The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-29
THE DAILY STAR
THE CONDEMNED SENTINEL.

tWenty-SeVen thouSanu rreucn 'Ioopo
had invested Dantzic. The city was gar
risoned bv seventeen thousand Russian
and Prussian soldiers; and these, together
with twenty or thirty well armed citizens,
presented nearly double the force which
could be brought to the assault. So
there was need of tine utmost vigilance on
the part of the sentinels, for a desperate
sortie from the garrison unawares might
prove calamltous.
AT midnight James Dubois was placed
upon one Of the important posts in the
advance line of pickets it being upon a
narrow strip of land rising above the
marshy flat called the Peninsula OF
Nehrung. For more than an hour he
paced his lonely beat without hearing
ANYTHING but 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 called:
"Who's there%'
The only answer was q moaning sound.
He called again, and this time he heard
something like the Cry OF child; and
presently the object came toward him
out of the darkness. With a quick, em-
phatic movement he brought his musket
to the charge, and ordered the intruder
to halt.
'Mercy!" exclaimed a childish voice.
''Don't shoot me! am Natalia. Don't
you know me?"
'Heavens?' cried Jerome, eleyating
the muzzle Of his peace. els it you dear
childT
eyes; and you are good Jerome. Oh!
you will come and help mamma Come,
She is dying"
1t was certainly Natalia, little girl
only eight years old, daughter of Lisette
Valiant. Lsette was the daughter OF
Pierre Valiant, a sergeant III Jerome's 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 her arm.
"What is it about your motherw
"Oh, good jerome, you can hear her
now! Hark!" -,
The sentinel bent his ear, but could
hear nothing but 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
talia 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 man back to
the camp with his wife, but she preferred
to return alone, feeling sure that sh e
would meet with no trouble. The way
however, had become dark and uncertain,
and she had lost the path and wandered
off to the edge of the morass, where she
had sunk in the mud.
"Oh, good Jerome" cried the little
one, seizng the mans hand, Cant you
hear her?
At that moment the sentinel fancied he
heard the wall of the unfortunate woman.
Lisette-the good, the beautiful, the tenr
der-hearted Lisette-was in danger, and
it was in his power to save her. 1t Was
not in his heart to withstand the plead
ings of the child. He could 60 and res
cue the nurse and return to his post with
out detection. At all events, he could
not refuse the childish pleader.
'Give me your hand, Natalia-Pll &c
along with you"
With a cry of joy, the child sprang tc
he soldiers side, and when she had Sc
cured his hand, she hurried him along
towards the place where she had left
her mother 1t seemed long distance te
Jerome, and once he stopped, as though
he would turn back. He did not feal
death, but he feared dishonor.
"Harkw uttered the child.
The soldier listened, and plainly heart
the voice of the suffering woman calling
for help. He hesitated no longer. On hi
hastened, through the storm, and founc
Lisette sunk to the arm pits in the sof
morass. Fortunately, a tuft of Ion,
grass had been within her reach, by whicl
means she had held her head above tn
fatal mud. 1t was ne easy matter to eX
tricate her from the miry pit as TIN
workman had to be very careful that HI
did not himself lose his footing. At lengtl
however, she was drawn forth, and he lie,
ner forward, to his post.
"Who comes there?" cried voice from
the gloom.
"Heavens p gasped Jerome, STOP
ping, and trembling from head t
foot.
"Who comes there?" repeated tn
voice.
Jerome heard the click of muske
tock, and he knew that another sentint
had been placed at the post he had lef
The relief had come while he wss al
sent.
"Friend, with the countersign!" he al
swered, to the last call Of the new sci
tinel.
He was ordered to advance, and whe
he had given the countersign, he foun
himself in the presence of the officer {
the guard In few hurried words |
told his story; and, had the officer bee
alone, he might have allowed the matt
TO rest where it was. But there we
others present, and when ordered to gi'
up his musket, he obeyed without mu
,nur, and silently accompanied the ofiic
10 tho nar,p wbare he was mt in irons