Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-25
4 BATTLE STORY.

CSCdnc tuiS AIoi ipi
the Rhine! How l wish you and Louis
were going with me-
'.Not we, Becker, my friend: our place
is here. l care very little for that, since
Lauri and Mathilde and the cid people
are safe south of the Lolze.
Give my love to Katrina, and tell her
that shall fight as hard as l can against
her darling king and these swarms OF her
destroying countrymen.'
''She Will love you none the less for
that, I think" said Carl. "Good-bye."
The two strong right hands were
wrung hard for a moment, but no othei
WORD was spoken.
The De Rosats, though patriotic, had
been wise, and they had left in Paris
only those of the family who were able
to fight the Germans as we'll as help con-
sum-, the stores of provisions-the only
reliable garrison of the beautiful city.
Carl was safe, thanks to the American
Minister, but the bitter seige dragged on
through week after week of the terrible
winter, until the enemy within began
slowly to wax even more menacing, in its
deadly silence, than the laundering foe
without.
The famine was likely to prove strong
er than King William.
Henri De Rosat had seen little of his
brother Louis since the seige began, for
Louis vas an officer of the engineers, and
his duty had kept him on the outer lines,
but one frosty morning they met in the
Place Vendome
The brothers had really too much to
say 10 talk great deal, but each, as he
looked Ia the others eyes, could discern
that deep and mournful shadow of the
siege which will never be forgotten by
any Of those whose lives were Iarkened
under it.
"You keep your flesh marvelously,
Louis said Henri II am daily grow
ing thin, both in soul and body"
Because you are penned in the city,"
said Louis, while every day can see
beyond the siege from the Notifications.
But the Germans, Louis, you see them
also"
Yes, but am mining nowadays, and
make myself merry by thinking that.
perhaps, 1 shall dig my way under them,
and come out into the bright world be-
yend. | believe L could do that or any
thing else to escape the siege. How 1
envy those balloon men. They get out"
eve, too, may get out" SAID Henri.
''My gay hussars and are to have our
chance tomorrow IN the sortie"
"Your gay hussarsa"
eyes, indeed We have eaten our
horses, but we shall charge in our hussar
uniform. Perhaps we shall capture a
mount. | could charge a milliard of
UhIans if | saw any hope of cutting
through"
''You will not. We shall none of US
get out. The city is doomed
The last words came in deep, solemn,
sepulchral voice, and the brothers turned
quickly rs they recognized it.
A tall, broad, blue-eyed man, in
dark blouse, stood near them.
"Dr. Spielburg?'' exclaimed Louis,
"why man alive, thought you had been
killed."
sThey will not give me chance I
LOOK too much like German, and so. be-
cause am q physician as well, l am
forced to do hospital duty instead Of
fighting these vandals that have burned
my home in Alsace."
This is a good duty for you, too"
said Henri, "the best OF Duties
'But learn things there, and I have
learned that Paris must fall
The brothers looked at their stern, sad
facet friend, and at each other; and as
the shadow of the siege settled more and
more heavily over them, they muttered
only few more sentences, and then sepa-
rated to their duties.
That was !: long day to Henri de Ros-
al, but it would have been longer had it
not been spent in preparations for the
grand sortie on the morrow.
He worked like all the rest, with
fierce and fcverish Impotence, which
found relief in repeating over and over
the most trivial duty.
Then came the long hungry sleepless
night; but that, too, passed, and the
sharp, clear, frosty morning found the
young officer leading his dismounted hus-
sars rapidly across the frozen mud.
Hours went by, for the struggle was
extended over wide area, and there
were many fierce fluctuations of SUCCESS
anu AdiluIS, pub do y GU 11cHlI anu LIS LuS-
sars were compelled to fight on foot.
Long hours they were, and all the
while Henri could hear or feel nothing
but the urging instinct within him that
seemed to be continually-"Forw :
Then came a maddcning turn of the
battle, whirl of doubt and disorder,
and with it a cloud Of charging Uhlans
that seemed to be sweeping all before
them.
But just then flash of lightning SEEM
ed to come down through the smoke and
out of the reverberatiag thunder of the
guns, and Henri felt himself so dazzled
ana blinded by Its sudden blaze that for
a few moments he lest the record of
events.
He felt rs if some shot had swept HIM
bodily into space, and Henri knew that
he was FILLING.
Such a tall-so very long and far.
Could i. BET
Yes, there was no shock.
The terrible descent had been broken
by something soft, and Henri heard voices
around him.
ayes, Major Becker, your friend is all