, 1889-07-18

CASTOR listened with due respect to
these well meant exhortations, but with
out the slightest intention of being infiu-
enced by them; and, on the arrival of
his division at Metz some days later, had
already, more thaD once, declined to
avail himself of the services of the regi-
mental barber.
Nevertheless, he ~instinctively felt that
q continued refusal to conform 70 the
general custom must inevitably endan-
ger his popularity, and that the only way
to atone for this obnoxious singularity
was to distinguish himself by some ex-
plot which might obtain for him an
honorable mention in the order of the
day.
An opportunity soon came. On the
18th of August his regiment, posted near
st. Privat, behind an avenue of poplars
bordering the road to Saarbruck, had
been exposed for several hours to a gall
ing fire of the German artillery, and had
suffered severely from an incessant storm
of shells. which were beginning to set
the trees on fire. The position of the
French corps became u~ntenable, and the
colonel, deciding that the enemy's guns
must at any cost be silenced, ordered a
small detachment of dragons command
ed by De Langeais to charge, and cut
them off from the main body. The Ger
MANS, taken by surprise and imagining
they were about to be attacked by the
entire regiment, ceased firing and hasti-
ly retreated, leaving one of their guns
on the field, which CASTOR, at The head
of fifteen men, bore down upon, and,
caharfn- fha -,.,a oou-..l q. -
antly into the French lines.
"Bravo!' cried the colonel, warmly
grasping the young sub-lieutenant's
hand; "you have deserved the cross for
this, and l will take care that you getit.r
Stimulated by this first success, and
eager to justify by some further act of
daring the good opinion of his chief, De
Langeais neglected no opportunity of
proving himself worthy of it. Dis
patched on a foraging expedition and at
tackled by an outpost of infantry, he
completely routed them and brought ten
prisoners into the camp, and a few days
later held his ground for half an hour,
unsupported ave by his own men,
against an entire corps of the enemy.
His gallantry did not pass unrewarded.
Not only was the Cross of the Legion of
Homo conferred on him, but his name
was three times mentioned for excep-
tional bravery in the order of the day,
and his speedy promotion to the rank of
lieutenant was generally regarded as a
certainty.
AT this juncture the unexpected capt.
ulation of Metz was a severe blow to
him, and, unwilling to accept compare
tive liberty on parole, he conceived a
project which, although extremely haz-
ardous, might enable him to join the
Army of the Loire. His design being APP
proved of by the general commanding un-
der Bazaine, who intrusted him with a
letter to his colleague, Aurelle de Pala-
dimes, informing him that the army of
Prince Frederick Charles would shortly
march toward the Loire, CASTOR ex-
changed his uniform for a blouse and a
peasants straw hat, and, carrying n bas-
ket Of eggs, pursued his way coolly in
the direction of the enemy's lines.
'It is a terrible risk" he thought,
but better be shot at once than rot in n
German prison"
Challenged by the first man he met,
and arrested on suspicion, he was taken
before the colonel of the regiment, who,
surrounded by his officers in council,
scrutinized the prisoner attentively.
where do you come fromP' he in
quired in tolerable French.
"From Ladonchamps, on my way with
these eggs to Grigy," was the young
mans reply.
Are o aware hat o run the risk
of being treated as a spyT" pursued his
interrogation.
Necessity has no choice" retorted De
Langeais, with a perfectly Indifferent air.
During this brief colloquy the officers
glanced curiously at the stalwart indi-
vidual before them, whose appearance
contrasted so strangely with the homely
dress he wore, and were almost unani-
mously of the colonel's openly expressed
opinion that he was no peasant, but an
officer in disguise, and consequently a
spy. A pause boding no good to the &C
cused ensued, and in another moment
his fate would have been sealed, when a
gray haired major who had been intent
ly gazing at De Langeais suddenly rose
from his seat.
stay" he exclaimed; with all sub
mission, l think you are mistaken. This
man, whoever he may be, is no officer.
All those we have aiken prisoners have
been close cropped, and no one ever
heard of a French soldier on active SER
vice with such a head of hair as that.
True, the major is right" scented
several of those present.
.It may be 80" said the colonel, only
half convinced, land in that case he is
entitled to the benefit of the doubt. Give
him a pass and let him go and be hanged
somewhere else"
"A narrow escape" muttered CASTOR
to himself as he left the camp. 81 won
der what Bouchard would say if he knew
it."
A week later our hero reached his des-
tination, and delivered his credentials to
the general in command, by whom the
grade of lieutenant was Immediately con-
ferred on him At the conclusion of the
campaign he was promoted to a captain
cy, and in 1871, after the final rout of
the Commune, married his cousin Louise.
In the following year, while on leave in
Paris, he came across his old enemy,
Bouchard, on the Boulevard des Italiens.