The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-11-19 00:00:00

AN INCIDENT OF TRAVEL.

"An English surgeon " has sent the following in.
teresring incident of travel...to The Tina; under date
Oct. 9 :

I was on my way home from the neighbourhood of Paris,
via lorankfort, where I hod left all superfluous borgage. I
came to place called Frouard, a station which is the
tu—tion between Chalons mud the Olutz-Stroshurg railways.
It was getting dark, and the day was the initi cf October
A young fellow, looking very like an Englishman, stepped
Into the carriage. Ile asked me If I had any obJectlou to
our travelling together. On the contrary, was my answer,
It will be very pleasant. Ile then told me that he was an
American jou-nalbt, and hod Peeve I from Metz. Now as
Metz hod long been am ol.ject of the greatest interest to the
world, it was, of course, of Interest to ale; my newly made
companion kindly gave me a great deal of the most deeply
Int( raiding Information about the beleaguered (intro's, and,
althongh the train went very slowly for fear of torn up rails,
the tline passed very swiftly.

At last we reached Strasburg I say at last, because it was
late. here we had to atop for the night. .In Ige of my sur-
prise when the American entered my room in the Hotel de
Pail., and &eked me to let him see my papers. I had no
objection. He was delighted with them, and begged me to
accompany him to Swi:zorland, as his life was in danger we
he hod no papers. I naturally ham at once something was
wrong, and I made him understand my position. I told him
that my sympathies. were Prllfbiall, allti that I would nut
shlingly do anything to fnrther her enemies' designs. He
sail, iyu my houoir, niy escape into Switzerland will not
do the slightest harm to Prussian interesta He renewed his
entreatn a and, to mako a long story short, I thought,
" 1%01, Switzerland can be rutted easily in ono day." I
felt I was muter of my time. It was certainly somewhat a
situation of Interest, and I consented.

We started at live the next morning. My companion was
nervous and excited. constantly asking it we were over the
frostier. At Mat Duo was ammumed. Sae my tallow

traveller Jumped out of the carriage, saying. .1 am free, I
am free; thanks, thanks a thousand times. Will you take.
turn with me on the platform?" He then said, "Allow me
to present myself to you In my true colours , I am the Count
de Valcourt, an officer in the French Army, and on the Staff
(.f Marshal Gamine " I looked incredulous. Could this be.
Frenchman, with his flaxen hair, beard, and whiskers ; his
mild, light brown eyes.; his soft, almost girlish, complexion ;
his perfect command of the English lingo tge ? He saw my
look. " You don't believe me ; " forthwith be brought out
two false teeth, made in Meta for the occasion, • little rolled
up piece of Hume-paper, which, when opened, was as large
as the palm of one's hand: "A dispatch from Marshal
Bernina to the Army at Tours." I said. "Is this your word
of honour ? " "It Is," was his retort ; "and to prove it in
not against Prussian interests here are 14 contents" "
must give up Meta in • day or two; make peace as soon as
you can.—HAzelNl, Mukha)," (Lc.
Independently of this being a somewhat romantic adven-
ture, as I think you will admit, it has at this time an in-
trinsic value, as this young Valcourt be is only 24) has
already become a noted character shims he has reached
Tours. Yesterday I received a letter of friendship and •
bit of the riband of his Legion of Honour, which he has so
newly acquired. At the commencement of the war be was
made a Major in the Garde Mobile, but, on account of his
being such an acComplishan linguist, was placed on the Stall
of the Marshal commanding in Mete hence, perhaps, his
somewhat too accurate knowledge of that notorious man's
proceedings in this campaign,