Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-05-30

PAM heard this %it& grim satjst2r-
ton. Paul, who knew to certainty
that this change of heart had been
wrought through the witchery of that
beautiful and magnetic creature. the
countess. and that Conrad was her
latest victim.
All unknown to Rhinclan1cr. events
were under full Roadway and driving
swiftly toward a most dramatic eli.
max. at which altar his fate must be
decided
1t was an October evening.
The mutter and growl of heavy
siege guns, that for hours had been
sending their projectiles into the
forts defending the citadel OF Metz,
had by degrees died away, and night
was spreading her mantle of rest over
the tragic scene. MacMahon's great
army was hemmed in more securely
than ever
This October night was destined to
be forever market by a white stone
in the annals of Pauls romantic life
history--ere the morning star shone
upon Metz he would have passed
through another experience that must
have a decided influence upon his
whole future.
He was saunterng about after com.
ing from the field hospital. when he
met by chance an aide of the general
in command at this post.
From him he heard news that cleo
trified him; news that indicated so
daring a night assault on the fortress
that Paul hardly believed it to be
true. Immediately he sought an au.
dience with the commander to beg for
indulgence and the coveted opportun-
ity of seeing whatever OF action there
might prove to be in the assault.
Rhinelander had seen much of ser
vice. but his desire to have some sort
OF share in everything that came to
pass led him to join the forces Sc
lected for this hazardous task. He
was in the van. of courSe-men OF
his stamp usually find some means Of
reaching the front rank when the bat
tie is in progress.
When the French opened fire it
seemed as though the whole outer
works blazed with the fury of a We
suvius.
Chassepot and mitrailleuse mingled
their bark until it became thunder
Gus roar-men shouted and cheered.
while above it all could be heard the
hollow rattle of the fiat Bavarian
drums.
nightmare, but he could appreciate the
fact that it served to animate and
enthuse these Bavarians just as the
pibroch thrills the acknowledgements
cles grew as stiff as iron, teeth
snapped close together, eyes were set
in that steady stare that tells of in
domitable will power-and into the
Jaws of death they went.
They were now at the foot of the
apparently impregnable fortress.
The fire above was just as furious.
but most of the missiles overshot the
mark. and had they chosen to wait.
a chance for a breathing spell now Of
fered itself However. they went up
over the walls like the wild channels of
the Swiss Alps, those little Bavarians
did.
In the eyes of the amazed French
men they must have appeared little
;Is, I, Of ho
fernal fires that blazed all around.
Once in the Notifications they came
into hand-to-hand conflict with the
French, and then the fercest kind of
warfare was inaugurated.
The Bavarians might have had held
the fort had they been quickly rein
forced. but it was not the policy of the
German generals to bring on bat
tie, since starvation must decide the
question speedily enough.
Their object had been attained in
teaching the French that after all
their position was not so impregnable
as they might have believed.
And hence the signal of recall
sounded:
Surrounded by struggling forms en-
gagged in desperate death grapple.
with fires and the blaze of still boom.
ing cannon lighting up the scene as
with the glow of internal confiagra-
tons, the spectacle of Paul engaged
with a French swordsman was one
fit for the delectation of the gods, and
Mars himself must have been fully
satisfied with such an heroic picture.
Then came the recall. Paul re-
manned. not through choice. but be-
cause he had become involved in a
singular engagement, and could not
break away.
Two men. sadly lacking in that
chivalrous spirit for which Frenchmen
have become famous the world around.
had chosen to attack him at the same
time, and it their eagerness was any
gauge to their capacity for doing
harm. Rhinelander must be in a bad
way indeed.
Luckily for him they were mere
tyros with the trenchant blades they
welded so clumsily. and he believed
himself easily capable Of mastering
them without trouble.
At the same time the chances of
his being able to escape. once this
were done. grew very dubious. since
the French We're gathering about the
scene of the singular duel, always
eager to watch any feat of arms out OF
the ordinary run.
They saw n spectacle that was not
likely to come their way every day,
for Pau1 kent his advarCa riac punSS.