The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-08-24


was about to rise, when gGst of wind
bore anew from the bottom of the gorge
the noise which they had heard at first,
but this time much more distinct. 1t
was the confused sound of company on
the march, to the music of rustic bark
horn
The corporal arose slowly, a broad
grin split his face from ear to eur, and
his eyes sparkled in the darkness.
"We've got them !" said he. "He, he,
hel We've got them ~
"Who do you mean Z"
"The peasants, of course !! They are
comingw
Then, without another word, he crept
among the bushes on all fours. The men
arose one by one, took their guns, and
disappeared behind the trees. The sem
tinels did the same, and there was not q
motion or sound in the thicket.
The company kept concealed for about
a quarter of an hour, when three noun
taineers made their appearance in the
pale moonlight. They climbed the ra-
vine with slow steps. When they had
reached the level ground they stopped to
take breath, and to resume an interrupt
ed conversation.
Lombard could then examine them at
his leisure. The first was tall and thin ;
he had long black cloak, spindle-shaped
legs, an immense umbrella under his
left arm, brass-buckled shoes, and q
jaulty three cornered hat on his head,
and he presented the profile of young
calf. The corporal supposed it must be
some rural mayor of the neighborhood.
The second, wearing a similar hat,
stood front to Lombard, and the moon
lighted up his clear-cut and crafty face.
His sharp nose, his quick little eyes, his
sneering lips, and the whole expression
of his features, announced some village
diplomat, whom untoward circumstan-
ces had hindered in his strivings to reach
the highest summit of glory. He wore
q great coat of green plush, the sleeves
turned up to the elbows and cut in the
style of the last century. His hair, q
bright red tint, fell over his shoulders,
and formed large cushion for the nape
of his neck. He assumed lofty air, but
his rapid gestures gave the lie to his
pretence OF gravity every minute.
The third was simply mountain
herdsman, with wagoner's frock of
blue, grey pantaloons, and knit cap.
He held in one hand his bark horn, and
in the other an immense, iron-pointed
stick.
monsieur the Mayor" said the little
red headed man to the tall, thin one,
"you needn't be disturbed about that.
1t is better to hold on than to run. Our
cattle is ours, think. We have bought
them and paid for them."
"Yes, that is very true, Daniel that
is very true-in good hard cash. But
what would you have, my boy2 1t is so
agreeable to be called Monsieur the
Mayor and to see people lower their
hats down to their feet before you.
Don't you know that Petrus Schmitt
has had his eye on my place for six
yearsP"
Well-well. Your place is yours.
He can't have it-your place."
"That depends, Daniel. He might say
that have driven the cattle from the
village to prevent the garrison from OBJ
tanning provisions, and so making them
die of hunger"
"Ah, bah that's not SO. Listen to
me, Monsieur the Mayor. If the king"
here the little man raised his hat with
an air of respect-"if if our good king re-
turns, you will say, I have saved the
cattle of the village, so that the garri-
son could not have them, and SO the
place surrendered to the armies of our
good King Louis Then the prefect
will say, 20, what brave man, what a
brave man! who loves the honor of his
true sovereign And then you would
get the cross of the legion of honor,
sure !"
"The cross, Daniel? The cross with
a pension|
81 think so-the cross with PEN
sion."
"Yes-but t"--stammered the mayor,
"if-if-the other one defeats our good
king-our true king-our-"
"Stop there! stop Monsieur the
Mayor. He will be king in truth if he
Is the stronger. But if our great empe-
ror defeats the enemies of the country,
you will say, Il have saved the cattle of
the village so that the Cossacks should
not get them Then the project of the
great emperor another salute" will
say, 20, what a good mayor! what an
honest citizen! we must send him the
cross And SO you will get the cross
any way, and we shall keep our CATTLE"
Lombard bit his moustache. He had
great difficulty to refrain from showing
the diplomat little bayonet practice.
But the certainty that he should lose
nothing by waiting enabled him to mas
ter his anger.
"You are right, Daniel, 1 see that you
are right" replied the tall, thin man,
with a convinced air. "Why shouldn't
l have the cross as well as any one else !?
Especially if l save the village cattle !"
"But, Monsieur the Mayor, there is
more than one who hasn't gained as
much as you, and there is Schmitt, who
will be vexed.
"He, he, he! he will have mouth as
long as that" laughed the mayor, put
ting the handle of his umbrella to the
end of his nose.
"That's so, that's SO, Monsieur the
Mayor. But now we must find some
place where we can drive the cattle. We
need very concealed place, with pas
turage for the poor brutes, place where
the devil himself couldn't go without
knowing the way. Hold for example,
the precipice of the Saliere. 1t is dark.
1t is distant. Big trees hang all around
it. Forty oxen can roam there without
inconvenience. There is only little
footpath that reaches it. Water is abun-
dant."
"Well thought of, Daniel, well thought
of Hurrah for the Saliere J"
"Then forward, forward !" cried the
little man, turning towards the herds