Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-03-01
JEANNE'S BRAVERY.
- ELK LABARDIE had been a
r. Franc-tireur in the great war OF
Il nnfhfpU or

ELlA LABARDlE ndu Deeu a
r. Franc-tireur in the great war of
L 1870, and 1 liked nothing better
in the evening than to sit and listen to
his stories of the terrible time when
France lay Gasping and bleeding.
One evening we had been silently
smoking for some time when he said,
Did ever tell you. monsieur, how
fell into the hands of the Germans and
out again?
Mo- said. Il thought the Germans
shot all the guerrillas they caught"
They let me go free. monsieur" he
said. with grim laugh. "It may seem
Incredible monsieur, but Jeanne yon-
der held the life of royalty on her fin
ger tips"
81 should like very much to hear the
story" said.
Certainly. monsieur, and II monsieur
thinks what was done was wrong he
must excuse a woman in love.
after Sedan. monsieur. meeting
was called in our village, and thirty of
us enrolled ourselves as company of
Francs-tireurs. We felt we could do
more for France as irregulars than
serving under incompetent generals.
We were well armed, and brave and
skillful old veteran commanded us. AS
the Germans were in force around
Metz we marched in that direction and
made our headquarters in the hills be
hind village called Pency, about
three leagues from the fortress. 1t was
in Pency Jeanne lived, and from the
first moment | saw her, monsieur, l
said to myself,'I fortune is kind, Felix
that girl shall be your wife Her faith
er was the miller of Pency, and the ac-
cursed Uhlans had almost ruined him
They We're very bitter against the in
vaders, and my profession made me
find favor in her eyes. Before we had
been at Pency month we had plight
ed our troth, on the understanding that
we should not marry until France was
rid of the enemy.
Small as our band was, we made
ourselves terror to the marauding
Uhlans. thanks to the generalship of
old Montbon. Jeanne was invaluable
to us. She was all eyes and ears, and
= Montbon called her the head of the in
telligence department of our band. l
used to meet her every evening, when
1t was possible, in a little cave l had
discovered, which. having no outlets,
was proof against surprise.
I'VE stayed three months at Pency,
and then the place became too hot for
us, and we prepared to leave for a vii
lage some leagues to the south. fell
into the hands of the Bavarians the
very evening before we were to leave
Pency.
Jeanne declares to this day, and l
believe rightly, that l was betrayed by
a villager. young fellow named
Odeau. who believed the Virgin had in
tended. Jeanne for his wife, and who
was even savage when she refused
him. But be that as it may, monsieur,
| was seized at dusk that evening as
| was on my way to meet Jeanne, and
was taken SO completely by surprise
that | had not the least chance of de-
Tending myself or trying to escape. and
worse than all. was taken with the
rifle in my hand.
You are an assassin said the stout
little officer in command in barbarous
French. .You shall be shot. Where are
your companionsT
| was afraid of being shot on the spot.
There was much of the executioner
and little of the judge in those days.
monsieur.
Much to my relief, my arms were
bound behind me. and we set out for
the hamlet where the Crown Prince
Frederick had his headquarters.
'As fortune would have it, Jeanne
met us on the road. Monsieur would
vtrposr that Jeanne is quiet little
woman. but monsieur has not seen her
thoroughly aroused. She was reused
then. monsieur She flung herself on
me and tried to release me. Then she
seized the bayonet of Bavarian, and
If l had not begged her for my sake
to he calm she would have fought the
whole party single-handed. Then she
fell to beseeching them, for she could
So. ali German well. but they only
laughed at her and drove her off with
foul words. My heart was like lead
then, monsieur. But | did not know
Jeanne.
Il was taken before the princes
adjutant. who promised me liberty if 1
would betray my compatriots. But l
feigned stupidity. and when he found
that | would tell nothing he ordered me
to be shot at five the next morning.
We give you till then he said, to find
your tongue. You'll be dumb enough
after And he laughed.
Il was bound like n log. monsieur,
rrd thrown into a hut and brutally
kicked. My thoughts were not pleasant
all this time lay thinking of Jeanne,
whoa, I should never see again, pictur-
ing that. woman-like, she would go
home and weep in her helplessaess and
despair But did not know her then.
She was working fc me with ~ tAs