, 1885-11-13

cantOntltnt. tsiADllSHtu at IhluA-"tIH
survive and in the neighboring IL
lagos
The cold was intense. A thick suo~
covered the soil.
The admiral had received orders from
Gen Chansy TO hold the position all
the following day and at day reak on
the 18th the & ms were already in posi-
ton and tho men all at their Fosts.
Later in the morning tho admiral in
specte1 the various positions, aud en-
couIagei the soldiers with those ardent
words which he alone, perhaps, knew
how to use. Moreover, the mere sight
OF his calm, austere face is enough to
inspire con dence-the men know his
energy and his admirable GOODNESS.
About 10 o'clock the admiral, fol
lowed by his stat, took his way to the
p~resbytery Of Saint-Jean-sur trvc,
where a frugal breakfast had been pre-
pared for them by W old sailors.
Tho repast was a silent one every
-ody felt weighing upon him the
gravity OF events to come-even the
parish priest. a little frightened by this
Eruption upon his peaceful life, never
uttered n word. Nevertheless IL occur
red 10 him % order an omelette to be
prepared but at the very moment that
he was bringing it in, n long whistling
sound vas heard; and a shell. bursting
in the yard OF the presbytery, blew a
window to atoms, and flung n storm Of
dust and wreck INTO the dining room
The priest lot fall the omelette, and
joined his hands.
40 horse gentlemen" exclaimed the
admiral, with his habitual calm.
While he was in tho act of rising, and
the officers were Luekling on their
sword. tells, a second shell fell near the
spot where the first had exploded.
Monsieur rAmiral, - cried the priest,
fairly beside himself; this is frightful
Iou must not expose your life like
that
Monsieur 10 Cure" replied tho ad-
miral, without moving a muscle, lit is
written in the ninety-irst Psalm of
J avid; "A thousand shall fall at thy
side, aud ten thousand at thy right
hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. -
Instinctively the officers uncovered
their heads while the priest stammered
out.
"Ahl Monsieur lAmiral-it is very
beautiful to have such a faith as y%oursl'
As they left the court of the fresby
terry, to the accompaniment of a ire
mendous fusilade, which broke out on
all sides simultaneously, tho natural
French spirit of merriment once more
obtained the upper hand.
THE admiral did not treat us very
kindly in those remarks of his, oh
served one of the officers.
Another twisted his mustache
thonghtfully. It was Col. Beraud, an
old trooper and retired staff officer,
who had re-entered the service at the
beginning Of the war. He approached
an officer belonging to tho Protestant
faith, who was n Of his personal
friends:
species Of H%uguenot," he said, in
his big. kindly voice, tell me over
again what the admiral said hat time
The Protestant officer repeated tho
words of the psalm
"A thousand shall fall at thy side,
and ten thousand at thy right hand. -
Good growled the old colonel; Il
know what | m going TO do; I'll keep to
the left.
The admiral took up his position
directly in front Of a battery, while the
artillerymen fred directly over his
head. His officers grouped themselves
about him; and the Prussians, at once
remarking the little assembly of twenty
motlonless men, whose tgures were
sharply defined in black against the
dal zling background of white snow, di-
vinei that some French general was
there aud directed their ire accord
ingly.
hells began to rain all around the
little group. The admiral, still motion
less. holding his big marine glasses
to his eyes, watched the movement Of
the troops, and appeared to pay no
attention whatever to the pro
ect!les which kept plunging into the
snow around him with a heavy thud.
The snow broke their fall, and most Of
them did not burst. But in a little
while the officers observed that the
Prussian fire was being steadily cor
rerted, and that the shells began to fall
nearer and nearer to the admiral. in the
most alarming way-althOugh he still
RENAME impassiye.
Afer a brief consultation with the
rest OF the star an orderly approached
the admiral, and said
Admiral, We are prepared to get our.
selves all killed here, II it is necessary
so to do; hut We beg of you not to ex-
pose your life in this way. IL is too
precious you are commanding the six
teenth corps; what would become OF it
if You were to be killed, or ever seri-
ously w%oundedf'
A shell which went whistling by Ad-
miral Jaureguiberry S head at that very
moment doubtless convinced him OF the
truth OF these remarks. for no leisurely
turned his horses head, beckoned to the
officers to follow him, and took up his
post III a depressed pathway, behind the
battery.
Again his officers grouped themselves
about him, and Col. Beraud, either by
chance, or through the habits acquired
by long service. placed himself to the
right Of his chief, writing orders from
dictation.
Admiral Jaureguiberry continued 10
direct and correct the fire Of the guns,
saying from time to time: lone cable
length further, my children - or. Half
a cable length nearer, my children. -
And he continued TO scan with his
glasses the French lines. which held
their position firmly, and who occupied
an immense semi-circle between two
heights The enemy had not yet been
able to make an impression upon the
line.
But in a little while the Prussians dis
covered that the admiral had chosen n
new position and before many minutes
bad passed, shells began once more to
fall around him. lie paid no heei e