Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-01-31

formed by Marshal Ney's departing
divisions. left the encircling walls of
Smolensko. The sky was overcast;
not star was visible through its
dark canopy. The only light which
in some measure relieved the dark
ness was the feeble reflection of the
mantle Of snow which covered the
fields. Surrounding nature was sad
and silent; the rumbling of the few
field-pieces which could yet be
brought away on their carriages, and
the clatter of arms, were the only
sounds which broke upon the ear in
this oppressive silence, for the sold
iers uttered not word, but plodded
noislessly, and brooding, through
this wilderness of wintry desolation.
The absence of Frederick and Henry
was a mystery to all. There was
hardly room for any other conjecture
than that they were dead; for as they
must have learned that Rasinski had
been suddenly ordered to unite him
self with his regiment to Ney's corps,
they must certainly endeavored to
join him, or would have returned
with. or without a supply of shoes.
But they might be still in the city, or
perhaps had become mixed up with
the Viceroy of Italy's men, who were
the first TO leave the fort. And il they
had departed in adavnce, they would
infallibly have taken care to impart
such a movement TO Rasinski. The
real truth of their fate was unknown
to all, and thus they were reckoned
among the vast number of those who
were daily found missing from the
ranks. After an hours march through
dense forests of fir-trees, these war
riors, the last in retreat from unhos-
pitable Russia, reached the bank OF a
river which was destined to become
either the salvation or destruction Of
this devoted band of brave men.
The moon was now shedding her
pale lustre over the landscape, when
Rasinski emerged from the woods on
the top of hill. from which they bad
free and uninterrupted view OF the
surrounding objects. Nothing how
ever was to be seen but the Dneiper.
embedded between its low but steep
shores, looking like some monstrous
blacksnake in tOrtuous windings
crawling over the white snow plains;
for alas there was no solid pavement
of ice stretching across it-only de-
tached clumps and cakes were drifting
on its ruffied surface between the
banks. Rasinski's keen eyes scanned
the place all around, where nothing
was heard but the cracking and
humping of the masses of ice.
There" (said the guide whom Ra-
sinski had pressed into the service
pointing with his finger to a place
where the river seemed to vanish out
OF sight-its course being hidden by
the hills. "there the ice clogs in the
shallow bend of the stream, and there
alone can you cross"
"Rasinski urged on his horse to-
ward the place pointed out. While
riding along the edge of the wood, he
suddenly heard a rustling among the
trees, and at the same time the crack
of a whip, and the violent snorting
and blowing of hard-pulling horses.
He stopped to listen, for none OF their
wagons could possibly have reached
this point.
as there q road through the
woods here?" he asked OF the guide.
"Yes, sir" the guide answered, "the
road from Syrokoff to Gosinoe. 1t is
perhaps some peasants driving
through the woods; but there can be
no danger, for it seems to be only
sled"
Rasinski determined, however, to
reconnoitre, and il necessary to stop
the travellers. As soon, therefore, as
they came in sight, he drew a pistol
from his belt, galloped into the mid
die OF the road, and called out loudly
in Russian:
Halt or l firel"
The driver of the sled, closely
wrapped in thick furs, stopped his
horses and answered also in Russian:
what do you want?-We are good
Russians. Why do you stop us?'
Rasinski rode nearer, still with his
cooked pistol in hand.
Where do you come from?-who
are you?--and where are you going?"
he demanded.
The driver instead Of answering,
turned TO those sitting III the sled,
and whispered in German:
There are only two; shall / answer
with the pistol, or drive on?"
Rasinski in the meantime had more
closely examined the occupants OF
the sled, there were two men and two
women, TO judge from their apparel.
Observing from the speech OF the
driver, which he half overheard, that
they were not Russians, he supposed
that they might be fugitives from
the army. He therefore pushed his
horse close up 10 the sled, held the
pistol to the head of one of the met,
and called out in German:
"We too are not what we appear:
are we enemies or friends? Speak.
or
A loud exclamation OF Joy inter-
rupted the conclusion of Rasinski's
address.
"Rasinski Rasinski!" burst from
the lips of those spoken TO, and Fred
erick sprang from the sled, and threw
himself on his neck. At the same
moment Henry pressed up to him on
the other side. Rasinski dismounted
and clasped his friends to his heart.
Tears coursed down his manly cheeks.
What questions and explanations
now followed each other;
as Jaromir living? Where Is Boles-
laus?" inquired Frederick aud Henry
with one breath. This reminded
Rasinski that an army was following
his steps: he turned around, pointed
back to the woods, and said: They
are there with the rest" They now
saw the advance guard issuing from
the woods. Rasinski sought Jaromir
and Boleslaus, and impaired to them
the joyful news Of Frederick and
Henry's safety and conducted them
TO the sled to welcome their friends.
They now first learned the fortunes
and misfortunes which had befallen
their companions, and were permit