The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1920-09-16

Il
house for him, and two of the maids,
and all four began capering about the
fire. He was douce, quiet man, as
| all the country knew; and here he
was, like Old Nick at the carlins'
dance, hobbling round aud waving his
drink above his head. We both set
Off running, and he waved the more
/ when he saw us coming.
Peace" he roared. "Huzza, boys
| Peacel"
And at that we both fell TO dancing
and shouting too, for it had been such
a weary war, as far back as we could
remember, and the shadow had lain so
long over us that 1t was wondrous to
feel that 1t was lifted. Indeed 1t was
too much to believe, but the major
laughed our doubts to scorn.
AYE, aye, 1t is true" he cried, stop
| ping, with his hand TO his side. "The
allies have got Paris, Boney has
thrown up the sponge, and his people
are all swearing allegiance to Louis
| XVIII"
"And the EMPEROR I asked; twill
they spare him?"
There's some talk Of sending him
to Elba, where he'll be out of mis-
chiefs way. But his officers-there
are some of them who will not get off
so lightly. Some deeds have been
done these last twenty years that have
not been forgotten. There are a few
old scores to be settled. But it's peace,
peace" and away he went once more
with his great tankard, hopping round
his bonfire.
Well, we stayed some time with the
major, and then away we went down
to the beach. Jim and /, talking about
| this great news and all that would
come of ii. How little did Jim know
at that moment, as he strobe along by
my side so full of health and of spir.
its, that he had reached the extreme
summit of life, and that from that
hour all would in truth be upon the
downward slope.
There was a little haze out TO sea.
for it had been very misty in the early
morning, though the sun had thinned
| 1t. AS we looked seward we sud
denly saw the sail Of small boat
break out through the fog and come
bobbing along toward the land. A
single man was seated in the sheets.
and she waved about as she ran, as
though he were of two minds whether
to beach her or no. At last, deter
mined, 1t may be, by our presence, he
made straight for us, and her keel
grated upon the shingle at our very
feet. He dropped his sail. climbed out,
and pulled her bows up onto the beach.
"Great Britain, I believer" said he,
turning round and facing us.
He was man somewhat above
middle height. but exceedingly thin,
we'll dressed in a suit Of brown with
| brass buttons, and he wore high boots,
which were all roughened and dulled
| by the sea water. His face and hands
were so dark that he might have been
Spaniard, but as he raised his hat
to us we saw that the upper part Of
his brow was quite white, and that II
was from without that he had his
swarthness. He looked from one to
the other of us, and his gray eyes had
something in them which l had never
seen before. You could read the
question, but there seemed to be
menace at the back of it, as II the
answer were a right and not a favor.
"Great Britain?" he asked again,
with a quick tap of his foot on the
shingle.
eyes" said I, while Jim burst out
laughing.
England? Scotland2"
Scotland. But it's England past
yonder trees"
Bon 1 know where am now. I've
been in fog without compass for
nearly three days, and didn't thought
l was ever to see land again." He
spoke English glibly enough, but with
some strange turn of speech from
time TO time.
where did you come from, then"
asked Jim.
81 was in a ship that was wrecked"
said he shortly. what is the town
down yonderT
at is Berwick"
"Ah, well, must get stronger be-
fore 1 can go further" He turned to-
ward the boat, and as he did so he
gave a lurch, and would have fallen
had he not caught the prov. On this
he seated himself, and looked round
him with a face that was flushed and
two eyes that blazed like wild
| beasts,
"Voltigeurs de la Gardel" he roared
In a voice like trumpet call, and
then again, "voltigeurs de la Garde !"
He waved his hat above his head, and
suddenly pitching forward upon his
face on the sand, he lay all huddleA
into a little brown heap.
Jim Horscroft and stood and
stared at each other. The coming OF
the man had been SO strange, and his
questions, and now this sudden turn.
We took him by a shoulder each and
turned him upon his back. His lips
were bloodless. and his breath would
scarce shake a feather.