Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-14

work of devastation the entire German host,
spread over a superficial area Of nearly 1000
miles, was in an uproar.
The German staff was called upon to deal
with, not war, but rampant lunacy. Some
where In their midst a number of madmen,
estimated variously from a regiment to an
army corps, were raging about with antics
similar to the struggles of a blue bottle in
a spiders web.
The speed Of their the as
founding effect of their passage, the con-
f1icting reports as to their location at any
particular time, were well calculated TO up
set the theorists bred in the school of the
last war with France.
There had been fighting in many places,
that was clear. But e~ffectual pursuit was a
different matter. Infantry was useless, and
neither cavalry nor guns could hope to
travel rapidly along a road once LIE Breton
or Montsaloy had passed that way.
Nevertheless, as the day wore, something
akin to deiniteness took the place of the
frenzied statements of the night and early
morning.
| The object Of the raiders was now clear
enough. Not lunacy, but superb military
genius, had dictated this deadly blow at tho
German organization The authorities at
Forbach and Sarrebourg hastily concerted
measures to defend every important railway
junction between those c%enters, and when
General LIE Breton halted his troopers at 2
O'Clock on the arid, salt-laden plain between
Chateau Salins and Dieuze, the presence of
numerous vedettes on the horizon warned
him that his next forward step would be
severely contested.
He was not mistaken. The salt mines at
the latter town were crammed with Ger
man infantry. But they opened fire at a
long range. This helped him a little, as he
took ground to the ~right-only to find the
railway line to Nancy swarming with men.
AT the range his machine guns were use
less, and to give the necessary dramatic
touch to the situation, three regiments OF
cavalry with six guns trotted into view right
ahead, the artillery promptly trying his
metal with shrapnel.
With tired men and exhausted horses LIE
Breton knew that he was In a tight fix. In
fact. he afterward admitted that he was
quite certain his enterprise had there and
then come to an untimely end.
But If he despaired he did not hesitate
Riding to the head of his column, he pointed
with his saber to the enemy's cavalry ant
shouted:
There lies our road, my Children ant
his wearied troopers made a brave effor
to follow him.
For the purpose of a charge they did no
number 2,000, as the led horses, otherwise
so useful, were now an embarrassment, AM
half of his men were guiding three animals
apiece in the rear.
The frightful dust, too, rising from thu
saline plain, added to the general discom
fort. In a word, everyone expected that tn
foray had collapsed.
The German guns were on the enemy
left, which rested on some broken ground
BY rare good luck for the French the ar
tillerists, reserve men hurrying to tn
front, were new to their work and thei
practice was bad.
Just as the German cavalry was breaking
into a gallop to meet the onset, a fearful
commotion broke out on their left.
Montsaloy had turned up in the nick o
time and was now sabering the gunner
and taking the horse in flank.
The unequal odds of the combat swunI
, round with a vengeance. In place OF Ger
4 mans carving Frenchmen 1t was a case o
precipitate flight to avoid being carved Il
, their turn.
l What puzzled lie Breton most, even &
) the midst of the melee, was the manner /
which Montsaloy's brigade rode from on
T the dehle. Their chargers lay to as thong
taking part in a field day at Versailles.
j But Montsaloy soon explained: II cam
. upon six trainloads Of remounts on the lin
. between here and Vie" he shouted. g
boxed them in between two broken culverti
helped myself, left a small guard and tn
remainder are waiting for you"