〃We　have　had　some　trouble　to　bring　them　about；〃　Benassis　answered；　〃but　then；　see　what　fine　cattle　they　are！〃
  〃They　are　splendid　beasts　certainly；　you　had　good　reason　to　praise　them　to　me；〃　answered　Genestas。
  〃Now；〃　said　the　doctor；　when　he　had　mounted　his　horse　and　passed　under　the　gateway；　we　are　going　over　some　of　the　newly　cleared　waste；　and　through　the　corn　land。　I　have　christened　this　little　corner　of　our　Commune；　'La　Beauce。'　〃
  For　about　an　hour　they　rode　at　a　foot　pace　across　fields　in　a　state　of　high　cultivation；　on　which　the　soldier　complimented　the　doctor；　then　they　came　down　the　mountain　side　into　the　township　again；　talking　whenever　the　pace　of　their　horses　allowed　them　to　do　so。　At　last　they　reached　a　narrow　glen；　down　which　they　rode　into　the　main　valley。
  〃I　promised　yesterday；〃　Benassis　said　to　Genestas；　〃to　show　you　one　of　the　two　soldiers　who　left　the　army　and　came　back　to　us　after　the　fall　of　Napoleon。　We　shall　find　him　somewhere　hereabouts；　if　I　am　not　mistaken。　The　mountain　streams　flow　into　a　sort　of　natural　reservoir　or　tarn　up　here；　the　earth　they　bring　down　has　silted　it　up；　and　he　is　engaged　in　clearing　it　out。　But　if　you　are　to　take　any　interest　in　the　man；　I　must　tell　you　his　history。　His　name　is　Gondrin。　He　was　only　eighteen　years　old　when　he　was　drawn　in　the　great　conscription　of　1792；　and　drafted　into　a　corps　of　gunners。　He　served　as　a　private　soldier　in　Napoleon's　campaigns　in　Italy；　followed　him　to　Egypt；　and　came　back　from　the　East　after　the　Peace　of　Amiens。　In　the　time　of　the　Empire　he　was　incorporated　in　the　Pontoon　Troop　of　the　Guard；　and　was　constantly　on　active　service　in　Germany；　lastly　the　poor　fellow　made　the　Russian　campaign。〃
  〃We　are　brothers…in…arms　then；　to　some　extent；〃　said　Genestas；　〃I　have　made　the　same　campaigns。　Only　an　iron　frame　would　stand　the　tricks　played　by　so　many　different　climates。　My　word　for　it；　those　who　are　still　standing　on　their　stumps　after　marching　over　Italy；　Egypt；　Germany；　Portugal；　and　Russia　must　have　applied　to　Providence　and　taken　out　a　patent　for　living。〃
  〃Just　so；　you　will　see　a　solid　fragment　of　a　man；〃　answered　Benassis。　〃You　know　all　about　the　Retreat　from　Moscow；　it　is　useless　to　tell　you　about　it。　This　man　I　have　told　you　of　is　one　of　the　pontooners　of　the　Beresina；　he　helped　to　construct　the　bridge　by　which　the　army　made　the　passage；　and　stood　waist…deep　in　water　to　drive　in　the　first　piles。　General　Eble；　who　was　in　command　of　the　pontooners；　could　only　find　forty…two　men　who　were　plucky　enough；　in　Gondrin's　phrase；　to　tackle　that　business。　The　general　himself　came　down　to　the　stream　to　hearten　and　cheer　the　men；　promising　each　of　them　a　pension　of　a　thousand　francs　and　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　The　first　who　went　down　into　the　Beresina　had　his　leg　taken　off　by　a　block　of　ice；　and　the　man　himself　was　washed　away；　but　you　will　better　understand　the　difficulty　of　the　task　when　you　hear　the　end　of　the　story。　Of　the　forty…two　volunteers；　Gondrin　is　the　only　one　alive　to…day。　Thirty…nine　of　them　lost　their　lives　in　the　Beresina；　and　the　two　others　died　miserably　in　a　Polish　hospital。
  〃The　poor　fellow　himself　only　returned　from　Wilna　in　1814；　to　find　the　Bourbons　restored　to　power。　General　Eble　（of　whom　Gondrin　cannot　speak　without　tears　in　his　eyes）　was　dead。　The　pontooner　was　deaf；　and　his　health　was　shattered；　and　as　he　could　neither　read　nor　write；　he　found　no　one　left　to　help　him　or　to　plead　his　cause。　He　begged　his　way　to　Paris；　and　while　there　made　application　at　the　War　Office；　not　for　the　thousand　francs　of　extra　pension　which　had　been　promised　to　him；　nor　yet　for　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　but　only　for　the　bare　pension　due　to　him　after　twenty…two　years　of　service；　and　I　do　not　know　how　many　campaigns。　He　did　not　obtain　his　pension　or　his　traveling　expenses；　he　did　not　even　receive　his　arrears　of　pay。　He　spent　a　year　in　making　fruitless　solicitations；　holding　out　his　hands　in　vain　to　those　whom　he　had　saved；　and　at　the　end　of　it　he　came　back　here；　sorely　disheartened　but　resigned　to　his　fate。　This　hero　unknown　to　fame　does　draining　work　on　the　land；　for　which　he　is　paid　ten　sous　the　fathom。　He　is　accustomed　to　working　in　a　marshy　soil；　and　so；　as　he　says；　he　gets　jobs　which　no　one　else　cares　to　take。　He　can　make　about　three　francs　a　day　by　clearing　out　ponds；　or　draining　meadows　that　lie　under　water。　His　deafness　makes　him　seem　surly；　and　he　is　not　naturally　inclined　to　say　very　much；　but　there　is　a　good　deal　in　him。
  〃We　are　very　good　friends。　He　dines　with　me　on　the　day　of　Austerlitz；　on　the　Emperor's　birthday；　and　on　the　anniversary　of　the　disaster　at　Waterloo；　and　during　the　dessert　he　always　receives　a　napoleon　to　pay　for　his　wine　very　quarter。　Every　one　in　the　Commune　shares　in　my　feeling　of　respect　for　him；　if　he　would　allow　them　to　support　him；　nothing　would　please　them　better。　At　every　house　to　which　he　goes　the　people　follow　my　example；　and　show　their　esteem　by　asking　him　to　dine　with　them。　It　is　a　feeling　of　pride　that　leads　him　to　work；　and　it　is　only　as　a　portrait　of　the　Emperor　that　he　can　be　induced　to　take　my　twenty…franc　piece。　He　has　been　deeply　wounded　by　the　injustice　that　has　been　done　to　him；　but　I　think　regret　for　the　Cross　is　greater　than　the　desire　for　his　pension。
  〃He　has　one　great　consolation。　After　the　bridges　had　been　constructed　across　the　Beresina；　General　Eble　presented　such　of　the　pontooners　as　were　not　disabled　to　the　Emperor；　and　Napoleon　embraced　poor　Gondrin　perhaps　but　for　that　accolade　he　would　have　died　ere　now。　This　memory　and　the　hope　that　some　day　Napoleon　will　return　are　all　that　Gondrin　lives　by。　Nothing　will　ever　persuade　him　that　Napoleon　is　dead；　and　so　convinced　is　he　that　the　Emperor's　captivity　is　wholly　and　solely　due　to　the　English；　that　I　believe　he　would　be　ready　on　the　slightest　pretext　to　take　the　life　of　the　best…natured　alderman　that　ever　traveled　for　pleasure　in　foreign　parts。〃
  〃Let　us　go　on　as　fast　as　possible！〃　cried　Genestas。　He　had　listened　to　the　doctor's　story　with　rapt　attention；　and　now　seemed　to　recover　consciousness　of　his　surroundings。　〃Let　us　hurry！　I　long　to　see　that　man！〃
  Both　of　them　put　their　horses　to　a　gallop。
  〃The　other　soldier　that　I　spoke　of；〃　Benassis　went　on；　〃is　another　of　those　men　of　iron　who　have　knocked　about　everywhere　with　our　armies。　His　life；　like　that　of　all　French　soldiers；　has　been　made　up　of　bullets；　sabre　strokes；　and　victories；　he　has　had　a　very　rough　time　of　it；　and　has　only　worn　the　woolen　epaulettes。　He　has　a　fanatical　affection　for　Napoleon；　who　conferred　the　Cross　upon　him　on　the　field　of　Valontina。　He　is　of　a　jovial　turn　of　mind；　and　like　a　genuine　Dauphinois；　has　always　looked　after　his　own　interests；　has　his　pension；　and　the　honors　of　the　Legion。　Goguelat　is　his　name。　He　was　an　infantry　man；　who　exchanged　into　the　Guard　in　1812。　He　is　Gondrin's　better　half；　so　to　speak；　for　the　two　have　taken　up　house　together。　They　both　lodge　with　a　peddler's　widow；　and　make　over　their　money　to　her。　She　is　a　kind　soul；　who　boards　them　and　looks　after　them；　and　their　clothes　as　if　they　were　her　children。
  〃In　his　quality　of　local　postman；　Goguelat　carries　all　the　news　of　the　countryside；　and　a　good　deal　of　practice　acquired　in　this　way　has　made　him　an　orator　in　great　request　at　up…sittings；　and　the　champion　teller　of　stories　in　the　district。　Gondrin　looks　upon　him　as　a　very　knowing　fellow；　and　something　of　a　wit；　and　whenever　Goguelat　talks　about　Napoleon；　his　comrade　seems　to　understand　what　he　is　saying　from　the　movement　of　his　lips。　There　will　be　an　up…sitting　（as　they　call　it）　in　one　of　my　barns　to…night。　If　these　two　come　over　to　it；　and　we　can　manage　to　see　without　being　seen；　I　shall　treat　you　to　a　view　of　the　spectacle。　But　here　we　are；　close　to　the　ditch；　and　I　do　not　see　my　friend　the　pontooner。〃
  The　doctor　and　the　commandant　looked　everywhere　about　them；　Gondrin's　soldier's　coat　lay　there　beside　a　heap　of　black　mud；　and　his　wheelbarrow；　spade；　and　pickaxe　were　visible；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　the　man　himself　along　the　various　pebbly　watercourses；　for　the　wayward　mountain　streams　had　hollowed　out　channels　that　were　almost　overgrown　with　low　bushes。
  〃He　cannot　be　so　very　far　away。　Gondrin！　Where　are　you？〃　shouted　Benassis。
  Genestas　first　saw　the　curling　smoke　from　a　tobacco　pipe　rise　among　the　brushwood　on　a　bank　of　rubbish　not　far　away。　He　pointed　it　out　to　the　doctor；　who　shouted　again。　The　old　pontooner　raised　his　head　at　this；　recognized　the　mayor；　and　came　towards　them　down　a　little　pathway。
  〃Well；　old　friend；〃　said　Benassis；　making　a　sort　of　speaking…trumpet　with　his　hand。　〃Here　is　a　comrade　of　yours；　who　was　out　in　Egypt；　come　to　see　you。〃
  Gondrin　raised　is　face　at　once　and　gave　Genestas　a　swift；　keen；　and　searching　look；　one　of　those　glances　by　which　old　soldiers　are　wont　at　once　to　take　the　measure　of　any　impending　danger。　He　saw　the　red　ribbon　that　the　commandant　wore；　and　made　a　silent　and　respectful　military　salute。
  〃If　the　Little　Corporal　were　alive；〃　the　officer　cried；　〃you　would　have　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor　and　a　handsome　pension　besides；　for　every　man　who　wore　epaulettes　on　the　other　side　of　the　river　owed　his　life　to　you　on　the　1st　of　October　1812。　But　I　am　no