Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-05-12

at once of SchinderhanneS.
This robber was as noted during
the early Napoleonic wars, as had
been Dick Turpin in England CEN
| tury before He had ravaged the
frontiers of France and Germany
impartially, and had come to Prus-
sia when the Grand Army had
swept through his native haunts.
The cuirassier stood and eyed the
men without flinching. On the
contrary his mein was that of jes-
! ter as he said:
"Well, gentlemen, what do you
wish ?''
"Your purses and Jewels" an
swered one of the rutfians, land be
quick about it,"
son the contrary, gentlemen"
answered Gabriel, ''if you do not
retire from this road / shall be
obliged to kill you ALL"
"Bang, bang
The words were not uttered when
two of the robbers fred at him,
within dozen feet.
But Gabriel knew what he was
about. He had been standing half
sidewise to them in such position
that bullets were nearly certain TO
glance, and these two bullets did
glance from his curirass.
In another moment he had level
ed his long holster pistols. shot
down two of the ruffians, and then
flashed out his long sword and rush
ed at them.
Cass Tee, in the same moment
fired his pistol, and then came clat-
tering down from the box.
Two of the robbers were killed,
| third was wounded, and the two
big cuirassiers made short work Of
| the other three, though they fought
desperately with their dubbed car
bines. But the physical dispropor-
| ton between two siX-footers of Wig
orOus frame and three men of Ordi-
nary size, together with the skill
and force of training bred in the
cuirasSers of the guard by long prac-
tice made the fight short one, and
| then Case Tete said, as he wiped
| his sword:
"They're gone, captain; but on
my word it will do no harm to take
their carbineS and boxes. There
may be more of them in the woods,
and pistols don't shoot far enough
for this sort of work. l wish we had
our horses here" .
They picked up four carbines,
| loaded, them from the boxes Of the
dead men, and then drove on Cas-
Sc Tete keeping three of the guns on
the box beside him.
AS for Gabriel, on his return to
the carriage he was overwhelmed
with thanks by the marquise, while
the young lady bestowed on him a
glance that amply repaid him for
all his trials.
Then as they went on for the first
time he ventured 10 go into conver-
sation with the ladies, who had
hitherto been very distant in their
manner.
"Do you think captain" asked
the marquise nervously, "that the
Prussians wanted us to be robbed
and murdered ~
"No, madame; but those fellows
had been following us all night as |
think in the hope that our escort
would beturned back as it was. |
heard at Nordingen that Schinder-
hannes had been hanging about on
the rear of our army picking up
what he could devour."
"And who is this Schinderhan-
nes ?" asked the young lady in a
tone of some curiosity.
"YOu will excuse me, monsieur lie
capitanie, if do not know your eel.
ebrities, but l have only lived in
France few months since / came
from the island of Martinique"
/ Then Gabriel knew how the fair
Inez came to be maid of honor to
to the empress, for Josephine was
we'll known to be very fond OF Gre
oles being one herself.
He enlightened the mind of the
fair Inez on the subject of Schinder.
hannes who was well known to him
as an Alsatian, and soon found
himself engaged in an animated
conversation with both the ladies
who seemed disposed to treat him
with the utmost courtesy now that
they were wholly dependant on
him for protection.
They experienced no further
trouble on their way through the
wood and arrived safely at the
post-house and changed their horses
there.
Here Gabriel informed the post.
master of what had happened and
that official expressed unbound sur
prise and dismay at the fact thai
brigaDds had made their appear
ance on Prussian territory. lie
sent off a courier at once to alarm
the nearest military post, and half
way on the next stage, Gabriel saw
a troop of hussars riding rapidly fOl
the frontier, and he felt that theiI
troubles were over for the present
They had nothing TO do but tt
post to Berlin and, even in those
DAYS, before railroads were thongh
of, it was quite possible to traVe
rapidly by pOst-hOrses.
: They rolled on the morning OF the
? third day, as they changed horse:
at the posting inn, the landlord
told them that it was the last stag
to Berlin. Before nine O'Clock they
were rolling over the pavements o
| the city, and the young officer ask
ed the marquise:
| "Where does madame wish t.
go? To the French embassy"
"Eh, mon Dieu, MOI" cried tn
old lady, with something as near
blush AS her wrinkles allowed
; General DurOc is a bachelor, anC
: it would not be admissible. No
monsieur, we will drive straight t
the palace of the Princess of Pots
2 dam, who has promised to receive
: us till the prince returns from IN
3 mission. You have met the prince
doubtless ?"
l "Yes," said Gabriel shortly. Hi
ewes at that moment caught thos'
I Of Inez, and he had the satisfaction
1 of seeing look of disgust pass owe
her countenance, which he ascribet
to the mention of his rivals name
D "Aud is henot a charming man !!
: said Madame de st. Jean, enthusi
t astically. $50 handsome and dis
4 tinguished, with that air OF higl
breeding which only belongs t
= princes of the blood.
i Gabriel did not reply that h
e thought differently, tor his shor
e diplomatic experience had laugh
e him to conceal his thoughts, and
5 was clear that Madame de st Jeal