Weekly Trinity journal., 1867-03-23
NUMBER II.


diers pressed forward, seeking to conceal from
their wounded charge the terrible evidences OF
ruin about them.
Nor were they even permitted to struggle on
in peace for in q few hours after they had
reached these landmarks of misery, they were
on several occasions attacked by bands OF Cos
sacks who bore down upon them with wild and
savage yells; when closing around the litter,
they either fought their way through their blood
thirsty opponents, or stood firmly to repel their
attack Calm, silent, and resolute full of the
enthusiasm of a great duty still unaccomplshed;
worn and weary as they were, they scorned to
Weld an inch. Monuments of marble have ere
now been erected in memory of deeds of heroism
which must have yielded precedence to theirs;
and yet the sublime devotion of this little band
might, ought and would have passed unregistered,
like many another glorious episode in the great
drama of War, had none been spared to bear
witness to its existence
Abandoned to themselves in an enemy s coun-
try :~their limbs benumbed with cold the very
words frozen in their throats; insufhciently
clothed scantily fed and delayed upon then
toilsome march by their helpless burthen, one
recollection suficed to sustain them A Mar
shall of France had said C / confde kobilinski
to your honor; you will restore him to me j.
and they must not let him find his trust IN them
misplaced. Then military discipline became,
indeed, the germ whence glory sprang up in the
long-enduring spirits of these devoted men,
their struggles, save the wandering hordes by
whom they were from time to time harassed and
almost oyerpowered; and when, at the close OF
their third week of suffering and agony, the
young Pole entreated them, with clasped hands
to leave him to die alone, and to make an effort
to save fheir own lives, q resolute refusal mes
him all Sides
uBut comrades he urged, in an impassion-
ed voice, which gained strength from the in
tensity of his emotion, ~ feel that am sink
ing fast; that for me all hope is over and that
you are generously sacrificing yourselves for
one who ere long will be unable to express his
gratitude"
" Perhaps so perhaps not, Monsieur" growi-
ed out Jaques Dufour, dashing the icicles from
his moustachc =" but in any case you may make
up your mind, dead alive, we shall take you
to our Marshal; so cover your head with your
cloak, and leave us to do our duty"
&c But my good Jaques-"
"Not n word more, Monsieur; we know moth
ing about Colonel Kobinski, aid-de-camp to
Marshal Davoust, here we have received our
orders, and shall obey them. You are to us only
wounded man on our way to the hospital at
headquarters"
A few days subsequently, the noble fellow
who had thus spoken awoke from the seep of
exhaustion into which the whole party had fallen,
at the close of several hours of intense toll, only
to find that when he sought to arouse his COM
rades, in order that they might resume their
n,
rest were at peace
The FIVE survivors gazed at each other, stupe-
fled with horror, and then glanced at the Pole.
lie was motionless but he still breathed and
regardless that by such precaution they doub-
led their labor, they threw over him sew
eral of the great coats of their dead comrades,
lifted the litter, and slowly and IN silence once
more moved forward.
And on-throughout the long, long day, no
one to share and to Tighten their toll. They
were but FIVE; there was no relay of labor-lt
was one determined strain of nerve and will
And lo! toward evening, in the far distance they
traced along the murky atmosphere n line of
houses. It was wilma 1t was the promised
land 1t was the haven of temporary security
and rest.
A simultaneous cry of triumph burst from the
lips of the five exultng men and in the next
in slant they talking of hope and comfort
to the rapidly sinking Kobilinski
Vain vision of accomplished duty The re-
vulsion of feeling was too violent for the weak
ened frames of these military martyrs two fell
and died before they reached the faubourgs OF
the city two others tottered few PAGES further
and then one-one only-the veteran Jaques
Dufour-was left to dispute with the elements
the numbed and motioness body on the litter.
For IL moment he stood aghast; then conscious
of his utter inability to lift it, he clutched his
fingers fercely into the canvass, by which it was
covered and dragging it after him by last effort
of strength, rushed on until his eliminating
shreks of agony reached the ears OF the nearest
sentinel.
In few minutes he was surrounded by his
comrades and temporarily ipvigorated by his
triumph and the slight, refreshment afforded by
their canteens he was enabled to supperntend
the removal of Kobilinski to the dilapidated
house in which Marshal Davoust had established
his headquarters when, having ascertained that
medical attendance had been summoned, and as
sured himself that his precious charge was once
more carefully laid upon comfortable bed, he
sent to inform the Marshal that the grenadler
company to whom he had entrusted his aid-de-
camp, having fulfilled his orders, requested The
honor of an interview.
This was instantly conceded.
"Where is Colonel Kobilinski?" asked Dayoust.
"Ie is here, Monsieur lie Marechal
"And the company
"Present, mon Marechal."
"I ask for the company
uI have answered-present.'
"But your comrades?' ,
"Ha my comrades--buried Monsieur ie
Marechal-in the snow J.! .
Dayoust could not utter word, pa. nc vP
his arms, and Jaques Dufour hung hi"Sen 'n'o
them. .ho uorsbaI of
He was dressed to the heart OF tne Marshal Vi
France-he was repaid, amply repaid ne lIougnt'
for waeks of cruel and almost unparalleled sunef-
;nc h,t ere the ewes of Kobillnski ciosed forever,
.hey rested on a red ribbon proudly dispiayed
Wv W H. hreas At of Jaques Dufour.