Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-07-20
A Terrible Revenge.

wv paw hO Aoi oSo ,uhuouaiiy CASlG-
ed by the white wine that had been
poured over their oats, dashed th1o'
the air which whistled past their
ears. Their hoofs resounded loudly
on the hard, frozen road. The two
carriage lanterns shone in the night
like the glowing eyes of some huge,
prehistoric monster.
The mad, furious course in the
darkness had something strange
about it, something mysterious, sim
lister, and all the more so, perhaps,
that it was taking place in the aimee
terrible-the terrible year when the
Germans were in Alsace.
The carriage, like vessel in dis
tress on raging sea, oscillated from
left to right and from right to left.
When the vehicle, which had been
flying down the slopes of Ottrot, rae
ed through the village, passing like
an express train the houses with
their little low roofs, on which the
moon cast a silvery light, the good
women, suddenly frightened, made
the sign of the cross with trem-
bling OF the knees and whispered
prayer.
"Mon Dieu! What is going to
become Of us ?"
The children crouched terrified
against the knees of the older per-
sons. Everywhere there was a sense
of depression and evil presentment
and-a characteristic sign of general
terfor-the fires in the huge, white
stoves were allowed to sink low and
90 out, for no one thought OF keep
ing them alive.
The fact was the Prussians, for
several weeks past, had been cruelty
rayaging the country.
The flying carriage contained some
German officers, who were the bear
ers of secret orders to S.
"Faster, faster," they cried, whip
ping up the poor horses, which were
already breathing fire and smoke out
of their nostrils. The wretched
driver, terrified, obeyed mechanical.
ly.
"Tonnerre y he growled, my
horses will die when they reach their
stable if they do not break their
necks going round one of these steep
curves p And the strokes of the
whip redoubled and the dizzy course
became still more reckless.
Tue trees seemed to fly past. Ma
ture herself protested against the
wild, headlong career, for at this
moment the moon hid her face be-
hind cloud, as if she did not wish
to be a witness TO the scene. And
still they flew onward.
That afternoon the enemy had
taken possession of the village of
Ottrot, and, as their custom was had
installed themselves in the peoples
houses.
Four superior officers were domi-
ciled with the Mayor. They sat
there in the middle of his best draw
ing room, talking in their gutteral
jargon and smoking their long pipes
of porcelain while they dried their
boots at the hot fire blazing in the
CRATE. Their unwilling host, a tall
old mao, with white beard, served
them with drinks as gracious!y as
he could. His eye passed sadly
from one to the other, his venerable
lead shaking melancholy, as il to
say: at is the right of the strong
est, what can one do against hun
dred 2"
Perhaps his mind was dwelling on
the past. Perhaps he was looking
forward to revenge. Thinking, it
may be, Of the time when his coun-
trymen, by one of those spontaneous
movements that the French are alone
capable of, would be victorious and
offering mercy to these very officers
his guests.
He raised his white head in ges-
ture of defiance and his eyes shot
fire. He seemed to have grown 90
years younger, and this transfgura-
ton was evidence of his tremendous
internal agitation.
He was recalled to the present by
gentle KNOCK at the door and al
most Immediately afterwards he saw
in the porch the tall, powerful frame
OF Lux, who was the foreman of the
Mayors servants and modern Her
cules. He was as agile as deer
and as strong az an OK, and could
break sou between his fingers as
he would break an egg shell.
The neck of a bull rose out of q
flannel shirt, carelessly fastened
across the throat by cotton ueck-
tie. He was a man terrible in anger
but in repose gentle as a lamb and
as docile.
! "What is the matter7'