Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-11-13


ton of an artilleryman.
The man who lay there did not bulge.
The colonel drew his saber. Then a
rugged head emerged from mask of
snow, and two clear eyes surveyed
Champeaux's pelisse.
"What do you want with me?'
"Get up!'
The man grew angry. He believed
they were joking.
"You there, take care-one step more
and I'll run you through the gullet,
colonel though you be!''
He said this at single breath. Then,
painting like dumb brute, he fell back,
exposing his body to view, from which
leg had been severed close to the
trunk.
Champeaux made the round of two
other bivouacs, and toward 8 o'clock
the troop numbering 1876 men, he de-
SPARED of finding the five others.
"We will ret urn, he said.
They set out, but on the way the
colonel found light infantryman beat
ing his feet together between the shafts
Of wagon and scraping the ice from a
piece of horses leg.
"Follow us 70 shouted the troop.
''I am not to be disturbed; am din
ing," answered the specter.
Champeaux raised one of his pistols,
and the soldier sprang aside.
"Anyhow, let me get my drum p
Champeaux did not stop him. He
was seized with an idea which struck
him to the very soul He laid hold Of
the man.
"You are drummer?"
eyes,
He was little fellow. without beard,
slender, with hair like child's.
"And you have kept your drum?'
"Here it js," said the conscript.
"Why not Since am drummer
have my drum. If hadn't my drum
Champeaux seized him, put him in
the saddle, kissed him on both cheeks,
as he would woman. Alone in the
midst of that agonized army, which
had abandoned its arms and insignia,
this child, who had guarded his drum
appeared to him a prodigy.
"Forward!''
They returned to the plain and shell
tered themselves under the wagons.
Champeaux watched until morning
Toward O'Clock Napoleon appeared.
He had just inspected certain corps,
and had dictated the Twenty ninth bull
letin, by which France was startled and
dumfounded. NcJ was at his side. Le-
dru des Essarts came in search of Cham
peaux.
"Come," said he.
The emperor was on a slight emil
nence. The Third corps, drawn up four
files deep, was posted 100 yards away.
Champeaux, who was mounted, drew
his saber.
Attention, my fine fellows" he
said in a subdued voice. 1.-The Other
is gazing at you'll Forward Timber
your legsl Tramp, I say Make believe
you are an army! Marrrrrcher'
At once, more impetuous than hunt
er's pack in full cry, with greater i'm
pulse, more ringing, more sonorous than
the vanished bugles Of the entire corps,
there burst forth terrible rann-plann-
plann land those 1875 men, relics Of
the superb $4,000 of Elkingen, defled
before the cold gaze Of the emperor.
Pann-rrrann plann-plann chanted
the drumsticks.
Four files front, accurate of step, ell
bows touching, heads thrown back, those
human remnants crossed corner of the
plain, to the consecrated roll of the
drum! Champeaux, with his saber aloft
as at the Carrousel, rode behind the
little drummer. This tragic parade,
amid the snow, amid unequaled suffer
ing, before a stupe6ed army, SO shocked
the stern old marshal that-beside the
impassive Napoleon-lfis knees trem-
bled under him. They were without
uniforms, those 1876, but they had the
noble mien of martyrs Even the drum
mer was known as such only by the
tragic fury Of his rataplan!
Pam! pam! sounded the drum.
Plann! plannl
At the head, as directed by the regu-
tations, there were eight Grenadiers OF
the Guard, with chimerical faces, some
topped with soiled caps, stained with
the smoke of the battle and bivouac;
others, a six months beard on their
cheeks, with their heads thrust into tall
cylinders of fur. And all were old,
their bodies barred with solemn cica-
trices.
Rrrann pannl pam! rrrann-rrann
pan! pan pan!
The drummer wrought himself into
rage, sounding, beating, shifting his
IL - 4lo
Next came 68 light infantrymen, old
like the grenadiers, onethird OF them
in black CATERS and the others shod
with strips of leather.
"Steady! Beware the emperor ~ cried
Champeaux.
Rrrann! plann! plann -pataplann!
plann! plann!
Following, bareheaded, were two sol
idiers of the engineer corps, with neither
sabers nor cartridge boxes, frightfully
slashed by the Cossacks, but still carry
ing their spades.
Rrrra-rrra-rrra-pa paumi
paum clamored the tireless drummer.
Then appeared a disordered cavalry,
without horses, hobbling, limping along,
but SO proudly courageous that they
would have retraced their steps on the
instant and have reconquered the Rus
slams; eight cuirassiers, without cuirass-
es, lifting toward the emperor their
scanned faces, the fur bands of their
helmets frightened about their necks,
the most of them clad in Russian peliss-
es, which they had won by dint Of
sword play. One, an enormous fellow,
had no trousers, and had tied pair Of
blue saddle cloths about his thighs. He
ma1ched with bare ankles through the
snow. Beside him trailed dismounted
| srenadier. with q can that had been