Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 193 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— "Not a hundred and fifty. And the cavalry is almost disabled. We shall have to forage, un- less we get an armistice. The convoys have not three days’ grain.” . Gabriel felt his heart sink, He had not known it was so ’ ‘“We can winter in Moscow,” continued the emperor; ‘‘ but only if they do not disturb our tines of supply. Therefore it is necessary to secure a truce. You will goto the Emperor of Russia, and offer him peace from me. Here is the letter. Ill read it, that you may know what is before you.” He read out, with a voice that was not as steady as usual, the first confession the Man of Destiny had ever made that an enemy was not to be beaten: “Sire, My BrotTHer,” ran the note: “I am weary of seeing the blood of brave men sacrificed in vain.” To what does it all tend but the alienation of two brave nations, whose interests are one? Let us be friends. Why should your majesty to the cause of perfidious England, when, united, we can sweep the world? I am willing to he up the territory | have acquired, and to retire to Germany, if your majesty will make peace. I will agree to help your majesty with three army corps to conquer Turkey, and you can have Con- stantinople, Therefore I ask for an armistice, dur- ing which our ministers can conclude a lasting treaty of peace. NAPOLEON,” Gabriel listened silently, and the emperor said as he folded the letter: : ** Are you willing to go?” **T always obey orders, sire.” ** But I must warn you that you will incur ane These wild savages may not respect the flag.” ‘In that. case, sire Czar, and my death, if unavenged.” The emperor looked at him, for the first time in all their intercourse, with a glance of some- thing like real kindness. “You are a brave ma, count,” he said, slow- ly. ‘‘I wish all my supporters were as true to their chief.” ‘‘Every soldier of the Grand Army would willingly die for you, sire.” es, every soldier. But the marshals— they wish to enjoy their honors. They grow tired of war. Never mind. You will take the flag. The Russians are at Kaloga, to the south, Our pickets are out ten miles on the road, and the acks are just beyond. Apeopee, count, hear your quarters were on fire last night. ow didit happen?” ‘*No one knows, sire. ” POY, room, m!” The emperor frowned thoughtfully, and walked to the window to look out. Gabriel’s eyes followed his, and saw three col- umns of smoke rising in different quarters of the city, while the sappers were hurrying - through the streets and the bells were ringing alarm an ; And while he looked, they saw two hussars come up the street toward the Kremlin, drag- ging between them by the wrists a man with a ong beard, who was running as hard as he could, toavoid being dragged along the ground. Presently came a knock at the door, and Du- roc entered hastily. ‘‘We have found where the fires come from, sire,” he cried, without any prelude. ‘‘ The trol has just caught one of the savages at his work. hat shall we do with him?” ‘Shoot him,” answered the emperor, coldly. vs ae them like Turks, Duroc, e mu terror to them, for they wnderstand nothing else. Issue an order that for every fire I will shoot a Russian, if one is to be found in the city. We must stop this or be houseless.” - Duroc vanished, and the emperor went on to Gabriel: | ** You will take only a single man with you, and of course use your eyes on the way. If you see the emperor I think he will treat; but e courtiers may not let you see him,” ‘*T will do my best, sire.” ‘The point is to procure an armistice, We have taken Moscow, you understand; and can remain here if we please, but do not desire fur- ther effusion of blood.” ‘*T understand, sire.”’ Then Gabriel went to his quarters, called Casse Tete and rode out of the city on the road to Kaloga. Casse Tete carried a lance with a white fl rolied round it, and wore the uniform of his ol regiment, but looked gloomy. ‘Itis not the custom of the Grand Army to ask for truces,” he had said to thecount, ‘' Hith- erto they have always granted them. But times change, my general, and these Russians are savages.” they will disgrace the they kill me, will not go It broke out in an CHAPTER XVIIL THE FLAG OF TRUCE. THE young general and Casse Tete rode rap- idly away on the road to Kaloga, passing camp after camp of the infantry and huge parks of artillerv and wagons, ~The Grand Army was still a magnificent body in appearance, though one could note that — LL » 7 ae the uniforms were getting ragged and dirty, after the hot, dusty campaign through which pe Sone passed. weather was warm and dry, and a thin haze hung over the landscape, the grass lying brown and dry by the roadside. The country was rolling and pretty in out- line, melting toward the south, into the great Black Earth plains of the Ukraine, of which th ey had haard so much. | hen they had ridden about five miles they passed the last infantry camp, and the country seemed to be entirely deserted. The peasantry, it was to be remarked, had vanished. Every now and then they came on a few low mounds of turf that they knew to be the underground huts of the inhabitants; but no smoke came from the .chimneys, and not a soul was near them, Three miles beyond this they saw a regiment of hussars incamp. The horses at the picket Jine were thin, and a number had sore backs, while the men looked dirty and neglected. They met an officer coming back with a patrol, and he told them that the light cavalry was pretty well worked out. “Tt’s lucky we've taken Moscow and can afford to rest, general,” he remarked to Gabriel, “for another week would have found us dis- mounted. Have you heard anything of the grain wagons? We have been grazing the horses for a month, and haven’t séen a bag of oats all that time.” Gabriel comforted him with the hopes of a truce, and rode on. A mile further they came to the picket re- serve, and he saw that the sentry was dis- mounted, The officer of the reserve told them that all the pickets had orders to stand guard on foot to save the horses. “The Cossacks are quiet enough,” he added, ‘in the daytime, but at night they keep us alive, and seem have a spite against our horses, for they have shot anumber. At this rate we shall all be dismounted before long.” To a question as to the outside vedettes, he answered that they were a little way off, on foot, and that the nearest Russian post was about two miles further. As the two cuirassiers rode on, Gabriel could not help a gloom Aagpeg es of evil in his heart; and Casse Tete, in his homely fashion, began to moralize: é ‘These Russians are different from the rest of Europe, general, and they have a country that helps them, I wish we were well out of it ‘So do I, Casse Tete,” Gabriel could not help answering. At last they came to the line of vedettes, who looked at them with surprise, and the man on the road said respectfully to Gabriel ‘*It is not safe to go any further, my general. The Cossacks are over the bill yonder.” **Then that is our destination,” was the calm reply of Gabriel. ‘‘ Show the flag, Casse Tete.’’ he cuirassier shook out the white folds, and they rode forward, side by side, the full uni- form of Gabriel and the stout, well-fed chargers of both of them ens a splendid appear- ance, and telling nothing of the straits to which the grand army was reduced on They trotted eg on to the little hill of which the vedette had spoken, and surmounted it in full view of a group of three Cossacks sit- ting on the ground by a fire, about a hundred yards off. The horses of these three men stood by them; their lances were stuck in the ground, and they seemed to be cooking their dinner. Other little proups, at intervals of a quarter of a mile, could be seen dotting ‘the landscape all round and lining the road. for three miles back, to where a cloud of smoke announced a larger encampment. No sooner did the two cuirassiers make their appearance than the three Cossacks jumped u and each picked up a musket from the apes , One of them ran to the middle of the road and leveled his musket. Gabriel waved his hand, pointing to the white flag, and pulled up his horse, shouting in French; “Itisa flag! a flag!” But the Cossack fired off his piece without heeding the cry, and the bullet went singing past Gabriel’s head in very uncomfortable proximity, and a moment later the other two men fired also, but with such defective aim, owing to the distance, that neither of the Frenchmen was hurt. Then Gabriel put spurs to his horse and dashed down toward them, while they were trying to reload, still pointing to the flag and calling out the only Russian word he knew: “ Stoi! Stoi!” [Stop! Stop!] His behavior had its effect even on the wild savages of the Don. They saw he was not afraid, and ane the hurried loading of their rusty old muskets. One of them began to speak Russian, as if asking questions, and Gabriel answered ‘in French: ‘A fing! a flag! Le‘ter tothe Czar.” He showed the Cossack the letter, kept point- ing to the flag and making signs till the savage suddenly seemed to understand what was want- ed, and his face beamed all over with smiles. Then he said to Gabriel something in Russian which the latter could not understand, but took to be an explanation of his mistake, and the matter ended in one of the three Cossacks riding off toward the encampment at full speed, while the emissary of the French emperor was fain to wait further developments, He did not neglect to use his eyes during this ’ time, and noticed that all the little groups of Cossacks, on the way to the encampment, had mounted their horses and were riding slowly out. on either side, as if to cut off his retreat. To show his own indifference he quietly dis- mounted from his horse, took the flag from Casse Tete and stuck the staff in the ground while he was waiting, his orderly imitating his example. Meantime the Cossacks kept on advancing til) he was surrounded by at least a hundred of them staring at him as if he had been a wild beast, and talking to each other about him in Russian, of which be only understood the word ** molodyetz,” frequently repeated. And he had heard from a Russian prisoner that molodyetz meant ‘‘ brave fellow.” Therefore he judged that the Cossacks were my oy with his looks and those of Casse ete. After half an hour’s patient waiting he saw a cloud of dust coming rapidly toward him, and distinguished the glitter of weapons and waving of plumes in the midst of it. ‘Take up the flag, Casse Tete,” he said. ‘‘ Here comes an officer at last.” They mounted and remained there till a bril- liantly uniformed officer in scarlet and gold came dashing up at the head of a troop of Cos- sacks in the same bright color and made a polite salute to the young general, saying, in excellent French: ‘*Good-day, monsieur. Very sorry to have kept you waiting, but these fellows of ours don’t understand the customs of war. Whom have I the pleasure of addressing by chance?” ‘*Tam General the Count of Friedland with an autograph letter from his majesty the Em- peror of the French to his majesty the Emperor of Russia. Whom have I the bonor to see?’ ‘*T am Count Freodor Doktoroff, of the staff of Prince Platoff, Ataman of all the Cossacks. If you will give me your letter, general, [ wil} send it in at once.” ‘‘That is impossible, count. If I cannot de-~ liver it personally I must go back with it unde- livered,” As he said this, Gabriel felt his heart beating unwontedly, for he was afraid the Russian would take him at his word and send him back. He was a handsome young fellow, this Russian count, with brown eyes and a downy mustache, and he looked like a gentleman; but it was evi- dent, also, that be was no fool, but on the con- trary, skilled in negotiation, ‘‘] think that would not be desirable, gen- eral,” he answered, smilingly. ‘If there is a letter from such a distinguished man as the Em- ror Napoleon, it must be delivered to him; ut, at the same time, it is not necessary to con- duct you through our quarters.” ‘‘Is not the emperor near here, then?” asked Gabriel, The young Russian laughed. ‘‘ We can find him if we wish. I will insure the delivery of the letter.” ‘‘ But that is not the point, count. I wish a personal answer to the letter and the common courtesy of warfare forbids this flag or myself to be treated with any disrespect. I wish to see the Czar.” “ That, I regret to say, is against the orders, general; and hay as a soldier, know that we have to obey them,” | ‘Then take me to the commanding genera} of the forces before me. I am a general-officer and have a right to treat with ny equal in rank. You bear only that of captain, I be- lieve.” “That is true, general, but I represent my general, with full powers,”’ Gabriel drew himself up pram : " ee I will go back and f will be pro- claimed throughout Europe that the Russians do not know how to respect a flag of truce. Good-day, sir.” He was turning his horse when the young captain said, smoothly. ‘Pray do not be angry, general, I think I see a way by which we can settle this matter amicably.” ‘* And what is that?” ‘‘I can conduct you to the presence of the Ataman, but it will be necessary for you to be diver and blindfolded.” ‘‘ And is Prince Platoff your nearest com- mander?” asked Gabriel. The young count laughed. ) “You must not ask questions. I will take ou there. Your man, of course, will stay here. will leave one of my sergeants with him who can talk Frenchy and he will find himself well treated, I — ’ “What, have you a sergeant who talks | French?’ asked Gabriel in wonder. Gomicbooks (E