The New York herald., 1871-01-10
PERUS OF THE PRESS.
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Adventures OF q Herald C0rrespOn.
dent In France.
he Is TAKEN FOR A PRUSSlAN SPY.
Presence of Mind and Profuse
Profanity.
SALVATION THROUGH A GENDARNE.


battery was shehng the French lines pretty actively,
The report OF the guns. the dun hum OF the flying
smells, and their explosions at the end OF their
respective rratets-were sounds that followed one
smother IN regular order and rapid succession, and
now ana then broke In little bit the fusllade Of
che skirmishers. Not knowing what It mi. hit
amount 10, and thinking IL might presently
amount To battle, sought for point from which
Imignt set a commanding view OF the scene and
with that end in view directed my steps to little vii
iage toward tae French left and quito benind the
line.
SEEKING PosITIoN.
AsI wished TO locate the conflict by the map
asked the name OF the village OF the first met
m the streets He was an old man, with that face
al craft, suspicion and meanness which is the COM
monest face you see In French villages from the
Mayor down. My tongue betrayed that was not a
Frenchman, and the old man stopped short and
scanned me keenly from head to foot. IperceIved
ct once that | was unfortunate in the person 10
whom had applied for informaton.
''Ea You wish to know the name OF the VII.
lageYp
'Tf you please, sr.n
THAT seems to me very extraordinary-very OK.
uaordnary; foreigner here and wanting to know
the name Of the village. Ha what fors-what do
you want 70 know the name OF the village forYr
IL may readily be conceived that conld not tell
this old fellow tnat wanted 10 know the name OF
the village with view TO hx the place of the fgh-
ing on my map; for TO have announced that had a
map would only have opened new accusation
Before, however, could frame an answer to his
Last question he had reached another stage OF
excitement, and other questions came.
"Pernaps you are a Prussianr ne said. "What
countryman are your
Il am an AmeIican-a citizen or the United
statesn
"A citizen OF the United States2 don't know
that. How do / know thats Are you very sure OF
NJ Besides, they say great many Germans are
citizens OF The United States. Are you ono OF
thosefn
There was much more TO this erect; bur, finally,
assuming very positive tone with the old fellow,
Modified him and put him down, or seemed TO have
put him down, in his suspicious He gave me the
name q the village, and passed on into IT. think
ing II would be much better 10 60 the other way;
but knowing thar II woud not do 10 seem AFRAID
and beat a retreat, since the danger that menaced
me was much easier 10 fight al clsse quarters than
o. long range-gun-shot range, for instance.
J. was not wong In my Anticipation OF what the
old fellow would DO. lie mad the sly character Of
the ca, family Ia his operations. An Arab once
said 10 "a traveller, il yoa should see lion IN the
desert and ne should disappear without harmlng
you, do not congratulate yourself that you have
direction exactly contrary TO tnat In which You
gone 10 anticipate you at some point your way.
30 my sly Old enemy who had glven way When we
were lace 10 face had Immediately prepared tu-
TAKEN FOR A PRUssIAN.
As was about hall way down the main street OF
the village heard a shout behind me, but dld not
turn. man who was cnopping wood by the way
SIDE with an ugly lltte one.nanded axe looked up
calling YOU, sir." 4 looked back and saw several
coming urioasy down the street. I said, ut Is
not lor me, and was going on: but .; the same
moment tney shOubed, ''He IS Prussiann
qhereupon my ir,eDd with the axe rushed for
ward anu selzed me1hls face In the Instant having
QtsH 4 Ia flItnU IN
sympa ny teegrapned INTO every secret burrow or the
place, men and women swarmed out OF every hole
aud corner-and there / was, The centre or q group
OF furious, irrational ignorant, brutal wretches;
give the first blow would be looked upon oy the
rest the urst ol heroes. l Is not very peasant TO
be me centre OF such circle. one man rushed
around little bus aDd Ieappeared with gun, an d
STOOD az the ouIer edge o. ne circle Just IN front OF
me- eSamnSs rsS very snri0usy dnn, he caps
gun. One tall Fellow, butcher and Just from the
slaughter house, came up, breaihless with haste,
and whipped out from Its leather ia his glrdle
long, Keen kn1e, that mad been ground away In
the width OF the blsde TIL II looked as though it
might enter The flesh ike a steel sKewer Another
butcher Joined him, and they looked quite a readY
70 operate on me "a on Inc carcass they had just
left. PItcboTks were as plentiful In the circle d5
taev must have been in the fabulous times when 1t
Taiped that sort OF hardware, and every old woman
reaiIze tie nsbs OF the French Revelation. and 1
could recall second afty histories OF how, In the
presence oi such company, the mere possession OF
clean shiIt was suficient dea h warrant
PRESENCE OF MIND.
was frightened ] should have been killed in o
minute; it would nave ueen, In their eyes, an
edmlssi0n that was the spy they thought me. But
IpuI Dou face on the matter, and poured upon
then ali The eXecratons could command for Idiots
and tnieyes-tne latter especially--as their hands
were very busy with my pockets, searching for
arms | constantly demanded 10 be lei before the
was constituted an authority 10 examine my papers.
1insultea him from The start with the ruaest coars-
est most outrageous things 1 could say. felt 10.
stinctiyely that there was certain safety IN
ths-tnat l was In the presence Of wild
tine aggressive. knew that these fellows would be
tanner under my insults than under the influence OF
she thougbt that was spy insulted their chosen
man nnaly as much as Knew how by expressing
doubt whether he could read, when subdued MN
from tue fary Of murder the midness OF repaiee
and he SAID ne could not read my papers 'lf they
were In Prusslan." with this fellow saw that
words had certain value, ami ! handed him my
American pas sport Let nobody trust MS safety to
sach q document IL did not convince ang one OF
my character and mad, IN short no enect wnatever
Just then she tardy gendarme, the sole authority
OF the village came IN sight Like authorities
every wherr ese ne the last to Lear OF the
before this Representative of toe government
requesting all persons charged with authority 70
give me aId AMI rofecton, and the gendarme ln.
medlately assured the crowd that was person OF
distinction. who had tle conn1eDce OF the Ministry
HOW tue ASPECT oi the crowd changed How the
deutle-barreled gun disappeared behind cart
and the butcher kEIyes under the bouses, and The
pstchferKs and blneLs Of wood lfo unlmagned
Hut refused to accept the cyility OF their coun-
tenances, and addressed the mixed multitude La IN
|
| 80 geneEation OF contemplate creatures, now
brave you are-thirty forty or You against one un-
armed man But II you were only haiI 90 brave be-
fore the enemy the Pruss.ans could not stay In
France an nou.n
| TAXING LEAVE.
By this time the Prussian battery was beard no
more and / turned my stepe toward the city OF
Bols defiant aspect but Inwardly resolved 10
avoid such mischauces IN the future so far az II may
oe possible. Fer The next tlme there might be
gnn might gire me q shot before Abe arrival Of The
rrndarme. IL is no eXaggeratIcl 10 say lhat the
history have given, uierdi! exact IN every dellli
the army, and scarcely any one but mas ms