The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-04-23

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to those with whom he had been con-
versing, and to one of these, a man in
absolute authority. he addressed him
self:
THAT man is innocent" pointing to
the supposed Jacquelard; II can swear
to him. He is respectable hotel
keeper. whom knew personally. He is
innocent of all connection with war or
politics. / have dined at his hotel
scores of times. See, will prove it be-
yond the shadow of a doubt; though
half dead already, he will respond to his
name-Hoffmann!"
The man sprang forward as If cleo
trifed, and fell with heavy thud to
the ground.
The evidence was in itself conclusive.
He was liberated on the assurance of
the officer who had saved his fife;
though before he could be removed he
was the half-conscious witness of the
execution in which he had SO nearly
himself played a part.
1t will be seen at a glance that this
Hoffman, was the cowardly brother of
the two sisters, and the proprietor of
the Hotel du Nord, who, having re-
turned to Paris, was arrested, con-
demned, and thus providentially saved
by an old customer. He never, however,
regained his reason. The hotel was
ultimately sold, and the last I heard
Of him was that, nursed by his elder
sister, he was living-a harmless luna
tic-a few miles from st. Cloud.
Taking events in the order of their
happening, I may now .record a person
al adventure during the Spanish
Garlist) war.
l was with the government troops.
On the previous day, at the battle of
Behobie, the Carlists, who had taken
possession of that place ut early dawn,
had before nightfall been driven at the
point of the bayonet away back into
their mountain Businesses; not, how
ever, before they had set fire to the lit
tie town of that name, and left us an
inheritance of dust and ashes.
Having, as have said, on the day
succeeding the fight explored Behobie
itself, myself and friend extended our
Investigations to the suburbs, where,
amongst other points of interest, the
still burning ruins of a chocolate manu-
factory attracted our attention. The
door having been barricaded, we made
our entry by half-demolished window
on the ground floor; and, having Sc
cured several chocolate molds as SOU
venirs of our visit, we Lit our pipes and
strolled leisurely out into the open, full
~ believing our routed enemies to be
far away, somewhere up in the Pyre-
nees.
Not so, however. We had been
watched while footing" in that choco-
late mandatory, and as we uncon-
cernedly approached flat-roofed house
in which some Is or 16 Carlists had Sc
GREETED themselves, they prepared to
give us a warm reception. But they
were premature in opening their bat
terry. Had they waited a few minutes
longer we must have been killed. We
were, perhaps, 60 or 10 yards off when
some from the balcony, others from
the broad dusty road = they blazed
away at us from all points. AS for us,
we fed as fast as our legs would carry
US towards still burning Behobie.
The excitement of the hunter is as
nothing to the hunted, and in this in
stance we were subjected to a cross-fire
from our own side; for the government
troops had opened fire on the enemy.
know my companion in this expert
ence (Mr. Henry Lane) and myself are
not likely ever to forget the rafting
fusillade from the Carlists, and the
cross-fire from the government troops
under which we sought cover, and
which is wildly brought to my mem
DRY at this moment by one of those
chocolate tins which l have had con-
verified by means of four little feet into
a receptacle for the ashes of the pipe
of peace. The same receptacle serves
also to remind ME, when smoking my
calumet, of the most marvellous escape
from assassination have ever expert
enced-for they were lavish in their ex-
penditure of lead on that occasion.
His nose was aquiline to fault: he
could have given Hookybeak the raven
several points-but anticipate.
Two other war correspondents and
myself were up country, in Asia Minor,
on our way to the Turkish lines, and we
had secured accommodation for the
night in one of those empty barn-like
stables, which, for the convenience of
travellers in remote districts, are now
and again to be met with in Anatolia.
AS, however, we had not long been
quartered there before, too late to avail
themselves of it's shelter, number of
Arab camel-drivers encamped outside,
and as, moreover, Arab scruples about
other peoples property are said to be
limited, we gave out emphatically to
our small escort and followers that. till