Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-04-23
The Condemned Sentinel.

thousand French troops mad invested Dant
zic. The city was garrisoned by seventeen
thousand Russian and Prussian soldiers,
aud these, together with twenty or thirty
thousand wellarmed citizens, presented
nearly double the force which could be
brought to the assault. So there was need
of the utmost vigilance on the part Of the
sentinels, for desperate sortie from the
garrison, made unawares, might prove cal
amitous.
At midnight Jerome Dubois was placed
upon one of the most important posts in the
advance line of pickets, IL being upon mar
row strip of land raised above the marshy
flat called the Peninsula Of Nehrung. For
more than an hour he paced his lonesome
beat without hearing anything 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 lis
tened, and presently he called: "Who's
there ?"
The only answer was moaning sound.
He called again, and this time he heard
something like the crying of a child, and
pretty soon an object came toward him out
from the darkness. With quick, emphatic
movement he brought his musket to the
charge, and ordered the intruder TO halt.
"Mercy'' exclaimed childish voice /;
"don't shoot me | am Natalie. Don't you
know me 2"
Heaven |" cried Jerome, elevating the
muzzle of his piece. Is it you, dear child?'
Z" Yes and you are good jerome. o,
you will come and help mamma Come, she
is dyingl'
1t was certainly Natalie, little girl only
eight years old, daughter of Lissette Vail
liant. Lsette was the wife of Pierre Vail
liant, a sergeant in Jerome's own regiment,
and was with the army in the capacity OF
nurse.
"Why, how is this, my child ?" said Je-
rome taking the little one by the arm.
What is it about your mother ?"
90, 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. o, 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
man back to camp with his wife. bnt she
preferred to return alone, feeling sure that
she should meet with no trouble. The way
however, had become dark and uncertain
and she had lost the path and wandered of
TO the edge of the morass, where she had
sunk into the soft mud.
90, good Jerome" cried the little one
seizing the mans hand, "can't you heal
her She will die if you do not come ant
| help her"
At that moment the sentinel fancied HI
| heard the wall of the unfortunate woman
What should he do Lisette, the good
the beautiful, the tender-hearted Lisette
was in mortal danger, and it was in hi
power to save her. 1t was not in his hear
TO withstand the pleadings of the child. HI
could go and rescue the nurse, and return tt
his post without detection. At all event
he could not refuse the childish pleader.
"Give me your hand, Natalie; I'll go will
you"
With cry of joy the child sprang to tn
soldiers side, and, when she had secures
his hand, she hurried him along toward tn
place where she he'd left her mother.
seemed a long distance to Jerome, and ono
he stopped as though he would turn back
He did not fear death, but he feared dishonol
I" Hark !" uttered the child.
The soldier listened, and plainly hear
the voice of the suffering woman calling TO
help. He hesitated no longer. On he ha.
tened through the storm, and found Lisett
sunk to her arm pits in the soft moras
Fortunately a tuft of long grass had bee
within her reach, by which means she ha
held her head above the fatal mud. 1t wa
no easy matter to extricate her from tn
miry pit, as the workman had to be yer
careful himself that he himself did not los
his footing. At length, however, she wa
drawn forth, and jerome led her to his pos
Who comes Meref" cried voice from IL
gloom.
"Heavensl" gasped Jerome, stopping an
trembling from head to foot.
Who comes theres" repeated the voice.
Jerome heard the click of the musket loc
! and he knew that another sentinel had bee
stationed at the post he had left. The reli
had come while he had been absent.
: "Friends with the countersign," he a
swered to the last call of the new sentinel.
He was ordered to advance, and when
: had given the countersign he found himst
in the presence of the officer of the guar
In few hurried words he told his stor
and had the officer been alone he might ha
allowed the matter to rest where it was b
: there were others present, and when order
to give up his musket he obeyed without
murmur, and silently accompanied the ofic
to the camp, where he was put in irons.
: On the following morning Jerome Dub
was brought before court-martial und
: charge of having deserted his post He &C
fessed that he was guilty, and then perm
+ sion was granted him TO tell his own stor,
{, This he did in a few words, but the col
could do nothing but pass sentence of dea
| hpt tho ,nap,hara tbaraOf all airuaI a ne
tion praying that Jerome Dubois might
pardsned, and this petition was sent to
! general of the brigade, and through him
l. the general of the division, by whom it v
4" endorsed and sent up TO the marshal
y Lefebvre was kind and generous to
u soldiers, almost to fault, but he could |
u overlook so grave an error as that which b
!, been committed by Dubois. The ord
y given to the sentinel had been very simI
y and foremost of every necessity was the
=, der forbidding him to leave his post III
u properly relieved. To certain extent
J, safety of the whole army rested upon
u shoulders of each individual sentinel, a
~ especially upon those who at night W
Y posted nearest the lines of the enemy.
u. y. al am sorry,' said the gray-haired
~ warrior, as he folded up the petition q
is handed it back TO the officer who presen
ls it. al am sure the man meant no wro
:, y and yet great wrong was done. He kn
Is Is what he was doing-he ran the risk-he '
Is detected-he has been tried aud condemn
30 He must suffer
They asked Lefebvre if he would see
II, condemned.
IS "No, no" the marshal cried quicl
h "Should | see him and listen 10 one half
~ story, should pardon him, and that m
!, not be done. Let him die, that thousa
ne may be saved"
Ve The time fixed for the execution of
bois was the morning succeeding the
l., of his trial. The result of the interyi
- with Marshal Lefebvre was made known
a him, and he was not at all disappoini
~ ~ He blamed no one, and was only sorry t
y. W. he had not died upon the battlefield.
- al have tried to be good soldier,
said TO his captain. 81 feel that have d.
M | M crime that ahould laava a ata,n ntsan