Evening star., 1899-01-28

promoted to this special service. where a
duty which often forces them 10 sleep out
twenty lights hand running = rewarded by
a pitiance OF 20 cents q Gay. with food and
clothing. They themselves are under con-
stant surveillance, and their wives may not
keep shops In time of war the gabclou is
not only the first to receive fire, hut he is
even forced into the role of spy. On the
German frontier 1t is this corps which
would be charged, Immediately on the open
ing of aostilities. with the defense of
bridges and tunnels. with the blowing up
of the same in case Of need, with the sur
veillarce of telegraph lines and railroads
and the maintenance of communica lions.
And in time of peace, when not engaged IN
hunting smugglers, their small leisure is
eaten into by the making of endless reports,
communications and plans.
A TickIish job.
In 1870 it was customs soldier like this.
a certain Jean Mouty, who fired the first
shot against the enemy at schreckling,
near Thionville, the morning after the dec
laration of war, and he was the first
Frenchman to fall under Prussian fire.
The customs guardian passes his days
and nights in ambush on expeditions in the
fields and woods. Accompanied by two
companions and their dogs they will bir-
ouac under the stars night after night.
Night falls and the men sleep. But one
Of the dogs is always on the alert.
Attention! The subtle senses of the beast
perceive an odor or a distant murmur. The
intelligent animal growls, he pushes his
nose against his masters cheek to wake
him. The sentinels awake: their eyes ques-
ton the dark country round; they press
their ears to the ground. all their over-eX-
cited faculties are aimed at one object. like
those of savage. Out of the darkness
there loom -four shadows. marching Indian
file, or in the form of a triangle. They are
the smugslers, and ii is only a question
now of whether their smuggler dogs will be
nl rn hA fnr. Il .aTlf Gly Of 10
eating the amhushed guardians of the from
tier in time foI warning and escape.
4 0ne-Sided Game.
Sometimes the smugglers turn out to be
band of fifteen or twenty boys of ten to
thirteen years old. At the first warning
from their dogs they break ranks and scat
ter in all directions. The guardians of the
frontier do not dare loose their own dogs
on them, because of the public opinion. and
So hampered with their animals and wea-
pohs, they can make but little progress
against the superior feetness of the young
SteFS. But the employment of children for
TINS night smuggling is held dangerous be-
cause they are tempted so easily to hetray
the cause. With men Smuggiers there is
alWays question Of fighting if the pursuit
grows hot. The guardians NAV let tbsjr
dogs loose on them-they will shoot them
On their side the guardians are forbidden
TO use firearms, except to defend their
nVes. The hand-to-hand struggle is. there
fore. unequal. and so the guardians of +ha
frontier must he picked men
The struggle is always UNEQUAL, and the
law Is always suffering defeat Tn. run
ming of the frontier is no fgurative ex-
preston. Such smuggling afoot and nv
night is in favor because il nresents +bo
most chances of success. In case of de+nc-
llon, escape may often be ACCOMPLISHED at
the price of abandoning the merchandise
AND N ease of capture there is less ma
n inc s:-.zf,
packers Of the scheme.
Attacking the Gordon.
A more bare-Iaced and dangerous form of
breaking the frontier is that of t7ob+i,c
thrt ugh with Il strong force and tenn, of
n merchandise. The team approaches the
custom house on a lonely local road. It is
fuh daytime, and there is nothing suspi-
cious-looking. 1t slacliens its pace as If
about 10 stop. The guardians come out in
teaclnesS TO make their examination But
5Ist at The critical moment two or three of
mem receive dose Of Pepper in the eyes
the team starts off at breakueck mace
al q the remaining guardians find them
selves covered with revolvers
Here in RoubaiX contrabsnd cigars To-
pacco, matches ard playing cards are solo
almost openly in the streets and saloons
Many Of the saloon keepers are great pnIi.
MEANS. mayors. projects and even depu-
ties from time to time And the saIoon
business is the natural fosterer and g11ar-
dlan OF smuggling. 1t is almost as cheap
Tor Usvelil Partisan To stop off at q
frontier city like this and supply himself
with Havana cigars TO buy them up in
1ree trade Belgium, and run the risk of
smug2lil them across himself All the
commercial travellers and buyers who rem
deZVous in Rouhaix feel the temptation 10
take away with them at least cigars ana
laCes in good quantity.
Open Smuggling.
In factory towns nearer still to the from
tier, like Halluin, two other kinds OF SNUG
giirg, one wholesale, the other retail. are
in daily. hourly practice. Night and
morning Frenchmeu cross the frontier to and
from their work in Belgian factories and
Beigians pass in the same way between
their homes and the French factories. Men
women and children take work where they
find it, and in Halluin half the town is in
Belgium. half in France. 1t is impossible
tc search thoroughly those bands x ok