The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-27

these ten gold pieces, since l cannot learn
the name of the lender. I am grateful
from my heart for this kindness shown
to my boy.
1.-THE vile tyrant who commanded the
escort accompanied the prisoners to Dur
ZACH and from there to CarIsrufe. he
heaped every outrage upon my lad, pc
cause the spirit Of the Chateau Noir
would not stoop to turn away his wrath
by feigned submission. Ay, this coWardly
william whose hearts blood shall yet clot
upon this hand, haired to strike my son
with his open hand, to kick him, to tear
hair from his mustache-tO use him thus
and thus-and thus"
The German writhed and struggled. lie
was HELPLESS in the hands of this huge
giant whose blows were raining upon him.
When at last. blinded and half senseless,
he staggered to his feet it was only to be
hurled back again into the great oaken
chair. He sobbed in his lmpoteut anger
and shame.
MY boy was frequently moved to tears
by the humiliation OF his position, con
ynued the Count You will understand
me when Isay that it is a bitter thing to
ne HELPLESS in the hands OF an lnsolent
and remorseless enemy On arriving at
Carisruhe. however, his face, which had
peen wounded by the brutality OF his
guard, was bound up by young BaVarlan
aubaltcrn. who was touched b yhis ap-
Dearance. regret to see that your eye
IS bleeding so. Will you permit me to
bind it with my silk handkerchief
He leaned forward, but the German
dashed his hand aside
Il am in your power, you monster!
Re cried; Il can endure your brutalltles'
hut not your hypocrisy.
The Count shrugged his shoulders. Il
am takings things in their order, just as
they occurred" said he - was under
VOW to tell it to the first German officer
with whom l could talk tete-a-tete. Let
tee sec, T had got as far as the young Ba-
varian at Carlsruhe l regret extremely
that you will not permit me to use such
slight skill in surgery as l possess. At
Carlsruhe my lad was shut up in an old
caserne. where he remained for a fort
night The worst pang of his captivity
was that some unmannerly ours IN the
garrison would taunt him with his posi-
ton as he sat by his window in the even
ing. That reminds me, captain, that you
yourself. arc you, now? You came to
trap a wolf, my man, and now the beast
has you down with his fangs in your
throat A family man, too, shouldjudge,
by that Well-filled tunic. Well widow
the more will make little matter, and
they do not usually remain widows long
Get back into the chair, you dog
"Well, to continue my story-at the end
of fortnight my son and his friend es-
capped. / need not trouble you with the
dangers which they ran or with the priVa-
tions which they endured Suffice it that
to disguise themselves they had to take
the clothes of two peasants, whom they
waylaid in wood. Hiding by day and
travelling by night, they had got as far
into France as Remilly, and were within
a mic-a single mile, captain-of crossing
the German lines whena patrol of Unians
came right upon them. All! 1t was hard,
was it not, when they had come so far
and were SO near to safety?
The Count blew a double call upon his
whistle, and three hard-faced peasants en-
tered the room.
These must represent NY Uhlans,
said he "Well, then, the captain in COM
soldiers in civilian dress within the Ger
man lires. proceeded to hang them without
trial or ceremony l think, Jean that the
centre beam is the strongest"
The unfortunate soldier was dragged
from his chair to where a no96ed rope mad
been flung over one of the huge oaken
rafters which spanned the room. The
cord was slipped over his head and felt
its harsh gri around his throat. The
three peasants seized the other end and
looked to the Count for his orders, The
officer. pale but firm, folded his arms and
stared defiantly at the man who tortured
him.
You arc now face to face with death
and | perceive from your lips that you
are praying. My son was also tace 10 tace
with death, and he prayed, also. 1t hap
pened that a general officer came up, and
he heard the lad praying for his mother
and if moved him so-he being himself
fatber-that he ordered his Uhlans away,
and he remained with his aid-de-camp only
beside the condemned men. And when he
heard ali the lad had to tell, that he was
the Only chill OF an old family, and thai
his mother was in failing health, he threw
off the rope as | throw or TINS, ana ne
kisse dhm on either cheek, as kiss you,
and he babe him go, as | bid you go, and
may every kind wish of that noble gen
eral. though it could not tave off he fever
which slew my son, descend now upon
your head"
And so was that Captain Baumgarten,
disfirured. blinded and bleeding, stagger-
cd ont into the wind and the rain OF hat
will Dnonmbnp avn