The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-12-13
Select Story.
THE CONDEMNED SENTINEL.

= A cold stormy night in the month of
March, 1907, Lefebyre, with 81 900 French |
troops, had invested Dantzic. The city was
garrisoned by II 900 Russian and Prussian
soldiers, and these together with 10000 or
10000 armed citizens presented nearly doub
lie the force that could be brought to the as
sault. So there was need of the utmost vigi
lance on the part of the sentinels, for des
perate sortie from the garrison made una
wares, might prove calamitous
AT midnight, jerome Dubois was placed
upon one of the most important posts in the
advance line of pickets it being upon mar
row strip of land arised above the marshy
fiat, called the peninsula of Nehrung. For
more thaE al 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, aud pres.
emily he called
Who's there?'
The only answer was moaning sound.
He called again, and this time he heard
something like the cry of child, and pretty
soon an object came toward him out of the
darkness. With quick, emphatic move
ment, he brought his musket to the charge,
and ordered the intruder to halt.
'Mercy! exclaimed childish voice; don't
shoot mel l am Natalie Don't you know
me?'
Heaven ; cried Jerome, elevating the
muzzle of his piece. is it you, dear
child? p
} Yes, and you gre good Jerome. Oh, you
will come help mamma. Come, she is dy-
ing =
1t was certainly Natalie, little girl only
, eight years old, daughter of Lisette valiant
, Lisette was the wife of Pierre valiant, q
sergeant in ] romes 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? p
'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, feel
ing sure that she would meet with no trou'
, Bile. The way however, had become dark
, and uncertain, and she had lest 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, can't you hear her
She will die if you do not come and hell
herr
, At that moment, the sentinel fancied h
heard the wall of the unfortunate woman
3 What should he do? Lisette-the good
9 the beautiful, the tender hearted Lisette-
c was in mortal danger, and it was in his pow
: er to save her. 1t was not in his heart +
g withstand the pleadings of the child. fl
{ could go and rescue the nurse, and return
c his post without detection. At all event
: he could not refuse the childish pleader.
Give me your hand, Natalie. Pll g
c with you.'
c With cry of joy, the child sprung to th
C soldiers side, and, when she had Sc ured hi
e hand, she hurried him along toward tn
g place where she had left her mother.
seemed a long distance to Jerome, and ono
&c he stopped as though he would turn bacl
&c He did not fear death, but he feared di
No honor,
&c 'Hark = uttered the child.
,c The soldier listened, and plainly hear
lc the voice of the suffering woman calling tC
&c help. He hesitated no longer. On
Nc hastened through the storm, and four
&c Lisette sunk to her armpits in the soft mo
&c ass. Fortunately, tuft of long grass h'
iicc been within her reach, by which means 81
c held her head above the fatal mud 1t W
&c no Easy matter to extricate her from the mi
DC pit, as the workman had to be very caref
be that he himself did not lose his footing !
0c Oc length, however, she was drawn forth, al
DC Jerome led her toward his post.
DC who comes there?' cried voice fro
&c &c the gloom. =.
&c 'Heavenp gasped Jerome, STOPPING al
trembling from head to foot.
0c who comes there !? repeated a voice.
Oc Jerome heard the the click of muskt
Oc Oe lock, and he knew that another sentinel hi
&c &c been stationed at the post he had left. II
oc relief had come while he had been a
oc sent !
Oc Friends with the countersign I he a
oc swered, to the last call of the new sent
mel.
Oc He was ordered to advance, and when
Oc had given the countersigD, he found hil
Oc self in the presence of the officer of d
NJ guard In few hurried words he told
=. story, and had the officer been alone,
Oc might have allowed the matter to rest whe
oC it was /; but there were others present, a
oc when ordered to give up his musket,
oc obeyed without murmur, and silently &
oS companied the officer to the camp, where
lSc was put in irons.
,Sc On the following morning jerome Dub,
llSc l0c was brought before court martial und
roc charge of having deserted his post. He CO
Oc iessed that he was guilty, and tnen perm
VOC VOC sion was granted him to tell his OF
sOc story.
aOc This he did in few words; but the col
9oe could do nothing but pass sentence Of dea
i0c -, 4, -.
lOc yet the members thereoi all signed peiltl
iOo praying that Jerome Dubois might be p
zoe doned and this petition was sent to
y" general of the division, by whom it was
dorsed, and sent up to the marshal
Lefebvre was kind and generous to