The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-14

under the fourth button of his tunic.
Down he went, and the weight of him
nearly took me off my horse before l
could disengage. l never glanced AT him
to see if he were living or dead, for |
sprang off my pony and on to Violette,
with a shake of my bride and kiss of
my hand to the two Uhlans behind me.
They galloped after me, shouting, but,
Violette had had her rest and was just
as fresh as when she started.
took the first side road to the west,
and the first to the south, which would
take me away from the enemy's coun-
try. On we went, and on, every stride
taking me further from my foes and
nearer to my friends. At last | reached
the end of a long stretch of road, and
looking back from it could see no signs
of pursuers. l understood that my
troubles were at last over.
And it gave me a glow of happiness
as / rode to think that l had done to
the letter what the emperor had or
dered. What would he say when he
saw me? What could he say which
would do justice to the incredible way
in which l had risen above every dam
ger? He had ordered me to go through
Sermoise, Scissors and Senlis little
dreaming that they were all three occu-
pied by the enemy. And yet l had done
it. / had borne his letter in safety
through each of these towns. Hussars,
Dragons, lancers, Cossacks and infan-
try, l had run the gauntlet Of all of
them and had come out unharmed.
When | had got as far as Dammartin
caught first glimpse of our own out
posts. They were a troop of dragons
in field, and, of course, l sould see
from the horsehair crests that they
We're French. ! gallOped toward them
in order to ask them if all was safe be-
tween there and Paris, and as | rode |
felt such pride at having won my way
back to my friends again that l could
not refrain from waving my sword in
the air. At this a young officer gal
loped out from among the dragons,
also brandishing his sword, and it
warmed my heart to think that he
should come riding with such ardOr
and enthusiasm to greet me. ! made
Violette caracole, and as we came to-
gether / brandished my sword more
CALAMITY than ever-but you can i'm
agine my feelings when he suddenly
made a cut at me which would GER
tainly have taken my head off if had
not fallen forward with my nose in
Violette's name. My faith! it whistled
just over my cap like an east wind. OF
course it came from this accursed uni
form, which, in my excitement, / had
forgotten all about, and this young
dragoon had imagined that I was some
Russian champion who was challenging
the French cavalry. My word! he was
a frightened man when he understood
how near he had been to killing the
celebrated Brigadier Gerard.
Well, the road was clear, and about
O'Clock in the afternoon I was at st.
Denis, though it took me long two
hours to get from there to Paris, for
the road was black with commlssariat
wagons and guns of the artillery re-
serve, which were going north to Mar
mouth and Mortier. You cannot con-
ceive the excitement which my appear
ance in such a costume made in Paris,
and when | came to the Rue de RivOli
/ should think had a quarter of mile
of folk riding or running behind me.
Word had got about from the dragons
1.-TWO of them had come with mel, and
everybody knew about my adventures
and how / had come by my uniform.
1t was a triumph-men shouting and
women waving their handkerchiefs and
blowing kisses from the windows AL
though L am man singularly free
from conceit, still l must confess that
on this one occasion. l could not re-
strain myself from showing that this
reception gratified me. The Russian
coat had hung very loose upon me,
but now l threw out my chest until it
was as tight as a sausage skin. And
my little sweetheart Of mare tossed
her name and paved with her front
hoofs, frisking her tail about, as though
she said: We've done it together this
time. 1t is to us that commissions
should be entrusted" When l kissed
her between the nostrils when I dis
mounted at the gate of the Tuileries
there was as much shouting as IL a
bulletin had been read from the grand
army.
| was hardly in costume to visit a
king, but, after ALL if one has a SOL
dierly figure, one can do without all
that. | was shown up straight away
to Joseph, whom l had often seen in
Spain. He seemed as stout as quiet
and as amiable as ever Talleyrand
was in the room with him, or l suppose
l should call him Duke of Beneyento,
but confess that like old names best.
He read my letter when Joseph Bona
parte handed 1t to him, and then he
looked at me with the strangest express
sion in those funny little twinkling eyes
OF his.
Were you the only messenger" he
asked.
There was one other SIR" said I,
"Major Carpenter of the horse grena-
diers"
He has not yet arrived" said the
king of Spain.
-"If you had seen the legs of his horse,
yOu NOulu ilOl WOHueT DIT IL, re-
marked.
There may be other reasons" said
Talley rand, and he gave that singular
smile of his.
well, they paid me compliment or
two, though they might have said a
good deal more and yet have said too
little. | bowed myself out, and very
glad / was to get away, for / hate
a court as much as / love a camp.
Away l went to my old friend, Chau-
bert, in the Rue Miromesnil, and there
! got his hussar uniform, which fitted
me very well. He and Lizette and /
supped together in his rooms, and all
my dangers were forgotten. In the
morning ! found Violette ready for
another Colleague stretch. 1t was my
intention to return instantly to the en-
perOr's headquarters, for / was, as you
may imagine, impatient to hear his
words of praise and to receive my re-
ward.
l need not say that rode back by a
safe route, for had seen quite enough