The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-02-18

no mistake ABOUT lnlS malJef."
He understands, think" replied
Alexander; "but, as | am to send
private message to him, this fact can as
well be made emphatic"
alt is well, sire; but who is your
messenger"
zone whom l can trust, marshal,
you may be sure" said Alexander,
smiling gravely.
The gray, weather-beaten soldier
bowed and retreated, and the next mo-
ment the Tsar was giving an order to
an aide-de-camp.
"Send me the young Count Vassili
Balonsky."
Vassili appeared with flushed cheeks
and eager eyes.
You are young and strong: you said
you could ride well, and that you
wished to serve the Tsar," said Alex
ander, with rapid, decisive utterance.
"Try me. | would give my life for
you, sirel" cried Vassili.
l trust it will not cost you that"
answered the autocrat of all the Rus
sias. " But it is dangerous mission.
| send you because you are a lad and
will not be suspected and because be-
lieve you faithful. You are to start d.
rectly, ride to Koutouzof's headquar-
tiers, and give into his hands this docu-
ment. Take your own time to return.
That is ALL"
Vassili kissed the hand of the "little
father and backed out of his pres
ence. In five minutes more he was
riding away on his Grand.
Two hundred versts lay between him
and his goal-a desert waste of snow,
haunted by wandering bands of Cos
sacks, who were sometimes as danger
GUS to his own people as were the
French. The wind was in the north
and icy cold; and it looked as if it
might snow. In fact, Vassii had not
ridden thirty miles before the flakes
came down thick and heavy, speedily
obscuring the path he was following.
The darkness descended early, too;
but, nothing daunted, the boy drew
closer around him his pelisse of fur,
and urged his hardy Cossack horse
through the piles of drifting snow.
Hour after hour he kept on his Jour
ney, until, stumbling from very ex-
haustion, his faithful steed stopped in
snowdrift, and refused to 90 any
farther.
Vassili staggered to his feet and
looked around him. He was nearly ex-
hausted, too, and the snow and the
darkness were all around him; but the
gimmer of light at distance gave
him courage. He struggled forward
through the deepening drifts, keeping
that twinklng light in view. All at
once rang forth a sentry's stern chal-
lenge, "Qui va la?' bringing him to an
abrupt halt. His heart almost stood
still at the French interrogation, but it
was too late to retreat. He advanced
boldly, as though this had been his
legitimate errand, and said, " wish to
see your commanding officer"
q" PeSteW muttered the sentinel. "Go
forward, then. But the marshal's abed
long ago."
In a short time, Vassili was stamp
ing and shaking off the snow in the
tent of Marshal Davoust. He had I'M
Willingly fallen upon a French encamp-
ment, but he marveled how he could
have gone so far out of his course. He
had not supposed Frenchman to be
within score of leagues, and here was
a French army between him and the
Russian post he had left.
All was made plain when he was
brought into the presence of Marshal
Davoust, the commander of the de-
tachment. 1t was one of Napoleon
master strokes, one of the daring
schemes of his almost superhuman
military genius. Knowing how closely
he was followed, and how the Russian
generals were playing at fox and geese
with him, he determined to change his
character from goose to fox, and make
a countermarch upon his foes. Ac-
cordingly, Davoust, with fifty thousand
men, was ordered TO march silently,
and swiftly to fall upon the forces of
the Tsar encamped at Polatski. 1t
might be forlorn hope; but, if sue.
cessful, it would serve to brighten off
the jackals that were yelping so closely
at his heels.
Davoust had marched half the dis
lance in that binding storm, leaving
his camp-fres burning to deceive the
Russians; and, with competent guides
he calculated the second day afterwards
to strike his blow. He hailed the adj
vent of Vassili as a godsend.
| "And you know the way to Polatski?"
he asked.
- have been there" answered the
lad. Il think 1 could find the way
again"
Tomorrow you shall show us the
shortest route. Are you a Pole?'
No, am Russian" replied
Vassili; " but there have been traitors
even in Russia"
- understand you," said Davoust,
thinking he read The boy Alright. You
have wrongs to avenge?'
My father fought at Austerlitz."
"That is enough. You need rest
now. l will have you called in the
morning"
Vassili indeed needed rest, but he
could not sleep from the very anxiety
of his position. He had taken the pre-
caution TO swallow piece by piece the
message that he bore from the Tsar, so
he feared nothing on that account; but
he could not act the traitor, and, be-
sides, the Russians must be warned, OF
perhaps, after all, Russia would be
lost Npvar did the little father