The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-02-02
JEANNE'S BRAVERY,

Felix Labardie had been q French
tireur in the great war of 1870, and
liked nothing better in the evening THAI
to sit and listen to his stories of the ter
rible time when France lay gasping ant
bleeding.
One evening we had been silently
smoking for some time when he said,
did / ever tell you, monsieur, how j
fell into the hands of the Germans and
out again."
No." I said. IT thought the Ger.
mans shot all the guerrillas they
caught"
"They let ne go free, monsieur, " he
said, with a grim laugh. ''It may seem
incredible, monsieur, but Jeanne yon-
der held the life of royalty on her finger
tips" q
Il should like very much to hear the
story said.
Certainly, monsieur, and if mon
sieurt thinks what was done was wrong
he must excuse q woman in love.
After Sedan, monsieur, a meeting
was called in u village. and 80 of us
enrolled ourselves as a company of
Francs-tireurs. We felt we could do
more for France as irregulars than serv-
ing under incompetent generals. We
Were we'll armed, and a brave and skill
full old veteran commanded us. As the
Germans were in force around Metz. we
marched in that direction and made our
headquarters in the hills behind q vii
lage called Penney, about three leagues
frnvn tha Forfrarc t. ~,1 - n
Jeanne lived, and from the first moment
/ saw her, monsieur, ! said to myself, If
fortune is kind, Felix, that girl shall be
your wife. Her father was the miller
of Penney, and the accursed Uhlans had
almost ruined him. They were very bit
ter against the invaders, and my profess
sion made me find favor in her eyes.
Before we had been at Penney a month
we h~adplighted our troth, ON the under
standing that we should not marry until
France was rid of the enemy.
"Small as our band was. we made our |
selves a terror to the marauding Uhlans, |
thanks to the generalship Of old Mont
bon. Jeanne was invaluable to us. She
was all eyes and ears, and Montbon |
called her the head of the intelligence |
department of our band. I used to meet |
her every evening. when it was posi-
BILE, i'll a little cave / had discovered. |
which, having no outlets, vas proof
against surprise. |
I'VE staid three months at Penney.
and then the place became too hot for
us, and we prepared to leave for q viii
lage some leagues to %the south. / fell
into the hands of the Bavarians the very
evening before We were to leave Penney.
Jeanne declares to this day, and /
believe rightly, that / was betrayed bv
a villager, a young fellow named Odeau,
who believed the Virgin had intended
Jeanne for his wife, and who was ever
savage when she refused him. But be
that as it may, monsieur, / was seized
at dusk that evening as / was on nv
way to meet Jeanne, and taken SO com
pleteiy by surprise that / had not the
least chance of defending myself or try
ing to escape, and, worse than all, was
taken with the rife in my hand.
lyon are an assassin, > said the stout
little officer in command in barbarous
French. 'You shall be shot. Where are
your compartment
"But / professed MOTTO understand,
was afraid of being shot on the SPOT,
There was much Of the executioner and
little OF the judge in those days, mon
sieur.
Much to my relief, my arms were
bound behind me, and we set out for
the hamlet where the Crown Prince
Frederick had his headquarters.
AS Fortune would have il, Jeanne
met us on the road. Monsieur would
suppose that Jeanne is a quiet little wo-
man, but monsieur has not seen her
thoroughly aroused. She was reused J
then, monsieur. She flung herself ON ]
me and tried to release me. Then she
seized the hayonet of a Bavarian, and
II / had not begged her for my sake TO !
be calm she would have fought the I
party single handed. Then she ,
fell to b~eseeching them, for she could
speak German well. but they only J
Laughed at her and drove her off with
words. My heart was like lead
then, monsieur. But ! did not know
Jeanne.
i was taken before the princes ad.
1utant, who promised me liberty if
would betray my compatriots. But
felgned stupidity, and when he found
would tell nothing he ordered
me to be shot at 5 the next morning.
We give you till then, he said. to
ind your tongue. You'll be dumb
enough after. And he laughed.
Il was bound like a log, monsieur. l
and thrown into a hut and brutally
kicked. My thoughts were not pleasant
MI this time. lay thinking of Jeanne.
whom ] should never see again. pic-
that, womanlike, she would "a I
home and weep In her helplessness and I
despair. But ] did not know her then.
She was working for me with all the I
energy and wit of o woman Jeanne.
Jeanne, ma petite, come here"
Jeanne eanse to the door. {
Come and tell monsieur how Won
7Ayed me, ma petite. "
a blush 0verspread Jeanna's features I
sWhsk. tlaat Foolish story againf'' III
sCextainly not foolish. y infarnosaa "A