THE MAN WHO WOULD NOT BE A SOLDIER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 991, 4 February 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE MAN WHO WOULD NOT BE A SOLDIER.

Romain Bisson was a fisher of Etretat', and had been accustomed from infancy to range these'shores in search of shell-fish, and to gather the sea-wrack in order'to make soda—the latter, in these days, a thriving branoh of industry. His solitary life, the habit of 'constant communion - with wild nature, joined to the semi-barbarous habits of his parents,'made him a sombre and moody man while still very young, He had no friends save his parents, he made no' acquaintances, but kept all his brother fishers at a distance. He had nover rambled beyond these cliffs, and knew nothing of the

great world that lay around him, :At the beginning of the present, century came the imperial conscription, and Romain was ordered to leave Etretat and fight for his country. The other conscripts were gay as larks at the prospect, for Frenchmen are soldiers by instinct; but it was far otherwise with Romain. He was no coward, but one whose wild daring had on more than one occasion filled the fishers with wonder; yet the thought of quitting mother and father, and these wild waves that were his only; playmates, was more than he could bear, He would rather leap from the heights and ■ die. Encouraged by his parents, he took refuge in a hole midway down the cliffs, arid so evaded those who were searching for him high and low, His parents, ..at dead of night, let down provision! to him by a cord, and supplied him, moreover, with )vood for firing, The lad tolerated,. his ; solitary quarters, and remained in, them throughout the course of a- whole year, 1813, One night, however, some fishers,in a sailingboat, returning from the open channel, perceived to their astonishment a bright light in the centrr of the cliffs, Crossing themselves and calling on the Virgin, they spoke of what they had seen, and were speedily confirmed by othevß who had had the same experience. The coastguards, hearing of the affair, 'suspected a nest of contrabandists, and kept sharp watch. It was soon discovered whose hands lit the fire, and the news spread that Romain was - living in t the. ;cave. The authorities flocked to.the foot of,the cave, They summoned him with a speaking-trum-pet to come down, "I will never be a soldier I" he Bhoufced back, They threatened, if he did not descend,' to take him I by force andhave him shot, "Good,", he returned; "I would rather die than:be a soldier.''! They attempted to ascend,, but .in vain; ■ and of what good were ['ladders to - reach .a. height of two hundred feet.' ■ Certain daring' men volunteered to go down by ropes from the top. of the cliff; but Romain seized and shook the cords, and they desisted just in .time to save their necks. .They began cutting steps below; but a shower of huge stones soon made, them give.up the attempt in despair, ~ They rushed to the smis-p&fet, "Theexample is a dangerous one!" cried the functionary ;i " he mußt be .taken, dead or alive," So after more parleying, .they began popping at Romain with tho guns; but he was safe in his cave, and retaliated now. and: then with stones and .boulders, The siege continued for four days, On the fourth day, Romain found all his'provisions gone. He was fainting for thirst, i He must make, his escape or perish. Now, the cliffs in whoso .midst' lie lay secure were at least three hundred feet in height, and entirely perpendicular; but almost tracfe. the cave.

and leading against the' cliff, wiis.a,i'ppk.'6.ne hundred '.fee,t.'high, 'arid projecting''about fifteen feet Seaward, At high tide the sea dashed right 'against this''rock,'.rendering Impossible all passage from 'side'to'side 1 , 'but leaving a narrow space of dry'sbirigle'to right! and left. Fortunately for Rprrialn, it was then full moon. ' There was full-sea by ten at nigjit,' In therock, arid in tlie : full tide,' lay his only hope, He spent the whole day collecting nugo'atones. 'As the tide'erept up, Romain suffered none of the soldiers beneath to remain under, his cave rbut'conipelled them,'by fearful Bhowers'w 1 stories, to; take refuge on the.'other side "of 'the':.typk."'Nor did his volleys cease till it'was high sea, and the passage beyond the' 1 rbek'. was impossible. Intho , full'mporilight','.He''emprged from his cave, and commenced'to' descend, aided only' by his feet and. : Ends; ' The soldiers on tho other side fired' at him again arid again, but he' continued his way undaunted'; and ; passed down uninjured behind the rock, leaving the baffled soldiers wondering at his courage and cursing his success, Noxt day hisblouso arid sabots were found on the shore, bilt he himself had disappeared,, and they sought him in vain; , ." . He turned np, however,a.year afterwards, whon the amnesty granted to deserters made it, safe, to appear. But he was changed,' There was a wild light in his eyes; the sufferings he had undergone in the cavern, the Btrange visions of the long stormy nights, the dreamy terror of it all, had made him mad, though! harmless, For ten years he haunted the cliffs, a wild woe-b'egone man, supported by public oharity j but finally, in a wild fit, .heleapt from the heights and was dashed to pieces,— The Argosy.