Charlevoix county herald., 1906-04-21

heroicaiy,. clearing out much of the
fine old tapestries and carpets, and
and ornaments. When morning
.dawned the Count left us, going south
to offer his services to the General
ing. L thought, though 1 did not op-
pose him, as Aimee was thus left IN
my care. I had conhded to him my
us both he bade me watch her, care
fully and at the approach OF the en-
emy to set out for Bethel, small town
to the northwest, where Aimee had
The Meuse in front OF the Chateau
Lagunay was perhaps quarter Of
mile wide. running swiftly beneath
was no break for a considerable dis
tance north and south. Some three
miles down stream the river mar
q massive stone bridge spanned the
deep waters. This point was selected
by the Germans for crossing. Leav--
ing Aimee with a strong guard. OF
veterans of the Franco -Prussian war,
/ set out on horseback for. Ramune,
locking like a French dandy in my
Il found the town in great confusion.
Many persons We're loading up their
household goods and making ready for
/ departure; others had already fed. So
| stealthily had the Germans approached
| that their advance at that point was
| unknown half dozen hours before my
| arrival
| From stone tower on WOODED
| hill back OF the town l looked across
| into the valley beyond. AS far as the
eve could see stretched the ranks of
the Invaders. They had risen out of
| Prussia and Baden and Saxony, out of
| Wurtemburg and Brunswick, out OF
Hesse and the Mecklenburgs; and mob
| iliZing rapidly had Swarmed across the
i fro. tier of Lorraine, that ancient bone
| of contention, and neutral Luxemburg.
later tbeT Snee they XoS
| a storm. Spies preceded them cutting
| telegraph wires in all directions. The
thirty. miles between the frontier and
| the Meuse River had been covered in
| ten hours, the troops moving at q
| swinging trot. And here they were at
the crossing without the least show
Meanwhile the French were advance
| ing with characteristic deliberation,
| their main force being then at and
Chalons. some fifty miles to. the south
| west. They had been apprised on the
previous day of the appearance, at the
and Hussars S5 Ss'S14 There eo'Ss Rad o been no
| further reports Che wires were cut
about that. time) and it appeared un-
necessary to make any decided move.
OF the detachments sent out in auto
| mobiles at the time of my departure in
the. Inflated La Jaune, 1 could hear
nothing. 1t was not until months
4
| honeymoon with Aimee, that L learn
| ed the facts. Our wireless message
had not carried. Martinis sacrifice
| was vain. The scouts in their ma
| chimes reached the rendezvous, did a
| little scouting on their own hook,
found nothing suspicious, and toured
leisurely back to Paris and Chalons,
| where they reported that the story OF
a northern invasion was q canard.
| Therefore the mobilizing proceeded all
| eyes being centered on Luneville, Bel
/ fort and RnSanrOn. whprA the German
| Crown Prince, with his Bavarian, army
manoeuvred at a safe distance, threat
ening, retreating, building mock forti-
fications, and steadily pulling the Ger
man wool over the French eyes.
There was no defense possible for
Ramune, an old, provincial town with
weak fortifcations. Yet the small
garrison, with true military spirit an
| nounced it's presence by a volley OF
cannon, which seemed to anger the
Germans. battery of mortars was
brought up to the river bank. Into
the town were thrown a hundred OF
more sixteen-inch shells, which broke