Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-04-03
FEAR.

O'Clock in the morning. the Eighty third
battalion Of the National Guard halted on
the plain which lies between Mont Valerian
and the hill of Buzenval. The men, thor
oughly tired out after a cold, snowy night
and tho morning march over wretched
roads. bent YEARLY under the weight OF
their heavy knapsacks and listened with
bewildered air to the sharp rattle OF
musketry In their front from the heights
of Montratout and la Jonchere 1t had
rained. too. during the night, and the
landscape. which stretched beneath cold,
leaden gray sky, was dreary enough. The
red roofs of tho Fouilleuse farm, which
served for field hospital. tho plain on
which were stationed masses of troops in
reserve. the brown hillsides and the dark
woods above. over which hung heavy
wFeaths of white smoke. A Prussian shell
described its kissing course through the
chill morning air, and burst about hun
dred feet from the battalion. The men
who were under fire for the first time felt
asudden nervousness which betrayed
itself in the instructive trembling of the
shoulders bowed beneath knapsacks and
decided wavering Of the line of bayo.
nets.
'Sacres matinsi keep steadyl" shouted
TIE commander of the battalion, u short,
fst little man, with u huge mustache bris-
Ting like an angry cat and embroidered
pIntaloons hidden in an immense pair OF
bpots. II will break tho head of tho first
man who lodges; the Eighty third must
enter Paris victorious"
THE commander IL right" said Pierre
Manceau to the painter Sorin, his neigh
| Dor in tho ranks. "the Eighty-third will
doubtless enter Paris nominally but the
men who compose 1t. your humble servant
in particular. are they sure Of entering at
ally | never did pretend to bel hero
Pierre Manceau was handsome fellow
Of about 30 tall, robust. with an aquiline
nose and full red lips shaded by a droop
ing blonde mustache. Professor OF phil
osophy in a lyceum. u jovial fellow, opti-
mist by nature, with an undercurrent Of
amiable skepticism, he had entered the
national guard from sense of duty, but
without enthusiasm; and to tell the
truth. under the conviction that 1t did
not amount to much after all, for the
guard would never really be under fire. -
AS he frankly confessed, his was by no
means tho military temperament. Tho
firing now extended along the whole crest
of the hills; the balls ratified holly, and
every now and then came tho tearing
sound of grape shot and the roar Of can
non from Mont Valerian. On the right.
by la Jonchere, the line OF skirmishers
could be seen firing on the edge of the
woods, while on the left ambulances car
, rying the wounded were slowly descend
ing the hill, tho tuttering of the gray
, linen covers ON the backs of the mules in
spired melancholy reflections in the
breasts of the poor devils, who, leaning
, on their muskets, waited their turn tc
, form in line of battle.
Eighty third battalion. forward" cried
the stout little commander, waving his
saber. The battalion moved up awk
wardly enough. aud began slowly to do
scend the slope which led to the wall OF
| the park of BuzenvaL Many a foot
slipped on the thick. wet grass, soaked
by the recent deluge, The men were
; silent They had enough TO do to keel
, their footing in the slippery mud. Only
> every now and then heads would sud
denly dodge as the balls whizzed sharpl,
} over them.
Pierre Manceau had become very seri
GUS, and tightly grasping his muske
thought to himself. I'm in for it thi
time We are going into battle il
earnest, and perhaps | shall never conn
out again, What nonsense to say tina
r only ono out of every ten balls does an,
| iulsNlleis ~ y All tlb Sulllb W ilb IL uH
picked off by the tenth, this is confound
eddy disagreeable.
4, He tried to think of death-of the lif
+; beyond-of the friends he would leav
= behind, but 1t was impossible to colleC
| his ideas. or to fix them upon such sol
emn things, the weight of the heav,
knapsacI, the effort necessary to main
tain his musket in equilibrium, and no
5 to pitch headlong down the muddy slop
= all this forced his mind to rest entirel
ON purely material details. He had no
even time to be afraid, so completely wer
/, his faculties absorbed in tho effort /
. march upright.
! At last the battalion arrived at tn
+ wall of the park There they were com
. manded to halt. Pierre seated himsel
exhausted and out of breath on the turf
and seizing his cauteen swallowed cop
Gus draught of rum then cutting a thic
r wedge of army bread he breakfasted, wit
i an appetite which astonished himself
n Somewhat refreshed by this hurried RI
G past, as well as by the shelter afforded b
# the wall, lie began to examine the nov,
# spectacle before him. Facing him o
# Mont Nnleran battery hurled it's prt
n jectiles in tho direction of Garches.
r little further back group of thre
l. mounted officers were sharply define
}. against the dark sky One of them wa
y gazing intently on the limo of wood
5 where the firing was incessant. Belo'
y on the plain all around the farl
b houses were masses of troops st:
d toned in reserve. From time to tim
q Prussian shells tore through the air an
J. exploded in the midst of the battalion
g beyond the wall "'lis an i'll wind blow
nobody good thought our professor {
philosophy, ''if we had remained on til
plain we would be getting our share {
this Prussian mama. TO be torn
I pieces by shell is worse than being h
by bullet" At the same time he DIRE
g closer to the sheltering wall with a fee
ing of egotistical satisfaction. The win
was blowing sharply, the heavens r
manned leaden gray, and few flakes
n snow were whirled through the air. {
h the road which runs along the angle
u the park ambuances were seen slow
= moving. crossed by mounted courier
= The firing in the park continued, but Il
y detonation seemed always nt the san
distance, evidently the French trool
:, were not advancing. cannon drawn
~ four horses came painfully down Il
~ mountain side, and Manceau heard SITS
u officer call to the gunners;
IF you have only guns OF this calib
you can go back; the ground is too we
he you can do nothing with four horse CO
IL non"
elk At these words Pierre felt guilty thr
&c. of pleasure 80 much the better,
- murmured to himself, 'in two hours
:. will be nightfall; then the fighting mt