Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-01
4 Disobedient Soldier.

|
member the Emperor himself is watch
ing you, and carry it in true French
style. The moment you get into it make
yourselves fast against attack; and mind
that any man who comes out again to
pick up the wounded, even though I my
self should be among them, shall be
tried for disobedience as soon as the bat
ties over"
So spoke Col. Lasalle to his French
grenadiers just before the final charge
that decided the battle of Wagram.
Then he waved his sword, and shouted,
"Eia avaat %
Forward swept the grenadiers like a
torrent, with the shout which the Aus
TRANS opposed to them already knew to
their cost. Through binding smoke
and pelting shot they rushed headlong
on, with mouths parched, faces burned,
and teeth set like wise. Ever and anon
a red fash rent the murky cloud around
them, and the cannon-shot came tearing
through their ranks, moving them down
like grass. But not man finched, for
the same thought was in every mind,
that they were fighting under the eye of
their "Little Corporal, as they afec-
tionately called the terrible Napoleon.
Suddenly the smoke parted, and right
in front of them appeared the dark
muzzles of cannon and the white uni
forms of Austrian soldiers One last
shout, which rose high above all the
roar of the battle, the bayonets went
glittering over the breastwork like the
spray of breaking wave, and the bat
| tie was won.
"Where's the Colonel ?" cried voice,
suddenly.
There was no answer. The handful
of men who remained of the doomed
band looked meaningly at each other,
but no one spoke. Strict disciplinarian
as he was, seldom passing day without
furnishing some one, the old Colonel had
nevertheless won his mems hearts COM
pletely by his reckless courage in battle ;
and every man in the regiment would
gladly have risked his life to save that
of "the old growler," 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 cross-fire it seemed as if nothing
living could escape, and, if he had fallen
there, there was but little hope for him.
ct see him p cried tall grenadier.
"He's lying out yonder, and alive, too,
for saw him wave his hand just now.
I'll have him here in five minutes, boys,
or be left there beside him.
"But you mustn't disobey orders, Du-
bois,' said young Captain Now the
Oldest surviving officer, so terrible had
been the havoc, hoping by this means
to stop the reckless man from rushing
upon certain death. Remember what
the Colonel told you-that, even if he
were left among the wounded, no one
must go out to pick them up"
"I can't help that" answered the
soldier. laying down his musket and
Tightening the straps Of his cross-belts.
Captain, report Private Dubois for
INSTRUMENTATION and breach of discip-
line. I'm going out to bring in the
Colonel
And he stepped forth unfinchingly
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
blow; but the next moment he had
the Colonel in his arms, and was strug-
Cling back over the shot-torn ground,
through the dying and the dead. Twice
he stopped short, as if unable to go far
Their; but on he came again, and had
just laid his officer gently down inside
the battery, when, with his comrades
shout of welcome still ringing in his
ears, he fell fainting to the earth, COW
cred with blood.
By the next morning Col. Lasalle had
recovered sufficiently to amaze the whole
regiment by putting under arrest the
man who had saved his life !; but, the
moment it was done, the Colonel mount
ed his horse and rode off to headquar-
tiers at full gallop. In about an hour
he was seen coming back again, side by
side with short, square-built man in a
gray coat and cooked hat, at sight of
whom the soldiers burst into deafening
cheers, for he was no other than the
Emperor Napoleon.
"Let me see this fellow" said Napo-
leon, sternly; and two grenadiers led
forward Pierre Dubois, so weak from his
wounds that he could hardly stand.
$50, fellow, thou hast dared to DISC
hey orders, ha ?" cried the Emperor, in