The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-12-26
THE FRENCH SENTRY.


The enemy had retreated at last, leav
ing the French masters Of the position
The sergeant had gone away, after plac
ing conscr1pt, Claude Latapie, as sen
Try, on an eminence, under shelter of 8
cottage, which had been half demol.
ished by the grapeshot.
Night was coming on, and in the deep
ening gloom the young soldier looked
half fearfully at the wintry landscape.
Each object was u huge, weird silhou-
cite. which his simple peasant fancy
transformed into fantastic specter,
and he tremblingly recalled the ghostly
legends heard in his childhood, the WON
en- crossing themselves, the men shud-
dering and all drawing nearer the glow
ing hearth, while the wind howled
mournfully. Above him the sky grew
more and more Opaque, not star pierc-
ing its blackness, and the bleak north
wind prolonged the tremulous signs of
the branches, as they softly rustled
against each other.
The sentry clasped his musket firmly
and stood motionless, paralyzed with
vague terror and almost numb with cold
His thoughts were SO busy with the
memory of his home and of days which
seemed, after all his battling and hard
ship, to be long away. that he half for
got his duty of keeping watch.
Suddenly moaning sound arose in the
darkness near him. Startled from his
reverie, Claude shook himself, cooked his
gun and looked about him anxiously.
with eye and ear and every muscle on
the alert, remembering that his com
laaes were asleep and that they TRUSTEE.
70 him to awaken them in case Of danger.
The means continued with q sound Of
stranglng like u death rattle; then a
faint, hOarse cry OF agony arose from the
ruined walls of the house. Claude peered
in at the doorway, struck q match and
saw lying In a corner bn heap OF rub
'hish and held down by the fragments OF
the shattered roof the dark outline Of a
human form.
A bit of candle end CHANGED to be ly-
ing near and Claude lighted this and
srept softly toward the corner; in the
dim light he discovered soldier, one of
the enemy, who had evidently been
struck down by the falling joists, for a
beam lay across his chest. The young
Erenchman uttered an exclamation ex-
pressing fierce hate, and drew his bayo-
net threateningly; the other man looked
ct him with haggard eyes. Claude was
ashamed and drew back; it was indeed
"a enemy. but wounded one, and the
conscript lowered his musket, which
struck the frozen ground with a sharp,
clanking sound.
"Let him die" he muttered: but q
choking voice exclaimed imploringly:
"Drinkf
"Yon want drink? Very likely" re-
tcrted the young trooper, laying his
hand on the canteen. which, before tax
ing his place as sentry, he had filed with
warm coffee, generously seasoned with
brandy. every proper for me to warm
IN enemy's stomach at the expense Of q
Erenchman's!'
he laughed sneeringly. and as if in de-
Gance of the wounded mans entreaty
spened the canteen and put it to his own
Ups. But the first drop seemed to choke
him; after all, this wretched German was
10 fellow mani Claude leaned his gun
against the wall, stopped over the suf-
kerer, lifted off the heavy beam and then,
kneeling down, held the canteen over
The gasping mouth. The other man
raised his hands eagerly to grasp the
treasure.
s.None Of that.r cried Claude: s'put
down Your paws. or not drop shall you
AVE. The creature thinks would be
Willing to drink after his berry hps!'
The wounded man understood. for he
nd lived in France before the war, and
xnade movement as II to turn away
from the look of disgust which accom-
Anied Claude's words, bat his feverish
thirst made him change his mind. he
opened his mouth and the other man
nOnred into 1t n stream OF warm coffee
from the canteen, then, standing up,
1r1seA OF bumper as his own share and
1ushed out of the cabin in sudden terror
"a the thought of having deserted his
That was hard tug" said Claude,
Netween his teeth.
NJ the end Of half al hour, partly fol-
Ae purpose OF learning how the wounded
IVA Wss getting on aud partly 10 shield
Eianaelf from the cutting wind which
ihed his face, the young sentry again
esed The cottage,
The poor German, still tortured with
ms u tched ont his hand for the can,
md oiled with pity, Claude Lata
Z ornot his former repugnance, hur'
& NJ detached the gourd from his bell
hnndsd Il to the sufferer. AZ hi
'1 naf again four armed men stOoi
IN Him. and before he hid time 4
e 6lkrsn he VA diaArnad ana /
Sounds 0l hushed f0otstnpe
81 nlz1t inandihle " ths -
npsoAola and ! hcly Y