Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-10-31

heart I'll tell you bout EN-. by'n by
"One day L saw one of your soldiers
a-smokin' his pipe by my ditch. benin
the farm. [ ran back. took down my
so he couldn't hear nothin', an | cut
off his head with one crack. only one,
jest like a sword. so he never ev'n said
Oh All YOU have to do is to hunt for
him at the bottom of the pool You'll
find him there in a bag of coal, with a
all his clothes. from his cap to his boots.
and hid 'em in the xii in the Martin
woods benin the court"
The old man stopped. The officers.
stupetied. looked at one another. The
was the story told:
One murder accomplished. the man
lived with but one purpose-tc kill the
PrusSans. He hated them with the de-
ceitful implacable hatred OF the greedy
but patriotic peasant He had one idea,
as he said. Several days passed.
chose SO humble had he shown himself
SO submissive and so obliging. He no.
ticed the scouting parties going out each
evening. One evening, when he had
heard where the horsemen were going
when he had learned the few German
words he needed, he, too, went ont
Leaving the farm. he Slided through the
woods. gained the kiln, took from the
ground the dead mans clothes and put
them on. Then he stole over the fields
creeping, following the slopes TO hide his
path. listening to every sound restless as
poacher. When be thought the time
had come he neared the road and hid in
the brush Still he listened At lasr.
about midnight, he heard horses gallop.
ing over the hard roadway. He placed
his ear to the ground to assure himself
that only one horseman approached, then
he Law in wait for his DreV
The Uhlan arrived at full trot, carry
ing his dispatches. He rode watchful,
attentive, to within ten PAGES. when
Father Million suddenly crept across the
road, moaning "Hilfe. Hilfe. (IIelp.
HelpD''
The rider stopped. recognized an I'M
horsed German and thinking him wound
ed, dismounted and rushed to his side,
never suspecting treachery. AS he bent
over the unknown, however, he received
the long curved saber blade full in the
stomach. He fell without a struggle
convulsed only by one final shiver.
Then the Norman, beaming with the
silent old PEASANTS JOY. rose and, for
fun cut the throat of the corpse. Then
he dragged it into the ditch and throw
1t IN. The horse quietly awaited his
master. Father Milton jumped into the
saddle and rode at full gallop across the
plains.
An hour afterward he again saw two
Chlans returning to quarters. side by
side be t5t1 rode directly toward them,
seeing the uniform. let him come on
again without distrust and he, the old
man, dashed like a bullet between them,
killing one with his saber. the other with
a revolver. Then he killed the horses
German horses-and returned peacefully
to the kiln. hid his horse at the end OF
the long, dark gallery. left his uniform
there, resumed his ragged clothes and
gaining his bed, slept until morning
For four days he remained at home
awaiting the end of the inquest but the
fifth day he went out again and killed
two more soldiers by the same strategem.
From that time on he never halted. Ey-
cry night he roamed about, seeking adj
venture, killing Prussians. now here. now
there, galloping over barren fields by the
light Of the moon, the lost Uhlan-a hun
ter of men. Then, his task performed.
leaving the corpses lying all along the
road behind him, the old horseman re-
turr d to hide his uniform and his mount
in the kiln Toward midday he would
go quietly to carry oats and water to the
horse and he fed him literally, for he de-
manded q great service Of him.
But last night, one Of those whom he
had attacked was on his guard. and
slashed the old mans face with his sa-
Der. Nevertheless he had killed both OF
them, returned. hid his horse and donned
his humble attire. On the way home
faintness seized him, and he dragged
to reach the house. There they had
found him, covered with blood on the
hay.
When he finished his tale, he suddenly
raised his head and looked proudly at the
Prussian officers. The colonel who sat
pulling at his mustache, asked him:
Have you nothing more to say?''
n 10Th jJ1'f IS oil T Iii Ind
sixteen, no more, no less"
You know that you must die for
this?"
L didn't ask no favors"
Were you ev er a soldier?"
Eyes, [ served in q campaign in my
time. Besides, you killed my father, q
soldier of the first Emperor. Not coun-
tin that, you killed my son. Francis,
near Goreux, last night. [ owed it to
you, an I've paid up. We're quits
The officers looked at one another,
while the old man continued:
Eight for my father. Eight for my
son. We're quits. I amt been huntin'
a quarrel. | dunno you. [ only know
where you come from. Here you are, at
my home, orderin' things jest as if you
were at home. | settled with the others.
| amt sorry a bit.
And raising his bony frame to it's full
height the peasant crossed his arms and
stood in the pose of an humble hero.
The Prussians spoke long and low. A
captain who had also lost his son the
month before defended this great souled
scOundrel Then the colonel turned to
Father Milon and lowering his voice:
Listen, old man, there is, perhaps,
way to save your life; it is to
But he would not listen. and planting
his eyes squarely on the officer while the
wind shoots his thin hair. he made
frightful grimace, which shriveled his
thin face, all gashed, then taking a deep
breath, he spat, with all his force: full
in the Prussian's face. The colonel.
taken by surprise, raised his hand to
strike. and the man spat upon him for
the second time.
All the officers had risen and were
shouting order at the same time. In less
than a minute the old man, impasslve as
ever, was thrust against the wall and
shot, dying with a smile on his lips for
John. his eldest son. for his daughter-in-
law and the two little ones who looked