The mountain Democrat., 1863-04-11


ginal, and called upon the Hebrew to sur
render his chin at discretion.
Fortunate feT the Jew, one of the sol
diers who was present happened 10 De
the barber Of the regiment. We say for
tunately, because in the absence of ra.
zor there can be no doubt whatever but
that the Jew would have been shaved
with sabre. However, the beard was
taken off more or less according to art,
and given to Bilboquet, who folded it
up carefully in a piece of paper, and
slowed it away in his pocket.
When Bilboquet regained his quarters,
he got the regimental tailor to sew the
Jews beard, or Bilboquet's beard as it
had now become, to a strip Of parchment
cut from an old drum and then without
giving any explanation of his conduct,
put it at the very bottom of his knapsack
His comrades bothered him about the
matter for few days, but then the regi-
ment started eastward, and after the bat
tie of Borodino and the taking of Moscow,
such incidents as Bilboquct'S adventure
with the Jew Of Smolensk naturally
passed fro IN recollection.
Then came the horrors Of the retreat,
Cossacks, and famine. Napoleon's army
was decimated in an inverse sense-that
is to say, every tenth man was spared,
while the nine others fell victims to the
CosSack lanceS, or, worse STILL to the
Russian snow. The 9th Regiment
formed part of the rear guard, which
watched and fought so ma5niicently un-
der the leadership and auspices Of Ney.
Little Bilboquet was among the most for
tunate, for he was neither wounded nor
frost.btten.
a few days after the terrible passage
Of the Bcresina, the troops had to cross
small river, over which the engineers had
already thrown a bridge. Blboquet'S
brigade, which formed the extreme rear,
had passed over in safety, and the great
point now was to prevent the Russians
following. The general ordered the Sap
pers to blow it up, but the explosion was
attended by only partial success; one
half Of the bridge was still connected with
the other by means Of single beam. If
this beam could be cut in two the whole
structure would fall in the river. Other
wise the enemy would have no difficulty
in repairing the bridge, and their pursuit
would not be delayed for more than ali
hour at most. Some SapperS were d.
rected to get on raft and cndeavor to
destroy the bridge altogether, but the
Russians arrived on the opposite bank Of
the river before the order could be
obeyed, and opened ulu,dercus fire,
which seemed to render its execution
quite impossible. The French returned
the fire, and the army was about to move
on, when suddenly a soldier with a
hatchet on his shoulder, plunged into the
river, dived, and came up hall minute
afterwards at distance from the beam
which it was desired to sever by his
long beard it was EASY to tr.! that this
was a Sappcr that was sacrificing himself
50 noLly for the sake of his comrades.
The brave man swan vigorously for the
nearest pile, and continued a c1urse
through Il shower of bullets. which caused
the water to boil all round hm, until at
last he reached the centre pile Of the
br &c, and. climbing up it, got ou the
bridge itself The beam WAS hot So large
as it appeared from the shore, ard it was
already half divided. Witt on, bow the
sollierzcut it into Two. when the bridge,
and himself with it, fell Into the water
with tremendous crash.
The Russians, in their a>toni>hmcnt,
ceased firing for a mom.nt, but the
Ercuchlnan soon rose to.thc surface, an1
he was then again salltcd with a storm
of shot. Now hundred poles were eX-
tended to the daring SaPpcr, and the
General himself was among the most en-
thusiastc applauders of his gallant ex-
ploit.
Suddenly the General gave a start.
He might we'll be astonishcd, for the
supposed Sappcr who had destroyed the
bridge was no other than young Bilbo-
quet, the drummer, with his celebrated
black beard under his chA.
What in the name Of fortune does this
mcan:' inquired the General, scarcely
credlung his eyes.
Its only me- said Bilboln-t, the
drummer-boy that you said you'd give
the cross to when he had hair on his
chin. I've a beard now, General and a
capital one, too. gave You forty francs
for it, and think it ought to be good
The General was fairly electrified by
the youngsters courage, and scarcely less
so by his originality and humor. lie
took BiIboqnct by the haud, and without
a moments delay, gave hi,n the cross hc
had been wearing on his breast.
From that moment even the veterans OF
the regiment treated Bilhoquet with re-
spect, and the Drum Major never struck
him any more with his long cane.