The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-06-26
"a COMMON FELLOW.v

Slyle' lue InOWeuL you ReJ ~ make
yourself fast against attack, and Tind
that any man who comes out again to
pick up the wounded, even though 1
should be among them, shall be tried
for disobedience as soon as the battles
ovet." So spoke Col, La5alle to his
French gtenaders just before the final
charge that decided the ba tile of Wag.
ram. Then he waved his sword and
shouted; ZEN ATAN -
Forward swept the grenadiers like a
torrent, with shout which the Aus
trians opposed to them already knew
to their cost, Through binding smoke
and peltng shot they flushed hcadiong
on, with mouths parched, faces burn.
ing, and teeth set like a vice. Ever
and anon a red fash rent the mur.
ky cloud around them, and the cannon
shot came tearing through their ranks,
moving them down like grass. But
not q man hinched, for the same thought
was in every mind, that they were
lighting under the eye of their Little
Corporal" as they afectionately called
the terrible Napoleon.
Suddenly the smoke part ID, and right
in front OF them appeared the dark
muzzles of cannon, and the white uni.
forms of the Austrian soldiers. One
last ehout, which rose high above all
the roar of battle, the bayonets went
gittering over the breastWork like the
spray of breaking wave, and the bat
terry was won.
"Wheres the colonel ?" cried vbice
suddenly.
Thete was no answer The hand
full of men that remained of the doomed
band looked meaningly at each other,
but no one spoke. Strict discipliuarian
as he was, seldom passing a day with.
out Furnishing some one, the old colonel
had nevertheless won his mems hearts
completely by his reckless, daring cour-
age in battlei and every man in the
regimett would gladly have risked his
life to save that of the "old groNler,"
as they called him.
But, if he were not with them, where
was he? Outside the battery the whole
ground was scourged into flying jets of
dust by storm of bullets from the
fight that was still raging on the left.
In such a cross fire it seemed as if moth.
ing living could escape, and if he had
fallen there, there We; but little hone
for him.
II see him." cried tall grenader.
Hes lying out yonder, ,ahd alive, too,
for / saw him wave his hand Just now.
III have him here in five minutes boys,
or be left there beside him."
"But you mustn't dsobey orders, Ou.
bois," said young captain-now the
only surviving officer, so terrible had
been the havoc-hoping by this means
to stop the reckless man from rGshing
upon certain death. "Remember what
the colonel told you--that even If he
were left among the wounded, no one
must go to pick them up"
~ can't help that" answered the
soldier, laying down his musket and
tightening the straps of his cross. belt.
Captain, report Private Dubois for in
subordination and breach of discipline
lin going out to bring in the colonel. !"
And he stepped unhnchingly into
the deadly space beyond.
They saw him approach the spot
where the colonel lay; they saw him
bend over the fallen man, shielding
him from the shot with his own BODY.
Then he was seen to stagger suddenly,
as If from a blow; but the next no.
ment he had the colonel in his arms and
was struggling back over the shot torn
ground, through the dying and the
dead. Twice he stopped short, as if
unable to go farther; but on he came
again, and had just laid his officer gent.
" down inside the battery, when, with
his comrades shout of welcome still
ringing in his ears, he fell fain,iug to
the earth, covered with blood.
BY the next morning Colonel Lasalle
had recovered sufficiently to amaze the
whole regiment by putting under arrest
the man who had saved his life but the
moment 1t was done the colonel mount.
ed his horse, and rode off to headquar.
ters at full gallOp, In about an hour
he was seen coming back again, side
by side with shoIt, square built man
in q gray coat and cooked hat, at sight
of whom the soldier, burst into deaten>
ing cheers, for ho was no other than
the Emperor Napoleon.
"Let me see this fellow" said Ma.
poleon, steinly; aud two grenaders led
ft!ward Pierre Dubois so weak from
his Wounds that he could hardly stand.
as, fellow, thou has dared to dis.
obey orders, ha ?" cried the emperor in
his harShest tones.
81 have, sire. And If it were to be
done again, I'd do it,"
"And what If we weTo to shoot thee
for INSTRUMENTATION ?"
"My life is your Majesty's, now as
always" wered the grenadier bold
ly. "And if must choose between
dying myself and leaving my colonel to
die, the old regiment can better spare
a common fellow like me than a brave
officer like him"
A sudden spasm shook the colonel's
iron face as be listened, and even Ma
poeoh's stern, gray eyes softened rs
fe4 men had ever seen them soften
yet.
"Thou'rt wrong there" said he "fo-
| would not give common fellow Of
thy sort for twenty colonels, were every
one of them as good as my old Lasalle
here, Take this, Sergeant Dubois
and he fastened his own cross of the
Legion of Honor TO Fierre's breast. 81
warrant me thou'lt be colonel thyse!f
one of these days"
And. sure enough, I've years later,
Pierre Dubois was not only a colonel,
but q general.
Haunted NE.
,4r,r1rtY.svt.aft a.t.s. Rabt ,,ngr.rfvs d, 4