The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1892-08-05

with you too near. But how the
deuce happens it that you are alone
here far from the ambulances?"
attempted to explain what had
occurred.
II understands understand" he
replied. "The company has followed
its course without regarding those
who have been left behind. It is the
same with mine,, which drawn to the
left wing, was set on by a regiment
of cavalry and swept so far away that
l was not able to regain the detach-
ment."
'Where is the flghting?"
don't know. When I found my
self alone and night approaching, I
thought of seeking nook in which
to rest till morning. Only expected
to fall into a better place than this.
There does not seem to be much lux
ury of furniture here-the planks
for feather bed and the walls for
covering. You have found your couch
a little military"
l replied with chattering teeth that
such a trifle mattered little to a dy-
ing man.
"Fie, fle!" interrupted the trum-
peter, approaching me. ''Die because
of damaged stump? I'll wager you
are thirsty"
81 burnt
swat for me. I will 90 and draw
some water from the WE'LL"
He turned toward the doorway,
when cried to him that the bucket
was broken and the rope removed.
mo matter" said he. Il must
try other means. It shall never be
said that one Frenchman allowed
another to ole for want of a drink.
He went out and l turned my face
to the wall, certain that his endeav-
ors would be useless. The length of
his absence led me even to believe
that he had departed. but at length
he reappeared, bearing his shake
within his hands: it was transformed
into a water bucket: from the chin
strap depended long withe in place
Of rope.
''Victory." he cried. "We have
the fluid. I have been gone some
time. The merchants of this place
having shut up their shops, it was
needful to fabricate something; but
at last / am here. Drink in discre-
tiOn."
He presented the shake to me, and
I drank with avidity. He then in
formed me that the cannons had
ceased to make themselves heard. the
battle was ended and according to all
appearance, to our advantage, for the
line occupied the previous evening by
the Prussians as bivouac had been
abandoned. We need only to wait
till morning for succor.
While giving me these encouraging
details the trumpeter sought about
us for means Of rendering our cOndi-
ton less painful. The night wind,
which penetrated the apartment
through the door and broken window,
froze me. Hedeparted for few min
utes, and reappeareo with several
old bundles of straw beds which he
fastened over the apertures, so Sc
curely as to defend US against the
cold. He bathed and dressed my
wound, declaring it to be good one,
and likely to make me a Major.
allowed him to do all this without
resisting. and also without thanking
him. was so cast down by my mis-
fortunes that had lost the instinct
of self-preservation. Lying upon the
earth in my obscure corner awaited
the end of my sufferings with more
of longing than of fear. The trum-
peter, who had rested moment, bent
over me and shook his head.
''My comrade has not much desire
for life, "he murmured. "Yet, never
theless. the wound is nothing-a
little lead in the shank. These poor
quarters have beaten down his moral
courage. Cannot l enable him to
sleep more decently?"
He made the tour of the chamber,
to the story above, and de-
scended without having found any
thing.
AS for myself, plunged into half
state, l followed his move
ments as seen in a mist. At inter-
walls 1 lost all sense of his presence;
then l perceived him again without
compromising what he was doing.
He seemed now to me to be examin-
ing a partition which divided this
lower room into two parts. He set
himself to demOlish it. First saw
fall under his sabre the light pine
carpentry work, then he detached
some large pieces of packing cloIh.
Here there enSued a blank. When l
regained consciousness of wnat was
going on the trumpeter was return
ing from outside, and the packing
cloth had been transformed by him
into a pallet which he had stuffed
with moss and leaves. l saw him ex-
tend it along the wall: he came to
me and assisted me to rise, and soon
afterward I felt myself lying upon
this improvised bed and speedily fell
asleep.