Smyrna times., 1867-01-09

udQ DCCl oO SOhCAOuoly CdIGu IOr, anu grdIeTul
to Providence on thus finding himself still sur
rounded by friendly and familiar faces-apnear-
ed, despite the anguish produced by the mo-
tion OF the litter, to awaken to renewed hope;
and at intervals he expressed the conviction
that the skill OF the French surgeons would not
only cure his wound, but even enable him once
more to take the field.
l am young, comrades, u he said cheerful
~; and youth has strong hold on life. Who
knows? may yet have glorious career be-
tore me. L cannot surely die when my task is
but commenced"
True, monsieur, true, was on one ofthesc
occasions the sympathizing reply: "Our Mar.
shal cannot spare youyet Only let us carry you
safe to Wilma, and all will soon be right with
you again. Why, here is Jacques Defour, who
has more scars on his body than he has teeth
In his head and yet if he chances to have
sick comrade he can eat his ration for him as
well as his own. Take pull monsieur, at the
bottle which the doctor said was to help you
over the road, and keep up your heart. PeSte :
A man is never fairly gone until he cannot tell
a Russ from Frenchman.
Thus passed several days of the toilsome and
weary march OF the gallant little band but
soon the sense of solitude in that desert and
snoW-covered wilderness began to depress the
stoutest spirits; nor was this the only moral evil
against which they had to contend, as they
gradually became conscious that the retreat
which had commenced in so orderly and hope
tul manner had, under the incessant intensi-
ty of the cold, degenerated into disorganized
and despairing march. Arms, military equip
ments and dead horses were scattered at inter
| walls along the road but still the grenadiers
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 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
savage yells; when, closing round the litter,
| they either fought their way through their
| blood-thirsty opponents, or stood firmly to re-
pei their attack. Calm, silent and resolute
full OF the enthusiasm of great duty still un-
accomplished; worn and weary as they we're,
they scOrned to yield an inch. Monuments of
marbles have ere now been erected in memory
OF deeds of heroiSm which must have Welded
precedence to theirs, and yet the sublime de-
votion of this little band might ought and
would have passed unregistered, like many an
other 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
country their limbs benumbed with cold; the
very words frozen in their throats; insufficient
ly clothed; scanty fed, and delayed upon theil
toilsOme march by their bel pless burthen, one
recollection sufhCed to sustain them-a Mar
shal of France had said Il confde Kobilin.
ski to your honor you will restore him to me;
and they must not let him find his trust in then
misplaced. Then military discipline became in
deed the germ whence glory sprang up in the
! long enduring spirits of these devoted men,
There was one by to witness and to applaud
their struggles, save the wandering hordes b.
whom they were from time to time harrassed
and almost oVerpowered; and when, at tht
} close of their third week of suffering and ago
, ny, the young Pole entreated them with clasp
: ed hands to leave him to die alone, and t
make an effort to save their own lives, reso
8 lutte refusal met him on all sides.
But, comrades, he urged in an impassior
e ed voice, which gained strength from the in
tensity Of his emotion, {" feel that am sink
e ing fast; that for me all hope is over; and ths
you are generously sacrificing yourselves fC
: one who ere long will be unable even to e1
e press his gratitude
:. Perhaps so, perhaps not, monsieur, grow
It ed out jacques Defour, dashng the icicll
e from his moustache; but in any case 20
| may hi6kO up YOUR LudIJ uedu Ut dHV'
d we shall take you into wilma, and deliver yc
8 to our marshal; go cover your head with yol
It cloak, and leave US to do our duty"
r But, my good Jacques"
M " Not word more, monsieur; we know n
T, thing about Colonel Kobilinski, aid-de-cau
ID to Marshal Davoust here we have receive
le our orders, aud shall obey them. You arc
kl US only wounded man on our way to the he
I'd pital at headquarters.
n A few days subsequently, the noble fellC
who had thus spoken awoke from the de-
or slumber of exhaustion, into which the who
ad party had fallen at the close of several hou
IN of intense toll, only to find that when he soug
nd to arouse his comrades in order that they mig
n resume their march, four answered to his SUI
he mons. The rest were at peace
of The FIVE survivors gazed at each other ST
Ia pefed with horror, and then they glanced
he the Pole. He was motherless, but he s
lat breathed, and regardless that by such a p
ed caution they doubled their. own labor, th
u.s. threw over him several of the great coats
of their dead comrades, lifted the litter and sic
he ly and in silence once more moved forward.
all On-and on; throughout the long, long d
ne? no one to share and to Tighten their toll; Il
g a were but five there was no relax of labor
ent was one determined strain of nerve and W
ly: and 10 towards evening, in the far distan
bi- they traced along he murky atmosphere al
- Of houses. 1t was wilma 1t was the prom
ust ed land 1t was the haven of temporary
Bit curity and rest
we'd A simultaneous cry of triumph burst Fl
ing the lips of the five exulting men; and in
the next instant they were talking of hope
ON comfort to the rapidly-sinking Kobilinsk
hus Vain vision Of accomplished duty The re-
With sion OF feeling was too violent for the veal
now ed frames Of these military martyrs; two
to and died ere they had reached the taubor
1our OF the city, two others tottered on a few p
turther-and then one one only-the yett
The Jacques DufOur-was left to dispute with
IS by elements the numbed and motionless body
light the litter. For a moment he stood agh
as then conscious Of his utter inability to lli
\ his he clutched his fingers fercely into the ca
the by which it was covered, and dragging it
owe him, by last effort of strength rushed on
: of til his eliminating shrek of agony reached
neat ear of the nearest sentinel.
ono In a few minutes he was surrounded by
or comrades, and temporarily invigorated by
their triumph and the slightest refreshment af
from ed by their canteens, he was enabled to 81
O intend the removal of Kobilinski to the di
core dated house in which Marshal Dayoust hs
nm. tablished his headquarters; when having
nder certained that medical attendance had