Belle-Rose — page 152: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A WHEAT AND TARES. 141 your father; he calls me his son; I have seen Pierre, who wishes to be a soldier, in order to become a captain; I have here a letter from Claudine which proves to me that I am loved as much as I love—and you ask if there are happy days in life. But itis full of them.”’ Belle-Rose smiled. | “Bah!” continued the young enthusiast, ‘Sif I ever meet another Claudine, I will give her. to you, and you will be of my opinion.’’ ‘We will look around, but while waiting to find her, you will become my brother in arms.’”’ ‘Yes, certainly; Iam a volunteer, and [intend to help you take Brussells.”’ While talking of their affairs and their hopes, the two young men had strayed from the lines. The day was warm and beautiful; they pushed on into the country. As they were entering a sunken road, a gun was fired some distance away, and the ball flattened itself against a pebble, two.steps from Belle-Rose. Cornelius rushed to the bank of the road. A light cloud of smoke was floating upon the edge of a hop field. “Oh! oh!’ he exclaimed, ‘‘those are Spanish marauders. | ‘I no longer see our camp.’’ ‘‘Let us turn back, then,’’ replied Belle-Rose; “‘swords cannot compete with muskets. ’ Profiting by the hedges and ditches, Belle-Rose and Cor- nelius gained the approaches of the camp. The first sentry was only a hundred steps away, when Belle-Rose stumbled — against a stump; at the same moment, two balls, passing above him, buried themselves in the trunk of an oak. ‘‘Lucky fall!’’ said Belle-Rose, ‘‘I owe my life to it.’’ Some soldiers ran up on hearing this last shot, but the marauders had already disappeared. They were traversing the camp when, at the turn of a street, Cornelius nudged Belle-Rose with his elbow. ‘*Look,’’ he said to him. Belle-Rose raised his eyes and saw Monsieur de Ville- _ brais passing on horseback. ‘‘T imagine that this must be the captain of the marau- ders, ’’ added Cornelius. (Ele) cComicbooks