The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-03-08

Gs5 figure OF the little drummer beat
ng the charge; we could ever hear,
ceble as IL was. the sound of his In
'runent, passionately bidding de-
lance 20 every Cossack in creation.
The Voltigeurs rush on, Bilboquet
lways ahead Of them with his cease
cas- rataplan. The battery roars
Sain, a perfect storm of shot pour
ng upon the infuriated debris of our
wo beautiful mpanies-scarcely so
men remain of the brave 200-and
never had the drum major himself
sounded the charge as Bilboquet
sounds It now-sternly boldly, and,
fred by the fever Of vengeance, piles
his arms with the strength of twenty.
When the smoke lifts anew the bat
terry ls taken.
In the meantime Napoleon, mounted
upon knoll to the right, 10000 SOL
Giers Of the Guard behind him,
watches them as they execute his Or
ders, and as the remnant Of the Volti-
guers enter the battery, he signs to
an aidc-de-camp, who gallops away, to
return almost Immediately.
How many?" the Emperor asks
him, as he stops before him; how
many crosses Will be needed to-mor-
row."
Forty" the officer replied; forty
the rest are deadv'
And the next day, as Napoleon had
said, the regiments were gathered to-
gether to see the distribution of the
medals to the gallant handful who
had executed so faithfully the Emper-
ors WILL One by one the names of
the survivors had been announced and
the cross of honor bestowed. The cere-
mouy is ended and all are about to re-
tire, when suddenly there is a stir
among the soldiers, and a shrill voice
sounds from the ranks:
But me-" 1t cries. "Me-you've
given me nothingw and Gen. B,
who had charge of the distribution of
the crosses, turns about to find planted
before him our little Bilboquet, his
cheeks as red as fire and his eyes full
of tears.
You" cries the officer astounded;
you, my boy! Why, what do you want
me to give you? What did you ex-
pect?"
THE cross like the Others" Bilbo-
quet promptly answered. "it was
who beat the charge on the battery-I
was the first to enter"
And you thought we had forgotten
you! But you are too young, my boy,
to have the cross yet" said the gen.
eral kindly, seeing that he was only
child; I'VE will give 1t to you when
you've beard on your chin like the
others. Here's something to console
you while waiting" and, slipping his
hand into his pocket he drew forth a
twentyfranc piece and held it out to
the little fellow.
Btlboquet looked at it, but without
thought of taking it, great tears
rolling from his eyes and down his
cheeks as, motionless as stone, he
stood before the general. Even those
who had teased him most, touched by
his grief, were about to intercede for
him. Bilboquet, however, did not give
them time, and suddenly, as If seized
with new idea, reached out his hand,
took the money from the general and
without more ado put it in his pocket,
saying as he turned away:
Thanks, my general it will do an
other timer
From this day forth they cease to
was no more communicative than be-
fore. On the contrary, he was con-
stantly buried in thought, as if re-
volving some project in his mind, and
instead Of regaling his companions as
they had expected him to do, with the
money he had received from the gem
eral, he guarded 1t more carefully
than before.
or a hn tnIE tn0 Of hn
battery of the Dwina the French
troops entered Smolensk victorious
and jubilant, Bilboquet with them, of
course, and greatly pleased at the
sights about the city which he had
asked to be allowed to visit almost at
the moment of arrival. Yet after all
it seemed to be the faces Of the people
in which he took the greatest interest,
considering and examining them after
the fashion Of an amateur choosing
merchandise.
/ must admit, however, that it was
net the peasants he regarded thus, with
their long bushy boards; doubtless
they were we'll enough, and bountiful-
ly supplied, but Of such an ugly, un-
pleasant red that Bilboquet, after a
moments scrutiny, turned away his
eyes and continued his way.
At last, wandering along in this
fashion. our petit tambour came to
the Jewish quarter, for the Jews Of
Smolensk, like the rest Of the Jews Of
Poland and Russia, confine themselves
to a certain quarter.
When Bilboquet entered 1t you can
imagine his delight, for Of all the
boards in the world the Jews assured
ly have the loveliest, long, silky and
black as ebony, and it was boards that
the little drummer boy was hunting.
Some half way up the street he found
the shop he wanted, the master Of 1t
bearded like Turk.
"Vot will you haf, my leetle sir?"
cried the merchant, civilly, as he
crossed the threshold, "vot can 1 gif
YOU"
your beard" replied Bilboquet,
without stopping to parley.
my beardv' repeated the Jew, as
toinshed, you are joking"
oJ nm, mt - said Rilbouuat again