The morning call., 1892-12-16

speak, fOr what follows was received from
her. She related it to me some months
after the event:
One morning at daybreak being still in
bed. heard some noise at the door and
then fail of window panes which were
broken. jumped out of bed putting on my
dress, and hurried to the door l gave cry.
my boy was before me and behind him
three of his comrades. but in what condi-
ton. Emaciated, their cheeks hollow. their
skin chapped with cold. their clothes In
rags, their boots without s0leS.
All my boy" said /. opening my arms.
Mother. we must hide" he replied. my
general has charged me with carrying an
order to the commandant of the fort of
Joux. But the Prussians bar the road;
they have seen US, they are pursuing US.
They must not find Inc"
''Eh. parbleu, give me your order, will
carry IL myself while You stay here. An old
woman, she can go everywhere"
/ had no time 10 flush. A fusillade was
heard, and man entered CRYING:
There are the Prussians"
l pushed my boy and bis friends into
carrage-hOuse, at the end of which. under
my wine. The PrussiaDs entered. Through
the open door | saw others on the road.
There were more than hundred. A young
officer commanded them.
He came 10 me arrogant aud brutal.
You are Nine Jamie? ?"
lam"
Your son has just gone into this house"
my son. He is far from here, bandits,
IL, however. you have left him alive for
me-"
HE is here. I am sure of IT Come,
where is hep"
Look for him."
He motioned l was surrounded, unable
to bulge, and the soldiers began searching
the house, while | was asking myself who
was the miserable coward who had informed
against my son,
At last the brigands found him. him and
his friends l saw the poor children come
back, pale. but resOlute. all covered with
the hay in which they had been hidden. And
my son, so handsome, such flames in his
eyes. An. he was really OF my blood. that
one. They searched them, their clothes, to
ind the order which the general had charged
them with. But the order was verbal. They
could not find anything and they did not
find anything.
The officer threw himself about fretted.
mad with rage. Suddenly he said to me,
covering the prisoners with gesture OF
fury:
rs your son among themP"
HE Is not there. And if he were there /
would not acknowledge it,"
He raised his sword 10 me- Then they
pushed US all pellmel into the road. Then
he asked:
where is the man who informed Us ?'
zone OF his companions has Just killed
him, captain" said sergeant, pointing 10 a
corpse had not seen, hidden as it was by a
bush.
1t was the traitor free-shooter, who, TO
save his OWN life, had not feared to give
my chld's secret to tho enemy. Besides
he lad not waited long time for MS punish
ment
THE assassin shall be shot," said the
officer.
Then, looking in a terrible way at
some inhabitants of cur village, who were
trembling under the lowered bayonets, he
went on:
docs anybody know the boy Jambe |?
Come. answer, or set fire to your houses"
Alb, the brave people. nobody answered.
Then we are going to see" said the
officer.
He gave an order in low tone.
They stuck me to the wall while they
were putting arms into the hands Of my son
and his comrades.
And the officer said to them:
You are going to obey my order and
shoot that woman for me, and IL you do not
obey IL is you who Will die"
And he prompted his soldiers, who aimed
at the unfortunates on whom he imposed the
Office of execntioners.
CRY OF horror was raised to which n
great silence succeeded. i, | recommended
my soul to God, saying to myself that l
died. and looked at my son. But he did
not see me. His eyes were turned toward
his comrades as if TO exchange a sign.
Lower your arms" ordered the officer,
They obeycd.
"Aim."
They took aim at me.
''FireP'
They faced about. report sounded
which shot FIVE Prussians down and among
them their officer. And this report was DON'T
mated Dy the voice Of my boy, who sprang
upi
Eyes, fire. brigand but on you and yours I"
A general discharge from the exasperated
russians replied TO this stroke of audacity.
and IL was then that / fell struck by a
bullet IN my shoulder. But before faintin o
L had time to see that my boy was still
standing.
l learned later that at this moment the
guns OF the fort at Joux resounded. The
sun, In rising. had all at once illumina red
The helmet points, and the commander Of
the Tort, judging by this mass of men seen
In the distance that something anomalous
was happening. had sent some balls in to the
crowd and dispersed the enemy. 1t was be-
sides the guns of the fort which, some hours
later, covered the retreat of the army OF the
East when 1t passed into Switzerland.
Mime. Jambe died some years after
these tragic events. / recalled them the
other day On learning that the son of this
heroic woman, prosperousiy pursuing a
career begun with so much brilliancy has
just been appointed commandant.-frans
iated from the French by Alphonse Daudet
KILLED THE COOK