The mountain Democrat., 1864-01-09


path, or only to point out the direction in
which it lay. The officer, too, used all
his eloquence, but in vain. Born remain
ed silent. His hands fettered, he was led
to the brow of the mountain. Before his
eyes, three soldiers loaded their muskets;
he turned his head away. Half-an.hour
was given "ts~NiUM for reelection HS sat
: cl0H1r l4l sIJehce, and his eyes turned to-
wards, and YeSOained fixed on, the valley
and the distant hills. His checks were
pale. What feelings must have struggled
within his breast A tear came into his
eye he pressed it back.
The given respite was ended. The of.
ficer stepped towards him and asked
whether he would show the way He
only answered by silently shaking his
head. He was blindfolded, placed at a
tree, and the soldiers took their aim. Once
more the officer repeated the question;
ana again, third time but when the
shepherd still made a sign of refusal, the
command Fire, was given. The sound
of three shots fred at the same instant
was echoed from the opposite mountains,
and without groan the shepherd feli-
The life of Patriot had been sacrificed
on the altar Of the Fatherland! The
shots were well aimed; not a muscle of
the Martyrs countenance quivercd. The
soldiers left the body where it lay-it was
war-and two days afterwards it was
committed, dust to dust to Mother
Earth with thousands of Prussians and
French, who had fallen in battle. No
work of history contains the story of the
heroic death Of this Patriot-he was but
poor shepherd--onlv few peasants, in
the neighborhood of Jena, relate his story
to their children
Napoleon himself appeared again on
the summit of the Landgrafenberg, angry
on acc cunt of the insurmountable difficult
ties which these steep rocks offered for
the transportation of horses and cannon.
An officer stepped towards him and re-
ported that a minister from the village Of
Wcnigen-Jcna had been heard to say in
an inn of Jena that there was way by
which horses and cannon could be trans.
ported to the summit Of the Landgrafen-
berg, and that he himself knew it. The
Emperor gave orders to have him imme-
dately arrested and brought before him.
Not an hour had passed, and the terrified
minister stood before the Emperor. lie
an acquaintance, and the French officer
had by chance overheard it.
When Napoleon required him to show
the way, he was deadly pale, and tremblcd
so much that he could hardly utter
word or move from the spot to which the
soldiers had dragged him. lie did not
possess either the courage or the strength
of mind to refuse the Emperor's demand.
Led by an officer, and accompanied by
Napoleon and some of his generals, he
showed the way which led through the
'Rauthal, overhung by rocks, covered by
woods, and cut by d torrent. The bed OF
the torrent itself formed the path, and
with His eagle eye Napoleon saw at cnce
the possibility of transporting his artlle-
ry by this path. Trees had indeed to be
iclcd, projecting rocks to be blasted which
obsiructed the passage, but these difficult
ties were easily overcome, and he gave or
ders to begin the work at once. AMI TO use
all means at his disposal to make the road
pa>>ab,e.
The minister who had betrayed the Sc.
crct path, not by evil intent but by want
of cantn and courage, was detained on
the Landgraltnberg till the following day.
lie declined u large sum offered HIM as
reward.
The only practicable road through the
Rauthal was thus by untold pains and sac
IiticeS made paSsable. AT s o'clock Of the
same evening it was ready, and with great
eXprtions horses and cannon we've brought
10 the summit of the mountain. which
commanded a view Of the whole Pru>sian
line. Napolcoa himself took the lead, and
lent hand here and there to stimulate
the courage and perseverance Of his sol.
ders. Partly carried, partly dragged,
most Of the heavy cannon were transport
ed to the hight, and at daybreak they
were ready mounted. Not till after all
this had been accomplished, Napoleon
wrapped himself in cloak and lay down
on the summit Of the mountain for a short
rest.
The day broke misty and chilly, and
before the mistS were scattered the whole
French army stood in line of battle, while
the PruS>ians supposed it to be a day of
rest, in which supposition they had been
strengthened by letter Of the French
Emperor to the King of Prussia, in which
he proposed truce. The Prus>ian army
had thus yielded themselves to complete
repose. Only after the sunbeams had
dispersed the mists. and their pickets, at
tackled and driven in by the enemy, gave
the alarm, did they become aware that
Napoleon offered them battle. The battle
Of jena at this moment was already de-
cided. How must the heart of the man
who betrayed the way through the "Rau
thai have palptated when he heard the
first tidings Of the loss of the battle?
Now-he, also, is dead.
Did the Traitor die as calmly as the
Patriot Who can tell ? But we may
safely say Ills death was not so beau
tiful.
A WITTY MANGuvER.-The Duke of
Grammont was the most adroit and witty
courtiCT of his day. One day he entered