There is a well-known story told of Napoleon the First's time. In one of
the conscriptions, during one of his many wars, a man was balloted as a
conscript who did not want to go, but he had a friend who offered to go
in his place. His friend joined the regiment in his name, and was sent
off to the war. By and by a battle came on, in which he was killed, and
they buried him on the battle-field. Some time after the Emperor wanted
more men, and by some mistake the first man was balloted a second time.
They went to take him but he remonstrated. You cannot take me." "Why
not?" "I am dead," was the reply. "You are not dead; you are alive and
well." "But I am dead," he said "Why, man, you must be mad. Where did
you die?" "At such a battle, and you left me buried on such a
battlefield." "You talk like a mad man," they cried; but the man stuck
to his point that he had been dead and buried some months. "You look up
your books," he said, "and see if it is not so." They looked, and found
that he was right. They found the man's name entered as drafted, sent to
the war, and marked off as killed. "Look here," they said, "you didn't
die; you must have got some one to go for you; it must have been your
substitute.
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