Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-12-19

of soDe fifty year old asked for news.
"The Louvre is taken the Bourbons
fled: Provisional Government estab-
lished- vive la Republique! F" the ex-
cited painter poured out. The gentle
man, fifty years old, scratched his ear,
and continued his journey. For the
next stage they had an old position,
who persisted in going at a steady trot,
and at every reinonst1ance answered
doggedly, ''Leave it all to me. A man
knows his own business best Dumas
at last, from the chaise window, laid on
the backs of the horses with stick,
and made them gallop. In rage, the
man pulled up, swore he would unyoke
/ his beasts, and actually proceeded to
/ do so. Dumas fred at him with blank
cartridge, and so scared him that he
rolled on the ground in terror. Alex
andre then put on the huge posting
boots, and, mounting, galloped on to
/ the next post. They soon reached the
old familiar Villers Cotterets-the
whole town, as may be well imagined,
being thrown into intense excitement
by the appearance of the chaise with
1 the tricolor and the excited Alexandra
Dumas Late as it was, every house
poured out its inhabitants, who rushed
to the post-house A thousand eager
questions were put to him-what did
it mean, tins flag and the guns He
knew all the towns-people, and told
the story Of the last few days. II was
insisted that he should stay a short
time, and have something to eat and
/ he was carried off to the house of an
old friend, where a hasty supper was
got ready. A number of old compan-
ions who had been boys when he was
in the little town, gathered round, list
9ning eagerly as their old friend de-
claimed and recounted between every
mouthful. Asthe dashed III for them,
which he could do admirably, VIVID
sketches of these thrilling scenes, the
rustics listened with delight and won
der; but when he came to explain the
object of his present expedition, "when
( | announced that / meant to capture,
single handed, all the powder that was in
a military town, containing eight thou
sand inhabitants, and a garrison of
eight hundred men, they looked at
him doubtfully, and thought he was
{
to Alexandra, who ALWAYS delighted to
put himself in theatrical attitude, and
be the centre of a dramatic situation.
He turned to his companion, Bard
"What were my words when pro-
posing this expedition to you?"
"You asked" was the reply, twas I
inclined to get myself shot with you
'And what do you say now 2"
"That | am ready still.
| All were confounded at such gallant
ry. One of his friends now stepped
forward, and offered to get him into
Soissous, as he had a friend at The gates.
Then Alexandra, always anticipating
! his D'Artagnan, raised his glass, and
/ drank his own return to them on the
next evening. "Have dinner ready
/ he called to the host, "for twenty peo-
/ pie; and it is to be eaten just the same,
whether we are alive or dead here are
I two hundred francs" The other an
swered he might pay on the morrow.
a" But if | should be shot p" "Then |
shall pay" A shout arose, " Hurrah
1 for Cartier y Dumas drank off his
wine, and, we might add, the act drop
| fell.
/ 1t was now about eleven O'Clock.
! The horses were put to. the chaise was
waiting, and the bold trio-Dumas.
Bari andIHutln twho were to pass them
through the gates) drove away on their
daring expedition. BY one o'clock
they had reached the gates of scissors,
through which they were allowed to
pass, "the door-keeper little dreaming"
says Alexandra the great, "that he was
admitting the Revolution"
They went straight to the house of
/ lutin's mother, where their first bust
ness was the manufacture of n huge
tricolor flag. She contributed her blue
and red curtains, with tablecloth, and
all the women Of the household were
set to work to sew the pieces together.
/ BY daybreak the task was completed.
/ The pole, of course, gave no trouble,
as the one from which the Bourbon
white tiug was floating would answer
THE flag staff as Dumas says, chad
no political opinions. y
The plan they had arranged was
really qulXotic in its extravaganza and,
indeed, seems almost incredible. Max
ing all allowance for Dumas's bombast,
il viii be seen that, ut the most. he has
only been guilty of the uoyelist's eX-
ageeraGon; and, though at the time the
story Of the adventure was all but
secuted, it could not be disproved in it's
facts, which are given with the most
minnie details of dates, names, and
places 1t was settled that Bard and
Hutm were TO take the flag, and con-
triye to get into the cathedral Under
the pretence of seeing the sun rise
nom the tower. II the sacristan made
j .t,,,- ,,osiotonna ba vr,u :, In Hrp,, Oxnr