The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-11-22
THE CONDEMNED SENTINEL.

risoned by seventeen thousand Russian
and Prussian soldiers, and these, To-
gether with twenty or thirty thousand
well-armed citizens presented nearly
double the force which could be.brought
TO the assault. So there was need of the
utmost vigilance on the part of the sen
tincls, for desperate sortie from the
garrison, made unawares, might prove
calamitous.
At midnight Jerome Dubois was
placed upon one of the most important
posts in the advance line of the pickets,
1t being upon narrow strip OF land
raised above,t the marshy fiat, called the
peninsula of Nehrung. For more than
an hour he paced his lonesome beat with
out hearing anything 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 presently he called:
Who's therey' @ ~ r a.
The only answer was a moaning sound.
He called again, and this time he heard
something like the cry of a child, and
pretty soon an object came before him
out from the darkness. With u quick,
emphatic movement he brought his mus
ket 70 the charge, and ordered the in
truder to halt. --s- e--s.s .-i---
Mercy" exclaimed childish voice
don't shoot mel l am Natalie. Don't
you know meT"
"Heavensw cried Jerome, eleyating
the muzzle of his piece. Is 1t you, dear
childY
"Yes; and you are good Jerome Oh,
you will come and help mamma. Come,
she is dyingp'A ~ ~ II
1t was certainly Natalie, little girl
only eight years old, daughter of Lizette
Valiant. LiZette was the wife of Pierre
Valiant, sergeant in Jerome's own reg
imRnt and was with the 0rmU.in paDaci-
ty Of nurse. .'-t .'" 81,
"Why, how is this, my child ~ said
Jerome, taking the little one by the arm.
what is it about your motherY oh s,
"Oh, good Jerome, you can hear her
now. Harkp'T '.iF &c. tt.1.-tft
The sentinel bent his ear, but could
hear only the wind and the rain.
Mamma is in the dreadful mud" said
the child, land is dying. She is not far
away. Oh, Ican hear her crying"
By degrees Jerome gathered from Ma
talie 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 SER
geant had offered to send man back to
the camp with his wife; but she prefer
red 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 wan
dered 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 herl'
At that moment the sentinel fancied he
heard the wall of the unfortunate wo-
man. What should he do? 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 Withstand the pleadings of
the child He could go and rescue the
nurse, and return to his post without de
lection. AT all events, he could not re-
fuse the childish pleader.
''Give me your hand, Natalie. I'll go
with you" "a h.
With cry of Joy the child sprang to
the soldiers. side; and when she had Sc
cured 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. "Harkr" uttered
The soldier listened, and plainly heard
the voice of the suffering woman calling
for help. He hesitateG 70 longer. On
he fastened through the storm, and
fonud Lisette sunk TO her armpits in the
morass.- Fortunately tuft of long grass
had been within her reach, by which
means she had held her head above tho
fatal mud. 1t was no easy matter to ex
ticate her from the miry pit, as the work
man had to b very careful that he him
self did not lose his footing. At length
however, she was drawn forth, and Jer-
ONE led her toward his post.
"Who comes there ~ cried a voice from
the gloom.
"HeavensP gasped Jerome, stopping
and trembling from head 20 foot "
"Who comes there1' repeated the
voice.
Jerome heard the click of a musket
lock, and he knew that another sentinel
had been stationed at the post he had
left The relief bad come while he had
been absent
Friends with the countersignr" he
answered, to the last call of the new sen
tinel. -Vg gTTtCt Trsi ttsi
He was ordered TO advance, and wher
he had given the countersign, he found
himself in the presence of the officer Of
the guard. In a few hurried words he
told his story, and had the officer been
alone he might have allowed the matter
TO rest where IL was; but there were 9th
ers present, and when ordered toSgive uE
his musket, he obeyed without a muir
muir, and silently accompanied the Off
Ger to the camp, where he was put il
irons. Al fJfI1 ft.h I'D
On Che following morning Jerome Du
bois was brought before a court-martia
under charge Of having deserted his post
He confessed that he was guilty, an6
then permission was granted him to tel
ms THIS SMn s seOl ala il a few words. but n,
court could do nothing but pass the sen
tence of death; but the members Thereof
all signed a petition praying that Jer
ONE Dubois might be pardoned; anC
this petition was sent to the general o
the brigade, and through him to the gen
eral of division, by whom It was endors
ed, and sent up to the marshal.
Lefebvre was kind and generous to hi
soldiers almost to fault, but he coulC
not overlook so grave an error as tina
which had been committed by Dubois
The orders given 20 the sentinel had beef
very simple, and foremost of very neces
sity was the order forbidding him (,
leave his post until properly relieved
To certain extent the safety of the Who'll
army rested upon the shoulders of eacl
individual sentinel, and especially upol
those who at night were posted neares
the lines of the enemy ii sS r
II am sorryg said the grayShaired oil
warrior, as he folded up the petition an
handed il back 70 the officer who ha.
presented It. II am sure that man mean
no wrong, and yet a great wrong wa
done. he knew what he was doing-h
ran the risk-he was detected-he ma
been tried and condemned. Hemust su
ferv' -
the CONDEMNED. -
"Ne. nol' the marshal cried quickly
SHOULD see him, and listen to one haI
his story, might pardon him and thi
must not be done. Let him die, tina
thousands may be saved"
The time fixed for the execution of Dr.
bois was the morning succeeding the da
of istriaf The result of the interyiei
with Marshal Lefebvre was made know
to him, and he was not at all disappoin
ed. He blamed no one, and was oni
sorry that he had not died upon the -ba
tle-feld i ~ 49, II y
~ have tried to be-a good soldieT, !" d
said to his captain. II feel that / hay
done no crime that should leave a stat