, 1863-05-21

and misery. The company Of gronadlers slowly
pursued their c0tifse, and were soon isolated
amidst immense plains covered with the WRECKS
Of the army. Sometimes in q square, with the
litter Of KOblinski in the centre, they repulsed
with the bayonet the charges Of the dragons Of
Mioradowich; OF returned the unexpected attacks
Of PlAtow, with withering fre-ever acting on
the defensive, but always calm silent, and steady.
By these means their numbers had gradually d.
minished; and when, on the 80th Of October,
they reached Wanna, out Of the entire company
not more than thirty survived. Still the brave
men, abandoned and left to themselves, pre-
served, amidst the general discoutent that moral
force which conquers even events. Il was their
honor, and not their lives, they sought to defend
II was sufficient for them that one Of the most
illustTiOus marshals Of their Emperor had said
to them, To your honor and bravery conide
my aide-de.camp; you are 70 restore him to me"
These words had acted as Q talisman, which had
not lost its force under the pressure Of misery,
privations, and even death.
After three weeks Of continual hardship, the
few men who remained Of the devoted and he
roic company secuted with disdain, and looked
on as an affront, the repeated prayers Of the
Pole, who, seeing himself the cause Of 80 many
sacrifices and sufferings, had besought them to
save themselves BY at once putting an end to his
misery.
"Thou art but coward, said be to Trigaud,
" who will not dare to do what ask-td shoot
me through the headl"
"Colonsl," replied Trigaud with stoical tran.
guilty, "you may charge me with such if you
please but l laugh at it. Dead or alive We shall
carry you to Smolensk. It is the order OF the
marshall and ne ever requires. that his orders
shall De ooeyed
III you had but buried me yesterday IN the
snow, when attacked by the Cossacks, should
ere to day have suffered no more"
The Oossacks would have dlsinteFred and
burned you alive" replied Trigaud, who, during
the previous night bad made his own body Q
protection to the wounded man. Those eaters
Of candles would rejoice to have your skin but
they must hrst take mine-'tis ready iOr them
oh, the saVagesP a
You are but coward, repeated the Pole In
. leVerish transport which shook the litter on
which he lay.
Be calm, be calm, my colonel you know
that the carabnes Of the marshal have ere now
taught the necessity Of obedienee. Why, then,
do you wrong US by speaking these dis.gEeeable
thingsi However, Is oil equal 70 mel shall
not reply to ycu.I a. Z, .r....i .i,7s -. -
de VINO sPoHe thus nearly persisted, with al
nls companions. IN the passage Ct the ycss shils
enoeaVoring 70 protect tne sacred deposit connoed
y.
tWentyiour hours, changed into sharp and brist'
ling masses Of ces and owing to this circumstances
put lew ot the grenadieFs reached the opposite
bank. some days subsequently, when Tfigaud
awoke after few hours repose, he found that
but four o. his comrades survived, the others
having perished from the supplying etiects Of
the frost-a miniature OF what the great body Of
the army was at that moment suffering, and
which has len in the military annals Of Napoleon
such horrible "reminiscences beIOfe the dey
had closed, they distinguished on the edge Of the
gloomy horizon line OF houses, the route to
which was marked BY the dead bodies leit by
the immense army which preceded them. II
was Smolensk--the land OF promiso-@Where the
things looked forward to as the greatest Injuries
might be procured-a hret shelter and little
bread. A cry Of JOY escaped the I'VE brave men
who stu supported the litter Of kObins6L
Three, however, fell to rise no more when within
sight Of the town. q fourth soon aiier shared
the same fate, and but one grenadler-
was LEFT to brave the elements with now the inan-
innate body Of the Pole. Not being able to carry
him, he slowly dragged him along. and &C length
Perceiving some men ata distance called % them
Tor assistance. They soon came % his aid, and
be reached snclensk in aiew hours aiier twenty
TWO Gays o. ngnung, mugue, ana ml1efy ne
entered, t e true, the only survivor o. nls CON.
pany; but he cared not, since he bad redeemed
the promise made to the Prince d'EckmuhL
The next day Irgaud learned that tne mar.
shal had arrived but iew days previously, and
was then N the town, when presented the ap-
pearance Of one vast hospital protected Dy SEN
tries, and extending 70 the very. suburbs The
skeletons Of horses which had long since been
converted into 1000, were scattered 10 every
street. and the doors and windows o. the houses
had long since been consumed as hrewood ey
the frozen and amishing soldiery' t was IN
one o. the houses IN the outskirts Of me town
that Prince d'Eckmuhl bad established MS quar-
ters, and thither Triga1d, assisted 6y some sol,
diers, bore the insensible body Of koohnski, and
laid i on some straw at the doorway. On enter
ing the house, be perceived an omcer on guard IN