Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-03-18
JEANNE'S BRAVERY,

OEANNU y DhA IlN l..
Felix Labardie had been a French
tireur in the great war of 1870, and |
liked nothing better in the evening than
to sit and listen to his stories of the ter
rible time when France lay gasping and
bleeding.
One evening we had been silently
smoking for some time when he said,
"Did ever tell you, monsieur, how
fell into the hands Of the Germans and
out again:''
"No,'' I said. II thought the Ger
mans shot all the guerrillas they
caught"
"They let me 60 free, monsieur" he
said, with grim laugh. "Tt may seem
incredible, monsieur, but Jeanne yon-
der held the life of royalty OH her finger
tips"
II should like very much to hear the
story" said.
Certainly, monsieur, and if mon
sieur thinks what was done was wrong
he must excuse a woman in love-
CATER Sedan, monsieur, a meeting
was called in our village, and 80 of us
enrolled ourselves as 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 i'll force around Metz. we
marched in that direction and made our
headquarters in the hills behind vii
lage called Pency, about three leagues
from tho fortress 1t was in Pency
Jeanne lived, and from the first moment
saw her, monsieur, I said to myself, If
fortune is kind, Felix, that girl shall be
your wife. Her father was the miller
of Penney, and the acoursed 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 month
we had plighted our troth, OH the under
standing that we should not marry until
France was rid of the enemy.
''Small as our band was, we made our
selves terror to the marauding Uhlans,
thanks to the generalship of old Mont
bon. Jeanne was invaluable to u.s. She
was all eyes and ears, and Montbon
called her the head of the intelligence
department of our band. l used to meet
her every evening, when it was posi-.
BILE, III little cave | had discovered,
which, having no outlets, was proof
against surprise.
eve staid three months at Penney,
and then the place became too hot for
us, and we prepared to leave for a vii.
lage some leagues to the south. l fell
into the hands of the Bavarians the very
evening before we were to leave Pency
"Jeanne declares to this day, and ]
believe rightly, that I was betrayed by
avillager, 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 Oh my
way to meet Jeanne, and taken SO COM
pletely by surprise that l had not the
least chance Of defending myself Or try
ing to escape, and, worse than all, was
taken with the rifle in my hand.
"'You are an assassin, said the stout
little officer in command in barbarous
French You shall be shot. Where are
your companions?'
"But professcd not to understand. !
was afraid of being shot Oh 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 mo, and we set out for
the hamlet where the Crown Prince
Frederick had his headquarters.
GAS Fortune would have it, Jeanne
met us OH the road. Monsieur would
suppose that Jeanne is a quiet little wo-
man, but monsieur has not seen her
thoroughly aroused. She was reused
then, monsieur. She flung herself on
me and tried to release me- Then she
seized the bayonet of Bavarian, and
if / had not begged her for my sake to
be calm she would have fought the
whole party single handed. Then she
fell to beseeching them, for she could
speak German we'll, but they only
laughed at her and drove her off with
foul words My heart was like lead
then, monsieur. But I did not know
Jeanne
II was taken before the princes ad-
jutant, who promised me liberty if l
would betray my compatriots. But
fcigned stupidity, and when he found
that would tell nothing he ordered
me to be shot at the next morning
I'VE give you till then, he said, to
find your tongue. You'll be dumb
enough after. And he laughed.
IT was bound like log, monsieur.
and thrown into a hut and brutally
kicked. My thoughts were not pleasant
all this tins. lay thinking of Jeanne,
whom l should never see again, pic.
turing that, womanlike, she would go
home and weep in her helplessness and
despair. But did not know her then.
She was working for me with all the
energy and wit Of woman. Jeanne,
Jeanne, ma petite, come here"
Jeanne came to the door,
"Come and tell monsieur how you
saved me, ma petite. -
A blush overspread Jeanno's foatures
"What, that foolish story again?''
al. Co. al. . r s..k