Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-04-19
The Condemned Sentinel.

thousand RUSSIAN anu PruSSlan sol
diers, and these, together with twent
Or thousand we'll armed citizens, pre-
sented nearly double the force whic1
could be brought to the assault. s.
there was need Of the utmost vigilanc'
on the part of the Sentinels, for DIES
perate sortie from the garrison, mad,
4 unawares, might prove calamitous.
At midnight, Jerome Dubois wa,
placed upon one Of the most impor.
tant posts in the advance line of pick.
cts, it being narrow strip Of land
raised above the marshy fat, 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, how
ever, another sound broke upon his
ear. He stopped and listened, and
presently he called: "Who's there ?"
The only answer was q moaning
sound.
He called again, and this time he
heard something like the CRY Of q
child, and pretty soon came an object
toward him from the darkness. With
Il quick, emphatic movement he
brought his musket to the charge, and
ordered the intruder to halt.
"Mercy"e exclaimed childish voice;
"don't shoot me! Lam Natalie. Don't
You know me 7"
"Heavens" cried jerome, eleyat-
ing the muzzle of his piece. "Is it
you, dear child p
ayes, and you are good Jerome. 0,
you will come and help mamma!
Come, she is dying~
It was certainly Natalie, a little
girl only eight years old, daughter of
Lizctte Valiant, Il sergeant in Je-
romc'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 her
now. Harkw
The sentinel bent his ear, but could
only hear the wind the rain.
"Mamma is in the dreadful mud"
said the child, "and is dying. She is
not far away. 0, can hear her cry
ing"
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 Il
man back to the camp with his wife,
but she preferred to return alone, feel
ing sure that she would meet with no
trouble. The way, however, had be-
come dark and uncertain, and she had ,
lost the path, and wandered off to the
pdge of the morass, where she had
sunk in the soft mud.
ooh, good Jerome" cried the little ,
one, selling the mans hand, "can't ;
you hear her? She will die if you q
10 not come to her"' .
At that moment the sentinel fancied i
re heard the wall of the unfortunate h
woman. What should he do9 Liz +
'tte, the good, the beautiful, the ten !,
ler-hearted Lizette was in mortal dan II
yer, and it was in his power to save h
Ter. 1t was in his heart to withstand q
he plcadings of the child. He could
% and rescue the nurse, and return +,
0 his post without detection. At all q
vents, he could not refuse the child &,
81 pleader. Z,
"Give me your hand, Natalie, I'll
o with YOU" n
With cry of joy the child sprang 8,
D the soldiers side, and when she h.
ad secured his hand, she hurried him nj
long toward the place where she had h,
1T her mother. 1t seemed q. long n
istance to Jerome, and once he stop to
ed as though he would turn back. q
lie did not fear death, but he feared NJ
"Hark" uttered the child. 9,
The soldier listened, and plainly
card the voice of the suffering wo- ho
an calling for help. He hesitatcd 10
longer. On he fastened through 10
e storm, and found Lizette sunk to III
II armpits In the soft morass. For
nately tuft of long grass had been W,
thin her reach, by which means she f.,
id held her head above the fatal ho
ud. 1t was no easy matter to ex- n,
lcate her from the miry pit, as the III,
orkman had to be very careful that in
himself did not lose his footing.
length, however, she was drawn wi;
rth, and Jerome led her toward his 49,
st.
" Who comes there ~ cried Il voice 49,.
III the gloom. ~,
''Heavens" gasped Jerome, stop III;
~ and trembling from head to foot