Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-06-02
1s- sG2-1---i
DEATHS HEAD CUIRASSIERS +;
A Legend of the Old Guard
BY CAPT. FRED. WHITAKER,
"RED RUDIGER," "NEMO, KING OF
TRAMPs," "THE IRISH CAP
TAIN. ETC, ETC.
CHAPTER XIII.
A PRISONER.

A PRISONER.
At noon that day, travelling
carriage, with four smoking horses,
drew up at the post-hOuse of the
village of Zittau, inside the Austrian
frontier.
The moment it arrived. thirty or
forty men in uniform, who had been
hidden in the pOst-hOuse, rushed
out, surrounded the carriage and be-
gan to cock their rifles, for they
were Tyrolese Yagers-while an Of
ficer stepped to the door of the vehi-
Gle, and called out sternly:
Surrender, sir. You are my
prisoner
A tall dark man on the box, with
a long strip of plaster down one
cheek, uttered a fierce French oath
and whipped out pistol as long as
Il small carbine, but quiet voice
inside said clearly:
"Be still, Casse Tette. 1t is all
right" -
Then Gabriel Lenoir looked out,
saying:
"What is the trouble, Herr Off
Ger? What have [ done to be ar
rested fol-? ?"
"You are French officer in dis
guise," was the instant answer.
Gabriel threw back his cloak and
displayed to the astOnished Tyro-
lese, the full cuirassier uniform OF
France.
81 am not in Disguise" he an
swered. "If / am prisoner, L am
a prisoner of war"
livery WE'LL" said the Tyrolese
officer, in a more modified tone.
"You are a prisoner anyway; SO
get out"
Then he turned to the house and
"Herp, Herr Prince, we have got
him. See if it be your mal."
Gabriel descended slowly from
the vehicle, just as the Prince of
POtsdam, followed by the postmas-
ter of the inn where they had met
that morning, stepped out.
The moment the Prince saw him
he cried: .-..
"Disarm him. HeiS dangerous.
He is spy | tell y.:u.
"An ofti@er in full uniform is no
spy, but he should be dIsarmed.
Give up your sword, sir, at once"
Gabriel complied quietly; for he
saw that resistance was useless.
Then the PrusSian prince came
and said tiercely:
"I denOunce that man as a spy.
He has in his pocket ii false pass
port. His name is LenOIr, and he
calls himself in the passport
Schwartz. Search him and see."
"On the contrary" replied Ga
briel calmly. 81 am Major Lenoir
of the Deaths Head Cuirassiers,
and here is my passport as such"
He pulled out his original pass
port, and the Austrian took it with
a puZzed air.
"This is all regular" he said. 81
am sorry to have to take you pris-
Oner, monsieur; but you must be
aware that your visit here in full
was madness.
Then, to the Prussian, he said
coldly: -... #.
"You see the gentleman is not
spy. Ha is only Il daredevil"
Bat the prince, now that he ran no
danger, was full of eagerne5s to pun
ish his rival. .
81 tell you he has another pass
port" he said. "The postmaster
cOuntersigned it. Here, let me look
at that one" .-.....-
He glanced it over rapidly, and
then his countenance fell. He mad
to find it deficient in sig
natures. Instead of that, it was
countersigned all the way
to Zittau, to which place he and the
postmaster had ridden across
country by short cut TO intercept
Gabriel. s.f. ...-
The cuirassier eyed him with a
smile of scOrn and said in French
"YOu are a contemplate coward,
and | will cut off your ears when
next we meet" -..
''YOu are liar and spy, l will
nave you hung at once to save
ime."
Then to the Austrian he contin.
led: .r.ts 7.s .-.. rf .".
"There is some trick here. 1t is
impossible that they can have |
,Ountersigned Il French officers |
passport on your territory. There |
s another somewhere. Search the
- ..-
The Austrian went to the door, |
md then seemed to be embar-
assed, for he bowed low and said
81 am sorry, ladies; but my duty
'ompels me 10 dO this. Please de-
cend."
The Prince of POtsdam uttered a
ry of amazement as he saw two
lack nuns descend from the car /
iage with their long wells on.
"WhO are these ?'' he asked.
Gabriel stepped forward.
Ladies under my protection, who
must not be insulted."
To the Austrian officer he said:
"Captain, your orders do not ex-
end to the insult of ladies. | admit
am fool to be caught here, but |
ad engaged to take these holy sis
ers to the convent of Our Lady at
he village of Austerlitz. If / am
AIKEN, at least let them proceed on
heir way"
The Austrian bowed respectfully.
Certainly, monsieur. But who
re they?'
"Here are their passports. My
ister, and her friend, Sister Ba-
ette."
The Austrian looked at the pass
orts.
"They seem TO be correct" he
aid slowly; "but, seeing the posi-
on i'm which / find you. / regret to
e compelled to insist on seeing
heir faces. This may be a trick. |,
hey may be your comrades in
isguise."
GabriePs heart gave a thump. He
yould not have minded Inez un-
ailing, but for the presence of
'rince Ferdinand. He knew that
nez had safe in her bosom the
ilse passport with the true sigma
lres, which he had copied on the
'ay, and he hardly knew what to
o.
81 beg OF you, sir, as brother
fficer," he said, in a low tone, "not
D Insist on this. ] give you the
onOr OF French soldier that these