Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-10

He's alive, comrades! our Pierre alive
after oil"
And beating his drum still, ike q
brave lad. He wanted to have the old
music to the last
'Bnt we must save him, lads, or he'll
freeze to death down there. lie must be
saved"
He shall be. broke in o deep voice
from behind, and tho General himself
was seen standing on the brink Of the
prccipice, throwing off his cloak.
no, no, Generaln cried the grenadiers
with one voice; you must not run such
risk rs that. Let one of us 90 instead :;
your life is worth more than all Of ours
put togetller.'
MY soldiers arc my Children answer
ed Macdonald quietly, and no father
sFndges his own life to save his SON
The soldiers knew BETTER than to
make any more objections. They obeyed
in silence, and tho General was swing
ing in mid-air, down, down, till he van
ished at last into the darkness Of the
! cold, black depth below.
Then every man drew q long breath,
and all eyes were strained to watch for
the first sign Of his appearing, for they
knew well that he would never come
back without the boy, and that the
chance was terribly against him.
Meanwhile, Macdonald, having landed
safely at the foot Of the precipicc, was
looking anxiously around in search of
Pierre but the beating Of the drum had
ceased, aud he had nothing to guide
him.
Plerre' shouted he, at the top of his
voice, where arc you, my boy
Here, GeneralH answered weak
voice, 50 faint that he could barely dis
tinguish it.
And there, sure enough, was the little
fellows curly head, half buried in q
huge mound Of snow, which alone had
saved him from being dashed to pieces
against the rocks as he fell. MacdOn-
aid made for him at once and although
he sank waist deep at every step. reach
ed tho spot at last.
All right now, my brave boy, said
tho General, cbeerily. Put your arms
round my neck aud hold tight; we'll
have you out of this directly
The child tried to obey, but his stiff.
ened fingers had lost all their strength !;
and even when Macdonald himself
clasped the tiny arms about his neck
their hold gave way directly.
What was to be done' A few min.
utes more, and the numbing colds of
that dismal place would make tho re-
scuer rs powerless as him whom he
came to rescue. But General MacdOn-
aid was not tho man to DO 80 easily
beaten. Tearing off his sash aud knot
ting one end Of it to the rope, he bound
himself and Pierre firmly together with
the other, and then gave the signal to
draw up.
And when the two came swinging up
into the daylight once moro, and tho
soldiers saw their pot still alive and un.
hurt, cheer upon cheer rang out, rolling
far back along the line, till tho worry
mountains themselves seemed to be re-
joicing.
We've been under fire and snow to-
gether,' said Macdonald, chatting tho
boys cold hands tenderly, and nothing
shall part us two after this, so long as
we both live
And the General kept his word. Years
later, when the great wars were all over,
there might be seen walking in the gar.
den of quiet country house in the
south Of France STOPPING, whitc-haired
old man, who had once been the famous
Marshal Macdonald !; and he leaned for
support upou the arm Of a tall, black
moustached, soldier like fellow, who
had once been little Pierre, the drum.