The mountain Democrat., 1863-10-31

doctor IN the great convene az A0totSE0i,
where our wounded were brought We
had no lint or anything, and our hussars
had to scour the country for linen and
beds.
l was up to my waist in legs and arms;
and at night. when l went out to take a
breath Of fresh air, as tired as any butcher
on market day, the grOans from that vast
building rose as from dying giant
On the night Of the 11th, Napoleon be-
ing uncertain whether the Russians had
taken the road to Moscow or Kalouga, was
informed by Jewish spies that Kutusow
had really fallen back on the capitaI. Tbp
next morning we we're to advance on
Krymskoie. We were all in high spirits,
even the poor wounded cheered family
when | reported the news in the hospital.
That same night, as Lwas walking round
the bivouac fires, just to observe how the
soldiers took the news, l came upon q
singular group near clump of frs, at the
east end of the convent garden. There
was Krautzer, whom knew perfectly by
sight, and Jew spy, tormenting an old
Russian peasant, who knelt before them.
They had each got lighted brand, and
were, l suppose, going to torture him into
some sort Of confession.
Two or three soldiers, in their bear skin
caps and gray greatcoats, were leaning on
their muskets. and laughing as they no.
ticed them. The Jew was lean, haggard
man, with dry, thin, wrinkIed face, and
withered eyes that looked like dried cur
rants.
AS he stood there in his greasy caftan
and dirty boots, drawn over his trousers,
| thought he might have passed muster
for the very spirit of Avarice himself.
Burn his beard of, great sir + heard
him say to Krautzer; Il tell you he knows
all about the Rostopchin Palace
And the celebrated Rostopchin jewelsH
said Krautzer, eagerly.
Yes, everything. He was stewards
man to the prince, and knows all the fam
lily secrets
Then he held his torch close to the eyes
Of the wretched peasant, who shrank into
heap, and screamed for mercy.
Burn his fingers off, cried the Jew.
Mercy mercy and III tell ALL cried
the peasant. 'AIl the finest jewels are
kept in machite cabinet, under the floor
Of the third bedroom to the right, on the
third story, as you go up the grand STAIR
case
He's lying said the Jew my great
sir, burn his toes off-do burn bis toes
off,
was going to interfere, and had indeed
spoken to krautZer apart, much to his in
dignation, when an old soldier came up,
and striking the Jew with the but-end Of
his musket, told him with an oath not to
illtreat the Russian.
we owe them turn, he said, and we
will SINCE them with our cannon; but once
prisoners. brave men should be merciful.
Now, then, old Muscovite, run for your
life, and no Jew or savant shall hurt you
while I've q cartridge left. I've got an
old father home in Auvergne just your
age. Go, mon enfant'
The old Russian did not probably un-
derstand word the old moustache said to
him, but he saw that Krautzer and the
Jew were restrained by some one or other,
and he saw the wood to which the grena-
dier pointed. That was enough. N a
moment he blundered through the fire.
and ran off as hard as his old legs could
carry him; and as returned to the hospi-
tai, hearing the soldiers laughter, look
ed back and saw the Jew, nose on ground,
stealing like a bloodhound on the track
of the old Russian. But | thought no
more Of it. Hard work drove all other
thoughts out of my mind, and l had my
large family, my twenty thousand men,
to look after.
At sunrise, on the 14th Of September,
the vanguard reached a hill called the
Mount Of Salvation, and where the pill.
grims kncel and pray before entering the
holy city.
Moscow Moscow 7 cried a hundred
thousand voices. The steeples and gilt
domes shone in the sun the huge, trian-
gular Kremlin, half palace, half citadal,
rose above the trees.
AS stood among the crowd, I heard
two harsh voices at my elbow. One said:
'Where-wherc is it?' The other re-
piled
That is the Rostopchin Palace there
among the trees, to the left Of the Krem-
in, by the Kollomna Gate. All will soon
be ours, now
looked round; it was Krautzer and
that miserable spy, the Jew. They were
evidently thinking of the Rostopchin
jewels.
Monsieur Krautzer,' l said, have you
not heard that Marshal Mortier has for
hidden all pillageY'
4 suppose we may take keepsakes, he
replied. But to what do you refer?'
4 was thinking replied sternly, 'oi
the malachite cabinet in the Rostopchin
Palace -
"A PEASANTS lie,' said Krautzer, pale
with anger and confusion, as he spurred
on his horse and joined the vanguard
That man had but one thought now. The
Jew ran by his stirrup. How or where
he had picked up this man, or what com.
mon interest brought them together,
never could learn. =
Presently news came that two hundred
and fifty thousand inhabitants of Moscow
had left the city. 1t was ours. No one
was left in Moscow but old beggars and
thieves, and we entered the city soon af-
ter noon.
While others sought the Kremlin or the
bazaars, the churches or the cafes, l en-
ployed myself in selecting fit place for
the wounded to winter in.
When l had made my arrangements
under the guidance of Cossack officer,
prisoner, l stopped at great gateway,
next door to our new quarters, and cour-
teously asked to what splendid palace
that led.
That is the rich Rostopchin Palace,
Frenchman,' said the surly prisoner, and
contains furniture worth half million Of
rubles, all left for your Corsican's plum.
DER
GXUo - ,aL:o-1 Tn.;L Al