Evening star., 1898-09-10

OUT another btlly-do to the old bow an
II clap 1t into his fist in twenty-five min
utes, or know the reason why
II was a gamblers chance, and the mill
hcnalre took 1t. This is what he wrote:
ou must hold back Kreuznach until
me last man has fired the last cartridge
ray no heed to operations by German main
pGHy- In your case they result from
ohance If you hold out until 10 o'clock
ana prevent junction. we will win a great
Tictory- If You DO not. the cause of
France is lost"
Nanslttart gave the precious little mis-
words:
Jim. if Daubisson does rot get that
message the game is ended
Bates smiled. Cheer up. guv'nor." he
cried This circus amt done with yet
Then he galloped down the hill on his
nCrthWdTd ride.
No man ever yet undertook more daring
mission Although he skrted the fighting
me he no sooner came within sight of the
herman position than half a dozen unIanS
rode out to cut him off That was exactly
what Bates wanted. His chief danger to
his own mind, lay in infantry FIRE one
Well-dlreSted bullet would lay either him
self or his charger low, and then farewell
TO his hopes OF success AS it was. when
pursued by hOrsemen, there was less prob
ablhty OF some German officer ordering
a vo!ley to be fired at him.
To the intense astonishment of the
uhlans. he rode straight toward them.
believing they had to deal with a lunatic,
Tor of course he wore no uniform, they
barely trotted on to meet him, and were
hugely surprised when he swerved off at
twenty PAGES distance and shot two of
them in passing.
Ills object was to gain a small wood, ap-
rarenty unoccupied, on the crest of the
slope up which he was now travelling, and
his four pursuers, enraeed at the turn
taken by events. pressed bit and spur in
1urlOuS chase after him.
With lances at rest, and shouting fierce
threats, awe-inspiring by mere reason of
their polysyllabic profanity, the troopers
thought they could hunt him down within
2tD yards.
But he was better mounted than they
and could have distarced them. had rot
a fanClful notion suddenly seized him At
hrst he rejected 1t with a sense of Scorn.
But the sight. Il mile away, of an entire
German division, streaming back along the
road leading from the Meuse to Troy1n,
made him sensible of the moral certainty
of capture or death should he attempt to
ride through its scattered columns in lis
present guise.
For Bates could fight in no other costume
than the flannel shirt, riding breecnes,
boots and SOmbrerO of q cowboy, ard his
strange personality was almost as famous
all over the continent as that of his mas
ter. Such figure could not fail to attract
attention. and the success of mis- mission
was the all-important consideration.
So Jim checked his chargers stride, ard
being now close to the cover of -rees,
turned round in the saddle with the iauda-
he intention of plugging his wouId-te
Captors.
them. The fourth was not above taking a
hint and tried to escape. cut Bates never
missed within practicable range.
Jim disnoun;ed, Invested the biggest
Lhlan Of his jacket and helmet. the man
striving to resist the while. though his col
lar-bone was smashed, and rapidly donned
both articles, stuftiEg his .wi1e-awake hat
into holster. Then he took the troopers
overalls to throw across his knees. slung
the lance over his left arm, and started at
a swinging pace toward the German lire of
march.
Reckon I lost three minutes by that
Geal. grOwled jim - himself. But | had
10 bloomn' cinch passing this next
crowd without playin' it 1t low down"
Ills ruse worked admirably. AS ne neared
the retreating Germans he changed his di-
recuOn so as to approach them at tan
sent. Few noticed him. and those who did
thought him messenger carrying instruc-
uons TO some officer in front. He selected
a crossing place in front of a temporary
lam of ammunition wagons.
Here he Unexpectedly came upon a staff
"1hcer gaZed fNeGly in tire direction of
the conflict raging outside Eerdun. For
tunately. the German was sitting rnctton-
less on his horse. with his back to Bates
Quick as lightning Jim dropped his lance
and gave the animal a sharp prod n the
EindqEarters For the next minute The
officer had other things 10 think about
than the business and destination of the
solitary rider who dashed away into the
ODen.
Bates had now travelled nearly three
miles The pace he had come was telling
on his mount, but the charger was a good
CEe and up to an hour at hunting pace
carrying his riders twelve stone Troops
were scattered all over the country, and
Jim kept a sharp lookout ahead in order
IN
The volume of firing in front momentarily
grew more distinct. The most risky be-
cause most definite, part of his venture
was now 1t hand.
Fortune had we'll aided him up to the
present-would she continue to smile to the
end? "
Others rode forward like himself. Once,
when he had just cleared a small body of
infantry marching in the same direction
an ofhcer. nying along with eager haste
II clned toward him, obviously with the in
quietly. changed the lance to his right
hand. and. when the other was near
enough. hit him such a hearty whack on
the back Of the head that he tumbled in a
heap TO the ground.
Some HambGrgers witnessed the act and
gave great shout of amazement as they
ran to pick up the officer. But none Of
them thought of firing at the supposed
uhlan. w.
AT last Bates neared the firing line. He
mad no trouble in riding through the Ger
man artillery, which was in position on a
ridge. In frcnt a large force of infantry
was depioyed, and 900 yards away. across
some meadows and corn land he could see
the blue frOck coats of the French troons
dotted lffegul&rly over an extended front
When he approached the German infao-
try an oHiCer roarcd something at him end
waved his sword to the right seemingly
indicating that the commander of the bri
gade was in that direction. Jim pr0mptry
inclined to the right, and he at once re-
solved to initiate the actions of one whose
horse had bOlted with him
Dropping the lance. and spurring the
wiling steed F'gorously, he leaned back IN
The saddle and feinted to pull hard at the
reins. 81 e
No one paid heed to him for a few strides
uhtll ne was clear in front of the extended
troops: a German officer gallantly rode
after him to help him. but desisted within
a couple OF hundred yards, trotting back TO
Hls own lines, considerably puzzled by the
tactics of the boiling uhlan.
bates had but one danger left In tbe
central zone he might be shot by either
SIDE accidentally or otherwise To help
himself with the French he threw off the
helmet jacket and cloak and plucking
forth his hat, again resumed the charac-
teristc attire by which he was known TO
the whole French army.
An absolute yell greeted him as he rode
through nj