The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-22


high read than he felt the difficulty and danger Of
his situation. He had peddler's pack, Il Is true,
which would render him welcome visitor In any
village or town Of France; but he had no pass
port and, for want Of this, WAS Obliged to travel by
night, and to betake himself 70 the woods by day
A few days after his flight he had some remSrka-
bic escapes from different bodies Of gendsrmes
that were lowering around him. The pursuit
through wood was At one time SO hot that he
had to adopt the apparel OF French peasant girl,
having hidden his pack in n thickei Repairing
IN this gui,e TO al aubetgc, or inn, he asked for
tcircshmcnt. While there his pursuers entorcd
the room IN which he sat and inquired Of the land.
lord concerning him, giving an exact description
of his person.
Feeling that inns were dangerous places for
those who desired to avoid observation, he re
paired to a retired cottage and begged a nights
lodging. His request was granted. The family
consisted Of father, mother, two sons, and an
only daughter. II was decided by the old people
that "la file interessanto' should have the haf
Of the daughters bed.
Here was a predicament for our handsome
Young lieutenant What was he to do To reveal
his character to the family This might have
been dangerous. To reveal it to the daughter
This would have been inGelicato. He managed
somehow to preserve, as no imagined his secret
intact During the day he worked with the tami y
in the field, cleaning and binding up shcsyes for
It was harvest timej and during the night slept
very soundly.
A. an Iishmau would say, che paid attention
TO it, lie remained with this kind and simple
family for about week, and then took his depar-
turc but just before he left, tho daughter in
formed him, with a sly smile, that she knew he
was not what he seemed. We cannot imagine
how she discovered il but there can be no doubt
that she was very Ruth sleeping at the feet Of
BOaz junior.
He fastened from the cottage to his retreat in
the wood, where he had left his bundle, and In
doing SO got q glimpse Of a party of mounted
gendarmes, the Same party that had followed
him to the village the week before. They seemed
conscious that the fox was still 'in cover" and
to do
Later that same day he venturcd to peep out
OF his enclosure, bundle in hand, and saw
horseman approaching with pillion-saddlc.
"WiIl you give me lift :" inquired our fug-
tive, coming boldly out Of the wood
"Montez, mademoiselle," replied the horseman,
assisting the lieutenant 10 the empty seat behind
him. he horseman, who carried him in this
fashion for about two leagues, informed him that
he had met troop of gendarmes, who were
seeking an English officer that had esca ped from
Verdun. Edmund made no remarks, but con-
cluded that the party in pursuit. discovering
themselves at fault, were, to use cOursng term,
"trying back TO ind the game" Under these
circumstances he felt himself comparatively safe.
The question now was What should be his next
disguise for he determined TO discard that of
female. 1t Is true il had some advantages, and
had saved him from the hands of gendarnes; but
gowns, bonnets and peticoats have their peculiar
| dangers and temptations he would have nothing
| more TO do with them. He might have reassumed
| the Disguise of pedder; but he suspected that
the police were, by this time aware of the profess
sion or calling he had adopted on leaving VeTdun.
He decided on being a sailor on his way to Rot
| terdam and betoOk himself to a neighboring
wood to make his toilet. Here he discovered a
deficiency in an important article of dress-we
| believe he was minus pair of blue neither gar
ments-which would never do In going to the
| Netherlands; so be adopted the profession of q
! poor laborer, mounted a red wig, and ornamcnted
| his handsome face with patch over one of his
eyes. In this disguised condition, no entered the
| city of Rotterdam in the autumn of 1910.
1t was his object to procure speedy passage
| to England-a difficult matter to accomplish, as
| the war between France and England was then
at its height, and Napoleon was doing his utmost
| to destroy the traffic between England and the
| Netherlands. He was compelled, under these
circumstances, to make an arrangement with tho
captain Of smuggling vessel to land him on tue
English coast; but this scoundrel, instead Of
! fulfilling his agreement informed the police
of his intentions who forthwith arrested our poor
! lieutenant and put him in irons. sad termina-
tion this of his long journey and hairbreaGth
escapes
He was detained at Rotterdam till instructions
| were received Of his destination and in the in
terim the greatest precautions were taken TO pre-
| vent his escape, u sentry being placed at his
| prisen door by day and night; for, by this time,
our hero had acquired little character for break
| ing prison, deceiying French police, and bam-
| boozling gendarmes.
About three weeks from the period of his arrest
at Rotterdam, an order arrived for his removal to
| the fortress of Bitche. He was placed under
strong escort oftroopers, and commenced n mis-
cradle march, which lasted upwards OF six weeks,
| during which period he was subjected to the
greatest cruelty and indignty, being, on some
occasions, when scarcely able to walk, tied to the
! tail Of one of their horses and dragged on. He
! was generally confined during the night In the
| gloomy cell of prison in the town where the
! party halted. During the six weeks employed in
| this journey he was unable to change any part of
| his wearing apparel-not even his shirt. His
appearance, on entering Bitche was that of a
| miserable beggar-ragged, filthy, and cadayerous.
| The da5hing and handsome young Lieutenant s..
was never SO completely disguised as now.
On arriving at the fortress of Bitche, he was
| heavily iIoned and confined in a dungeon forty
| feet under ground. Here all dreams of prison.
breaking were annihiated, and with them all
| hopes of liberty. He looked upon himself as a
doomed man, and upon his damp cell as his
sepulChre lt is not to be wondered at that under
such circumstances his frame should break down.
He was seized with violent fever and for several
| days his life was despaiTed Of. But after Il time
| he rallied; and at the end of six months, and as
| the result Of more humane treatment, recovered
somewhat of his usual strength.
| During this long period Of conValescence he
| was frequently visited by French officer sta
toned in the fortress who seemed to take deep
| Interest in him The officer for the time in
charge of the prison guara had the privilege,
under certain restrictions, of inviting prisoner
| TO his guard-roOm. The French officer referred
to took advantage Of this priyilege-when it was
| his turn-to invite our hero. The result of this
| intercourse was, that lasting friendship sprung
| up between these two young men.
| But friendship is one thing, and strict notions
| of military duty another. The French officer
! nteTieTed, and nterfered successfully, in having
| his friends irons removed, and in having him
| located in Eettcr and more wholesome quarters
| than he had first occupied; but the question
| which S. pat to himself over and over again,
although he hesitated to put il TO his friend, was,
| "WOuld he help me TO escape y
| The desire Of escaping was again the MASTER
| passion of his soul. The hope which appeared to
have died out in his damp cell forty feet beneath
the surface Of the earth, arose and plumed Its
| wings when the light of heaven was let in, and
| the hand of friendship stretched out. Hope such
as this is like Gagged eagle, that will break its
| bars or its breast
Lieutenant S. could contain himself no longer.
| He must put his friend 10 the test, and see Of
what material his friendship consisted One day
he put the question to him rather abruptly, "Will
you help me TO escape, for am resolved to make
| the attempt"
The reply waS as decided as the question was
abrupt ~ will aid you to the utmost of my
| power"
"True as steel" soliloquized our hero, grasp
ing his friends hand, and retiring TO mature his
| plans.
"To break prison" in the fortress Of Bitche
| seemed utterly impossible; and, If accomplished,
| to avoid detection after doing 80, and escape
from place so guarded and surrounded by sen
tries, appeared as hopeless as it was hazardous.
| Some other means must be devised. After long