If I had fill'd a nook within her breast, Flocks, wander where ye like, I dinna care, PATIE. E'en do sae, Roger, wha can help misluck? Saebeins she be sic a thrawn-gabbit chuck,Yonder's a craig, since ye have tint all houp, Gae till't your ways, and take the lover's lowp! ROGER. I needna mak sic speed my blood to spill; I'll warrant death come soon enough a-will. PATIE. Daft gowk! leave aff that silly whingin way Seem careless,-there's my hand ye'll win the day. Hear how I serv'd my lass I looe as weel snaw. Her cockernony snooded up fou sleek, Her haffet locks hang waving on her cheek; "Then, fare ye weel, Meg-dorts; and e'en's ye like!" I careless cry'd, and lap in o'er the dyke. I leugh; and sae did she; then with great haste While hard and fast I held her in my gripe, Gae woo anither, and she'll gang clean wood. THE RED HOUSE. A REMINISCENCE OF THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR. BY ALEXANDER WEIMANN. We had taken part in one of the bloodiest battles before Metz. It was only in the afternoon that our company came into action, the men cheering during the whole time of our advance, and we had suffered not unimportant losses from the incredibly long-range chassepots, despite the fact that we had not seen a single Frenchman. We were, therefore, by no means ill-pleased when we read an anonymous account of the action in one of the papers, where we were described as veritable heroes. At first we did not know to whom we were indebted for this glorification, but at last we discovered the author in the person of a one-year volunteer, whom I will call Fritz. The acting sergeant-major of the company, who thought that his own deeds had been too lightly passed over in this fanciful sketch, conceived a secret grudge for our volunteer, and brooded vengeance. Fritz could not be accused of having made use of the frequent repetition of the word "I" in his account of the battle; but, truth to tell, although he possessed, doubtless, a large amount of moral courage, his behaviour showed that he held it to be far sweeter to live for his country than pro patria mori; and when the command had been given for us to advance to the inner circle of investment, which formed a ring of iron round the city, he found it a far from comfortable occupation thus to approach the fortress step by step. Although he wore a careless and courageous expression enough, still he often had recourse to his handkerchief to wipe the heavy drops of perspiration from his forehead, remarking each time to his companion by his side, "How fearfully hot it Students from the university, and other educated young men who are able to pass a standard examination, only serve one year in the Prussian army, and are termed, somewhat inaptly, "volunteers." THE RED HOUSE. is to-day!" The acting sergeant-major had not failed to observe this, and busied himself with painting in the most vivid manner the dangers of the new situation to the poor young fellow. The company was posted in the second line, and took up its quarters in a charming little village. At the entrance of the place lay a dead horse. "Look at that, Fritz," said the sergeantmajor, in a mischievous way. "Shell wounds." Fritz turned away from the horrible sight. "Only think of their being able to shoot as far as this!" "We are under fire from three sides at this point," replied the sergeant-major. And at that very moment a distant muffled bang was heard, and in a little while there came a shell whistling and hissing over the village, bursting with a fearful detonation. "There," said the sergeant-major, "you can write an account of that to-morrow, telling how well we maintained our coolness and sangfroid during a heavy fire of shells." The volunteer looked rather uncomfortable. The company was billeted in the village, and presently there arrived at the place a sutler, who, ignorant of the danger, set up his store in the middle of the main street. With incredible rapidity the report spread of there being a cask of beer in the place, and in less than ten minutes all who had money and thirst— and there was seldom a scarcity of either-had collected round the barrel, from which the speculator was dispensing the frothy drink in very small glasses for very large coins. The sergeant-major had hurried along the street in double quick time to secure a share of the liquor, when suddenly there came another shell which lodged in the very same street in which the beer was being retailed. He stood still, appeared to cogitate for a moment, and then ran swiftly back again. I could not understand his behaviour at first until I saw him return presently arm in arm with the volunteer, whose face bore the expression of a martyr. "Glorious!' I heard the sergeant-major say. 301 The sutler wanted to be off, but to this none of those around would listen. He could go away if he liked, but the cask must remain. He turned pale, and shook with fear; but he remained. His thirst for money outweighed his fear of death. With real satanic enjoyment the sergeant-major watched the volunteer, who wished the sutler and his beer at Jericho. The company had lain in the village a couple of days, when the order came to take up an advanced post nearer the city. "We shall have to creep under the very guns of St. Quentin," said the sergeant-major to Fritz. "It's a shame to be thus treated as food for powder." "That it is," said Fritz, from his very soul; 'upon my word, it is a shame." The sergeant-major laughed outright, and then turned on his heel and went off. The volunteer looked after him amazed. When the company fell in, early in the morning, to take up their position, it was still night. The strictest silence was enjoined, and right across the muddy fields marched the dark line, straight towards the fortress. When dawn began to break, there was seen in the gray of the morning a dark, threatening object, rising up like a tremendous rock. It was the Fort St. Quentin, standing up proud and unattainable, a perpendicular mass of stone. The sergeant-major, with his party, of which Fritz was one, moved through a little wood, and as they came out from the trees there arose before them, as if out of the ground, a number of dark forms. It was the party to be relieved. Maintaining the strictest silence they came out of the trenches, where they had been lying, and retreated into the wood; but, notwithstanding all this caution, the change seemed to be remarked in the fortress. A number of shots were at once fired, the rattling discharge being followed by the whistling of bullets. The relief threw themselves quickly into the trench. Goodness knows, it was a miserable shelter. The trench was deep enough to cover the besiegers, but there was a foot of muddy slime and six inches of water to be taken into the bargain. Shivering in every limb, one could feel the water slowly penetrate one's clothes; and, with a deep sigh, every one submitted himself to his fate, to remain four-and-twenty "Really glorious to drink cool beer from the barrel and listen meanwhile to Bazaine playing his great solo on the twenty centimetre cannons opposite. There, do you hear their long-drawn tones-ds-chingggnnnnn-hours in the compulsory bath. Quite plainly capital, glorious!" A shell flew meanwhile with fearful din across the street, and buried itself in the ground at the further end of it. The volunteer looked as if he, too, would gladly have burrowed himself into the earth. could the cathedral clock in Metz be heard striking the hour of four, and more plainly still did the rocky walls of St. Quentin rise up before us. The fortress was so near that it seemed threatening to fall upon us. When he had finished the meal the sergeantmajor approached and whispered: "I have a plan for to-night." The sun came up blood-red over the horizon, | rays perpendicular from the sky; so that it was and diffused the thick fog upon the ground. quite refreshing to sit in the water in the Over the railway dam which protected the trench. enemy's foreposts, scarcely seven hundred paces distant, and parallel with our trenches, was to be seen the glitter of the French bayonets in the sunshine. Between the dam and the trench was disputed ground, and here stood a house built in an ornamental way of red brick. Upon the height around St. Quentin the wide-sounding réveille could be heard, and bivouac fires flared up here and there. The party found themselves in a very exposed position. The volunteer, in a frosty state, had laid down, heroically unmindful of future rheumatism, at the bottom of the ditch, and leaned, tired and exhausted, against one of the sides. Even the discomforts of such a position could not drive away slumber. Fritz fell asleep, and along the whole line could be heard a deep snoring chorus. Since the party had taken shelter in the trench, no more shots came from the fortress. The sun rose higher in the cloudless sky-the day promised to be a hot one. It might have been about three o'clock in the afternoon when the sergeant-major cautiously glided through the wood to bring the volunteer a kettle of pea-soup. He paused frequently on his dangerous path to give a look at the groups of sleeping soldiers. All of them lay up to the knees in slimy water, their rifles pushed over the edge of the trench, their bodies supported against the side of the ditch, the head hanging heavily down upon the stock of the gun, which, even in sleep, was still tightly grasped. Many a mother, many a bride, would no doubt have turned from this picture of repose with tearful eyes, and yet the rest was sweet and welcome to the sleepers. The sergeant-major, despite his feeling for vengeance, had some pity for the young volunteer, and hesitated to wake him. He tapped him gently on the shoulder. The volunteer simply turned round on to the other side; so the sergeant-major, who had crawled along on his knees, laid down at full length, and, putting his mouth to Fritz's ear, said, in a voice of the deepest bass, "Shells!" Fritz jumped up wildly, and crack-crackcrack was heard opposite, as several bullets whistled through the wood overhead. Fritz ducked again, and seemed utterly dazed at the scene before him. His face, however, brightened up when the sergeant-major handed him the steaming tin of soup, which he proceeded forthwith to discuss with all the symptoms of a youthful appetite. The sun now sent its hot The volunteer gazed at him in open astonishment, for his past experiences had caused him to look upon the sergeant-major's plans with some misgivings. "You see that red house over there?" said the latter. Fritz nodded, although from his concealed position he could see nothing but the sky and the trench. "The lieutenant, whom we relieved just now, solemnly assured me that he was in that house last night, and that there is some capital red wine in the cellar. The house lies in between the two fires, so that nobody likes to venture into it. We will make a patrol to-night in that direction, and provision ourselves with some of the liquor." The volunteer cautiously put up his head and looked over at the red house. "Sergeant-major," he replied nervously, "it is not worth the risk." "Oh yes, it is, well worth. Keep your mouth shut, so that nobody remarks anything. I will fetch you at a favourable moment." And then the sergeant-major glided again into the wood and crawled back to his place. "What madness this is!" thought the volunteer to himself, as soon as his awful friend had gone away. "Save us from our friends!" So saying, he leaned back in the trench, and brought out of his pocket a cigar, all wet and soppy, which he tried to light up. His immediate neighbour, a sergeant of the company, watched with some interest the efforts made to light the damp weed. "It defends itself well," he said goodnaturedly, "put it in the sun to dry a bit." The volunteer did as he was advised. The sergeant filled a pipe, lighted it without difficulty, and handed it in a friendly manner to Fritz, who, quite overcome by the kindness, accepted it thankfully, and forthwith began to smoke. The sergeant approached him nearer: "What was it the sergeant-major was saying to you just now about some wine?" he asked confidentially. "Well," replied Fritz, feeling himself under an obligation for the pipe. "Well, as you have heard something of it, I may as well tell you, but for goodness sake don't let anybody know." "Of course not." THE RED HOUSE. "The sergeant-major was saying that in the | red house over there," he pointed with his pipe over his shoulder, "there was some capital red wine, and he has conceived the mad idea of going over there to-night, with me, to fetch some of it." The sergeant listened attentively. "Well, I won't say anything," he said very earnestly; "but I would not believe the story if I were you. I have heard that at night the house is full of French." "Ah, it only wanted that," said Fritz; "but what can I do? When the sergeant-major has taken anything into his head, he is as stubborn as a mule." The sergeant shook his head. "Try to dissuade him from it; it is nothing more than suicide." The volunteer swore an oath that he would not make one of the party. The sun sank slowly in the west. In an hour's time Fritz was successful in lighting his cigar. He regarded dreamily the thin blue smoke that came from the dried leaves. Then he enjoyed another spell of sleep, and awoke only as the last rays of the sun fell red and golden upon the copse behind. On the heights the bivouac fires were once more to be seen, and from the French camp the wind bore across sounds of songs and laughter. The clock of the cathedral struck ten. One after another of the men rose under the protection of darkness, and came out of the ditch to stretch their stiffened limbs. The volunteer also stood up, and felt himself touched on the shoulder. The sergeant-major stood beside him. "It is time," he said. "One word, sergeant-major," said Fritz, as he followed a few paces into the wood. "You know how glad I am to take part in the proposed expedition; but " The darkness concealed the ironical smile that suffused the sergeant-major's counten ance. "But, on mature consideration, I feel myself compelled to advise you to relinquish the plan; the house is said to be occupied by the French at night, and we ought not to put ourselves in danger of being taken prisoners for the sake of a bottle of wine." "Nonsense," replied the sergeant-major, "the lieutenant was in the house only last night; besides we have a double reason for going. Our purpose is not to fetch a bottle of wine, but to go as a patrol to reconnoitre the advanced posts of the enemy, and should we stumble across a little wine, why, we may bring it back with us. You haven't said a | 303 word to anybody, I hope," he continued, mistrustfully. "Certainly not," replied Fritz. "Leave your gun here; it may be in the way, and catch hold of this revolver. I have another. It is loaded, so be careful." Fritz took the revolver and submitted with as good a grace as possible. "Forwards then, sergeant-major," he said, with desperate resolve. "I wash my hands of the matter.' "Wash away, if you like," replied the sergeant-major drily, stepping out. The darkness was perfect; the sky being overcast with clouds. As they arrived at the double line of sentries they were challenged. They replied, and gave the countersign, and then passed through the outposts, stepping out silently towards the enemy. Presently the sergeantmajor stood still. "Don't you hear something?" he whispered. "No," replied Fritz, passing his hand over his perspiring forehead. "Lie down!" called out his companion, softly, but energetically. His sharp ear had caught the sound of footsteps. Both laid down upon the ground. One of the enemy's patrols passed by, within five-andtwenty paces, chatting gaily as they moved along. "Shall we go any further?" asked Fritz, nervously. The sergeant-major gave a short impatient laugh. "Do you think we are going back now that we are quite certain not to meet another hostile patrol?" The volunteer could scarcely contain an oath as they went forward into the dark night. At last there arose before them in vague outlines the dark mass of the house. Cautiously they advanced and listened. No sound could they hear. They felt along the walls till they came to the door. "Will you keep watch outside, or come in with me?" said the sergeant-major. "I'll come with you," whispered Fritz. He would not have remained alone for the wealth of both the Indies. The door opened with a creak, and deeper darkness than that outside yawned upon them in the ill-fated house. "Wait a moment; I'll get a light," said Fritz's companion. "Here in the second room must be the entrance to the cellar," said the sergeant-major, stepping quickly through the open door. He struck a second match, and here also all was desolation. At the further end was the trap-door leading to the cellar. The sergeantmajor stood still a moment and remained attentively listening. Then he slowly and carefully descended the stairs, followed by the volunteer. Once more the sergeant-major struck a light. Fragments of bottles covered the floor; three walls were bare; but there—his heart beat high with glee-there against that wall were a heap of red-sealed bottles. "Hurrah! what do you say to that, Fritz?" "Capital!" said Fritz, in a particularly tremulous tone. In a second the sergeant-major was on that side of the cellar, striking another match to ascertain his whereabouts, and throwing it away immediately afterwards. He laid his revolver upon the ground, and took hold of a couple of bottles. "Come here, Fritz." He slipped the two bottles under the volunteer's left arm, and two others under his right. He was about to reach forward again to the heap, when he drew back frightened. The jarring of the house-door had penetrated to his "Hush!" he cried. ears. Fritz gave a start, and pressed the bottles nervously to his side, so as not to let them fall. Heavy footsteps were heard in the room above. Several men entered noisily into the second room-their weapons clattered. The sergeant-major bent down softly to pick up his revolver. He felt here and there with his hand, but could not find it. He forgot that he had turned round. Perspiration came out upon his forehead in big drops. "Make ready!" he whispered, in a low voice, to the volunteer. "I have got the bottles under my arm," returned Fritz, in desperation. Above, a conversation was going on in an undertone; then a light was struck. A bright ray fell through the cellar-door upon the damp and shining cellar walls. Then all was dark again, the steps approached the trap-door-the party consisting apparently of three or four men. The sergeant-major felt again in vain for his weapon, then bent down over the volunteer, and wrenched the revolver from the latter. "Better dead than a prisoner!" he hissed between his teeth. Fritz shook so much, that the bottles under his arms clinked together. Feet were heard descending the cellar steps. The sergeantmajor made an energetic step forward, and thundered Halt!" in a lion's voice. At the same instant a match was struck, and then thrown away in fright. A rifle was noisily cocked. The blue flame from the match continued to burn on the ground, and threw its ghostly light upon the shining helmets and red collars of Prussian uniforms. "Halt-halt!" called out the sergeant"Friend." major. "It's me, sergeant-major," said an astonished voice from above. "Thank Heaven!" breathed the volunteer. "Is that you, sergeant?" cried the sergeantmajor, greatly relieved. "At your service." "What a cunning fellow," murmured the volunteer. The sergeant-major was too overjoyed to listen to the sergeant's story; who had, so he explained, been secretly patrolling, and incidentally came past the red house. Well laden with bottles, they set out on their return, and reached the line of sentries without further mishap. While emptying the bottles, quoth the sergeant-major: "Well, Fritz, the wine is good, but we won't venture again, I think." The volunteer only said "No," but this "no" was the expression of his firm and honest conviction.-Translated by H. Baden Pritchard from Erinnerungen aus dem letzen Kriege. CLEONE TO ASPASIA. BY WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR, A little while and then... Ah, Youth! Youth! Youth! -The Hellenice. |