Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-12-14
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
THE CONDEMNED SENTINEL.

March. 1907 Marshal LeieoVIe, W.tD
twenty-seven thousand French troops
had invested Dantzie. The city was
garrisoned by seventeen thousand Rus
slams and Prussian soldiers, and these
together with twenty. or thirty thous-
and we'll armed citizens, presented near
1y double the force which could be
brought TO the assault. So there was
need oil the utmost vigilance on the part
ofthe sentinels, 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 pickets, it being
he'marshy fat. called the peninsula OF
Nehrung. For more than an hour he
paced his lonesome beat without hearing
anything more than the moaning oil the
wind and the driving of the rain. AT
length another sound broke upon his
ears. He stopped and listened, and pres
emily he called:
The only answer was a moaning
sound.
He called again, and this time he heard
something like the cry of child, and
prcttysoon thrfobject came before him out
OF the darkness. With quick, emphatic
movement he brought his musket to the
charge and ordered il TO halt.
'Mercy ~ exclaimed the childish voice;
''don's shoot me am Natalie. Don't
you know me ~
"Heavens.' cried Jerome, elevating
the muzzle of his piece. SIS it you, dear
child?' ra E - -
"Yes; and you are good Jerome. OH
you will come and help mamma Come
she is dying!" ..----T..--rg.
1t was certainly Natalie,a little girl
only eight years old, daughter of Lisette
Walnut. wife of Il sergeant, in Jerome's
own regiment, and Was in the army in
the capacity OF nurse.
"Why, how is this, my child ?" said
jerome, taking the little one by the
arm. What is it about your mother ~
oh. good Jerome, you can hear now.
Hark.
The sentinel bent his ear, but could
hear only the wind and 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 Ma
talie that her father had taken her out
with him in the morning, and that Ill
the evening when the storm came OH.
her mother came after her. The sergeant
had offered to send man back TO camp
with his wife; but she preferred TO return
alone. feeling sure that she would meet
with no trouble. The way, however,
had become dark and uncertain. and she
had lost the path and wandered Off
the edge OF the mOrass, where she had
sunk i'm the mud.
L. - In Ia, nnn
Selling The nuns hand. cant you hear
her? She will die if ou DO not come
and help her."
At that moment the sentinel flncied
he heard the wall of the unfortunate
woman. What should he do? Lisette,
the yOoI, the beautiful. the tender-ha art |
rd Li-ette. was in mortal danger, and il
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 muse and return to his post without
detection. AT ali events he could not re- |
fuse The childish plea,ler.
''Givc me your hand, Natalie, I'll go
with you.
With cry of joy the child sprang to
the sollier's side; and when she had Sc
cured his hand. she hurried him along
toward the place where she had left heI'
mother. 1t SEEMED long dista Ice TO
Jerome. aud once he stopped as he
though he would turn lack. lie di
not fear death. but feared di>honOr.
Hank" uttered the child.
The soldier listened. and plainly he .rd
the voice of the suffering woman calling
for help. lie hesitated no longer. On
he FASTENED Through the storm, and
found Lisette sunk to her arm-pit in
lie soft morass. Fortunately tuft of
long grass had been within her reach.
by which she had held her head above
he fatal mud. 1t was no easy matter to
ex,ricate her from the miry pit. us the
workman had to be very careful thar he
himself did not loose his footing. AT
length. however. she was drawn forth,
and jerome led her to his post.
''WhO comes ther - cried a voice from ,
The gloom. !,
"Heavens!" gasped Jerome, stopping
md irembleing from head to foot
who comes there repeated the voice.
jerome heard the click of the muShet
Ock, and he knew that another sentinel
lad been stationed at the post he had
eft. The relief had come while he was d
bSenti
Friends with the countersign,"
|
entinel.
lie was ordered to advance. andjwhen ;
e had given the countersign, he found ,,
Imself in the presence of the officer of !,
he guard. In few hurried words he
old his story. and Lad the officer been a
lone he might have allowed the matter !,
D rest where it was; but there were
theirs present, and when ordered to .
i've up his musket he obeyed without
lurmer, and silently accompanied the
Ificer to the camp, where he was put in y y
Ons.
On the following morning. erome Du- "
Ois was brought before a court martial :. !"
nder charge of having deserted his post ID
Ie confessed that he was guilty, land then !"
emission was granted him to. tell his a.
svn story. "
This he did in few words, but the ~
,urt could do nothing but pass sentence III
cath; but the members thereof all sign.
petition praying that Jerome Dubois p
light be pardoned; and this petition p
as sent to the general of the brigade, a.
I'd through him to the General of the VI
vision, by whom it was endorsed and III
mt up to the marshal.
Lefebvre was kind. and generous to FL
soldiers almost to fault, but he fu
uld not overlook so grave an error rs OF
Mt which had been committed by Du- ru
is. The orders given to the sentinel fol
re very simple and the the foremost lo'
very necessity was the order forbid
ng him to leave his post until proper sti
relieved. 10 a certain extent the ale
fety OF the whole army rested upon Il
e shoulders. of each individual sentinel, ola
q especially upon those who at night
ere posted nearest the line of the enc WI
!: tht
II. Il II