Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06
CHAPTER II.


BY midday 1 had got as far as the viii
lage of Saalfeidt. but as / was on the
direct road for Osterode where the en-
peror was wintering, and also for the
main camp of the seven divisions of in
fantry, the highway was chokad with car
r.ages and carts What with artillery.
ca:ssons and wagons and couriers and the
ever-thicken:ng stream OF recruits and
stragglers, 1t seemed to that it would
be very long time before l should join my
comrades. The plains, however. were five
feet deep in snow, so there was nothing
for it but to plod upon our way. 1t WAS
With JOY, therefore, that l found q second
road which branched away from the other,
trend-ng through FIR wood toward the
north. There was a small auberge at the
cross roads. and patrol of the third hus-
sars of Conf1ans-the very regiment of
which l was afterward colonel-were
mounting their horses q the door. On the
steps stood their officer. slight, pale young
man. who looked more Ike ID young priest
from seminary than leader of the devil
maJ-cdre rascals before him.
Good day Sir said he, seeing that
pulled UP my horse.
Good day." 1 answered. II am Lieut..
Etienne Gerard of the tenth"
could see by his face that he had heard
OF me. Everybody had heard of me since
M duel with the six fencing masters My
manner however, served to put him at his
ease with me.
a.,
said he.
Newly joined?" 1 asked
Last week"
1 had thought as much from his white
face and from the way in which he let
men lounge upon their horses. 1t was not
SO long. however. since l had learned my
self what it is like when a schoolboy has
to give Orders to veteran troopers. 1t made
ME blush. L remember, to shout abrupt
commands to men who had seen more bat
ties than l had years, and it should have
come more natural for me to say: with
your permission We will now wheel into
line or IF you think it best, We shall
trot." l did not think the less of the lad,
therefore, when l observed that his men
were somewhat out of hand, but 1 gave
them a glance which stiffened them in
their saddles.
May 1 ask, monsieur. whether you are
going by this northern road?" asked.
"My orders are to patrol it as far as
Arensdorf," said he.
Then 1 will, with your permission, ride
SO far with you," said L; sit is very clear
and the longer way will be the faster"
So it proved, for this road led away from
the army into a country which was given
over to Cossacks and marauders, and 1t
was as bare the other was crowded.
Duroc and 1 rode in front with our six
was a good boy, this Duroc, with his head
full of the nonsense that they teach at St.
Cyr. knowing more about Alexander and
Pompey than how to mix horses fodder
>,
as 1 have said, a good boy, unspoled as
yet by the camp. 1t pleased me to hear
him prattle away about his sister Marie
and about his mother in AmieEs. Presently
we found ourselves at the village of Hay
enah Duroc rode up to the post house
and asked to see the master.
Can you tell me-" said he, whether 4
man who calls himself Baron StrauDenthal
lives in these parts?'
The postmaster shook his head and we
rode upon our way.
1 took no notice of this, but when at the
next village my comrade repeated the
same question, with the same result, l
could not help asking him who this Baron
S'raubentnal might be.
He is man." said Duroc, with a sud-
den flush upon his boyish face, ito whom
1 have a very important message to con-
vey.'
Well, this was not satisfactory, but there
was something in my companions man
ner which told ne that any further ques-
tioning wouli he distasteful to him. 1
said nothing more, therefore. but Duroc
! would still ask every peasant whom We
met whether he could give him any news
of the Baron Strautenthal.
For my own part 1 was erdeavoring, as
an officer of light cavalry should. to form
an idea of the lay of the country, to note
the course of the streams and to mark the
places where there should be fords. Every
step was taking us further from the camp
round the tanks of which we were traV-
cling. Far to the south few plumes OF
| 3 y
position of some OF our outposts. To the
north. however. there was nothing between
ourselves and the Russian winter quarters.
Twice on the extreme horizon 1 caught a
glimpse of a glitter of steel, and pointed
1t out to my companion. II was too dis
| tant for US to tell whence it came, but
We had little doubt that it was from the
| lanceheads of marauding Cossacks.
The sun was just setting when We rode
| over a low hill and saw a small village
| upon our right and on our left a consid-
cradle castle which jutted out from among
| the pine woods.
farmer with his cart was approaching
us-a matted-haired, downcast fellow in a
! sheepskin jacket.
what village is this?" asked Duroc'
"It is Arensdorf," he answered In his
barbarous German dialect.
Then here I am to stay the night" said
my young companion. Then turning to the
| farmer, he asked his eternal question: Can
you tell me where the Baron Straubenthal
| Hves?"
| "Why, 1t Is he who owns the Castle of
Gloom" said the farmer, pointing to the
dark turrets over the distant FIR forest