The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-08-07

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which pierced the fog and seemed to
Now and again they would see u senti-
mel and officers who were looking far of
through their field-glasses, ana their
small tents, wet with snow, which was
melting before dying fires. The large
fellow knew the way, and would take
short cuts over the fields in order to es
cape the outposts. But suddenly they
came upon a large body of sharpshooters
too late to escape them. They were in
their little cabins, hidden in ditch hall
full of water, and encamped along the
scissors railway. This time, though
the large fellow recommended his tear
tul story, they would not let him pass.
AS he was lamenting. an old sergeant,
white and wrinkled, and who looked
like old Father Stenne, came out of the
post guards cabin.
well, little ones, don't cry any
morer' said he to the children, 1--WE will
| let you go after your potatoes, but before
you leave, come in and warm yourselves
little. He looks frozen that
small boy there!"
Alas! 1t was not with cold that little
Stenne trembled; it was from fear, from
shame. In the post-house they
found some soldiers gathered round q
small fire, a real widows fire, by whose
blaze they were thawing their biscuits
on the end of their bayonets. They
crowded close together so as to make
room Tor the children. They gave them
a drop of wine and little coffee.
While they were drinking, an officer
came to the door, called the sergeant,
spoke to him in low voice, and then
quickly went away. "Boys?" said the
n,,+ hn ho
"there will be tobacco tonight.
We have found out the Prussans' pass
word. / think this time we will take
back from them that Bourget."
Then there followed an explosion of
braves and laughter. They danced and
sang and swung their sabers in the air.
Proiiting by the tumult, the children
disappeared. Having passed the breast
work nothing remained to be crossed but
the plain, at the end of which was
long white wall filled with loop-holes.
They directed their steps toward this,
stopping every now and then and max
ing believe to look for potatoes. LET
us return; don't 60 any further" little
Stenne said all the while. but the large
one only shrugged his shoulders and
went on. Suddenly they heard the
click of Il gun being aimed at them. "Lie
himself on the ground When he was
down. he whisted and another
whistle answered him over the snow,
and they went on, climbing on their
hands and knees. In front of the wall,
and even with the ground, two yellow
mustaches under greasy caps appeared,
and the large boy leaped into the ditch
beside the Prussians. "That is my
brother" said he, pointing to his COM
panion. He was so small-little Stenne
that on seeing him the Prussians began
to laugh, and one of them was obliged
To take him in his arms in order to lift
him over the breach.
On the other side of the wall wore
large hreastworks, fallen trees and black
holes in the snow, and in each one of
these was the same yellow mustache
and greasy cap, and there was great
laughing us the soldiers saw the children
pass by.
In Il corner was gardeners house,
cascmated with the trunks of trees, the
lower part of which was full of soldiers,
who were playing cards and making
soup over clear, bright fire. How
good the cabbages and the bacon smelt,
and what difference to the sharp
shooters bivouac! Up stairs were the
officers, and they heard them playing
on the piano and opening champagne
bottles. When the Parisians entered the
room hurrah of JOY greeted them.
they gave up their newspapers, and the
officers gave them something to drink
and made them talk. They all had a
proud, hard look, but the large boy
amused them with his Partisan gayety
and his gamin slang. They laughed and
repeated his words after him, and seemed
= in ,a Do CT
mud he brought them.
Little Stenne, too, would have liked
to have talked and to have proved that
he was not stupid, but something en-
barrassed him. Opposite to him, sit
more serious than the others, who was
reading, or rather seeming to read, for
he never took his eyes off little Stenne,
and there was in his glance both tender
ness and reproach, as though this man
might have had child of little Stenne's
age at home, and as if he were saying to
himself: Il would rather die than see
my son doing such thing" and as he
looked at little Stenne the boy felt as if
u hand was clutching at his heart and
keeping it from beating. To escape the
anguish he began to drink, and soon
everything turned around him. He
heard vaguely, amid loud laughs, his
comrade making fun of the National
Guards. of their way of going through
their drill, he initiated an assault of
arms in the Marais, and surprise at
night on the ramparts. Then the large
boy lowered his voice, the officers ap-
preached nearer to him and their faces
grew more solemn. The miserable fcl-
low was telling them about that nights
premeditated attack, of which the sharp
shooters had spoken. Then little Stenne
rose, furious and completely sobered:
Don't tell that fellow, l won't have
YOU"
But the other only laughed and con-
tinued; but before he had finished the
officers were all on their feet, and one
of them, showing the door to the chill
drcn, told them to "Begonem and they
began to talk hurriedly together in Ger
man. The large boy left the room as
proud as a doge, clinking his money.
Little Stenne followed him, holding
down his head. and as he was passing
the .Prussian whose look had so dis
turbed him:
mot nice that, not NICE" and the
tears came into his eyes.
Once more.in the plain the children
began to run and return toward Paris
quickly. Their sacks were filled with
potatoes which the Prussians had given
them, and with these they passed the
sharpshooters' encampment without any
trou ,le. They were preparing for the
niglj attack. Troops were arriving
silently, and were massed behind the