Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-06-30

"On the contrary, SIRE" replies
Gabriel, calmly, al was considerin,
at that moment how best to ODE,
them so that your majesty Nigh
have no reason to complain"
"Did | not tell you to return Il
your own regiment and get killed 2
asked the emperor.
Il have obeyed you majesty. Col
, Onel Lenoir asked me to go on his
staff and / refused in obedience Il
orders, sire"
The emperor shrugged his shoul-
ders.
"Well, see that you obey them to
morrow. | expect you to lead the
regiment.
''That is impossible, sire, while
Lieutenant-colonel Solage remains
my superior"
The emperor smiled.
True. [ had forgotten the de-
tails. Well, get killed as quick as
you can.'
He was turning away after this
cynical speech when he seemed to
remember something and asked ab.
ruptIy:
"Ah, by-the-by, where did you
say your wife was, major?"
''In safety, sire. That was all l
said"
Then Gabriel saluted and went
away TO his quarters, the emperor
looking after him with Slight
smile, and muttering:
"He has stuff in him, that Young
uan."
The night passed quietly, and
Gabriel was lying, wrapped in his
cloak before his horses head, half
awake in the early hours of the
morning when his ear became
aware that the ground was trem-
RAng as if distant thunder were
gr8Wling.
Raising his head to listen he found
that the men, as they lay in lines
before the horses, were waking up
and listening too.
Presently several officers rode by
and one of them said to Solage:
1.-The ball will open at sunrise.
The enemy are trying to turn our
fianks."
Gabriel, as they passed on, noted
the cooked hats of officers of the
general staff, and longed to under
stand what was going on, but did
not ask any questions.
Presently there was murmur
in the whole army and he heard the
grenadiers getting under arms.
Then up trOtted an orderly who
said:
1.-The brigade generals compli-
ments, colonel. You will mount
your men and move down behind
Marshal Soult's corps"
Then came the subdued hustle of
mounting and the dark column of
the Deaths Heads moved out of its
blvOuac at walk, tho men still
shrOuded ia their long cloaks.
''The battle is about to begin,"
thought our hero; but he was
wrong, for the regiment had to dis
mount and wait weary length of
time by the marshy borders of Il
little stream before the sun rose.
And all this time the rumble and
rattle of the enemy'S artillery could |
be heard moving off to the left,
though the fog was so thick nothing
could be seen.
Presently out of the fog on some |
low ground to the right they began
to hear the rattle and roar of volleyS |
with the heavy, swapping reports of
brass cannon; but still no Orde came |
to the Deaths Heads to move.
At last shaft of yellow light |
pierced the fog and they saw the |
sun rising, when as if by magic the |
the vapors grew thinner and dis
persed, bringing into view the whole
battlefield.
Then, for the first time, Gabriel
saw what had been done and what |
was to be done.
Before him and the cavalry was
a dense array of infantry soldiers
Soult's cOrps-at the borders of a
little stream, and on the other side
of the stream rose IA steep hill crown
ed with village and church spire,
but bare of defenders, while the
glitterIng column of the Russian ar
my were describing wide circle to
the French left wing sew
eral miles off.
He turned round in his saddle to
look to the rear and saw that they
were in front of a little hill on the
summit of which the emperor HIM
self, on Il white horse, and surround
ed by a glittering staff, was pointing
to the Russians and giving orders.
As the last speck of mist broke
up, so did the group of officers, and
went galloping off in all directions.
One of them, stout man with
Hebrew face-Marshal Soult-came
tearing by the cuirassiers at full
speed and in few moments more
the bugles sounded, the infantry
moved forward to take the heights of
Pratzen and the battle of AusterlitZ
had begun.
Thirty minutes later cannon were
all round the nights OF Prat-
zen, the Deaths Head Cuirassiers
we're detiling past the village church
)ut the French were in full posses :
ZION of the key of the battlefield,
firing "A shot.