The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-01-19

what village is punished, if only an ex-
ample is made. Do your duty and re-
turn Immediately"
"Choose your men!" said the officer,
looking very stern, to hide his emotion.
The young student, falling on his
knees, once more made an appeal: 81
don't kneel to you," said he, "but
will. pray to God to prevent your soil
ing your conscience with such q cruel
massacre"
His cool determination and courage
quite overcame the lieutenant Beckon-
ing to the student, he whispered to him
81 am about to save you by strategem.
Choose ten of your coolest hands, and
range them in line before me. 1 will
then order my men to shoot them
through the head When I say 'Fire!'
the ten men must fall fiat on the ground
the soldiers will shoot over their heads,
and none of them will be hurt. 1 shall
then order my men off the ground,
whence none of your people must stir
till we are fairly out of sight"
The decision was at once communi-
Gated to the villagers, and, after much
persuasion on the part of the pastor s
son, nine others stood up with him. The
men perfectly understanding the officer,
he now commanded them to fire. In the
moment between his words and the peal
of the muskets, the ten villagers sank to
the ground, and without losing a second,
the officer cried: Fright about, march,"
When the measured tread of the retir-
ing soldiers resounded through the silent
village street, and the women ventured
to look up, ten men lying motionless, and
to all appearance lifeless, met their
view. With cries of alarm they rushed
forward to see what had happened; and,
before their weeping was exchanged for
Joy, the last soldier had disappeared in
the adjacent wood.
What these two men had done was not
to lose its reward. In 1856 three of the
ten men above mentioned still surviving
in Waldorf, jubilee celebration of the
great deliverance was proposed, and DIR.
Grossmann of Leipzig-the pastors son,
the young man whose self-possession had
prevented the great calamity, and who
had now attained great honor and intiu-
ence-was invited to take leading
part in the festive proceedings.
After solemn religious service,
he repaired to the spot where,
fifty years before, he had faced the
French execution-party,a and here related
to the children, and children's children
of those whom he had saved, the forego-
ing story. In his address, DIR. Gross
mann did not fail to make honorable
mention of the officer to whose humane
device they owed their deliverance.
"Even his NAME" said he, sis unknown
to me, and never have 1 heard more of
him, though I have often remembered
him in prayer. It would cheer my last
days, could once more see him and
thank him"
That very year, there resided at Lyons,
an invalid veteran officer of the army of
Napoleon l, who, after changeful life,
found himself in old age forgotten lonely
and poor One afternoon in November,
1856, he went as usual to his cafe, and
took up the newspaper which came first
to hand. This CHANGED to be the Augs-
burg Gazette, which, as he had passed
several years in Germany, he was able to
understand very we'll. His atten-
ton was attracted by letter
from Jena, with an account of the
Waldorf Jubilee. "Davoustr' he cried.
"Waidorf - Ten mem" The parsons
SUI. Dlu L uICdLu All tulS, VI iCuiiy oSO
it happen?" So the pastors son still
lived-still rememb ered, with grateful
heart, the preserver of his native village.
Not for years had so brigbta ray cheered
the heart of the old soldier.
The same night, he wrote to DR.. Gross
mann of Leipzig. The soldiers letter,
thankfully received as an answer to
prayer, frightened the last days of the
excellent divine, who did Eot let so well
come a communication remain unre-
sponded to. The affair becoming public,
Captain Lamotte's merit was officially
recognized--the King of Saxony and the
Duke of Sake Weimar both sending him
the Orders of their respective Houses;
while the Emperor Napoleon conferred
on him the Cross.of the Legion of Honor
and pension BETTING his position and
services. And q translation of DR..
Grossmsnn's narrative appearing in GER
tain French journals, SO attracted atten-
ton to Lamotte as q man and an officer,
that even without his well-earned decor
alton, and his sovereign's substantial re-
ward, be would have been known and
honored everywhere he went. [-Harper's
Young People.