The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1868-01-23

from a bodily cause, none from
awe of shame, returned TO him.
"Tush! sir" said he; "waste
not time in reproaches, for !
fear the gend' arms are on my
track. 1t is well that you are
here; you can swear that l
have spent the night at home.
Unhand me, old man." and he
pointed to the garments wet
and drsbbled with the mud of
the roads. He had scarcely
spoken when the walls shook;
there was the heavy clatter OF
hoofs ringing on the pavement
without. tL9
@They Gomez cried the son.
Off dotard! Save your son from
the galleysl"
"'The galleya, the gaIlevsln
said the father, staggering
back, is it true-he said the
galleys!'
+ There wasAa loud knocking
at the sfTte. f9e gen d'arms
surrounded thS-ho6se. open
in the name6f the law No
answer came, no door was
opened. Some of the gems d
arms rode to the rear of the
house in which was the stable
yard. From the window of the
sons the sudden blaze of torch
es and the shadowy forms ofthe
man hunters could be SEEM
He heard the clatter of their
arms as they swung themselves
from their horses. He heard a
voice cry, "Yes, this is the rob-
ber's grey horse-see, it still
reeks with sweatw And be-
hind, and in front-at either
door-again came the knocking
and again the shout, Open, in
the name of the lawp
"Then lights began to CLEAN
from the easements OF the
neighboring houses; then the
space filled rapidly with many
curious wonderers startled from
their sleep; the world was astir,
and the crowd came around to
learn what crime or shame had
entered the old soldiers home.
Suddenly, within there was
heard the report Of a lirearm;
a minute or so afterwards the
door was opened and the old
soldier appeared.
"Enter,' he said to the gems
d'arms; what would youT
"We seek robber who is
within your walls
"I know it, mount and find
him, l will lead the way
He ascended the stairs, and
threw open his sons room; the
officers ofjustice poured in, and
on the floor lay the robbers
corpse.
"They looked at each other
in amazement. Take what is
left you,' said the father. Take
the dead man rescued from the
galleys; take the living man on
whose hands rests the dead
mans blood.
Il was present at my friends
trial. The facts had become
known beforehand. He stood
there with his grey hair and his
mutilated limbs, and the cross
of the legion of honor on his
breast; and when he had told
his tale, he ended with these
words: Il have saved the son,
whom | reared for France, from
a doom that spared the life to
brand it with disgrace. Is this
crime? | give you my life in
exchange for my sons disgrace.
Does my country need a VIC
tim? l have lived for my coun-
try's glory! and l can die con-
tent to satisfy its laws; sure,
that if yoG did blame, you will
not despise; sure, that the very
hands that give my poor, old
body to the headsman, will
scatter flowers over my grave.
Thus, l confess all. |, a soldier,
look round upon a nation of
soldiers, and in the name of the
star which glitters on my breast
dare the fathers Of France to
condemn men
"They acquitted the soldier,
at least they gave a verdict
answering to what in our
courts is called justifiable
homicide A shout rose in
the court which no ceremonial
voice could still; the crowd
would have borne him in tri-
umph to his house; but his look
repealed such vanities. To his
house. he returned; indeed and
the day afterwards they found
him dead beside the cradle in
which his first prayer had been
breathed over his sinless child.
Now. father and son, / ask you,
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