The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-03-05

we're here In force, and a Prussian
General had bis headquarters at the
chateau.
What vas Girls Lapin doing1 Cut.
ting wood Tor the Pruasiana and earn.
ing a good bit Of money. The fact ia,
my own little place Of entertainment
was doing a deal OF business. Some.
times said TO Girls Lapiu "rako
care, tho Count may hold you respon.
siblo some day for all tho wood you
are cutting. Watch ont, tho Count
may have somebody looking 70 his in.
terosts"
Well, ono day a man came into my
placo-thero we're ever 70 many Prus.
sian soldiers thoro-and ho was dressed
like a peasant, with his bill hook hang
ing at bis girdlo, an honest woodman,
rs II would seem. Some OF the soldiers
laughed aud made faces at him and
called him Herr Crapaud. But be did
not seem to mind. A quiet, middle
aged man, his resemblance 20 Grs
Lapid struck mo at once, only he was
younger IN the face, though his hair
looked Rrayish. Then suddenly he
said: Monsieur Taupet, will you cut
my hair2' "Walk into my back room,
said |. You see, these Prussians
dreaded spies aud we're very suspi.
cious. No sooner was ho seated in
my BARRIERS chair than / noticed that
his HAIR was powdered, so as 10 give
him an older look. Says no at once
81 am Eustase. Find me some way Of
getting into the chateau. / cannot
ask my father to help me. He must
not know / am here. / saw him as /
came here. My father was drunk and
was fraternizing with our enemies"
Then / was sure the Germans were
watching as. Now, q sudden inspira.
ton seized me, and said aloud:
eyes, they buy chickens at the
chateau, and II you had any pigeons
You could sell them Any kind Of
poultry is in demand" Then I noticed
that Eustase started. "Pcre Taupet, q"
said be, in low voice, ''that guess
about pigeons was q dangerously good
one. Lookl" and, opening the bosom
of his blouse, he showed me a white
carrier pigeon there, one Of the true
Antwerp breed.
"But tell me about the chateau and
Mademoiselle Agnes?" he asked.
/ gave him the last news. "They
are all WE'LL" 1 said. Then he told me
that he was no longer a seminarist,
but had taken up arms in defense of
France. That he had been promised
his epaulets if he would undertake a
dangerous service, and it was TO find
out the exact force of Prussians in
this province. That he had three
pigeons, and that two of them had
been loosed, and the third, with the
final news, the most important, was to
be sent to the French headquarters.
I managed somehow that Eustase
had entrance to the chateau, and you
may fancy what Joy there was when Ia
mere and the pretty Agnes found out
who was the elderly pigeon merchant
who had brought the birds for the
kitchen. Such information as Eustase
obtained he wrote and put in a quill
and attached 1t to tue pigeon, and ]
think Mademoiselle herself carried il
to the upper window of the chateau
and let it fly; and the bird winged
her way right over the forest. And
|, now Eustase said to Agnes: "You
have won for me the cross and my
, epaulets." But just then they hearC
, shot.
| That evening Girls Lapin came to my
! place, and told him aoout his son
aud he could hardly believe it. AuC
as We were talking together in a low
voice we heard the sound of military
g party, tramp, tramp, tramp; and be
hold, there came ong at the double
8 an armed guard of Prussians, with
q prisoner in the middle of them, hi
: hands tied behind him, as pale as death
with q strange glazed looked in hi
eyes. "That is a poor fellow whom
they have caught sending messages tt
our army by carrier pigeon, HEAVIER
e bless him." somebody said. And a
( that Girls Lapin staggered forward an,
g threw himself among the soldiers witt
!, loud cry, while the prisoner turne,
o his head. ''Mon PORE" he cried
q springng toward him as we'll as h
h could, but the soldiers urged hin
v along with their bayonets, and drov
}. away Girls Lapin with blows, and h
IS fell backward among us more dea
,. than alive.
, It was terriblel The young man wa
g to be shot. The Countess aud Mile
o Agnes were to be sent out of France
Il The pigeon, which had been shot, ha
d told the whole story. That evenin
g Girls Lapin came to see me. / tried
d comfort him, but he babe me hold m
II tongue, for that knew nothing abou
d the matter. "Thst might be" sale
ls "but / knew this much that if 1 kne,
10 the traitor who had betrayed him
is would do my best to strsngle him Wit
?, these two hands of mine" At thi