Romantic History of a French Volunteer.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 53, 31 July 1885, Page 2

Romantic History of a French Volunteer.

Between three and four years ago, at the Anteail Steeplechases, a yoang volunteer belonging to the 3rd Dragoons, m garrison at Chartres, M. H. Mausse, of an old French noble family, quarrelled with one of His friends, M. de B ■, and the quarrel was followed by a duel m the Bois de'Vincenness. The result was fatal for M. de R — — , and that is why the duel was not mentioned m the papers at the time/ :M. de R— '— was shot m the breast, and M. de MaussoS himself received a bullet m the right arm. His leave of absence expiring on the evening of the day the. duel took place, he started immediately for Chartres, arid resumed his service without .mentioning the bullet he had m his arm. Next day, during a review,; he fainted from pain, and was taken to the hospital where the bullet was extracted. A few /days after he heard that M. de R— — , who was dying, wished to bid him a last farewell. ; He asked for fresh leave of absence, which was refused. In spite of that he stole away, came to Paris to embrace his dying friend, and implored his pardon. Alarmed at the consequences of his insubordination, he fled to Belgium, and thence to England, where he led a most miserable existence, bat without oeasine to ba a honest man. Like the prodigal m the New Testament, he was fain to enter the service of a pig-jobbsr. His family, to whom he had made; no sign, at length discovered him m those humiliating circumstances. The poor fellow then learnt that there was a report m his regiment that he had deserted to avoid being prosecuted for dishonesty. Thereupon he at once returned to Prance and surrendered to the military .authorities. A few days ago he was tried on the charge ef desertion by a council of war belonging to the 4th :Arjrny Corps, and fouud guilty. But his judges, moved by the narrative of his painful adventures, sentenced him only to , two years* imprisonment, the minimum penalty. Besides that, all the members of the court-martial signed a petition asking for his pardon.