Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-10-16

real Widows fre, Is they say, N the
flame OF which they were trying to thaw
some biscuits on tho point snd Of their
hayonets. They rnovedup close to make
room for the children, and gave them a
little coffee and dropof brandy. While
they were drinking an officer called out
to the sergeant from the door, said few
words TO him and hurried off.
The sergeant returned in high glee.
-Boysl" he said, "grog all round to-
night; we have got the password of the
Prussians, and this time l think well
take the Bourget away from them"
There was burst Of applause, and the
men began to dance and to sing, while
some of them polished up their bayonets
Taking advantage of this confusion, the
children escaped. RftH
Beyond the trench they struck the plain,
at the end of which doomed up long
white wall, broken by loopholes. They
made straight for the wall, stopping at
every step to look, as though they were
picking up potatoes. "Let us go home
don't let US go on" young Stenne kept
saying. The other merely shrugged his
shoulders and kept ON advancing. Sud
donly they heard the clicking Of gun
being cooked. .
@Lie down." cried the elder, throwing
himself on the ground.
As he lay there he whistled-and an
other whistle answered over the snow.
They advanced, slowly creeping on all
fours. On level with the ground, and
just before the wall, yellow mustache
appeared under greasy cap. The big
boy jumped into the ditch by the side Of
the Prussians. " A
"That is my brother" he said, pointing
10 his companion. n
The boy Stenne was SO small that the
Prussian began to laugh as he looked at
him, and seized him in his arms to lift
him up to the break in the wall, on the
other side of which rose heavy earthern
embankments, cut tree trunks emf black
holes in the snow, in each of which you
just saw the same greasy cap, and the
same yellow mustache that laughed as
the boys passed.
In one corner stood the gardeners
house, with tree trunks for easements.
The lower floor was full of soldiers play
ing cards, while some were cooking a
stew over large fire. II smelt so good
of cabbage and lard; what a difference
between that and the sharpshooters'
camp? Upstairs the officers were play
ing the piano and uncorking campagne,
and gave joyful cheer as the boys en-
tered. They gave thsir papers and the
men began to give them wine and tc
make them talk. Most of the officers
looked like proud, fierce men, but the big
fellows slang and his caddish, monkey
ish manners seemed to amuse them
vastly. They laughingly repeated the
words after him, taking a curious de-
light in wallowing in the mud which he
brough them from Paris.
Young Stenne would have liked to say
something, too, so as to show them that
he was no fool either; but something en-
barrassed him. A little to one side, and
facing him, sat Prussian older than the
rest, and more serious looking. He was
reading, or pretending to read, for he
never took his eyes off the boy, and there
was something of tenderness and some
thing of reproach in his look, as though
he was thinking of his own son, just
about Stenne's age, and was saying to
himself:
II had rather die than have my boy dc
such thing"
And young Stenne felt as though a
hand was placed upon his heart and kept
it from beating. To prevent this feeling
he began to drink, until soon everything
} around him was turning round. He
J could hear indistinctly how his comrade
was laughing at the national guard and
; at their awkward drill, much to the
amusement of the listeners, or how he imi-
. tated false alarm, the turning out al
T night and the rush for ramparts. After
awhile the big fellow lowered his voice
and the faces of the officers grew more
I serious as they drew nearer. The wretch
, was warning them against the attack Of
, the sharpshooters. This time young
Stenne could not stand it, and suddenly
sobered he cried out, II won't have thai
, now; none of that"
2 But the big fellow only laughed anG
: went on; before he was through all thu
: officers had drawn around him. On,
) of them pointing to the door said to tbs
/ boys:
Get out of herel"
, And they began to talk among them
selves very quickly in German, Thu
!; bigger boy stalked> out proud as a king
and rafting his money. stenaea passed
Q hanging his head and as he passe til,
Prussian whore gaze had embarfassst
}, him, SO, he heard him say, in Q adton,
e of voice; "A pact top; q pact top, this,
n and 1t brought the tears to-his- eyes ~
L Once out in the plain the boys began
/ to run quickly towards home. Thei
n bag was full of potatoes, which tn
g Prussians had given them, and so the.
passed the sharpshooters' trench withou
2 hitch. Here they were getting read,
" for the night attack, Troops kept coming
d in silently and forming behind tn
IS walls. The old sergeant was there, look
ir ing happy and busily placing his men
s. He noticed the children as they passed
RS and smiled at them kindly. How tina
ir smile hurt young Stenne! He was OF
g the point of calling out to them: ~