The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-03-04
A Wiie-Awake Russian Sentry.
BY DAVID KER.

, upon IHcIr uanuS, Cnelr OeSG genera
was Marshal Alexander Suvoroff
whose name is still famous IN Rus
!, STA. Any old soldier you NEE
u there will tell you plenty of stories
i about him, and strange enough sto
: ries too, for he was a very curiou.
kind OF man. In the coolest wealth
er, when even the hardest soldiers
were wrapping themselves up, be
would go about in his shirt sleeves
just as If it were summer; and very
: often he would be up before any
e one else in the camp was astir, and
startle the first officer whom he saw
coming out of his tent by Growing
like rooster as loud as he could,
just as if to say, "You ought to
have been out before" Then, too,
count and general though he was,
dining with the empress herself al
most every week, and going about
the palace as he pleased, he dressed
as plainly as any peasant, and slept
on straw like a common soldier.
Once or twice the palace servants,
seeing this untidy little fellow com
ing up to the grand entrance, took
aim for tramp, and wanted to
} drive him away; but they soon
fouad out that that would not do.
Another of his queer ways was to
try and puzzle any one he met by
asking him all sorts of strange
questions, such as how many stars
there were in the sky, how many
drops OF water in the sea. and so
forth. He did puzzle a good many
people In this way, but once or twice
he got an answer quite as smart as
his questions, and that was just
what he liked,
One day soldier came to him
with dispatch, and Suvoroff, see
ing that he was quite young, sim
ple-looking fellow, thought it would
be good fun to try his hand upon
him.
allow many fish are there in the
sea?" he asked.
"Just exactly as many as have
not been caught yet," answered the
lad promptly.
The General was rather taken
-aback, but he went on, nevertheless:
"If you were in a beseiged town,
without food. how would you sup
ply yourself?'
From the enemy"
'How far is it from here to the
moonY'
Two of your Excellency's forced |
marches"
Suvoroff smiled and looked pleas
ed, for he was very proud of being
able to move his men SO quickly,
and had won many a victory by it.
(Which of your officers do you
like bestp was the next question.
Captain Maslof."
Now this Captain Masloff lap
pened to be very handsome young
fellow, While Suvoroff himself was
frightfully ugly, so he thought he
would catch the soldier in a trap
by asking him, What's the differ
ence between your captain and my
selfY'
"Why," said the soldier, looking
slyly at him, "my captain can't
make me corporal, but your Ex>
cellency has only to say the word"
The General burst into a loud
laugh, and clapping him on the
shoulder, said, "Well, then, do say
The word: you're a corporal from
his day forth, and a right good one
you'll make. II can find another
man as smart as you, I'll make himJ
\ sergeant"
Two or three months after this
adventure, Sevoroff and his army
we're down on the Lower Danube,
watch over the Turks, in
he middle of the hardest winter
hat had been known in that coun-
ry for many a year. But, of course,
being Russians, they didn't mind
hat much, and Suvorof went about
n the snow and in the frost as if
he didn't know what cold was.
Well, one bitter night in the be-
ginning OF January, the old General
vas making the round of the camp,
IS usual, to see that his sentinels
we're all keeping good watch at the
when suddenly he came
Ipon a sentry. who seemed to have
'ot the coolest place OF all, with the !
old wind blowing through him as /
it would cut him In two.
Good evening, BROTHER" said the q
General, speaking as if he were
My common soldier too. !
Good evening"" answered the /
entinel, pretending not to know 3
i'm, although he had recognized 9
ne Generals voice in a moment.
PLENTY of stars out tonight" .
'ent on Suvoroff, looking up at r
he frosty sky. "Can you tell me :
ow many of them there are alto-
etherP
"Just wait bit, and I'll count"
aid the soldier, quite coolly. And
'rthwith he began: "One, two,
lree, four, five, SIX" and so on, as
he were never going TO leave of.
At first Suvoroff was rather
nused at his smartness; but he
ION found the game getting much
% cold to be pleasant for he was
his usual light dress, while the
ntry at least had on good thick
ieZe coat. Keener and keener
ew the bitter night wind, till the
'or old General felt as il he should
yer be warm again. For a while .
bore up msnfully, hoping the 1
ldier would get tired and leave ca
7; but when the man got up to a P slr
ousand, and was still counting ss1
-ay as if he meant to keep it up OF
night, Suverof could stand it 70 -
'ger.
What's your name, my fine fell CO
Vp asked he, as well as his chat "
ing teeth would let him.
-Vasii Basil Pushkin," an NJ
cred the soldier, private in the ~
venth Foot"
Very good" said the Marshal; Ne
won't forget you. Good night"
The next morning Pushkin was =fsl