Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-06-08
A Story of the French Conscription.

search of shell-fsh and to gather the
sea-wreck in order to make soda-the
latter in those days, a thriving branch
of industry. His solitary life, the
habit OF constant communion with
wild nature, joined to the semi-barbar-
Gus habits Of his parents, made him
a sOmbre and moody man while still
very young. He had no friends but
his parents; he made no acquaintan-
ces, but kept all his brother fishers at
a distance. He had never rambled
beyond these cliffs, and knew nothing
Of the great world that lay around
him. At the beginning Of the pres
ent century came the Imperial con-
fo"iffti2e TO fea22ee G.pffdatRHio and Roman was ordered
conutry. The other cOnscripts were
as gay as Iarks at the prospect, for
Frenchmen are soldiers by instinct;
but it was far otherwise with Roman.
He was no coward, but one whose
wild daring had on more than one
occasion filled the fishers with won
der; yet the thought Of quitting
mother and father, and these wild
waves that were his only playmates,
was more than he could bear. He
would rather leap from the heights
and die. Encouraged by his parents,
he took refuge i'll a hole midway down
the cliffs, and SO evaded those who
were searching for him high and low.
His parents, at dead OF night, let
down provisions to him by Il cord,
and supplied him, moreover, with
wood and firing. The lad tolerated
his solitary quarters, and remained
in them throughout the course OF a
whole year One night, however,
some fishers in sailing-boat, return
ing from the open channel, perceived
to their astonishment a bright light
burning in the centre OF the cliffs.
Crossing themselves and calling Oh
the Virgin, they spoke Of what they
had seen, and were speedily confirm
ed by others who had the same eX-
perience. The coast guards hearing
OF the affair, suspected nest OF con
rabandists, and Kept a sharp watch,
1t was soon discovered whose hands
lit the fire, and the news spread that
Romain was living in the cave. The
authorities Hocked to the foot Of the
cliff. They summoned him with a
speaking trumpet to come down. Il
will never be a soldier, he shouted
back They threatened il he did not
descend to take him by force and
have him shot Coco" he returned
e | would rather die than be sol
der = They attempted the ascent,
/ bat in vain; and OF what good were
ladders to reach a height OF two
hundred feet. Certain daring men
volunteered to 90 down by ropes
from the top Of the cliff; but Romain
seized and shook the cords, and they
desisted just in time to save their
necks. They began cutting steps be
low. but shower Of huge stones
soon made them give up the attempt
in despair They rushed to the sous
perfect. The example is a danger
Gus one, cried the 1unctionary; he
must be taken dead or alive" 80 al
ter some more parleying, they began
popping at Romain with their guns
but he was safe in his cave, and re-
taliated now and then with stones
and boulders. The siege continued
Tor four days. On the fourth day
Roman found all his provisions gone,
He was 1ainting for thirst. lie
must make his escape or die. Now
the cliffs, in whose midst he lay Sc
cure, were at least three hundred feet
in height, and entirely perpendicular
but almost under the cave, and lean
ing against the cliff, was a rock one
hundred feet high, and projecting
about fifteen feet seaward. At higl
tide the sea dashed right against the
rock, rendering impossible all pass
age from side to side, but leaving d
narrow space of dry shingle to the
right and left. Fortunately for Ro
main it was full moon. There was
full sea by ten at night. In the rock
and in the full tide lay his only hope
He spent the whole day i'll collecting
huge stones. AS the tide crept W
Roman suffered none of the soldier:
= beneath to remain under the cave, bu
= compelled them. by fearful showers o
stones, to take on The other side OF the
rock. Nor did his volleyS cease til
it was high sea, and the passage be
yond the rock was impossible. Ii
the full moonlight he emerged iron
his cave and commenced to descen(
aided only by his feet and hands
The soldiers on the other side tiret
l at him again and again, but he con
!: tinued his way undaunted, and passet
down, uninjured, behind the rock
4 leaving the baffled soldiers wonder
g ing at his courage and cursing hi
e success. Next day his blouse ant
sabots were found on the shore, but h
y himself had disappeared, and the
: sought him in vain.
He turned up, however, a yea
n afterwards, when the amnesty granite
: to deserters made it safe to appear
a But he was changed. There was
d wild light in his eyes; the suffering
n he had undergone in the cavern, th
L strange visions Of the long, storm
nights, the dreamy terror of it al
had made him mad, though Harmless
o For ten years he haunted the cliff
II a wild, woe-begone man, supported b
T public charity; but FINALLY, in a vii