Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-09-04

Inc evening before they had fought, al
ternately defeated and victorious Three
divisions OF Oudinot's grenadicrs, So. HI
iaire's division and Nansouty's cuirassiers
were biyouacking. IL was o'clock I'm the
morning The men had hung their shakos
upon their crossed bayonets, they had laid
aside their shoes In tho grass, and all Of
them, barefooted, In fatigue caps, over
flowing with enthusiasm w. thoir emperor,
were talking and boasting Mt random
around the simmering soup pots.
"Who was it said that the emperor was
woundedY" uttered "a voice.
At the word "emperor'' there was 81
lenco. sort of fascination seemed To
hover about them. A veteran, whose
grimy forehead and big, bushy beard were
all OF him that was visible fell to laugh
Ing.
"The shorn one is proof against deathl'
I "What yarn Is that, Watrin9'
"Great God You know what / mean.
Is he not always In tho front rank9 Why
do the bombs leave him alonep You can
do the reckoning yourself. In full dozen
years that man has seen thousands Of vic
tories and hasn't even had buttonhole
burned In his coat Isn't 1t plain enoughp
The bombs know him well-better than
we do, even-by his white horse, his little
green mantle, his blazing eyes. Woe to
such as poster himl And, look you, even
the grapeshot recognize him perfectly and
skip over his head, for his hat they dare
not touch! That point
Suddenly % powerful voice interrupted
the speaker, and the sentinel cried:
1.-THE emperor"
1t was he. The staff, silently accom-
panying him, stood muffled and motion
less four PAGES In the rear. He was dress
cd as n light infantry officer, with green
tunic and a white waitcoat. He was rec
ognized by the smallnoss of his stature and
the greatness OF his escort.
"How is the appetite--goodY'
eyes, emperor" said the grenadier.
whats In the soupY'
Austrian horse.'
Napoleon broke into laugh. He loved
the humor of his soldiers
Listen, my men," he said, speaking
rapidly. "Wo fought yesterday. We will
fight again tomorrow. Lot every one who
has claim TO tho Legion of Honor or to
promotion come forward now, on the spot,
and declare himself"
A man stepped out of the ranks.
"What is your namep"
"Watrin, sire-grenadier under Oudi-
not"
"And you desireP"
"The cross!'
Napoleon looked at him. 1t was his
custom of an evening to stroll among the
bivouac fires, questioning the soldiers, cor
recting in this way the i'll will or the neg
lect Of the regimental chief, awarding
recompenses upon the spot.
"Come," said the emperor, "speak.
What have you done to deserve the CROSSE"
Watrin stood ut "parade" motionless,
in tho attitude of the soldier without
arms, almost like the rigidity Of death.
"It was l." he said timidly, sit was 1
who, in the desert of Yafa, presented you
with watermelon when the heat was
enough to burn the hair off ones head"
The men burst out laughing, why no
one knew. Napoleon himself smiled.
~ renew my thanks, " no said, "but the
gift is not worthy Of tho cross. Let us
wait, both of us, for better occasion /
hope that tomorrow
Tomorrow, as at the other times''-
said the veteran.
No one heard him. The merriment,
waxing louder sent its reverberations into
the distance, reaching other bivouac fires.
There was hurry; there was running.
Those words "The emperor The en-
perorl'' already resounded on every side.
Napoleon, boing compelled to proceed,
quilted Watrin, and, followed by the staff,
was swallowed up in the multitude.
The dawn Of the 22d Of May.
The archdulze renewed the attack and
strove to pierce the line between Essling
and Aspern. A division Of cuirassiers
flew at the enemy. Messana yelled,
"Grenadiers, there's fun over there, and
we're not In it!'' and away no rode, his
sabor in hand, where the bombs offered
him distraction" Lannes rushed for
ward at full gallop, without troubling
himself to see II he was followed, and the
Old Imperial Guard, unmuzzled, threw it.
self, tooth and nail, upon the Austrians
In one hour the archduke's army had melt
ed away in the sun. 1t crystallized anew,
however, and the guard received 1t with
graposhot Once more 1t paused, alright
ed. Bessieres cnraged, ordered the double
quick. Decisive charged The enemy fled,
and returning, fed again. These counter
strokes caused the victory to waver, like
tho billows Of the ocean, but for lack Of
other food ST. Hilaire's, Dement'S, Thar
reau's and Claparede's divisions Of infan-
try gorged themselves with glory, even to
the point of repletion. The combat had
lasted 80 hours.
In the evening there was rest, and the
emperor, according to his custom, made
the round Of the hospitals.
As ho was passing along the rows Of
wounded n head that no recognized caused
him TO stop.
"It's my man Of yesterday" no said.
A surgeon was there.
"Is this mans wound grave oneY''
"No, sire. The bandage might oven DO
taken off,"
The emperor did not reply. Watrin was
sleeping like post. His face was cleft
from car to car.
"Let Claparcde be summoned"
An officer vanished, and the general soon
appeared.
"Tell mo about this man" said tho ON
peror.
Claparcde, accustomed to questions Of
tbis sort sent for his ndiutant and tho