Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-01
shall perhaps learn something of general

have all the virtues. Believe me- / depend
wholly upon your splendid cooperation"
| But II Daubisson's mistake had been seen
| In time. 1t stillGeqrieed to be rectified.
| AT several points the French front was
| rapidly driven gin before reinforeements
could arrive. LIE Bretoh's brigade. strength
| eheu by two others hurried up from the
rear was able TO hold back the assault
| delivered from Metz along the main road.
| But 1t was fierce and tine rtain combat,
| in which small knots of men sought out
| tne1r enemies In the darkness. and fought
| with equal ferocity and determination.
ihree-quarteg$ Of q mile further north.
| where the Frehch fine was weaker, the
| German advance was rapid and unchecked.
| Ths watcherslin Gfaveiotte were able to
| discsrn the progress of this attack 10y tho
| gradual approach Of the sounds of COM
bat. Although several staff officers had
| been sent flying to bring up regiments
| from the rear, there was no appreciable
| pause in the enemy's advance.
| Matters began to look serious about /
| o'clock.
At this moment Pierre Laronde growled
| to himself:
| Il must back my luck. even If I get
| snubbed:
He came to Vansittart and said:
| Il think. sir, 1 could lead couple of
sQuadrons of chasseurs across country and
take the Germans In flank If you will per-
nit it,
Very we'll. Try it, captain"
Major sir. If you please. Gen. Daub-
| Dispatch
Did he? 1 agree with him. If You dis
| pei that column you return a colonel"
| Montsaloy found the troops for Laronde.
| and they clanked OF along lane. But
| they soon quilted thu high road and made
| for tree-crowned hill beyond which the
| conflict ragged.
| Laronde knew quite well that with 2e0
| saber5 he could do little against a COM
| pact German division Of 5000 or 1000 In
| fantry. He counted wholly upon surplis-
m Arr1Ny tfrcr NorliEs IF lt- c
| giving the French infantry a chance to
| rush the Germans at the point of the
| bayonet.
Pierres lucky star was certainly in the
| ascendant that night. He and his COM
! rades came upon the second German bril-
| gade at the moment 1t was deploying to
| support the fighting line. Some farm build
! ings gave the chasseurs splendid cover I'M
| til they were right in the midst of the
RUSSIAN regiment. and in a few seconds
| the orderly and compact mass became a
| torrent of disorganized humanity, fleeing
| in AFFECT terror before the furious charge
| made by the chasseurs.
| Fighting by night Is eerie and ticklish
| business at the best. The awesome effect
! Of the mounted arm is magnifed tenfold
| when maddened horses thunder from out
| the darkness. Nor had Laronde forgotten
| to send a trooper to the commander of the
! French infantry to inform him OF the ex-
| pected charge, so that he might take adj
| vantage of 1t If successful.
In fifteen minutes one at least of the Ger
| man columns was shattered into atoms it's
| officers and men urged in hopeless rout its
| leaders stampeded by their own troops. and
| it's fragments rushing wildly to Metz for
| safety.
| So Pierre got his colonelcy with COMPARE
| tive ease, though none marveled at his
good fortune more than he did himself.
| The struggle went on through the night
with no very certain results.
Three of the eight columns launched by
the kaiser made good their lodgment on the
left bank of the Mosele-those operating
| on the north, where they We're supported
| by KreuZnach's strong corps.
When day broke the French left and Gen.
ter had been swung back. with the result
| that the French line now formed crescent,
/ of which the left rested near Nerdon on the
| Meuse, the center lay at Gravelotte, and
the right touched the Moselle six miles
| south of Metz.
| Clanking to and fro over the stone floor
| of room in the Hotel de Vile at Metz, the
| Emperor of Germany listened attentively
| to the statements made to him by various
members of his staff.
| The logged persistence of Kreuznach's di-
vision in reaching and holding La Chapelle,
! followed by the rapid march of the German
| columns to the new front on the Mouse,
| constituted the first real German success
| of the war.
Suddenly an aid-de-camp entered.
"A man WITHOUT, your majesty. who says
| his name is Hans Schwartz, asks audience
| of your majesty. He says he is in possess
| ing your majestys interests vitality
| The emperor paused in his walk. SHOW
| him in" he said ,.
| In moment. Hans Schwartz. pallid, I'M
kempt. but confident as ever in demeanor,
| entered.
We'll you rascal, what is ito" The en-
| perors tone was such that few men would
| have cared to face him boldly. But Hans
Schwartz what between the pain of his
shattered wrist and the collapse of his
| projects, was in desperate plight.
4 have news for your majesty's ear
alone,' he said, glancing defiantly around
| at the officers scattered through the apart
ent
''Of what nature?"
Il am Hans Schwartz who helped Rit
terburg to capture Nine Vansittart /"
You villain Seize him, some one and
have him shot at daybreak with his asso-
ciate!"
Several officers sprang forward, but
Schwartz stood his ground.
Il tell YOU he shouted. that / can en-
able you TO conquer France fairly in the
open field within a week. Can you not
IL ten to me? You can always have me shot
at your pleasure.
The mans determined attitude, his con-
tempt for danger and the earnestness of
his tone impressed the kaiser If they did
not convince him.
Quite true" he said with sarcastic
smile. Leave me with this fellow gen.
tlemen, and have a guard in readiness to
march him off,
Gen. Won Gossler protested. There might
be danger to the imperial person. Though
the emperor laughed at the idea, the chief
of the staff carefully searched Schwartz
for concealed weapons before he was sat
istied. Then he left the two alone.
Il have kept up communication with
Paris by means Of my pigeons" said
Schwartz. and e-en when the French po-
lice seized the house where some German
friends were established, they did not dis
cover that my birds were trained in two
sections. to fly to and from two places in
Paris to my house near Gravelotte"
Yes growled the emperor
Il was wounded In the scuffle at this
house. captured, held prisoner for some
days and escaped during the excitement
following Nine. Vansittart's arrival at
Gravelotte and the attack by your males
tvs troops. l hid all night and today in
the wood on my farm, and tonight visited
my forgotten birds. one of them had lust
arrived home from Paris and bore a mes
sage written in a cipher which alone un-
derstand."
"Ha!' Wilhelm was obviously interested
1T contains news which all the world
VIII know in three days. but which may
be worth much more than / have asked to
Your majesty at this moment
Let US have it, then"