The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-10-09
THE CONDEMNED SENTINEL.

city was garrisoned by 1900 Russian and
Prussian soldiers, and these, together with
20 900 or 80 900 well armed citizens, present
ed nearly double the force which could be
brought to the assault. So there was need
of the utmost vigilance on the part of the
seHtinels, for desperate sortie from the gar
rison, made unawares, might prove calam-
itous. Atmidnight Jerome Dubois was placed
upon one of the most important posts in the
advance line of pickets, it being upon a mar
row strip of land raised above the marshy
fiat, called the peninsula of Nehrung. For
more than an hour he paced his lonesome
beat without hearing more than the moaning
of the wind and the driving of the rain. At
length, however, another sound broke upon
his ear. He stopped and listened, and pres.
emily he called: "Who's thereT'
The only answer was moaning sound.
He called again, and this time he heard
something like the cry of a child and pretty
soon an object came toward him out of the
darkness With a quick, emphatic move
ment he brought his musket TO the charge,
and ordered the intruder to halt.
"Mercyl" exclaimed a childish voice;
'don't shoot me! l am Natalie. Don't you
know me%
''Heavensl" cried Jerome, elevating the
muzzle of his piece. lis it you, dear child?''
"Yes; and you are good, Jerome. Oh,
you will come and help mammal Come,
she is dying!"
1t was certainly Natalie, little girl only
eight years old, daughter of Llsette valiant.
Lisette was the wife of Pierre Valiant, a
sergeant IN Jerome's own regiment, and
was with the army in capacity of nurse.
"Why, how is this, my child?'' said Jer-
ONE, taking the little one by the arm.
"What is it about your mother"
"Oh, good Jerome, you can hear her now.
Hark!''
The sentinel bent his ear, but could hear
only the wind and the rain.
Mamma is in the dreadful mud, said
the child, "and is dying. She is not far
away. Oh, can hear her crying"
BY degrees Jerome gathered from Natalie
that her father had taken her out with him
in the morning, and that in the evening
when the storm came on her mother came
after her. The sergeant had offered TO send
a man back to the camp with his wife but
she preferred to return alone, feeling sure
that she should meet with no trouble. The
way, however, had become dark and uncer-
tain, and she had lost the path and wandered
off to the edge of the morass, where she had
sunk into the soft mud.
"Oh, good Jerome" cried the little one,
seizing the mans hand, cant you hear her?
She will die If you do not come and help
her."
At that moment the sentinel fancied he
heard the wall of the unf )rtunate woman.
What should he doP Lisette, the good, the
beautiful, the tender-hearted Lisette was in
mortal danger, and it was in his power to
save her. 1t was not in his heart to with
stand the pleadIngs of the child. He could
go and rescue the nurse and return TO his
post without detection. At all events, he
could not refuse the childish pleader.
"Give me your hand, Natalie. Pllgo with
you"
With a cry of Joy the child ssrang to the
soldiers side, and, when she had secured his
hand, she hurried him along toward the
place where she had left her mother. 1t
SEEMED long distance to Jerome, and once
he stopped as though he would turn back.
He did not fear death, but he feared dis
honor.
"Hark" uttered the child.
The soldier listened and plainly heard
the voice Of the suffering woman calling
for help. He hesitated no longer. On be
fastened through the storm. and found
Lisette sunk 70 her armplts in the
soft morass. Fortunately, a tuft of
long grass had been within her reach,
by which means she had held her head above
the fatal mud. 1t was no easy mater to exi
tricate her from the miry pit, as the work
did not lose his footing. At length, how
ever, she was drawn forth, and Jerome led
her toward his post.
"Who comes there?" cried voice from
the gloom.
"Heavens!'' gasped Jerome, stopping and
trembling from head to foot.
"Who comes there" repeated the voice
Jerome heard the click of a musket lock,
and he knew that another sentinel had been
stationed at the post he mad left The relief
had come while he had been absentl
Friends with the countersign!' he an
swered to the last call of the new sentinel.
He was ordered to advance, and when he
had given the counterslgn he found himself
in the presence of the officer of the guard
In few hurried words be told his story, and
had the officer been alone he might have al
lowed the matter 10 rest where it was, but
there were others present, and when ordered
to give uD his musket he obeyed without
murmur, and silently accompanied the Off
Ger to the camp, where he was put in irons
On the following morning Jerome Dubois
was brought before a court martial under
charge of having deserted his post He con-
fessed that he was guilty, and then permis-
sion was granted him to tell his own story.
This he did in few words, but the court
could do nothing but pass sentence of death
but the members thereof all signed a petit
tion praying that Jerome Dubois ght be
pardoned; and this petition was sent to the
general of the brigade, and through him to
the general of division, by whom it was in
dorsed, aud sent up to the marshal.
Lsfebvre was kind and generous to his
soldiers almost to fault but he could not
overlook so grave an error as that which had
been committed by Dubois. The orders
given to the sentinel had been very simple,
and foremost of very necessity was the order
forbidding him to leave his post until prop
erly relieved. TO a cerrain extent the safe
ty or the whole army rested upon the shoul-
ders of each individual sentinel, and especi-
ally upon those who at night were posted
nearest the lines of the enemy
81 am sorry" said the gray haired old
warrior, as he folded up the petition and
handed 1t back to the officer who had pre-
sented 1t. II am sure that man meant no
wrong. and yet great wrong was done. He
knew what he was doing-he ran the risk
he was detected-he has been tried and con-
demned. He must suffsrl"
They asked Lefebvre if he would see the
condemned.
"No, nop' the marshal cried, quickly.