Blucher's Pipe Master.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 200, 23 April 1887, Page 2

Bluchers Pipe Master.

Blucheu's pipe master, at the time of the [Liberation War, was Christian Hennemann, la Mecklenburger from Bostock, like Bluchor himself, and mosb devotedly attached to the field marshal He knew all the characteristic peculi arities of the old hero, and no one could so skilfully adapt himself to thorn. His duties as pipe master Henuemann discharged with a fidelity approaching fanatical zeal Before every fight, Prince Blucherusually ordered a long pipe to be filled. After smoking for a «*hort time, he gave back the lighted pipe to Hennemann, placed himself in the saddle, drew his sabre, and, with the ■ vigorous cry, "Forward, my lads !" threw himself fiercely on the foe. On tho ever- memorable day of the battle of Waterloo, Hennemann had just handed a pipe to his master, when a cannon bull struck the ground near, t?o that earth and sand covered Blucher arid his gray horse The horse made a spring to one side, and the new pipe was broken before the old hero had taken a single puff. " Fill another pipe for me," paid Blucher. " Keep it lighted, and wait for me here a moment till -I drive away the French rascals. Forward, lads !" Thereupon there wa* a rush forwards, but tbe chase lasted not merely a moment but a whole hot d>*y. At the Belle Alliance inn, which was demolished by shot, the victorious generals, Blucher and Wellington, met, and congratulated each other on the gvand -and nobly-achieved work, each pi aiding tho bravery of the other's troops. •' Your tell »ws flash in like the veiy devil himself," cried Wellington. Blucher replied, " Yes, you see that as tlieii business; but brave as they aie, I know not whether one of them would stand firmly and calmly in the midst of such a shower of bullets as your English." Wellington then asked Hlucher about his previous position, which had enabled him to execute an attack so fatal to (the enemy, Blucher, who could strike tremendous blows, but was by no means a finished orator, and could not paint his deeds in words, conducted Wellington to the place itself. They found iit deserted, but on the \ory spot where Blucher had that morning halted, and from which he had galloped away, stood a man with hia head bound up and his arm wrapped in a handkerchief. He wan smoking a long and dazzlingly white clay pipe " Gieat Heavens !" exclaimed Blucher, " that in my servant, Christian Hennemann What a strange look you have, man ? What are you doing here !" "Have you come at last?" answertd Christian, in a grumbling tone " Here have I stood the whole day waiting for you. One pipe after another has been shot away i from my mouth by the accursed French.: Once even a blue bean (bulltit) made sad; work v ith my head, and my fist had got a deuce of a smashing. This is the last whole pipe, and it is a good thing that the firing ! has ceased, otherwise the French would have knocked this pipe to pieces, and you must have stood there with a dry mouth."