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

be in this neighborhood today and prob
ably hard pressed; so he asked the COM
mander-in-chief to try and help YOU
Monsieur, you bring good news New
erfheless. / am at & loss to know by what
means you have reached me-"
| "Oh. just started. and here I am
by St Denis, / see YOU. but my brains
do not travel so quickly as my eyes. Here
| you are. indeed, How did you get here?
Why did not the Germans stop your
They tried all they knew said Fair
FAX, indicating with a smile his SCARED
IA and torn clothes, But it is difficult
| to shoot straight at night and l was better
| mounted than the uhlans. 1 regret the
necessity that compelled me to bore holes
Monsieur" cried lie Breton. "you are
an Englishman! Let it suffice! Enough
| for me that you are brave man. L well
come you. Yet must I add that you have
Joined at tieklish moment"
Il wanted something to write about"
| laughed the other, land if all 1 hear be
true, you are providing first-iate copy
But before we proceed. general, may 1 sug-
| gest that few trustworthy men, hiding
! among the hills, may fall in with Gen.
! Daubisson and give him definite news of
your intentions?"
! The hint was acted upon-with excel
lent effect
Mutzig was attacked at 11:3O am The
small body of defenders were taken by
| surprise. but they were able to close the
| gates and line the ancient fortihcations on
| the threatened side.
| vigorous use of the machine guns and
the carhines of dismounted troopers soon
| settled this effort at resistance. The sap
pers crossed the trench and tore the IRON
work of the gate into pieces with dyna-
! mite, hereupon the Germans surrendered
| at discretion.
While this busy work was in progress
| Colonel Montsaloy and his brigade again
| struck Off across country on a four miles
| ride to Obernat, where a railway and q
| main road intersected each other.
! In MutZig the Frenchman
| mantled the small arms factory. The ter
| rifed townspeople. unable to escape into
| the country, and fearful of the destruction
| now being wreaked upon a colossal SCALE
| rem aimed in their houses furtively peeping
| from their windows at the unwonted spec
! tacle provided by French soldiers riding
| through their streets. The last time
Frenchmen staggered about Mutzig in
| uniform the arsenal of today was the pal
ace of bishop.
LIE Breton did not forget to station cav
airy vedettes on all the approaches to the
town. Nothing of moment occurred until
o'clock At that hour a chasseur came
riding hard to report that troop train
was discharging an infantry regiment on
the further side of gorge about mile
distant, where the junction line from Stras-
burg and Saverne crossed a turbulent
stream
The viaduct had been blown up long be-
fore, and the French officer in charge of
the outpost had sent him to give the ear
lest warning of this hostile move.
Another scout and yet another arrived,
GREATNESS with the news that train after
train, obviously sent from Strasburg, was
bringing infantry, with horses and guns
that the German skirmishers had crossed
the torrent, driving the French vedettes
before them, and that a temporary bridge
was in process of construction from the
ruins of the viaduct for the passage of
guns and horses
1t was possible at this moment for lie
Breton to retreat toward the Vosges. with
the hope of falling in with Daubissons re-
lief expedition. But he had promised Mont
saloy to wait for him until o'clock 1t
was now 80 In hour and forty min
utes Mutzig would be surrounded by fresh
ana lnfurlated opponents. This, then. was
the close Of the brilliant raid, That night
he and his gallant comrades must be killed
In battle or shot in squads afterward
he knew we'll that quarter would not be
gwen to solitary officer man once the
IerHlahs mad them in their power.
1t was hard to be caught like a rat in a
trap at the precise instant when there did
seem to be some chance of escape
mere toward the west, lay the unocc.
pled road across the Vosges to Luneyills
but not sign from the east of Montsaloy's
return.
LIE Breton summarized the maddenins Sit
uation in few words of emphatic colo
quail French and set himself to examining
| the defenses
Unfortunately, his Jealous men had al
ready destroyed every piece of modern ord
nance, with all the ammunition in the
town. Soon a German battery undeterred
by steady long-range fire from the walls
was laboriously hauled into position on a
Cliff barely three-quarters of a mile dis
tant, and the eager gunners hardly gave
themselves time to align one 12-pounder he
fore shell screamed through the air and
struck house in the little market place.
sending fragments of brick and mortar in
all directions
You had better have remained with
Daubisson," said LIE Breton. grimly. to
Fairfax, who was recuperating from his
iatigue by sitting on an empty packing
box and smoking.
Not l." was the CHEEKY reply. "These
chaps are afraid of you Instead of try
ing to rush the place forthwith, they will
proceed by set rule. And every minute
tney hesitate is probably worth a years
life to YOU
And you, also monsieur"
on, no I'm safe enough. This is too
Dig thing for the Times to miss it. 1
must get through somehow"
Il like your spirit, my friend" said the
general. But pray, make no mistaka
Ihese Germans will spare no one attached
to this party
General" said the other, lighting a
fresh cigar, Il mean to leave Mntzig 10
night with an escort of French sahers,,
Fairfax was undoubtedly sanguine. Mutt
zig was at that moment undergoing haiI
storm OF lead Bullets swept through the
streets from the neighboring heights and
couple of shells from the batferv bav
ing smashed the defenses of the northern
gate the gunners Were adding to the fusiI
iade by salvoes of shrapnel
LIE Bretons orders to his men were Tn
seek all possible shelter and confine them
serves TO strictly defensive tactics. so the
casualty list was not large.
AT last the inadequacy of the repIv from,
the town encouraged the attackers who
were momentarily increasing in Strength
70 attempt a rush at the dismantIed eata
put II the Frenchmen were Gagged Their
claws We're still sharp.
me machine guns, drawn I'D at an Of
ieCuVe angie, quickly cleared the gate ana
US approaches, and the Bavarian resimant
tnat mad essayed the charge left snfficient
XII! hllleo ana wounded on their path to form
TWO NO companies when they retired. ~
ms sharp reDulse showed the Cs-n,,,
mat, .nat the assault would not be the easy
matter they had assumed A chance -
tactics was necessary. The town must ba
completely surrounded and pl,1neiny 6re
from all sides would rapidly render # mn
tenable. Ai"ei IL I'M
Another battery arrived and started If
salop 70 a point which commanded tba
south: Inc guns were unlimbered ana tbair
nrst batch of shells hurtled throupb tba
streets before a burst of cheers froy,, Tho
defenders on that side made known to
their comrades the welcome fart that +h;