The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-10-23
The CordemLol Seutilsl.

HY HENHY CAvFVnI-U.
A cold, stormy night in th- month oi
March, 1907, Marshal Leiebvi-, with
twenty-seyen th0usaui French troops,
had invested DantZic. The city was
garrisOned by seventeen Thousand Rus
sian aud Prussiau soldi, r.. aud these,
together with twenty or thirty thousand
well-armed citizens, presented nearly
double the uumbtr which could be
brought to the assault. 81 there wat
need Of the Utmost vigilance on the part
Of the seutinels, for desperate sortit
from the garrison, made uuaWares
might prove calamitous
At midnight, Jerome Dubois was
placed upon oue nf the nIust important
posts in the advance line of pirkets. il
being upon narrow strip of land sised
above the msTshy fiat ca.lcd the Peuiu-
sula Of Nehrung. For more than an
hour he paced his lonesome beat with
out hearing anything more than the
moaning 81 the wind and the driving OF
the rain. At length, how ever, another
sound broke npon his ear. He stopped
and listened, aud presently he called:
"Who's there ."
The only answer was a moaning
sound.
He called again, and this time he
heard something like the cry of a child,
aud pretty soon an object came toward
him out Of the dai Sness. With n quick
movement he brought his niusket to the
charge, and ordered the intruder 10 halt.
"Mercy !" exclaimed a childish voice;
"don't shoot mel l am Natalie. Don't
you know me %
Heavens % cried Jerome. e'evating
the muzzle Of his gun. is it you, dear
child?"
"Yes; and you are good, Jerome. Oh,
you will come and help mamma! She
is dyingi"
Et was certainly Natalie. a little girl
only eight years old daughter of Lisette
Valiant. Lisette was the wife Of Pierre
NHilliant, q sergeant la Jerome's own
regiment, and was with the army in ca
pacity Of nurse.
"Why, how 10 this, my child ?" said
Jerome. taking the little one by the
arm. "What is II about your mother"
"Oh, good JerOm. you can lear her
now. Hark 90
The sentinel bent his head, but could
hear only the wind aud the rain.
Mamma Is in the dreadful mud {"
said the child, ''aud is dying. She il
not far of. Oh, ] can hear her cry ingi"
BY degrees Jerome gathered from Ma
talie that her father had taken her ont
with him in the morning, aud that in
the evening, when the storm came on,
her mother came after her. The ser
geant had offered % send . mau back 70
camp with his wife; but she preferred
10 return alone, feeling sure ,hat she
should meet with 10 trouble. The way,
however had become dark and uncer-
tain, and she had lost the path and
wandered of 10 the edge Of the morass,
where she had sunk into tie soii mud
"Oh, good Jerome r' cried the little
one, cant you hear her2 She will die
If you do not come and help herI'
AT that moment the sentinel fancied
he heard the wall of the unfortunate
woman. What should he dO7 Lisette,
the good, the beautiful, the tender.
hearted Lisette, was in mortal danger
and IL was in his power 20 save her. II
was not in his heart TO Withstand the
pleadings Of the child. He could go aud
rescue the nurse, aud return to his posi-
without detection. At all events, he
could not refuse the childish pleadcr.
"Give me your hand, Natalie. III
60 with yOu.n
with a cry Of joy the child sprang "a
the soldiers side; and, when she had
secured his hand, she hurried him along
toward the place where she had left hel
mother. It seemed a long distance d
Jerome, and once be stopped a. though
he would turn hack He did not feaI
death, but he feared dishouOr.
"Hark 20 uttered the child.
The soldier listened, and plainly
heard the voice Of the woman calling
for help. He hesiiated no longer. On
he hasiened through the storm, aud
a D IL l.. - A.. II.
soft morass. Fortunately, a tuft Of long
grass had been within her reach, by
which means she had kept her head
above the fatal mud. II WAS no easy
matter 10 eKtricate her from the miry
pit, as the workman had to be very
careful not to lose his footing. Al
length, however, she was drawn forth,
and Jerome led her toward his post
"WhO comes there ?" cried voice
from out the gloom.
Heavens n gasped Jerome, stopping,
and trembling from hesd to foot.
"WhO comes there ?i repeated the
voice.
Jerome heard the click Of a musket.
lock, and he knew that another sentinel
had been stationed at the post he hac
left The relief had come while he wa,
absent
Friends, with the countersign,n n,
answered, TO the last call Of the new
sentinel.
He WAS ordered to advance, and whel
he had given the cOuntersign, he fOuu
himself in the presence OF the officer @
the guard. In few hurried words h
told his story, and, had the officer bee
alone, he might have allowed the mat
ter TO rest where il was but there wer
Others present, and, when ordered {
give Up his musket, he Obeyed withou
n murmur, aud silently accompanie
the officer TO the camp, where he wa
put 10 irons.
On the following morning Jerom
Dubois was brought before a court mai
tlal under charge OF having deserted hi
post. He confessed that he was guilt,
aud then permission wAs given him
tell bis own story. This he did in a fer
words, but the court could do uothin
but pass sentence OF death but th
members thereof all signed Il petitio
praying that Jerome Dubois might t
pardoued, and the petition was sent
the General Of the brigade, and throug
him TO the General Of the division, b
whom il was indorsed, and sent TO Oh
Marshal.
Lefebvre was kind and generous to b
soldiers, but he could not overlook I
grave an error as that which had bee
committed by Dubois. The orders give
10 the sentinel had been very simpl
and foremost Of every necessity was tt
order fOrbidding him to leave his pO
until properly relieved. To a certRi
extent, the safety OF the whole arm
rested upon the shoulders Of each ind