Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-12-01

unbent, and so far forgot his role as to answer 8 question, and eventually he became almost confidential. Like every soldier in the army, he was heartily sick of Egypt and the east and dying to get back to Paris. Towards evening I had visit from Lacluse. was glad to see him, for without help saw little chance of es- caping.
 His first proceeding was to order my guardian out of the tent.
 "Very good, mon chef" said the man. "You will be answerable''
 II will be answerable. Go and stretch your legs for half an hour, cor poraL I will take care of the prison er"
 ''1t has come sooner than I expected, mon ami," said Lacluse, when the cor poral was gone.
 What has come?"
 ''The chance of reciprocating the service you rendered me the other day. mean to save your life-if can.'
 Save my life! You surely don't mean that Bonaparte was serious when he threatened to treat me as a desert er?"
 'So serious that he has ordered you to be shot tomorrow morning."
 "But he dare not. It would be a vii olation of all the usages of civilized warfare"
 "Darel He will dare anything when his temper is up. What is single life to man like him? What are a thou sand? How many lives have been sac rificed in this insane expedition? We are beginning to doubt, now, whether Acre will be taken, after all. And if not. what is to become of the army? How are we to get back to France? These are the questions we are contin- ,ually asking each other. But Bona parte dominates us all so completely that we keep our doubts to ourselves and go on pouring out our blood for him like water"
 "You are bitter, Lacluse."
 "I have reason to be. Did he not de- grade me from my rank for a trivial fault, mere error of judgment? My services entitle me to a colonelcy at the least, and I am still what I was when we landed in Egypt, a mere chef de battalion. And now, when I go to him and tell how you saved my life and the lives of several of our soldiers the other day, and ask that you may be ex- changed as was, he answers me with gibes and reproaches. Kleber and Murat have already spoken to him in the same sense. They say that your execution will be disgrace to the army. But it was all to no purpose. They did not shake his resolution in the least. And now, my friend, there is only one thing for it. You must es- cape"
 ''Tbat is exactly what have been thinking. But how is it to be done while two armed men are standing over me, and the only way to Acre is swarming with your troops?"
 ''I have thought Of plan. It is very risky-'
 "Never mind the risk. would rather be killed while trying to escape than shot by order of Gen. Bonaparte."
 ''It is risky, but practicable. Your life will be saved by wine"
 "By wine! If I were in galloping consumption or bleeding to death, my life might conceivably be saved by some sound Bordeaux or good old port, but how wine is going to save me from being shot tomorrow morning passes my comprehension"
 ''Al the same it will save you, M. le Capitaine, unless my plan miscarry, which God forbidl It may interest you to know that there is still corn in Egypt, and that few bottles of it are in my own possession. But it is strict ly reserved for special occasions and the sick of my regiment. This is a special occasion, and place at your disposal two bottles"
 Don't talk nonsense, Lacluse; there is no"
 And don't you interrupt, mon ami. Wait until I have finished, and then give your opinion. I say that place at your disposal two bottles. When the corporal returns shall make him little speech. I shall say that few days ago you saved my life, and that, as desire to render the remainder of yours as happy as possible, am going to send you good supper and two bottles of wine. When I speak of wine his eyes will glisten and his mouth will water for water has been the poor fellows only drink since many months. And then will ask him-since cannot my self be present, having to be on duty in the trenches to-night-to do the honors and give you all the indulgence in his power compatible with your safe-keep- ing, and to eat with you little supper and drink with you a bottle of wine. He will do it, of course. He would sell his soul to the devil for bottle of wine and think he had made an excellent bargain. One of the bottles will be Medoc, the other Chateau-LaGtte. The Lafitte is for you, naturally, the Medoc for him; he will be quite content with it-and take care you let hil ,!ri-,'. 1t. Don't touch the Medoc though he asks you. You have delicate stomach. Lafitte agrees with you, Medoc does not. Do you begin to underata-,,: BOW, my friend?"
 ''The Medoc will be doctored." Precisely. The wine destined for M. le Caporal will be slightly sophisticated. I shall put into it a quantity of laud- anum, which have already obtained | from our regimental doctor for a neu- ralgic face-ache that makes my nights hideous; and very soon after the cor poral has drunk his wine he will be so