The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-15

The firing In the park continued. but tho
defamation seemed always at the same
distance. evidently the French troops
were not advancing. a cannon drawn By
four horses came painfully down tho
mountain side, and Manceau heard staff
officer call to the gunners
IF you have only guns Of this caliber
vou can 60 back; tho ground is too wet !;
You can do nothing with four horse can.
non"
At these words Pierre felt guilty thrill
OF pleasure. $50 much the better" he
murmurcd TO himself lin two hours it
VIII be nightfall; then the fighting must
cease, and perhaps, after all, our battalion
may not To engaged While consoling
himself with these very unheroic reflec-
tions he saw the same staff officer sud.
denly ride toward the commander Of the
Eighty third, with whom he exchanged
few hurried words.
Immediately the latter, drawing his
saber, cried Stand up Dress ranks
we are going to make q dash for the
woods"
Pierre rose, with a strange tightening
in his throat. While the column was
forming he slung his knapsack across his
shoulders and mechanically gazed at the
officer, who from the height of his saddle
gave few brief directions 10 the com.
msnder. He was captain Of the Garde
Mobile, fine. handsome young fellow Of
%, with bronzed complexion, pointed
mustache and an air of distinction His
military toilet was irreproachable. from
the closely buttoned gray overcoat, with
its SLOWLY braided sleeve, TO the slender
gloved hand which caressed his horses
neck. Its all very well for you, you
military coxcomb," growled Pierre be.
tween his teeth. tits the same TO you.
my fine fellow, whether our heads are
shot of or not, while you caper about on
that horse of yours like a fly on a
coach wheel. | wish you were at the
devill' The young captain put spurs to
his horse and galloped off into the park
through breach which dynamite had
made in tho wall. The battalion were to
follow through the same opening. ST.
lently, four by four, the Eighty-third
marched along a sandy path toward the
woods At the end OF a hundred PAGES.
where the road divided, a shower Of bull
let's suddenly scattered the twigs in every
direction. 1t sounded like a whirlwind
Of gnats on summer evening. This sud.
den and disagreeable music sent panic
through the ranks of the novces in war
who scampered through the woods like a
flock of terrified sparrows. lnsiinctivcly
Pierre Manceau followed the rest. I'm
PEELED by blind fear lie ran straight ahead
1t seemed TO him that the firing came from
il l.. a La H.
balls whistled. cutting off branches Of
trees and tearing of pieces of bark. He
saw them 'rccocher" and bury themselves
in the soil before him, raising little clouds
of sand lie was conscious Of rapid alter
nations of shivering and burning. The
incessaut hail Of bullets deafened and
stupcled him. He bounded from tree TO
tree, no longer feeling the weight of his
knapsack and musket.
He presently found himself alone in the
wood, and continued TO walk on, trembling
violently at the rustling Of the leaves
under lis feet, and having but one idea
10 find some opening through which TO
escape from this cursed park.
lie reached a winding path bordered
with green trees, and followed it blindly,
when he suddenly stood still, shaking
from head TO foot. as if struck by an cleo
trio shock. Before him. right across the
road. lay the body of "a garde mobile. his
head thrown back on Il heap of dried
leaves His face was Of a marble pallor;
his lips, half parted under brown
mustachc, we've violet hucd, and from
them trckled q tiny stream of blood
staining the Wilderness Of the freshly
shavcn chin.
lie was an officer, and on examining him
more closely Pierre recognized the cap
tain. who half an hour ago had ordered
his battalion to enter tho woods. Yes, II
was indeed the same face, with its arst0-
cratic lines. the same fine pointed mus
tache, the same faultlessly gloved hands
which had so cxaspcrated our professor Of
philosophy. The gray oyercoat had been
torn open violently and in haste across the
breast showing the blood stained gar
ments beneath. Whilst he was galloping
through the woods doubtless a shell had
struck him full in the breast, had hurled
him from his horse. who had taken flight
Manceau knelt b. his side and slipped his
hand under the blood stained uniform to
feel If tho heart still beat
He shuddcrcd at the chill which struck
him as his hand toucheds the marble
breast That brave young life was in
deed ended. As he drow his hand away
his fingers were entangled in light chain.
to which was attached n medallion. He
opened the golden circle On one side
was a curl of golden hair on the other
the lovely face of young girl. whose
beautiful eyes seemed to smile back at
him as he gazed "Ah, this was his
sweetheart, sighed Pierre as he rever
emily replaced the medallion on the life
less heart. For several minutes he stood
mournfully by this dead man, but half an
hour ago so full of life and ardor now
already stiff and chill. 1t was the first
time in his life that he bad ever stood 10y
dead body, and he looked ON it with
mingled compassion and shame.
"He died fulfilling his duty, he said
bitterly to himself. nevertheless he was
Younger than |, perhaps he chung to life
even moro fondly, for there is somewhere
one beloved woman who at this very mo-
ment is Watching for news of him, her
heart torn by suspense and anguish while
!, who have neither wife, sister nor sweet
heart to mourn my death, whose only
mistress is my cold philosophy, | have
feared 10 brave death fled ignomini