, 1863-05-07
The Deardless Drummer Boy.

mer boy named Bilboquet. The soldiers, and es-
pecially the grown-up drummers, and, above all,
the terrible Drum Major, were In the habit Of
teazing little BibOquet as boy never had been
teazed before. The Drum Major used even to
beat him across the shoulders with the heavy cane
which those military beades are in the habit Of
swinging and twirling at the head Of the regiment.
At first little Bilboqhet used to cry; but then his
comrades only laughed at him, and the Drum Major
beat him all the more. Yet Biboquet never did
anything wrong-not In one sense, that is to say,
for in another he never did anything right He
was neither lazy nor uptidy, nor greedy, nor mean,
nor reyengefu though he certainly did owea grudge
to the Drum Major, which he was resolved one day
or other to pay but he always had his drum slung
little too much on one side OF got out Of step In
marching or stood in the wrong place when the
regiment was drawn up in line, or committed some
mistake, which was natural enough on the part OF
Q boy who had left his top and his marbles to join
the greatest General Of tie age, but which ives
looked upon by the Drum Major and other rigid
disciplinarians as quite objectionable.
The 9th Of the Line, with BilbOquet at its head,
was on the banks Of the Dwina; On the high road
TO Moscow, when the General commanding the
brigade Of which. this regiment formed part was
ordered by the Emperor to occupy Q position on
the other side Of an enormous ravine. The rayine
was defended by battery Of six guns. These
I
by the Russians.
'"Are those anything like the popguns you used
to play with at school, young Bilboquetr asked
the magnificent, slightly brutal Drum Major, as he
proudly twirled his long moustache between his
finger and thumb. G.-s..rgT- T-ELE-
The little drummer bit his lips, for be felt that
bis tall oppressor doubted his courage; buthe did
not utter q word,
"DO you feel how the ground shakesr c6ntin-
L.. I,.l, k..I sa Vsr,k
SO high as mine and its luckier still that these
Cossacks have q very excellent habit Of fling In
the air."
But the Cossacks (the French call al the Rus
sian soldiers Cossacks) lowered the muzzles OF their
pieces, and then the Drum Major and bis little
pupil saw whole files Of soldiers knocked down like
skttles; with this difference, that il would be i'm
possible to make them stand up again.
An aid-de-camp now gallOped up to the colonel
Of the 9th, who was in front Of the regiment close
to where Bilboquet and the Drum Major were
standing. @
take the battery with two hundred men," were
aYes. tie easy enough to say. take the battery
with two hundred men, muttered an old sergeant,
but I should like to see twenty Of them get
| there"
"The Emperor is waiting" added the aid-de-
camp, observing that the soldiers were not over
peTsea WIN sne =, TeTk sney Saa "e.Ose men
InecaP'aIn ~ Dhvo4Se.ss MaS W ie~u
'"e IssaI% Is ~" r WIN wv nuno 1os; ~ -
ne G IapTsi Nv ~ $3.50. ,os e " %Iss hsn y
quIck' saie tne Su sergeAn'' aS NC uAeo niS Oay0-
nes -. % nls nreIock, ..,..,,,. I..,..... :.
ne SaP'an nOuetI consHelSUls ~ m Tss,1n "
.ne ranH we ns ~ nau osuelsu w ~ cln. ao, W
t 70 .ake ~ soupeOT TIT mn 70 .,e rUn1, p''I, Snu
~ ~ -" L"rs,. ~. ioaonS ~. n. Io,1 enu.
s sa snooK nus nsu ~. S.oe .t sSe - u
su.hn0;aaSa ut "''IOU' ''' "
e"inussaSnl. ~ ~ r,L.. -. ...-.,. ,...i.
In the meantime Bil6oquet sat astride his little