Front matter
Reading edition
By
Max Pemberton
CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD London, New York, Toronto & Melbourne 1916
Works by the same Author MILLIONAIRE'S ISLAND THE IRON PIRATE WHITE MOTLEY THE VIRGIN FORTRESS WAR AND THE WOMAN CAPTAIN BLACK. A sequel to "The Iron Pirate" THE GIRL WITH THE RED HAIR THE SHOW GIRL THE HOUSE UNDER THE SEA THE SEA-WOLVES THE IMPREGNABLE CITY THE GIANT'S GATE A PURITAN'S WIFE THE GARDEN OF SWORDS KRONSTADT. A Novel THE LITTLE HUGUENOT RED MORN THE HUNDRED DAYS THE DIAMOND SHIP WHEELS OF ANARCHY SIR RICHARD ESCOMBE CASSELL AND CO., LTD., LONDON, NEW YORK, TORONTO AND MELBOURNE.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
The greatest military tragedy in history is the retreat of Napoleon's Grand Army from Moscow. Napoleon set out to invade Russia in the spring of the year 1812. In the month of June 600,000 men crossed the River Niemen. Of this vast army, but 20,000 "famished, frost-bitten spectres" staggered across the Bridge of Kovno in the month of December.
Many pens have described, with more or less fidelity, the details of this unsurpassable tragedy. The story which we are now about to represent to our readers is that of Surgeon-Major Constant, a veteran who accompanied Napoleon to Moscow, and was one of the survivors who returned ultimately to Paris. Constant had fled from Paris at the beginning of the French Revolution in the year 1792. He lived for a while at Leipsic, where he gave lessons in French and studied medicine. His nephew, Captain Léon de Courcelles, was one of the famous Vélites of the Guard. It is with the exploits of this young and daring soldier that the veteran's narrative is often concerned.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
1. THE WOMAN ON THE STAIRS
2. THE GUILLOTINE
3. THE TREASURE IN THE WOODS
4. PHANTOM MUSIC
5. THE CAMP BY THE RIVER
6. THE WITCH IN ERMINE
7. LITTLE PETROVKA
8. THE AFFAIR AT THE POST-HOUSE
9. WE CROSS THE BÉRÉZINA
10. THE LAST REVIEW