The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-05

be surprised in the by general
Tchitchagoff
The next to succeed our little Pierre was
ruddy-faced Burgundian who had fought in
country of Europe about to go on guard
he held out his hand to the lieutenant
will shake hands, my officer he said in voice
'nat ala not tremble For surely shall freeze Also
The lieutenant wrung his loyal hand eagerly and
turned to the bivouac, wrapped in silence The
thought filled all minds. So, long as we were to
remain there, every two hours, would go
death There was nothing to say. 1t duty.
Veloped IN my coat stared in the fire without seeing
anything Something soft and cold struck my cheek.
was beginning to snow. Soon felt overwhelmed with
the desire to sleep, and all that happened about
seemed to take place in dream At regular intervals.
the officer rose, called sentinel with him
to the place of guard and returned alone.
Inc snow continued to fall no longer tried
off the duness. I resigned my turn
silently.
Suddenly was aroused by confused murmur and
excitement "The enemy! the enemy!~
The alarm woke from my stupor The sun had risen
and the white plains glstened it's rays. A body of
Russian soldiers evidently scouts were coming toward
at gallop Already could distinguish their green
uniforms as they sat upright in saddles, by
quarermaster whose trappngs shone in the
light
felt that lost.
Suddenly the officer refined his horse He looked be-
hind him in alright hesated for an instant and then
raising his sword the signal
with panic the scared Cossacks made a wild dash back
to whence they had shortened upon
the plain until finally they fast moving dots
upon horizon They were Fastening back to tell
Icntchago that the passage was guarded But who
guarding the passage?
looked in the direction from whence the Cossacks
had rereated in such terror And the memory of
horrible night came back to me-
Yes, the wood guarded The grenadiers were
there on sentry duty, facing the enemy Pointing to
Heaven stretched towards the horizon their
g1istened brightly Some standing stfly upright,
others knelt behind the scanty pile others
in group looking as if they at I recog-
nized them every of them This standing solidy
upright his face turned to the mtess plains his
clear and open the Burgundy. other.
smaller, thckest and bowed beneath his huge bonnet,
his mantle floating in the icy breeze Pierre Brave
lips the smile we loved him for This man
here was LIE Honnec, that Lebadois. named them
all, each one and there were many The as it
fell had covered their bonnets and manes with thick
white covering it had lodged in their Boards making
them longer and their wrapping them white
sheath Like phantoms they stood there in the wood,
montionless, their ready their finger the trg
ger; comrades upon whom snow had fallen all the
night white grenaders
recognized them; they men, indeed, who
one by had out into the night. They remained
standing at their post surprised by simple
performance of their duty The turned to polished
silver the frost that shaggy bonnets
along the barrel of their and heightened the
sinister shadows behind them Stationed there to
the movements of the they stood in good order
upon the border of the wood These sentinels
whom nothing could turn back Before them the Cos
sacks had turned and fled.
That morning, it was the dead that won our victory
for us!
Soon after told of the retreat of the cossacks Mar
shall Ney came fastening to where stood
bravo! my men," he cried, you have saved the
army!"
lieutenant in a trembling voice. replied
1--WE are not the ones to be praised, sir. There
the did
And with finger he pointed to the white grena-
The marshal drew the heroic group and de-
scending from his horse salued them respectfully.
salued the rough Norman peasant Partisan
boy the Breton and the sturdy Burgundian children
all the provinces of France, who had facing
the enemy in their white winding Then in the
name of the emperor, he fastened the of honor
their rigid breats And thru the
the glorious little spots cleaning on their
white mantles.'
WHEN CONSCIENCE SPOKE
Chicago Ocean.
Truce now for right good tale June day. Tile hero
should he be called the vyun wonders lawyer