The Strand Magazine : an illustrated monthly. Vol. 1, no. 1, January 1891 / edited by George Newnes.
- Date:
- 1891
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The Strand Magazine : an illustrated monthly. Vol. 1, no. 1, January 1891 / edited by George Newnes. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![coul :i meant get somebody Avas stirring m the basement. I had a bench down there at which I used to amuse myself on Sundays. So I told the child to wait for me, and Avent doAvn. “No sooner had 1 opened the door than a great hulking soldier of William’s army rose groAvling from the shavings and came at me, his eyes starting from his head, saA'earing strange oaths which I did not understand. ] perceive that the hrute mischief, for at the first Avord that 1 attempted to speak he began to draAV his SAvord. ‘‘ My blood boiled in a second. All the bilj which had been aroused during the pievious hour or so rushed to my face. J seized the bench^iron and struck him AA^ith it. You knoAV, my lads, Avhether my fist is usually a light one, but it seemed to me that that day I had a thunderbolt at the end of my arm. At the first bloAv the Prussian measured his length upon the floor. I thought he Avas only stunned. Ah! well, yes! But All I had to do Avas to clear out, to myself out of the pickle. “ It seemed queer to me, AA^ho had never killed anything—not even a lark in my life, to see the great body lying there. My faith ! but he AA^as a fine fair¬ haired felloAv, Avith a curly beard like deal shavings. My legs trembled as I looked— and noAv the brat upstairs Avas beginning to feel lonely, and to yell out, ‘ Papa, papa ! ’ at the top of his voice. 1 here Avere some Prussians passing along the road. I could see their sabres and their long legs through the casement of the under¬ ground room. Suddenly the idea struck me—‘ If they enter the child is lost.’ That was enough. I trembled no longer. In a second I dragged the corpse under the bench, covered it AAnth planks and shavino-s and hurried up the stairs to join the child.’ “ ‘ Here I am ! ’ I said. ‘ What is the matter, pa]ia ? you are ! ’ “ 'Come, let us get on ! ’ “ I declare to you that the might hustle me, or regard me Avith sus¬ picion, but I Avould not take any notice of t em. It seemed that some one AA^as run¬ ning after me, and crying out behind us all ie time. Once Avhen a horseman came galloping up, I thought I Avould have fallen a k How pale Cossacki 1 RAISED HI.M OR MV RACK.” doAAni in a faint ! HoAvever, after 1 ha passed the bridges I began to pull myse togethei. Saint Denis AA^as full of people Phere AA^as no risk of our being fished ou of the croAvd. I hen I only thought of ou little cottage. The Prussians Avould surel hum it Avhen they found their comrade, ti sa)/ nothing of the risk of Jaquot, my neigh hour, the AA’ater-bailiff, aaT'o, being the onh brenchman left in the hamlet, Avould b( held responsible for the dead soldier Pruly it AA'as scarcely plucky to saA^^e mysel in such a AAay ! “I felt that I must arrange for the con c>..^alment of the body somehoAA! The nearei ye came to Paris the closer I cherished thii idea. I could not leave that Prussian ir my basement. So at the ramparts I hesi¬ tated no lono'er.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b3047940x_0068.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
