Iron County news. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1890-189?, 1891-03-14


escaped them. One he recognized ma
the gay young soldier who had laugh
ed and TESTED at the wine tavern tho,
evening before that sharp and short
encounter with he enemy, whose re-
suits had been so disastrous.
at is you, then, Poupard, is itPr he.
said languidly. 'sAre you hurtpr
"Should / be here elsePn grunted
the other ungraciouslv. Devil take,
those brutes, they have crushed every
bone in my body, veryily believe.n
.'How wasitr Pierre asked lanpuid-
ly.
at was one Of their horses; the.
hoofs struck me down. Twas dragged
out from under the animal afterward.
SO they say. A shot had killed him.
and he fell on me. Dame! why did he
not kill me outright 'Twould be,
better than to be MANNED for life, az I
assuredly shall be now"
Pierre sighed YEARLY. Perhaps he.
thought there were worse things to
endure even than to be manned for
life.
care they taking us to their own
cursed country, think youp" demanded
Poupard presently.
IL cannot say. do not even re-
member how long l have been here.
1t seems an age since that skirmish."
'Tis but day and night; and.
by the way, that reminds me how
came II you were so late in giving
in the alarmp Our captain is.
furious He blames the whole disas-
ter to you"
Pierre's face flushed deeply beneath
its pallor Of pain.
"Is that truep" he said. fiercely.
''Mon Dieu! Yes. Have you ever
known me lieP"
al gave the warning instantly.
They seem 10 have stolen up like
shadows. / cannot tell how they
came so suddenly and quickly"
'Ihey are In league with the fiend
himself, believe" growled the other,
ferociously. "Will their luck never
endp"
at seems not.r
''And we SO near Paris" continued
Poupard discontentedly, "but days
march, and they will be looking out
for us. Helm! but 1t is hard"
1.-The fortune OF war;" murmured
Pierre. "Our turn may come yet"
There Is chance of escape, per-
haps," whispered Poupard, restlessly;
''they are all so sure, it might be easy
to surprise them one night. Where
are the othersP"
III do not know. Hush, here comes
trooper"
''Lay your plans more cautiously,
messiears," said voice beside them,
the voice OF the Uhlan whose approach
they had noticed; 1--WE understand
French as well 40 you here"
CONSERVATION depicted itself on
Poupard's face. From that time
he lay silently on the straw, med
itating his plans in his own mind
and more convinced than ever that his
foes were in league with the powers of
darkness, since actions, movements
and language were alike known to
them. He wondered il his thoughts
ever escaped that secret espionage.
As days passed on, however, the
wild plans OF escape which he had
formed grew more apparently hope
less. Food was scanty, his wounds
and bruises tormented him more and
more. The way was long and the
weather terrible. Hardships and
privations weakened his frame and
dampened his ardor. He was sepa-
rated from his companions after those
rash overheard words, and in silence
and solitude he suffered now, till cour-
age forsook and misery crushed him..
81 shall die soon," he said to him
self, and his words seemed as II thew
were to be speedily verified
He and Pierre Leroux were in the
hospital ward together small
enough place, extemporized from
sheer necessity, as many OF the SOL
diers were too Frustrated by hunger.
and fever, and wounds, to proceed any
further.
Gentle-voiced women, some highly
born and delicately nurtured, fitted to
and fro in those dreary wards-minis-
tering angels to the poor broken
hearted sufferers, who they tended
with untiring patience.
One morning one OF the sisterhood
came quietly up to Pierre's side as he,
lay weak and feverish on his narrow
bed. "Your friend died last night
she said, gently. "He babe me give
you this letter, with the request that
II ever opportunity offers you will give
1t to his mother. He was from your
own part OF Normandy, believe"
Pierre took the letter from her hand
In silence, then turned his face to the
wall and sighed.
s.E,,os. L.