Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-07-28
EEIE
DEATHS HEAD GUIRASSlRS =;
A Legend Of the Old Guard:
BY CAPT. FRED. WHITAKER,
AUTHOR OF @THE PHANTOM KNIGHTS
"RED RUDIGER," "NEMO, KING OF
TRAMPs," "THE IRISH CAP
TAIN ETC, ETC.
A Legend of the Old Guard:
CHAPTER XXXII.

army. Beaten in fractions, cut to
pieces, prevented from rejOining
each other, one division after anOth-
er surrendered in different parts oi
the unhappy kingdom, and within
three weeks from the time the EN-
peror of the French entered the
Thuringian Forrest there was no
enemy TO oppose him.
But in all these movements, while
the victorious French were travers-
ing the length and breadth OF Prus-
sia without molestion, Gabriel Le-
nOir had not met his deadly elemy,
the Prince of Potsdam.
The Deaths Heads had not been
idle, and he had his share of work.
He had assisted at the surrender of
Prince Hohenlohe and Blucher, and
had scanned the lists fthe parOlled
prisoners in vain, to find the princes
name but no intelligence had re-
Warded him.
1t was not until they had entered
winter quarters, when the Guard
Cavalry were cantOned at Warsaw,
and the foe to be met had changed
from Prussia to Russia, that he at
last heard of him.
The young colonel had been in
specting his regiment that morning
and was riding slowly back to his
quarters In the city, when he met
! DelarOch, who greeted him and
asked him ii he had heard the
news.
"What news? No, have heard
nothing. Are we to return to Par
is? There's no one here left to
fight"
Delaroche laughed.
"Isn't there? Pm afraid we shall
find out when it is too late, my
friend, that there is some one left to
fight"
"Oh, you mean next summer.
Yes, but we can't fight now. Why,
the whole country is covered with
snow. You forget it is January,
Delaroche."
january or July, it makes 40
difference. The Russians are adj
vancing to drive us out OF our can
tonments, if they can"
"But surely they must be mad.
Who ever heard of fighting in Win
ter 2" .-.' .. n - :'' 80
"These Russians are not like the
rest of the world. They have win
ter nine months in the year, and
vet they manage to do some good |
fighting. / tell you they are COM
ing, and we shall get marching or
ders before tomorrow night. By |
the by, you remember that Prus
sian fellow l told you about that
cut such dash in Paris last year ?'
"The Prince of Potsdam Yes"
said Gabriel eagerly. ''What of |
him ?" i
"He's with them.
"How do you know ?'
"WeIl, you see, deserter came
in, only this morning, from their
lines. He was an officer, by the by
and brought with him a morning
report of their army. L saw it.
Among the rest saw that there, is
a corps of Prussians, thiTieeI thous-
and strong, under one of gEAur e4hi-
grant officers, L'EstOcq - more |
shame to him-and one of the bri-
gades is commanded by my friend
"The prince?'
"Yes. Why, what's the matter
LenOir' You look as if I'D brought
good news"
"GOOd news! You have indeed,
Delarouche. All, that vallian /
shall catch him at last, and drag the
truth out of him."
"What truth? What do you
mean ?" asked the young officer,
bewildered.
"Do you remember what Mad
anne st Jean told you once, Delar-
q 10
married Mademoiselle de Real, and
has had TO keep his marriage ase-
cret ever since?" e..
eyes. You don't Dean-?"
"I am the man. That lady is my
wife, and the emperor has acknoWl-
edged the marriage to be valid"
Delaroche looked at him for a
moment in surprise, and then said,
slowly:
SIT that is the case, Lenoir,
know what | should do in your
place." -...
"And what is that ?''
"FOllOW that scOundrel to the
ends of the earth, if necessary, to
kill him. Do you know what he
said to one of our officers under a
flag of truce? / was there and
heard it, and | would not repeat it,
but that it concerns your honor" f.,
"What was it?" asked Gabriel,
his lip. He feard some
new slander.
"The officer WAS General Cassag-
nae, our chief-Of- staff, who came to
arrange the details of surrender s
with him. The PruSsianS were to ,
trt h.lD |
we were 10 have the fortress of {
Custrin. Well, Cassagnac was po- i
lite, and assured HIM of the Sympa-
thy of the French with brave men 1
in misfortune. SO they got to talk {
ing, and ii ended in talking of Par
is, where they hMd both met last
year"
"Yes, yes. Be quick, Delaroche.' {
"Well, the name of Mademoiselle g
lie Real came up, and Cassagnac !
his srOrOW that the war
lad broken off what every one 8
hOught was to be "a match between c
ler and the prince. Then POtsdam
aughed, and told him that he did '
lot care about that, for he had heard t
hat the character of mademOiSelle |
vas not that which Il Prussian no- L
Die had right to expect in wife, t
md that for his part, he had car 9
led her off to Germany, but had got y
ired of her, and left her to the care t
If some poor devil of IL husband, C
Who, he understood, was willing to
,ick up other mems lcavings." Fl
Gabriel had become whittier and Il
Vhiter while this precious revela- h
ion was being made: but his eyes I
,lazed as he asked in a low tone h
Ibid he mention any name ?'
No, he knew better, suspect for a
t was only a moment before, Cassa- b
lac had been regretting that your I:
egiment had been detached from a
he cavalry to go with the guard p
md had been telling stories of how "
yOur fellows cut up that Prussian
egiment of cuirrassiers the other v
light" h
Gabriel remembered the affair,
md how he himself had killed a d
russian officer in the dark, mista- G
ling him for his enemy whom the e
lead man strongly resembled in a
ace and figure.
"Yes," continued DelarOche, n
milling at the recollection. 81 re- Il
Cassagnac told him how "
he helmet was found cut in two, a
nd the poor fellow never spoke /
gain. Bot we didn't know that
,Ou were PotsdaIn's enemy" r,
Then keen il secret now, Deiar- @