Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-09-13
A Lad Who
Collected Toll
From Napoleon

son were sitting at twilight before the
door of their rude cottage. The gloomy
woods were close about them. and a
few rods away Il narrow but treacher-
Gus mountain stream went rushing and
foaming over half concealed rocks.
There was but n gentle breeze stir
ring in the tree tops and the faint
chirping of the birds as they snuggled
down in their nests.
"Pierre," said his father, laying a
hand affectionately on the boys shout
der, 'you are old enough now to know
why we live alone here in the woods
instead of in a busting town; why !
WELD an Ak instead of n broadsword;
why my hair is white though l am not
old"
The lad lifted up his clear, honest
eyes and looked straight into his ia
theirs face.
81 am glad we are here" he said
softly, because then when l know all
about 1.-THE dreadful trouble-I can
be of more comfort to you and more
help"
The warrior folded his arms across
his breast while the lines deepened in
his face.
"There is not much to tell-in words"
he said. Il was close to the Emperor
Napoleon in the early days of my army
life. Sometimes l was in charge of the
night guard about his sleeping quar-
tiers. Many a time have l acted as spe-
cial messenger where important dis
patches We're concerned"
"What glorious life that must have
beenw murmured little Pierre.
"Aye," said the elder. But, oh, the
pitfalls and intrigues that hedged us
about. Now, the emperor's favorite
charger was superb beast with the
temper of fiend. He had killed two
grooms and injured many others; but
strange to say, the animal was gentle
ness itself when the emperor was
astride him. have often thought that
they were a good deal alike, these two,
and that's why they were such good
friends.
zone night the young orderly who
led off the horse after Napoleon had
dsmounted was vciously attacked by
the brute. l heard the poor chap
scream with agony as the charger bit
him and paved him cruelty.
"The fellow came from my birth
place. 1 had known him well and the
mother, too, whom he had left behind.
saw that it was the horses life or his
that must be sacrificed Well, l shot
the horse"
"Of course" cried Pierre. "And the
emperor complimented you on your
presence of mind, did he not?'
mo" said La Sale, and his teeth
came together with a snap. Il thought
he would have killed me on the spot
when he learned of it. What was an
orderly's life to him compared to losing
his favorite charger? No; he fixed me
with his cruel eye and said:
"'Well, lieutenant, how are you 60
ing to pay for my dead horseT
HE knew l was poor-he knew ev-
erything that terrible man.
II faltered out that l had nothing
with which to pay him.
"'Then you are discharged from the
service, a debtor to your emperor he
cried harshly and turned away.
"My commission was taken from me-
my sword was broken, and l was turn
ed out, a pauper, homeless and without a
friend, for no man dared to side with
the poor victim of the great NapoleoD's
wrath.
"That's the story of my disgrace"
concluded La Sale.
no r'e Il ico no ia1
holly. That's what l should call it,
Mon pauvre PEREZ
1t was shortly after this that there
came the news of great battle and
great victory. If I remember rightly,
1t was the famous battle of Wagram,
or was it Jena? Then came rumors of
the return into France of Napoleons
triumphant army. These reports even
reached the ears of La Sale pere ct fills.
"They are likely to pass this way"
thought the boy one afternoon as he
was splitting logs close 10y the noun
tain stream. Then great idea came
to him. "a BRIDGE" he cried THE
very thing, and toll from every man."
The air was sharp these days, and the
father, because of rheumatism con.
tracted in the army, was confined TO
his cottage, while his sturdy son toiled
on with the AK.
"Thou art working too hard, lad"
said La Sale one night as the boy
came in to supper, painting from some
great exertion. But Pierre shook his
head and said no word.
The emperor and his glittering STAFF
were marching across the open coun'
try when the vanguard was seen to
come to halt by n foaming stream,
and presently an aid dashed up to Ma.
poleon and saluted, a merry twinkle in
his eye.
IF it please your majesty" he said
''there is narrow bridge just ahead
and young lad who says he built il
demands toll of each of us ere we may
cross