strians, and Bavarians all put together.

"During the preceding days our officers had told us that we were
approaching Smolensko, where we should get food, fire, brandy, and shoes;
but in the meantime we were perishing in the glaciers, and continually
harassed by the Cossacks.

"We had marched for six hours without stopping to take breath, for we knew
that repose was certain death. An icy wind blew the drifting snow in our
faces, and from time to time we stumbled over the frozen corpse of a
comrade. We neither spoke nor sang, even complaints were no longer heard,
and that was a bad sign.

"I marched by the side of my captain; short, strongly built, rough, and
severe, but brave and true as the blade of his sword; we called him
'Captain Obstinate'; for when once he said a thing, it was fixed; he never
changed his opinions. He had been wounded at Wiazma, and his usually
crimson face was then ghastly pale, while a ragged white handkerchief, all
stained with blood, was bound round his head, and added to the pallor of
his countenance.

"All at once I saw him stagger on his legs like a drunken man, then fall
like a block to the ground.

"'_Morbleu!_ captain,' said I, bending over him, 'you can not remain
here.'

"'You see that I can, since I do it,' replied he, showing his legs.

"'Captain,' said I, 'you must not give way.' Lifting him in my arms, I
tried to put him on his feet. He leaned on me, and attempted to walk, but
in vain; he fell again, dragging me with him.

"'Jobin,' he said; 'all is over. Leave me here, and rejoin your company as
quickly as possible. One word before you go: at Voreppe, near Grenoble,
lives a good woman, eighty-two years of age, my--my mother. Go and see
her, embrace her for me, and tell her that--that--tell her what you will,
but give her this purse and my cross. It is all I have! Now go.'

"'Is that all, captain?'

"'That is all. God bless you! Make haste. Adieu!' My friends, I do not
know how it was, but I felt two tears roll down my cheeks.

"'No, captain,' I cried, 'I will not leave you; either you come with me,
or I will remain with you.'

"'I forbid you to remain.'

"'You may put me under arrest, then, if you like, but at present you must
let me do as I please.'

"'You are an insolent fellow.'

"'Very good, captain, but you must come with me.'

"He bit his lips with rage, but said no more.

"I lifted him, and carried him on my shoulders like a sack. You can easily
imagin