The weekly union record., 1865-07-01
The Condemned Sentinel.
By sYLASUs COBB, JR-

BIZ sYLANUs COBB, JR.
A cold, stormy night, in the month of March,
1907. Marshal Lefebvre. with twenty-seveu
thousand French troops, bad invested Dant.
zic, which city was gsrrisoned by seventeen
Thousand Russian and Prussiao soldiers and
these, together with twenty or thirty thousand
we'll armed citizens. presented nearly double
the force which could be brought to the as.
-ssult. So there was need of the utmost vigi-
lance on the part of the sentiDels, for des-
perate sortie from the garrison, made unawares,
might have proved calamiious.
At midnight Jerome Dubois was placed
upon ooe of the most important posts iu the
advance line of pickets. it being upon q narrow
called the Peninsula of Nehrung. For more
out bearing anything more than the moaning
of the wind and the driving of the rain. At
length, however, another sound broke upon his
ear. He stopped and listened, and presently
he called -" Who's there!" The only answer
was moaning sound. He called again, and
this time be heard something like the cry of a
child; and pretty soon an object came towards
him out from the darkness. With q quick,
emphatic movement be brought bis musket to
the charge, and ordered the intruder to halt.
Mercy" exclaimed a childish voice
" Don't shoot me! am Natalie. Don't you
know met"
Grand Dieu :" cried Jerome, eleva,ing the
muzzle Of bis piece, and taking a step forward.
Is it our little daughter?"
"Yes; and you are good Jerome. 0, you
will come and help mamma. Come, come,
come-O, she is dying.'
1t was certainly Natalie, little girl only
eight years old, daughter of Lsette Valiant.
Lisette was the wife Of Pierre Vaillant, ser
geant 10 Jeromes own regiment, and was with
the army in the capacity of Nurse.
Par bleu. how is this, my child" said Je
rome dropping the butt of bis musket to the
ground, aud taking the little one BY the arm.
i" What is it about your mother ?"
40, good Jerome you can hear her now.
Hark r.
The sentinel bent his ear, but could hear
only the wind and the rain.
Mamma is in the dreadful mud" said the
child, and is dying She is not far away. o,
can hear her cryipg!"
By degrees jerome gathered from Natalie
that her father had taken her out with him in
the morning, and that in the evening when the
storm came on, her mother came after her.
The sergeant had offered to send man back to
camp with his wife, but she preferred to return
alone, feeling sure that she should meet with
no trouble. The way however had become
dark and uncertain, and she had lost the path,
and wandered off TO the edge of the morass,
where she had sank into the soft mud.
90 good Jerome" cried the little one, seiz
ing the mans hand, "cant you hear her
She will die if you do not come and help her "
AT that moment the sentinel fancied he
heard the wall of the unfortunate woman. What
should he do? Lisette. the good, the beauti
fol, the tender hearted Lsette, was in mortal
danger, and it was in his power TO save her. 1t
was not in his heart to withstand the pleadngs
Of the child. He could go and rescue the
nurse. and return to his post without detection.
At all events. he could not refuse the childish
pleader.
"Give me your hand, Natalie. III 90 with
you"
With cry Of joy the child sprang to the
soldiers side and when she had secured bis
hand she hurried him along towards the place
where she had left her mother. 1t seemed
long distance TO Jerome, and once he stopped
as though he would turn buck. He did not
fear death but be feared dishonor
Hark !" uttered the child.
The soldier listened, aud plainly heard the
voice of the suffering woman calling for help.
He hesitated no longer. On he FASTENED,
through the storm, and finally found Llsette
sunk to her arm pits in the soft morass. For
tunately turf of long grass had been within
her reach. by which means she had held her
head above the fatal mad. 1t was no easy
matter to extricate her from the mry pit, as
the workman had to be very careful that be
did not himself lose bis footing. 1t length,
however, she was drawn forth, and jerome led
her towards bis post.
who comes there?' cried voice from the
gloom.
Juste eiel :" gasoed Jerome, stopping and
trembling from head to foot.
What is it ?" asked Lisette.
Grand Dieu! l have been longer away
than l thought" answered the soldier. 1t
took me long time to get you out"
"Who comes there ?" repeated the voice.
Jerome heard the click of q musket- lock,
and be knew that another sentinel had been
stationed at the post be had left. The relief
bad come while be had been absent!
Friends, with the countersign! !" he an.
swered, to the last call of the new sentinel.
Ilc was oioCiCO " dufdUCC, huu Wncu NC
had given the countersgn be found himself iu
the presence of the officer OF the guard. In a
few hurried words be told bis story. and had
the officer been alone be might have allowed
the matter to rest where it was; but there
were others present-some of the sentinels who
bad been relieved, and some who were to re-
lieve others,-and with 80 many such a secret
would not be safe. Jerome did not even think
Of asking such thing but when ordered to
give up bis musket be obeyed without muir
mur, and silently accompanied the officer to
the camp. where be was put in irons, and
placed under guard.
On the following morning Jerome Dubois
was brought before a court martial under
charge of having deserted his post. He con-
fessed that be was guilty, and then permission
was granted him to tell bis own story. He
told how the little child had fallen upon him
in the storm, and bow she had plead for her
dying mother. At first he had resisted the
impulse-he would have died readily to save
Lisette, but he feared dishonor. The child
still plead and finally the thought of the poor
hoI