remember that a Russian soldier is
not a robber, but a Christian. Now, go and tell your comrades what I
have said!"

A few days later a great battle took place, in which the day went
against the French, who began to retreat about sunset; and a soldier
named Ivan Mitrophanoff, who had distinguished himself by his bravery
throughout the whole day, captured, with the help of a comrade who was
with him, a French officer and two of his men. Mitrophanoff bound up
the officer's wounded arm, and seeing that the prisoners appeared
faint from want of food, shared with them the coarse rye loaf which
was to have served him for supper. He had scarcely done so, when up
came three or four Russian grenadiers, hot with fighting, and raising
furious cries.

"What," cried they, "three of these French dogs living yet!" and they
ran upon the prisoners with levelled bayonets.

"Hold, my lads!" cried Mitrophanoff. "I've given them their lives, and
no one must touch them now!"

But the soldiers would not listen to him, and were rushing forward,
when a stern voice from behind shouted, "Halt!" and a little,
pugnosed, dirty-faced man, dressed only in a coarse linen shirt and a
pair of tattered gray trousers, stepped into the circle. But, ragged
and dirty as he was, the fierce soldiers could not have looked more
frightened had he been a giant in full armor.

"The general!" muttered they, slinking off.

"Ay, the general!" roared Suvaroff, "who will have some of you shot
presently, if you can't learn to obey orders better! And you," he
added, turning to Mitrophanoff, "who taught you to be so good?"

"Your highness' own self taught me," answered the grenadier. "I
haven't forgotten what you told us last week--that a Russian soldier
is not a robber, but a Christian!"

"Right!" exclaimed Suvaroff, with a brightening face. "A good word is
never lost, you see. Give me your hand, my lad; you shall be a
sergeant to-morrow, and a right good one you'll make!"

And the next day he made good his word.

[Decoration]

PONTO.

Our dog Ponto is a knowing old fellow. It is as good as a show to
watch him sometimes. He has one quality that most of us might seek
after with advantage--that is, a will to overcome difficulties that
scarcely anything can hinder. If Ponto takes it into his head to do
anything, he is pretty sure to succeed. What helps his dogship is the
faculty of imitation. He is like a monkey in this, only a great deal
more sensibl