Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1865-04-13
g1IeGt s. 0rp.
A FAITHEIL SENTINEL
ACusious Incident


A Curious Incident
4
The French array lay encamped onl
] about a day s march from Berhng.
sss. .on,,he 23dsof ottOber, The sentI
nels were doubted, and the most sir,c
orders given, for the Prussian and Aus
lrian spies were numerous and trouble
some.
Al midnight, Pierre SaDcoin was sta
toned at one Of the ousppot He wa
a stout, bold. shrswd man, and a gOoc
soldier. The colonel of the regimen
was with the sergeant on1hIs bout, hag,
Ing requested 10 be called at midnight
that be might EssIt The .oniposts.
"Plerre," he said, after the man had
been posted, you musl seep yoar eyes
open. Don't let even a stray horse go
out or come in without lhssPas. Do. you
understand p
"Aye, mon colonel, | shall be prompt.
The dogs are all around Us, /" pursued
the officer, 'and you cannot be too care
sul. Don't trust men nor brases with
out good proof"
Never fear,' was Pierre's answer,
as be brought his frelook to- his shout,
der, and moved back apase. - =
After this the guard moved on to the
next post and Pierre Sapcoin was left
alone.
Pierre's post was one of the important
in the camp; or rather, around it, and
he had been placed there for that reason.
The ground over which be had 10 walk
long knoll bounded at one end by a
huge rock, and at the other sloping away
into a narrow ravine in which was eopse
of willows. Beyond this copse the
ground was low and boggy, so that a
man could not pass it. The rock was
10 be the westward, and Pierre's walk
was to its outside.
The night was quite dark, huge mas
ses of clouds hoallng overhead, and shut
ring out the stars; and sort of fog
seemed to be rising also from the marsh.
The wind moaned through 70 eopse in
the ravine, aud the air was damp and
chilly. .tlol lADI4
With a show, steady Tread, the soldier
paced his ground, ever and anon stopping
to listen, as the willows in the ravine
.rattled their leaves, or some night bird
started 6ut with Is quick Tapping,
An hour had passed away, and the sen
tinel had seen nothing TO excite has sus-
picion. He had stopped for momedt
close by the rock, when he was startled
by quick, wild screech from The wood
and in a few moments more large bird
few over his head. z9e
"Parbleu," he uttered after the night
bird had flown over; ''could mortal man
have stopped thar fellow from passing 2"
He satisfied himself that be had done
noIhingIin suffering the bird to pass
He had walked the length of his way two
>, Zee times, ard was Just turning by
The rock, when he was sure he saw a
dark object jus! crossing The line towards
the copse.
"Hold % he cried, briggIng his mus
ket quick to his shoulder. Hold, or l
fire !"
And with his piece at aim, he advan-
ced towards the spot where The object he'd
stopped but as he came to within few
Yards of it, i, started to move on towards
the camp.
"Diable - cried Pierre. "moVe any
further, and fire ~ What'a Purdieu
lie Prince Ho, hO, why, Prince y
The animal turned and made motion
as though he would leap up on the septi-
nel's bosom, but the cOldisr mOlIOned him
off.
"Bravo, Prince" Pierre cried, reseh-
ing forth his hand and patting the head
of the great shaggy beast. which hac
now sat upon his launches.
Pierre recognized the intrueer now a.
a great dog, of the breed ST. Bernard
which has been owned in the regimen
for over year, and wdich had been nos
49,