Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-06-26
THE SENTRY.

position. Inc sergeant had gone
away. after placing IA conscript Claude
Latapie. AZ sentry. on an eminence
under shelter OF cottage. which had
been half demolished by grape-shot.
Night was coming on, and in the
deepening gloom the young soldier
looked half fearfully at tho wintry
Landscapes; each object was huge,
weird silhouette, which his simple
peasant fancy transformed into fam
tastic specter and he tremblingly re-
calling the ghostly legends heard of in
his childhood, the women crossing
themselves. the men shuddering and
all drawing nearer the glowing hearth,
while the wind howled mournfully.
The sentry claspeo his musket firm
ly. 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 bat
Ting and hardships, to be long passed
away, that he half forgot his duty of
keeping watch.
Suddenly n moaning sound rose in
the darkness near him. Startled from
his reverie, Claude shook himself,
cooked his gun and peered about him
aExiously, with eye and ear, and every
muscle on the alert remembering that
his comrades were asleep and that
they trusted him to awaken them in
case Of danger. The means continued
with a sound OF strangliug like "a
death-rattle, then faint, hoarse cry
of agony arose from the ruined walls
of the house. Claude peered in at the
doorwav, struck a match. and saw
lying in corner of rubbish, and held
down by fragments Of the shattered
roof the dark outline of human form.
A bit of candle. end CHANGED TO be lying
near and Claude lighted this and crept
softly toward the corner; in tho dim
light he discovered a soldier. one of
the enemy, who had evidently been
struck down by the falling joists, for a
beam lay across his chest.
LET him die" he muttered; but a
choking voice exclaimed imploringly:
Drink
You want drink? Very likely"
retorted the young trooper, laying his
hand on the canteen which. before his
place as sentry. he had filed with
warm coffee, generously seasoned with
brandy. Very proper for me to warm
an enemy's stomach at the expense of
a Frenchman's"
He laughed sneeringly and as if in
defiance of the wounded mans entreaty,
opened the canteen and put it TO his
own lips. But the first drop seemed to
choke him; after all, this wretched
German was a fellow-man! Claude
leaned his gun against the wall stopped
over the sufferer 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.
None OF that" cried Claude, put
down your paws or not a drop shall
you have. The creature thinks would
be willing TO drink after his beery
lipsr'
The wounded man understood, for
he had lived in France before the war,
and made a movement as il to turn
away from the look of disgust which
accompanied Claude's words but his
feverish thirst made him change his
mind. He opened his mouth, and the
other man poured into it stream of
warm coffee from the canteen. then.
standing up. tossed off a bumper as his
own share, and rushed out Of the cabin
in sudden terror at the thought OF hav-
ing deserted his post.
That was hard tug" said Claude.
between his teeth.
At the end Of half an hour. partly
for the purpose of learning how the
wounded man was getting on. and
partly TO shield himself from the cut
ting wind which dashed his face, the
young sentry again entered the cottage.
The young German, still tortured
with fever. stretched out his hand for
the can:een, and filled with pity.
Claude Latapie forgot his former re-
pungnance, hurriedly detached the
gourd from his belt and handed il TO
the sufferer. As he went out again
four armed men stood before him, and
before he had time TO give the alarm
he was disarmed and prisoner.
Sounds OF hushed footsteps. rendered
almost inaudible by the deep snow,
now approached, and body of men
came 10 a halt. Their captain. "a Ba-
varian, ordered the prisoner into the
house and questioned him in French,
but Claude made no reply.
Answer me, rascal, said the officer.
after a pause, cor your lips will be
opened by "A bayonet through your
body. Where is the main guard sta
tioned?" The young soldier was 81
lent.
Here, men, spike this pig-headed
fellow" But an imploring voice ex-
claimed:
Stop" In surprise the captain
turned round, saw the man lying in
the corner recognized him as one of
his own company who had been left
for dead, and learned how compassion-