The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-11

what was the use of gong into thatY IL
was being played for me-for me alone
and the sounds seemed to get into the
marrow of my bones and mingle with H.
Not until the small hours did my
eharmer and 1 separate. Taking tiny
watch from her belt she glanced at It.
Mon ami, 1t Is sweet to listen to you,
but the journey to Lille Is long, and l
but a poor weak little woman. Au re-
voiri Her head rested on my shoulder
an instant while our lips met, when,
breaking from me before I realized what
nad happened. she was gone. l drew an
armchair to the window and lighted
inal cigar, watching the bivouac fires be-
yond Fleurus, where our ''feldwache lay
to their arms. l was happy.
The next morning l rode next her car
rage on it's way TO the French lines, TAX
ing with me a trumpeter and a sergeant
carrying a white handkerchief tied TO the
end of lance as flag of truce. A staff
officer of the French met her at their out
posts. He turned out TO be an old ac-
quaintance. as she told me, and looked
at him with envious eyes as he took my
place beside the carriage and trotted
along, chatting with her on their way TO
the quarter general"
We dined little earlier that night at
the chateau, but game at cards, bac-
carat or macao, as the Germans and Ital-
ians call it, kept us up till past midnight.
long ride in cold weather and couple
OF bottles of wine at the end OF 1t
worth all the sleeping potions in the world.
and my head hardly touched the pillow
that night before l was asleep. / must
have slept three Of four hours when
found myself sitting bolt upright In bed.
One, two. three shots fired in rapid sue
cession not quarter of a mile from the
house, and then volley. The sounds
seemed to come from the direction of
Ma &c rauH In instant i had
sprung out of bed to light candles and
tumble into my clothes. Running to the
door l stumbled against my "bursche.
Max, only half dressed, carrying my
sword in one hand and my boots in the
other. His eyes were starting out of his
head.
Herr Lieutenant-sie kommen" he
gasped.
who's coming, IDIOT" l asked.
Die Franzosen, Herr Lieutenant, die
Franzosenr'
well, let them come" said I. little
angrily, TO steady him AREN'T we ready
for them. you donkey?"
BY this time the whole chateau was In an
uproar; lights few from room to room. and
there was a great rushing OF feet on the
stairways. Through the open door l caught
a glimpse of old Breisewtz plunging down
the stairs four at time, while making
frantic efforts to buckle his sword belt.
/ rushed after him, followed by Max with
a lantern We made straight for the
stables. and lost no time in getting out
my horses. The courtyard was full Of our
men. Some of the troopers had saddled In
such mad haste that they mounted without
waiting to fasten the girths. Two troop
ers stood by the great gates ready to
swing them back when Breisewitz should
give the signal The old "Rittmeister''
was soon in the saddle, and, drawing his
sword az soon as all was ready, gave the
word The gates swung back on their
hinges and we streamed out to gallop st
headlong speed. with sabers drawn. to-
ward the "Alarmpatz." the place always
settled upon when Prnssians I'm time OF war
go into quarters. and where they are to
assemble in case of any sudden emergency
or surprise. / do not think more than
three or four minutes elapsed after / heard
the first shots before we were out of the
chateau.
The "Alarmplatz" was in our case a lit
tie meadow half way between Magny-le-
grand and Fleurus. The firing had stead
ily increased until now the roll Of musk
etry was continuous As we approached
Magny -el-Grand a lurid glare and heavy
volumes of smoke hanging above the place
showed us that the village was on fire In
"A dozen places.
What mad happened was that the major
in command at Fleurus and our people
at Magny-le-Grand had neglected TO post
sentries near the deep ravlne that con-
nected the two places and extended be-
yond Fieurus toward the French lines.
A column OF chasseurs pied had taken
advantage OF this to creep through the
ravine past Fleurus and into Magny-le-
Grand which they reached unobserved
at o'clock in the morning The first
intimation our men had Of the presence
of the enemy to find themselves sur
rounded. The surprise was so complete
that few Of the hussars in the village
were able to get out their horses. OF
those that did the majority were shot
down In the attempt to escape, among
them Breitenstein, struck down by a
bullet as he charged the big ditch that
hordered the village on the side nearest
the chateau As Breisewitz and myself
with our men skirted the village although
the night was dark. II was there as bright
as day. Lights In every window, and
through the red smoke saw shadowy
figures of mounted men flying along the
single street. while from the houses and
both sides OF the ravine "A whitening fire
WAS kept up by the hussars as they ran
the gauntlet. Now horse, now rider
sank beneath the voueys and fell only
10 be struck again and again. Some OF
the bodies we afterward took up for bur-
isi had many as dozen bullet holes
In them. and on n pile OF dirty straw
we found the body OF little Prince. pierre
ell with sixteen hayonet thrusts. or the
pRttcring bullets some fell into our ranks.
but there was only one or two slight
casualties as We dashed on to the meadow
where SecRendorCs "Xug was drawn up
awaiting us. together with a few ~ tho
hussars who had escaped from Msgny-Ie-
Grand The roll was hastily called or