The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-21
THE BIGGEST GRAY WOLF
A Story Of tho Retreat Of Napo-
Icons Grand Army From
Moscow.
Two Musicians Escape the Wolves
to Be Captured by the
Cossacks. y
Their Fearful Plight, shut Up in y Cabin,
Besieged by R%avenous Brutes--
Generous Soldiers.

Written for HE HELENA INDEPENDENT.
Jean Petoir and Antoine Savary wcr
French boys Of the department. Of tn
Yonne. They shared everything. wer'
nearly always together.
It happened that just before the invasiol
Of Russia by Che emperor a number Of re
cruits belonging to the village wore allowed
to return home for = visit and the tive boys
heard their stories of tho last campaign
All France was sblaze with military glory
and as Jean eould beat the drum and An.
toius was an excellent fifsr. the recruits
begged the parents of the boys to let then
go to tho army and share in the glory of
taking the capital of the czar.
The parents agreed, and when the re.
cruits went back the boys went, too. and
we're accepted by the mastering officer: he
and was glad to see them; and long before
they reached Moscow both had become
prime favorites in the regiment.
They saw much to interest them, for they
never before had crossed the boundaries of
their own district. The land of the great
GEAR was Il new world.
They saw the burning Of the city of Mos
COW and stood together in the light of the
Kremliu, not dreaming of the hardships be-
fore them.
1t was u drsarv time for the French army
when it started away on that famous re-
treat from the city of the ezars. Winter
had set in. the earth was white with deep
SHOWS, the an was bitter and cold. Before
they had gone far hundreds Of soldiers
froze to death.
All the time, too, they we're continually
harasssd by Cossacks and by wolves. Vul-
lures continually lowered over the weary
ranks; sometimes they would swoop 50 low
as to be pierced by the ~bayonets IF the sol
diers.
At night the wolves would fill the frosty
air with their bowls, and when a man
dropped out of the ranks they would rush
down upon him and davour him before his
comrades. They were large and fierce. and
they came ia great packs. and sometimes
could not BIZ driven off, not even by u fusi-
lade.
The army suffered too for lack of good
food. One evening. near shutdown. Jean
came to Antoine and said he had discov-
erod a farm house near by; he thought they
might get some warm milk for themselves
by telling the people how exhausted they
were.
The boys stole of. Jean with his drum
n ARG0lOO WIFI u 1uu6hSb ANO some ana
munitisn which had been given him by a
soldier who had been transferred to one of
the ambulancss. When they reached the
place instead Of a farm house, inhabited by
kind people, they found q hut nearly ready
to orumble to pieces and no sign of anyone
near.
LET US go in anyway, and see what is
here!" said Jean.
AS they passed into the hut something
rushed out with a snarl. and the boys
found they had disturbed a large gray
wolf. Antoine tried to get shot at him,
but he ran of, and they saw no more of
him.
"That was the king Of wolves" said An
tome. ''What a feast he would make for
the msss!'
The hungry boys started back. Night
came soonsr than common Darkness sud-
denly swooped down on all the vast snowy
plain. When they tried to fnd the army
thew could not. They stopped at last and
looked at one another with blanohsd
checks. Presently the moon rose, lighting
up the scene. But they we're lost. They
did not know in which direction marched
their companions.
The boys went back to the hut and tried
to make themselves comfortable there.
jean amused himself at first beating his
drum, but at last his fingers grew so stiff
that he could not use the sticks, and he