Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-11-26

| diers OF his following IL the skele-
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 upr"
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 3 o'clock
the troop numbering l25 men, he de-
SPARED Of finding the five others.
'Wo will return, 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 n horses leg.
Follow usr' shouted the troop.
Il 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 y
Champeaax did not stop him. He
was seized with an idea which struck
him 10 the very soul He laid hold Of
the man.
lyon are drummer,
Eyes.
He was little fellow. without beard,
slender, with hair like a child's.
And you have kept your drumf"
Here it is.' said the conscript.
"Why not Since / am drummer-I
have my drum. II 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
bad abandoned its arms and insignia,
this child, who had guarded his drum,
appeared 20 him prodigy.
Forward ~
They returned 10 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. Ney was at his side. Lee
dru des Essarts came in search Of Cham
peaux.
Come" said he.
The emperor was on slight emf
pence. 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 IA subdued voice. "The Other
is gazing at youl Forward Limbei
your legs Tramp, say Make believe
you are an army! Marrrrrchep'
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 ram -plann-
plann and those 1875 men, relics Of
the superb 3s, 600 Of Elkingen, defled
before the cold gaze Of the emperor
Pam -rrrann plann- -plann chanted
the drumsticks.
Four files front, accurate Of step, ell
bows touching, heads thrown back, those
human remnants crossed a corner of the
plain, to the consecrated roll Of the
drum Champeauy. with bis saber aloft
as at the Carrousel, rode behind the
little drummer. This tragic parade,
amid the anow, amid uneQualed suffer
ing, before stupefied army, so shocked
the stern old marshal that-beside the
impaSsive Napoleon-his knees trem-
bled under him. They We're without
uniforms, those l25. 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 plann
At the head. as directed by the regu-.
latlOns, there were elght Grenadlers 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 pam pam! rrrann-rranI
pan pan pan!
The drummer wrought himself into
rage, sounding, beating, smiting his
drum at the head of the column.
Next came 6S light infantrymen, old
like the grenadiers, one third 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, We're two SOL
diers Of the engineer corps, with neither
sabers nor cartridge boxes, frightfully
slashed by the Cossacks, but still carry
ing their spades.
Rrrra-rrra-rrra-p paum
paum clamored the tireless drummer.
Then appeared disordered cavalry,
without horses, hobbling, Gmping 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 10 trousers. and had tied pair OF
blue saddle cloths about his thighs. He
marched with bare ankles through the
snow. Beside him trailed dismounted
grenadier, with cap that had been
shorn by musket balls, hairless. plaque
less. without Gordon or plume.
Bravely, drumsticks, rattle away
And you, drummer, roll, roll, for the
tattered Pandours Of Lowell
Rrrannl rrrann l-pataplanni
Last, approached in four close lines.
the artillerymen. In number 10, cannon.
eers Of Piedmont, with neither white
looped cordons nor drumsticlu; - dra-
goous, riddled with grapeshot, In bloody
coats that once Ysrs aresn. With tiger