Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13

telesrams to the generals of division at
| tcrpach and Sarrebourg for having allowed
| the quarry to slip through their hands and
| the latter unfortunate officer was sum-
| marty degraded in rank
| The headquarters staff felt certain from
the latest details to hand that the French
! fnarauders would endeavor to regain the
| shelter OF their comrades intrenched camp
at LuneViiie: imperative orders were in CON
. sequence given for a powerful force to
| gather in the neighborhood of Avricourt
| and Belmont In order to cut them I'D when
| they appeared.
| been had they tried to force this passage
| at any time after daybreak on Friday
morning. Every hilltop was lined with
| scouts, every road and possible outlet
| crowned with furious German troops long
| ing for the opportunity of revenging the in
| suits heaped upon their arms and the
| frightful havoc done to their communica-
| TONS by this intrepid body of horse
| Hour after hour the Germans waited
eagerly securing the eastern horizon for
| the first signs of their approaching enc
| mics At last they We're reused into fren-
lied activity. The enemy had indeed ar
| rived out from wholly unexpected quar-
General Daubisson, in person. leading a.
strong reconnaissance of cavalry and horse
artillery from Luneville, was now forcing
| a passage through the new rear of the
German invaders. OF this more anon.
AT oclock on bright May morning Ie
| Breton and his brigadiers rode along tho
ranks Of their gallant followers addressing
| the men W
The general had resolved upon the execu-
| ton of one last bold coup before the final
| dash was made for liberty and France
Ihere, five miles away on the other side of
the Shirmeck pass, lay the little town of
| Mutzlg, great depot and manufactory of
small arms and ammunition, but now. he
| learned from the peasants, denuded of de-
renders save some hundreds of busiIy occ,I
| pied workmen, most of whom were secretly
! enthusiastic Alsatans
F1fteen miles further east the Rhine flow
ed between vine-clad cliffs, and in the in
| terFening country were the main line of
railway between Strasburg and Colmar
two branch lines, the Rhine canal and two
| main roads north and south.
10 ruin Mutzig and its stores and DESTROY
| the thoroughfares by rail, road and water
| would indeed provide a glorious finale to
| the most remarkable achievement ever car
| ried through by so small force in a coun-
| try heid by such armies as owned the SWAY
| of the kaiser.
| LIE Breton made no secret of his des-
perate enterprise, and his men acclaimed
| him as he told what he wanted them to do.
/ After all they had already accomplished
| unaer his guidance they would have fol-
lowed MIN in an attack upon Metz itself!
The column had crossed the top of the
pass when the rear guard saw through
their glasses a solitary horseman squirting
IoiiouSiJ diteT lHeu he was hatleSS
dressed in civilian attire and obviously
alone. They waited in silence until he drew
near.
When they halted him he explained. with
an unmistakable British accent that he
was one of the war correspondents of the
Times, and asked to be brought before the
general. h 10
| This newcomer was in strange plight. His
clothes were torn and shot through in sew
fefal places. Along his right cheek a bullet
had torn a slight furraw, which had never
| theless bled profusely zand rendered him a
sorry object His horse, fine hunter, was
| IN IN the last stage of exhaustion, and barely
able to support himself by propping out his
fore legs when the mysterious rider dis
mounted. The man, too, though strongly
built and hard looking, was clearly suffer-
ing from hunger and fatigue
Yet his manner wac perfectly calm and
the French soldiers marveled whence or
how he had reaeheds them, whilst they
noted, with silent approba ton, that his first
thought was for his harse I'm whose behalf
he obtained a pail of waterand some food.
The officer he addressed did not know
how to deal with this apparition. so he
| promptly acceded to his request and took
him to the general.
Whom have we here?' was LIE Breton's
| first question.
The Englishman produced his official pass
signed by Villeneuye and Daubisson, setting
forth that he was Mr.. Herbert Fairfax. war
correspondent of the Times, and fully ac-
creofted to accompany the French armies
In the field.
But how Is this?" cried the astounded
general. Whence come you ~
From Luneville. -&-Ieft last night in
advance of Gen Daubfsson.ss column
Column! What column, ufonsieur?''
"a cavalry reconnaissance IN force, which
by this time is breaking through the Ger
man front at st. DE-
with what object?'
I'm order to ascertain your whereabouts
and assist You If possible
'Diable, It's well. Yet how could Daubis-
son guess my position SO accurately ?''
TT was hardly guess. Mr.. Vansittart.