The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-05-20

heavy sabots of the two peasant
women, who advanced, peering through
the trees. as if they were also seeking
the whereabouts of the fugitive Prus-
sian.
There was something odd in their ap-
pearance, and, though ! could gain but
a passing glimpse of them. made dis
covery.
The two women were carrying musk
cts in their hands.
Those, indeed, were masculine forms
and faces. And their voices. Fool
that was, not to have recognized them
before.
| retreated softly and quickly, half
along the sandy bed of the stream, half
along the white stones that lay in the
shallow water Thus | threaded the
bed of the stream until the voices of my
pursuers grew fainter. | had proceeded
some distance, and now, through the
thinning trees | saw that had come
within shooting distance of the red
trowsered sentinel lying upon the wall
summing himself.
There were, in fact, two sentries
there; one lolling upon the wall and the
other leaning against it with but his
head and shoulders visible. / observed
them very distinctly; I heard their
voices now and then, and the lazy
yawning of the one that lay in the sun
light.
saw their chasscpots cleaning in
the sun, and in such close proximity
they wore an ugly look.
was safe, however, as long as their
attention was not attracted toward me,
and 40 turned my thoughts to my two
pursucrs again, ! had heard them hunt
! ing and cursing for awhile far in my
rear, but now all noise of them had
/ died away
Happening Ia turn my glance up to
] the stone coping 10 which | longed to
return, saw, 10 my surprise, that the
/ two grape pickcrs had given up my pur-
suit and were engaged in their former
occupation again. But now they were
much nearer 10 the coping than they
had been before, and under the cover of
their pretended employment they were
still slowly but surely advancing.
well perceived their object.
Here was n prcdicament truly. The
sentinel, not possessed of an abundance
OF wit, would let the two approach I'M
challenged, until they were near enough
to turn suddenly and shoot him with
their hidden weapons; and yet were
to attempt to warn him. swift and sure
retribution would be upon my own
head, both from before and behind me.
But this was not all. At the place
I where stood in hiding the foliage that
sheltered the stream grew scarce and
| ended. Before me was wide plot of
unprotected turf.
On the other side Of this open space
the thicket there began to stealthily be
stirred. ! saw the tops of the bushes
nod. What other foe lay crouching
there? Was there one who could see
me and was aiming at me even now
perhaps? Was the thicket full of sol
diers who would rush forth when the
death-shot Of the sentry above should
ring out?
This train of nervous fancies, how
ever, was now interrupted. Rising
carefully from the midst of the bushes
/ n
head rose, too, and hand that waved a
greeting.
1t was Moritz, who, grown uneasy at
my non-appearance, had stolen down to
ferret out the cause.
Immense as was the figure Of the
Pomeranian, yet he concealed himself
very ably ! noticed from his actions
that he guarded himself only from the
view of the two sentries by the wall,
seeming to think that screened from
them he would be safe.
AS he crawled carefully out into the
open, therefore, | attracted his atten-
ton to the two masculine females who
had gradually stolen close to the cop
ing.
| The Pomeranian knelt in the grass
/ and looked up. AS he noted the two
/ figures and the intentions which their
movements betrayed, his face became
transtiXed with rage. So terrible was
the wrath depicted upon it that | was
/ glad To see it turned towards others
than myself.
One of those figures up there. in his
! CANDY costume, had already reached the
coping and, with his chasscpot to his
shoulder ready for firing, peered
stealthily over the stone wall to locate
the sentry.
At this act and those costumes OF
duplicity, the large Pomeranian, re-
CARELESS of all consequences, leapcd
from the earth and fairly beloved with
rage. 1t seemed to infuriate him beyond
reason that those two rogues above
should have thus deceived him. A sud-
den flash from his gun thoroughly an
initiated the disguised soldier at the
coping.
Swinging his gun like club and
roaring with fury, he ran up the hill
side toward the other. Somehow his
actions aroused me To like fury. and
we both tore madly up the hill toward
the sSirted soldier who, turning, seemed
struck as IL by thunderbolt at our
sudden approach
The shot Of Moritz had sent the echoes
revcrberating among the hills. The
French outposts leaped up, rs if electri-
fed. from their sunny wall; innumer-
able others started up from the sur
rounding thickcts rain OF bullets
fairly peppercd the grassy slope.
But our sudden onrush had carried us