Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-05-05
Continued from First Page,

the cOwardly drivers, who left their
teams and were streaming away
across country in the true fashion
of defeated army.
"Now," he said sternly to Hans,
II warn you not to try to escape
me. Stand by your horses, and
shall shoot at the first step you take
to rum"
"Indeed, Herr Graf, 1 won't run, ,
said Hans, his teeth chattering, as
another shot passed over the car
rage.
Gabriel's keen eyes had caught
sight of something in the train, and
a bright idea had occurred to him.
Tied up in the rear of the wagons
were several led horses, probably
officers chargers, showing that the
train belonged to some cavalry reg
iment and it occurred to him that
he might take one of these, make a
dash, and in the confusion OF the
battle cut his way through to his
friends.
No sooner had he thought of this
thanhe jumped down into the car
riage, tore open his trunk, and has
tily attired himself in his uniform.
AS each article went on he felt more
and more like a soldier, and when
he finally clapped the helmet on his
head and buckeled on his sword he
could not help a sigh of satisfact-
ion.
"At least they cannot hang me
for spy now" he said aloud.
Then he stalked past Hans who
stood staring at him as il he had
seen a ghost, and went up to one of
the chargers in the train, grand
black horse, who whinnied with de-
light at his approach.
"Aha old fellow, so you know a
soldier when he comes to you p"
said Gabriel in German. SNOW
let's see'if you'll serve my emperor
as well as you have your own.
Where shall l find saddle for
you ?"
1t struck him that there might be
such in some of the wagons, and
sure enough he very soon hauled
out a grand parade saddle with
gold-embrOidered cloth, the Aus
trian eagle in the corner and all the
accOuterments of cuirassier officer
of rank.
CLEARLY" quoth the Alsatian,
81 am in luck. have struck a
colonels rig. But where is the reg
iment?"
He had no time to lose in specu-
latiOn, so he saddled up in hurry
heightened the stirrups two holes
and sprung into the saddle, just as a
loud cheer rose above the din of the
firing in front.
With touch of the spur he sent
the black charger out from the train
up bank by the roadside, and saw
for the first time what was going on
in front.
The Austrian foot soldiers had
gathered into a dense mass at the head
of the train, and regiment uf CUR
assers in white coats was retreating
behind them in some disorder,
while through the dust beyond he
could see the glitter of steel and the
flashes of firearms.
AS he looked, the white cuirass-
iers got into line and began to ad-
vance again, while the firing in
front grew more rapid and Gabriel
saw that the moment for action had
come.
He was alone, it was true but he
well knew what an easy thing it is
to start panic.
He drew his long sword and gal
Hoped silently forward beside the
train, in rear OF the white cuirass-
iers.
Presently these last began to trOt,
and he knew that they were about
to charge. Then he dug his spurs
into the black chargers sides and
swept on, full speed, shouting as he
went:
Forward, my children! Cut
them to pieces! Death to the Aus
trian ~
He had a loud, clear voice, and
they heard him, and looked back
through the dust.
Then came a pattering hail of bull
lets there was confusion of dust;
a clatter of hOofs a deep-tOned
shout in front; and Gabriel found
himself in the midst Of the white
cuiraSsiers, stabbing and cutting on
all sides, the AustrianS backing out
of his herculean strength, while
the distant shout came nearer and
nearer.
Then there was confused rally;
he became sensible that dark faces,
black helmets and cuirassiers and
black horses were near him; and
the next minute the width cuiraSs-
iers were OverbOrne and swept away
like chaff before long black line
of trOttlng hOrsemen that came on,
solid as wall of steel, and i'm which
Gabriel recognized to his Joy and
amazement, his own regiment, the
Deaths Heads, grinding their enc
mics to powder.
He saw the white cuirasSiers go
down in all directions, stabbed in
the back, and he did his own share
in the slaughter till he found him
self close to his own colonel, and
heard Lenoir roaring:
"SOund the halt! Halt :"
Then the trOtting wall of iron,
black and terrible, slackened its
pace to halt, and the Deaths
Head CuiraSsiers found themselves
in full possession of the trairand in
rear of the little body of infantry,
which had formed square as if I'M
decided whether to surrender or
break up in fight.
The grim colonel hardly appear
ed to notice Gabriel. He greeted
him with short nod, but turned
his attention to wheeling his squad
rOns TO charge the Infantry; and
then again the black wall of iron
moved forward at the same rapid,
steady trOt, armOr ringing, horses
snorting and trampling, the Deaths
Head Cuirassiers sitting up in their
deep saddles like towers, as they
swept down on the demOralized in
fantry, who opened a scattering
fire.
Almost unaware what he did, !
LeniOr found himself riding
in advance of the right wing, ahead |
nf his old squadron, and saw the |
dark, fierce face of Casse Tete only |
a few files off.
The gaunt CascOn was looking at |
him in a singular way, as if he had |
forgotten where he was and then
i'm Il flash remembered how
he had quarreled with this very |
man, and had promised to fight him
in the park of Versailles.
From that moment he had forgot
en- all about it, and he saw that Cas-
sc Tete was thinking of this.
But il was no time to dream of
1uels with ones comrades when the
enemy was SO close, and the next