Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-10-25

fire in the stove and TRANQUILITY opened
the schoolroom, saying whether
the children come or not, it is not
who prevent them.'
/ hoped that not one of them would
come, but at seven o'clock orders from
the Colonel had been posted on the
public square that the school was open,
and that those who did not send their
children would have to pay double in
acquisitions of grain, straw and tobac-
co; a half-hour later there was not u
child missing.
AT half-past eleven, as the morning
school was over and the children were
running out, the Colonel came gallop-
ing up to my door. He said: "You
have obeyed, Mr.. Schoolmaster, and
you have done well, for had arranged
to fill your place. On the stroke of
twelve the new teacher would have
come, his bundle under his arm, accom-
panied by four men to put you out. 1t
is necessary that every thing goes
smoothly and with military precision
with me. Do you hear me?"
Feeling my temper rising, | turned
my back and quickly entered the house.
That evening, hearing talking,
went outside to see what was happen
ing. The soldiers were taking the pris-
oner from the wood-house. His nose
and ears were frozen. The soldiers I'M
tied him and told him to get up, but
he gave no signs of life. They raised
him up and shook him. He fell back
on the floor.
A soldier ran for the doctor, who was
supping with Monsieur lie Cure Peti
Jean. A quarter of an hour later he
approached, looking through his glasses
nd
does who has just dined well. He was
little man, ford and well-shaven,
with red cross on his arm.
"Come, stand aside" said he to the
neighbors who formed circle around
the man. Then he added "Humph
it is poor Franz. His ears and nose are
frozen, and no doubt his feet also.
How has this happened ?"
''He bugled the retreat badly" said a
quartermaster, who laughed on seeing
the doctor laugh "He had drunk too
much schnapps, and the Colonel had
him bound and thrown in here.o
! every well, very well, )" said the doc
tor; "it will be difficult for him to ride
horseback for couple of months, but
where shall we put him? The ambu-
lances will not come until day after to-
morrow
While thinking this over, he saw my
door open and this gave him an idea.
"Take him in there and open the
windows, that the heat may not injure
him.
The soldiers obeyed, and 1 said moth
ing, for l saw that these people did as
they pleased. They took the trumpeter
on large table. BY the direction of
tho doctor thau 0nnnn6 a window and
commenced to strip him like worm.
Then they brought bucket of snow
and rubbed him from head to foot with
it, especially the nose, ears and feet.
They had also put out the fire.
Suddenly, call from the bugle
caused them to abandon their comrade
and run into the street. A great piece
, of news had arrived order to de-
, part. The hussars took their horses
from the stables, saddled and bridled
them and met in the public square.
The Colonel, learning from the doctor
that his trumpeter was frozen, was furi-
J Gus. Then, seeing me in the distance,
he ran to me crying: "You are respon-
sible to me for the man, uniform, and
everything"
81 said to myself: eyes, go to the
devil, you ferocious animal | will
mock you as soon as you are gone, and
God forbid 1 should ever hear you or
your band spoken of again ~
They went to the neighborhood of
Metz, leaving this man on my hands,
without a word of apology.
What was l to do! What was l to
say
The veterinary surgeon, Gneury, our
neighbor, came in out of curiosity and
looked at this drunkard (for he was a
} drunkard). His drunkenness was the
cause of the misfortune which had
befallen me. If he had not got drunk,
J he would not have received the blows
from the Colonel, he would not have
been thrown into prison, and he would
have gone away with the others.
He was, nevertheless, a handsome
enough man of 80 or 35, little inclined
to corpulence. / would not leave him
in the cold and was about to relight the
fire, when the surgeon said to me "Be
careful. 1t is necessary to continue
: rubbing him. for without that his nose
will peel every year like potato cooked
in the skin, and his ears will pare like
vegetables. Take care! A little later,
when he rallies, you can have some
heat, but it must not be forced And
have you little alcohol somewhere ?u
L nau upstairs small bottle OF SpIr-
its of camphor. Gneury told me that
3 this would do, and l went to get it.
} Then he and L bathed his nose, ears
and feet in snow-water for good half
l hour, giving him finally small dose
: of camphor. This made him open his
! eyes. He was somewhat astonished to
find himself lying naked on table,
!: and with strangers.
I We put on his shirt and clothes as
: best we could. We got mattress and
! some blankets and wrapped him up
l and at seven o'clock we went to cal
our soup and get little rest.
: / cursed the soldiers who had Obliged
t me to save such a miserable fellow,
whom his own Colonel had nearly
9 killed by discipline. 1t made me in
0 dignant to be forced to act the Chris
e tan to him, while thousands of better
q people perish of misery without 6
e chance of meeting honest folks.
/ The Blue Hussars have never reap
a peared again in our village, and have
!: wished thousand times to hear thai
they had been massacred-with theil