Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-07-06

first TO reach It, The Russians determined
to reserve their fire; and when the French
had marched over about half the ground that
separated them from the guns, they we're re-
ceived with general discharge, which seemed
to blow the attacking party TO pieces Still
young Bilboquet ran a-head, hammering
away at his drum, as il in mockery of the
Russian, artillery. With wonderful rapidity
the gunners reloaded and again plunged up
the ranks of the advancing voltigeurs. Bill
boquet was not touched but on looking round
he saw that scarcely quarter Of the two com
panies were following him. The rest were
lying dead and wounded on the plain. Bill
boquets drum sounded like twenty. If his
drum had been the enemy, he could not have
attacked it with greater violence. The critic
al moment had now been passed II would
be impossible for the Russians to fire on their
assailants q third time for in half minute
they would be in the battery, engaged in hand
to hand fight with the artillery men. Another
rush, and after receiving volley of musketry,
which scarcely took effect, the voltgeurs,
with Bilboquet still at their head, leaped into
the battery and in few seconds had dispers-
ed their opponents and captured the terrible
guns.
During the attack, the Emperor stood on
hlhbNh WhAthliS ITO ilIhSltoa
as each volley Of artillery swept down his men
and when Mt length he saw less than half a
company enter the battery, he lowered his
glass, exclaiming-"B Brave fellows r.
Immediately afterwards, Napoleon gave
some orders to an aide-de-camp, who, there,
upon, set off at gallop towards the battery,
and instantly returned at the same pace.
"How many got in p enqurered the EN-
perior.
"Forty-one, Sire, replied the aid-descamp
"Forty-one crosses tomorrow morning"
said the Emperor, turning towards the general
of the brigade to which the ninth belonged
The next day, the regiment was formed in
a circle around the remains of the two COM
panies that had been entrusted with the cap
ture of the b4SSery. As the name of each was
called out, the soldiers answered to it, stepped
forward to the general and received the Cross
Of the Legion of Honor
The ceremony was over, the forty-one had
received their crosses, and the men were about
to be marched back to their encampment, when
a voice from the ranks cried out
"And then am ] to have nothingY
1t was Bilboquet the little drummer-boy,
who had been quite forgotten.
The general looked around and saw the
young hero standing before him, his face red
with excitement, aud two big tears starting
from his eyes.
you, what do you want2' asked the gem
eral
"Why, general, wasn't one of them 2" in
quired young Bilboquet, almost in passion
Didn't beat the charge in front of them all,
and wasn't the first who got into the bat
tery p
dts true, general he did," exclaimed for
ty-one voices.
"Silence in the ranks" shouted the general,
then turning again to Bilboquet he said
"What am to do, my poor boy ? ltsyery
hard, but they have forgotten you-besides,
you are very young" he continued. "Wait
till you have hair on your chin, and then
you II get the cross too. In the meanwhile,
you must try to console yourself with this.
And with these words, the general held out
forty-iranc piece to the unfortunate Bilbo-
quet He looked at it for few moments,
without evincing the slightest intention of
taking it All were silent Every one was
looking at the poor little drummer-boy, and
wondering what he would do His eyes we're
full of tears, and those who had been the first
to tease him, now pitied him from the bottom
of their hearts. The whole regiment seemed
inclined to take up his case, and probably the
Emperor, had not the young drummer sud
denly changed his attitude. . ..u.
He raised his head, and looked the general
full in the face, and said
"Well, give it to me, must wait for an
other time"
And without any further ceremony, he put
the coin in his pocket, and went back TO the
rank, humming an air
A. &. Al Ia
treating young Bilboquet But he was not
very communicative 10 his comrades and
seemed to have some strange project in his
head, about which he was constantly medita-
tating 1t was expected that he would spend
his forty francs in n treat, and several hints
to that effect were thrown out by his fellow
soldiers But no. Bilboquet kept his money
and his counsel to himself
Some time afterwards, the French army en-
tered Smolensk. Blboquet had assisted at
the capture, and the day after, walked all over
the town, examining every face with remark
able curiosity He seemed pleased with most
of the physognomies he saw, for he was per-
petualy smiling, especially when he met Il
man who had long beard, and he met several
thousands of them in the course Of the day.
However, the boards of Smolensk are, for
the most part, carroty, This seems not 10
have met with Billoquets appreciation but
he probably reflected, that il the Russians the
Poles, and otler Sclavonians hal red boards,
that was not their fault, and that they had not
chosen that color themselves for the purpose
Of annoying French drummer by. How
ever that may have been, he continued to
laugh whenever he met a man with red
beard until at last he found himself in the
Jewish quarter of the city, where all the
boards are black.
| Bilboquet did not like Jews, but he liked
their black boards, and indeed, was so delight
ed that he resolved to have one Of them and
that without delay.
Behind the counter, in a dirty little shop
which was one of a long line, stood a Hebrewi
with magnificent beard, as black rs ebony.
"What do you want my little man 7" yaid
the jew patronizingly.
4" want your beard " said BilbOquet,in q
decided tone.
"My beard II you're joking, my little banp
} suggested its proprietor, with an uneaby ex-
preston of countenance.
J al want your beard, l tell you, repeated
Bilboquet, as he put his hand on issabre
and what's more, mean to haze 4 But
: don't think / mean to rob you of Il, he
added; here is a forty-franc piece you can
| keep the change. "
/ The poor jew tried to convince Bilboquet
, that his beard would be ofno use TO him, that
Iit was not worth forty francs or fot6 sous OF
forty centimes 70 any one thai helBilboquet,
would do much better to inyea ny money in
Z horse-hair, If he really wanted anything Of the
kind, that he, the jew, would glidly under
, take such commission aud 50 On.