Evening star., 1898-09-10
CHAPTER Nv.
Ouf-stiOn of GepeTnish1D.

sued hiz theory with merciIess accuracy.
II has been seen that in the initial stage
of events he not only preserved strategic
advantage. but that his idea was coherent
1t was nearly = o'clock before Count Won
WoIdersee. working with the rapid pre-
Cisinn Of a vell-built machine. was able to
finally divert the whole of his troops from
she abandoned attack and throw them in
10 something like settled order for defense.
BY that time Daubisson's Ferdun divis-
ion was thrust like wedge between
Kreuznach's northern army and the
ka!ser's command while the latter's left
flank had been turned. thus cutting him
off from the southern wing.
Nunsittart promptly arranged that the
French divisions at COmmerCy and Rancy
should attack the German left in such
force as to render it impossible for Dune
Albrecht of Prussia to march to the assist
Bnce of the hard-presSed emperor
Morts9Ioy. too. had been fortunate in dis
covering and destroying the field telegraph
long before Won WalderSee could adequate
II devise q combined resistance on all sides.
BY the time that several aids-de-camp
reached Duke Albrecht with peremptory
orders to at once move northward with
his army corps il was quite Impossible to
bbey without converting the march into
rout. so closely was he pressed by the
French.
AT o'clock the first French shells fell
near the chateau at Troyon. a thoroughly
stiff fight was now in full swing. The Ger
man forces We're StubbOrnly ConteStIng each
road and wood and stream. only yielding
sulleuly to superior numbers and gaining
more confidence as reserves poured up from
the rear.
Nevertheless the result was apparently
foreEoue conclusion. were it not that the
fortune of war changes with the sudden
ness of April weather. .
So far. the magnitude Of the struggle lay
with the infantry arm on both sides.
10 Of
their full artillery force into play. for the
very good reason that the guns were
pounding each other in a useless duel at
various points along the banks of the
Neuse. The hostile cavalry were massed
in the same localities, and when, at
o'clock. the Germans We're PeremptOrily
recalled it took the French some time to
cross and take part in the chief theater of
events near TrOyOn.
Vansittart whose plain civilian attire was
oddly at variance with the handsome uni
forms worn by his staff. was watching
through his glasses a beautiful attack IN
extended order by a mixed brigade of
zouaves and cAasseurs pied.
As the active and gallant Frenchmen
swept an opposing body Of Bavarians up
tb~ slope and over the crest of tretless
cultivated ridge. Jerome turned with a
smile 70 le Breton.
Things are going almost too well,' he
said.
When my brave countrymen are well
handled they are Incompatible soldiers"
Le Breton was already assured of the
result
All the world knows that. But we must
leave nothing to chance. l wonder how
Hau5iss"u is progressing
r. rapid answer To his thoughts came an
officer squirting for dear life.
The field telegraph IS laid from Bar-Ie-
Due to the river. This message has just
come To hand"
He prcducoI an envelope from the pocket
o. MS stber-Iche and jerome eagerly tore
ir open He uaIei as he read.
Am cdu-lt Ictween kreuznach and the
German main bOdy- Fear that position IS
uuteHahle- VIII hold out until I o'clock,
and then propose falling back on Nerdun.
Hope this Will SUIT your plans. Cannot
Communicate direct. so have sent this via
NeEdun ana Bar-Ie-Duc. DAUBISSON"
Nom DO DI-U, What - the matter?'
Criri lie Breton, who LOticed Nansittart's
scitatian.
The mili1Iaire's pallor was due to hope
less anger lie could not trust himself to
speak hut silently handed the slip of pa
Per TO l. E~etoa and averted his stern set
fac To watsl the devoted troops OF France
pressing on 20 needless butchery.
For jhat was the meaning of DauJlssOn's
Eh0rt-sight Z resolve.
Whatever 9TH cost, the Vcrlun column
should H- iuteryoSei between the two great
sections of the ,mperor's army. If juno
tlln Were Effected all would be lost The
French superiority in the main attack
would be "p1verted into hopeless disparity.
Their very success in driving the kaiser's
army err-,- before them toward FIesnes
aI1 the trJItiyr would supply the strongest
element that made for defeat as kreuz-
I-.1, mar hing along the line of the
Ms-se. must take them III flank shortly
after o'clock.
Nothing could save Vansittart's troons
Li'iH "h'iy~,;-e disaster. In couple of
EtNrS at the utmost the whole German
army W"ull be United and able to sWreD
away the French right wing at Commercy
on the south. leaving Daubisson safely
Pt:. PtIAga up n NeTdun until they were in
L was bitter rebuff in the moment of
apparent triumph. and it was We'll thar
Jerome could not have immediate speech of
the pOmpOus but well-meanIng littIa go
L the quick.
l. Breton. too. was speechIess with an
81 anu Arizona Jim. cantering leisurely
LP S4ttF securing a fresh mount fouud
tgH attijui= 20 curious that he per(orce
a. hsa jerome what was the trouble"
I'm I'm lei me again You handed my note
10 Cen DaublssOn perscIaliy2"
sure as I-ath guv'ncr''
And he left Barbecue al once2"
re JUST SAID 'sacre' kinder pleased like
shouted something to a chap in gold iacs
an Quit that fast for Vcrdun 1G,t i1IS, a.,
cculla't SO him FOR Dust" you
s'ructiOnS carefully?" --'
Every word boss IL. didn't s1,f - n.
Ht saii Au-a-right' to me twice an fr
vas only aft r he yanoosed that / srr.toI-
el my head and thought as how he ogcbtnr
l. Breton. who Guessed the purport of
Ter conversation. broke in:
II may stiI be possible to catch him
WIN a message before it is tot1sate."
EahStjdrts face did not relax
II J. 700 late, he said, but you can go
aAo tt|- lie mechanically pulled ont his
H",cH ard nurHured: SiX-thirty. Half an
ngur 1or message TO pass through tn.
Ielu Ie'eSF'ph, be trans nitted from Ear-Is
Duc 10 Ne.tIn and thence TO DatJI,,sson
- Is impossible Oh. it is hard h1Tdi,'
a. ne ciehened his hands together in the
Arizona jim ndd never before seen his
h-aSter give way in this mar ner. lin to
thv present ne knew that all had gone we'll
and ne was quite at loss to guess tbe
cause ot 1efome's seif-abandonment In
some way IL Was connected with Daubisson
II the latter could be reached before
O'Clock tie threatened danger might he
&FeFted lie realized fully the certainly
there was that the complex route of tbe
wires would not meet the difficulty
GuV-nor he said in low voice for
jim. 10 use his own phrase was .skeered''
py Nanslttarts misery. Il figger II out
that General Daubisson is not more'n five
rnFn EazRa -.