h,mcs with his fingers like an infant. and STAG
sercd nearer and nearer till he stood close to tho
cirrle oil sleepcrs, tar within which lie extended
his arms. For the first time he now seemed to feel
The warmth OF the fire. A low, whining noise es
capped him; then hc suddenly exclaimed, in tones
between laughing and crying, "To bed. to INV warm
oed and tossing his fir tree staff forwards over the
sleeping soldiers, he threw himself. in his raging
m'dness into the midst Of the glowing pile.
"Hep. hclp.' cried-my hair erect with hor-
ror, AMI seizng Lirush, shook him with all nv
strength to awaken him.
"what is itr'' cried Llrush, raising himself on
his elbow.
There, there Sam ncrcd I, pointing to the
h,mes, in which The unhappy cuir,ssier Law writh
ing and believing with agony. Rather coniectu-
ring th'n com?rch niing whit had occurred. La.
rush started up to help rescue the sufferer Bu, it
was too late. The heat had already stiHed him.
he lay m,tonless, the .me licking greedily round
his limbs. and thick nauscous smoke ascending in
clouds from his funeral iagots Larush stepped
siiudderinsly backward and turned away his fac.
To conceal his emption. Not one had been aroused
py the that had occurred in the
mHist OF so m'ny living men, There was one stir.
rifs' however; it Was Boles. He raised himself in
sitting posture looking around his features pale.
trembling and bewildered,, his eyes directed to- |
wards the fire. My sympashising heart yearned
inpity towards the unhappy youth, tor believed
that alienation mind, with the symptoms of which
Inc had the last few days-since the death of I.e |
srind,-bcen visited, had now obtained full SWAY |
over him. He appeared to look about him with a /
strange expression as if awakening from dream I
''Ah.' he sighed. while singular melancholy
played upon his lips. ,f.,stf.T 80 .4
lie started TO his feet, folded his h,nds. whilst
arse drops OF swcat rolled down his pale cheeks. but
'il filnt, rosy tinse oyersprcai his countenance
suddenly his strength failed. and he fell back in
sensible. Liru.h rubbed the Youths temnles u;,,
now VINO as last opened bis eyes, and looked
-aguely and bewildred around.
n"Why do yoa take me out of the crave,- he
skei in hollow voice; sit was so quiet and cool
here below. All! see the sun rises eloriopsly +,
md shines into the tomb. He gazcd fixedly into
he fire. All at once he tore himself with resislcss
frc''sth from Laruss arms, sprang up, and cried:
That is the burning pit of the black spir c
IS push me Observation-Disclosures viii, a G
ghtiul effort hetried to spring forward into the {
ames i.arush grssped him. and held him with the '
nergy of despair Isprang to assist him, and Il e
as high time for he, with all his strength. was nm
bie any longer 70 restrain the hapless man from c
islling into tile fumes. fa isltE4 Ts. S,
"Help-hclp. Rosen." cried, "help us to over W
'mc him, or he pcrislies!'' aafi n &
Roscn sprang up and fastened to our assistance. u
seeing the disn essed features of Boles. he ss h
'ctcd what had happened. "Oh. Ihave long fear II
liswouId come to tfisr' sighed Rosen; he had ii
much pressing ON his mnd nc could not sustain vi
''8ailsi = saii .niifIieail' ~ b.
To tds unnatural taking Of his faculties, suc- b'
edcd rapid reaction. The arms sank powerless st
the knees gave way under sl,c unhappy man. in
burst into ahood Of hcaftrendng lamentations. st
hesc sounds finally walked up hesIeepets. They
ups hooked first astohshcd and then tlispIeased ca
the npfoar; an angry snsrnur arose. which in tn
casrdcvery minute. Jhcy began 70 point at the th
fortunate youth, and some vague apprehension ed
1T he would bring snisfoftunate upon them took tn