Part 19 (2/2)

”And that was Italy, was it?” said the scholar.

”Yes; that was Italy,” the veteran replied. ”It was there we were going; and, with our Little Corporal to lead us, turned everything into victory.”

”Tell us of it, Father Nonesuch,” demanded the youngster.

”Yes; tell us of it,” echoed the younger veterans, their scarred old faces full of interest and excitement. ”I will, my children. It was thus, you see,”--puff--puff, ”eh--Stephen, fill my pipe again!”

So Stephen filled the old fellow's pipe again, and set it aglow; and all the others waited, silently watchful, until, after a few puffs and whiffs, the old veteran began again.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

”LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!”

”It was thus, you see,” said old Nonesuch, crossing his legs--the wooden one over the good one. ”At that time our army in Italy was dest.i.tute of everything. We had nothing--no bread, no ammunition, no shoes, no coats.

Ah, it was a poor army we were then! The people at Paris, called the Directory, were worried over our condition. The army must have bread, ammunition, shoes, coats, they said. We must send one to look after this. And, as I told you, they sent Napoleon. It was in March, in the year 1796, that he came to us at Nice. We were near by, in camp at Abbenya. There the new general held his first review. He looked at us; he pitied us. 'Soldiers!' he said to us, 'you are naked; you are badly fed. The government owes you much; it can give you nothing. You are in need of everything,--boots, bread, soup! Well, I will lead you into the most fertile plains in the world. I have come to take you into a country where you will find everything in plenty,--dollars, cattle, roast-meat, salads, honor, palaces, what you will. Soldiers of Italy, how do you like that?'”

”Ah! but that was grand,” cried the youngster; ”and you said?”

”We said, 'How do we like it, my general? Ten thousand bullets! March you at our head, and you will see how we like it.' His words gave us new heart; his promises seemed already to clothe us. We were ragged and tired; but it seemed, after that speech, as if we walked on air, and were dressed in silken robes. Forward, march! Boom--boom--boom! Ta-ra, ta-ra-ra! Hear the drums! See us marching! We marched through the day; we marched through the night. We were faint with hunger, but we marched.

We were at Montenotte on the eleventh of April. We whacked the Austrians,--famous men, nevertheless; well furnished, good fighters!

But, bah! what was that to us? We whacked them at Montenotte. They ran; we after them. We fell upon then at Millesimo, at Dego, at Mondovi, at Cherasco. We had a taste of the glory of being conquerors. We routed the Austrians in those fights that were called 'the Five Days' Campaign.' We had brave generals with us; and we had Napoleon! From the heights of Ceva he showed us the plains of Italy,--the rich, well-watered land which he had promised us. Then we crossed the Alps. Mighty mountains!

Bah! what of that? We were Frenchmen; we had Napoleon! We turned the flank of the Alps. We fought at Fombio; we fought on the bridge of Lodi; we marched into Milan. We were Frenchmen; we had Napoleon! In fact, we conquered Italy! We fought at Arcola; we conquered at Rivoli. Then who so great as the Little Corporal? We planted the eagles upon the lion of Saint Mark, at Venice--a famous lion, nevertheless. But who could resist us? We had Napoleon! Then we returned to Toulon. Then Napoleon said, 'Soldiers! two years ago you had nothing. I made promises to you; have I kept them?'--'You have; you have, my general!' every man of us shouted.

'Will you follow me again?' said Napoleon. 'To the death, my general!'

we shouted once more. Behold us now embarked in s.h.i.+ps. 'And now, what place are we to conquer?' we asked our generals. 'Egypt,' they answered.

'It is well,' we said. 'We will go to Egypt; we will take Egypt.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”_What fates, my comrades!”--A Review Day under the First Empire (From the Painting by H. Bellange_)]

”My faith! but you were brave, you old soldiers,” cried the youngster with enthusiasm. ”But think of it, then! To Egypt!”

”Well, we took Egypt,” resumed old Nonesuch. ”We were Frenchmen. We had Napoleon! And after that we undertook another little campaign in Italy.

Then we returned to France, our beautiful France, to install ourselves in the Tuileries. Eh!”--puff--puff,--”Light my pipe, Stephen!”

And Stephen again lighted the old veteran's pipe.

”Yes; in the Tuileries”--puff--puff. ”We gave ourselves up to _fetes_.

Ah! there were grand times--each one finer than the other. One might call them _fetes_ indeed! Death of my life! Who was it said just now that the emperor was a man? Why, look you! his enemies--those villains of traitors--tried to kill him. They plotted against him. But, bah! they could not. He rode over infernal machines as if they were roses. They could not kill him. Those things are for men--for little kings. He was Napoleon!”

”And at last he was crowned emperor,” suggested the youngster.

”Yes; on the second of December, in the year 1804,” answered old Nonesuch. ”And the Pope himself came from Rome to consecrate our emperor. Ah, then, what _fetes_, my comrades! what _fetes_ and _fetes_ and _fetes_! It rained kings on all sides.”

”But there came an end of _fetes_” said the scholar, who read in books and newspapers.

”Well, what would you have?--always feasting? Perhaps you think that our emperor once an emperor, would rest at home. Yes? Well, that would have been good for you and me; but he had still to undertake battles and victories,--battles and victories; they were the same thing! We were at Austerlitz; there I left this leg. At Jena; there I dropped this hand.

Then came the peace, made upon the raft at Tilsit; then the war in Spain--a villanous war, and one I did not like at all. Napoleon was not there. Where he was not, the sun did not s.h.i.+ne. Then we returned to Paris. The emperor married a grand princess. He had a son--a baby son--the King of Rome! Then, too, what _fetes!_ A fine child the King of Rome! I saw him often in his little goat-carriage at the Tuileries. I do not know what has become of him. They say he is dead; but I do not believe that, any more than I believe that my emperor is dead. Two deaths? Bah! old women's stories,--witch stories, good only to frighten children to sleep. When my emperor and his son come back, we shall be amazed that we ever believed them dead!”

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