Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-14
CHAPTER II.

From the TugendDuHu- FroHi Lu'"o"
night-riders. You Frenchmen are living on
a powder magazine, and the match mas peeh
struck which will fire it,
'Rut this is all strange to me-, sald'
stlll fumbling at the feathers of my horse.
what is this Tugendhund?
at is the secret society which has planned
the great rising which is to drive you out
of Germany just you have been driven
out of Russia
"And these rs stand for it?'
"They are the signal. l should have told
you all this in the village, but dared not
be seen speaking with you. 1 galloped
through the woods to cut you Off, and con-
cealed both my horse and myself
II am very much indebted to YOU, said L,
"and the more so you are the only Ger
man that l have met today from whom l
have had common civility."
"AIl that possess l have gained through
contracting for the French armies he said.
"Your emperor has been a good friend to
me. But 1 beg that you will ride on now,
Tor We have talked long enough. Beware
only of Lutzows u.ght-rlders-''
''Banditu?" I asked
"All that Is best in Germany" said he
"But for Gods sake ride forward, for
have rlsked my life and exposed my good
name in order to carry you this warming"
Well. If 1 had been heavy with thought
before. you can think how l felt after my
strange talk with the man among the fag-
ots. >, hat came HO.IIv 10 me even more
than his words was his shiverng, broken
voice, his twitching face. and his eyes
glancing swiftly 20 right and left and open
ing in horror whenever a branch creaked
upon a tree. 1t was clear that he was in
the last extreme of terror. and 1t is posi-
BILE that he had cause, for not long Litter l
had left him 1 heard distant gunshot and
a shouting from somewhere behind me. 1t
have hepn SDOrtSman hallODlnG to
his dogs, but never again either heard or
saw the man who had given me my warn
ing.
l kept good lookout after this, riding
swiftly where the country was open and
slowly where there might be an ambuscade.
1t was Serious for me, since 500 good miles
of German soil lay in front of me; but
somehow l did not take it very much to
heart. for the Germans had always seemed
to me to be kindly, gentle people, whose
hand closed more readily AROUND a pipe
stem than a swordhilt-not out of want of
valor. you understand, but because they are
genial, open souls, who would rather be on
good terms with all men. l did not know
then that beneath that homely surface
there turks devlltry as fierce and far more
persistent than that Of the Castllian or the
italian.
And it was not long before 1 had 1t
shown to me that there was something
more serious abroad than rough words and
hard looks. 1 had come to a spot where
the road runs upward through wild tract
of heatherland and vanished into an oak
wood. / may have been half way up the
hill. when looking forward 1 saw something
CLEAN under the shadow of the tree trunks,
and man came out with coat that was
so slashed and spangled with gold that he
blazed like a fire in the sunlight. He ap-
peared to be very drunk, for he reeled and
staggered as he came toward me. One of
his hands was held up to his ear and
clutcheu get I handkerchief which
was fixed to his neck.
/ had refined up the mare and was look
Ing at him with some disgust. for it seemed
strange to me that one who wore so gor-
geous a uniform should show himself in
such a state in broad daylight. For his
part. he looked hard in my direction ard
came slowly onward stopping from time to
time and swaying about as he gaZad at me.
Suddenly, as again advanced. he screamed
out his thanks to Christ. and, lurching for
ward, he fell with a crash upon the dusty
read. His hands flew upward with the
fall. and l saw that what l had taken for
red cloth was monstrous wound, which
had left great gap in his neck, from which
dark bioodct1t hung. Ike an epaulette.
upon his shoulder.
my Godr' I CRIED as 1 sprang to his
aid. land thought you were drunkr'
Not drunk. but dying" said he. But
oh! thank heaven that have seen a French
officer while had still strength to speak"
laid him among the heather and poured
some brandy down his> throat. All round
US was the vast country side, green and
peaceful. with nothing living in sight save
only the mutilated man beside me.
who has done this?" asked. land what
are you? 20. are T. reGch, and yet the uni
form is strange to me-"
at is that Of the emperor's new guard of
honor. 1 am the Marquis of Chateau st.
Arnaud, and l am the ninth of my blood
who have died In the service of France l
have been pursued and wounded by the
night-riders of Lutzow, but hid among the
buShwood yonder and waited in the hope
THAI Frenchman might pass. could rot
be sure at first If you were friend or foe
but felt that death was very near, and
that must take the chance"
Keep your heart up. comrade." said I.
II have seen man with worse wound
who has lived to boast of it."
No, no." he whispered, Il am going fast"
He laid his hand upon mine as he spoke
and l saw that his finger nails were al
leady blue. But l have papers here in
my tunic which you must carry at once to
the Prince of Saxe-Felstein at his castle of
Hof. He Is still true to us. but the princess
Il cur deadly enemy. She is striving to