The sea coast echo., 1906-04-21
ROM NOTESAND OBSERVATIONS
Compiled by WmRMackrill.

heroIcany,. clearing out much of the
fine old tapestries and carpets, and
some of the more valuable pictures
dawned the Count left US, going south
to offer his services to the General
Iss1mo-a somewhat childish proceed
ing, / thought, though l did not op-
pose him, as Aimee was thus left m
my care. l had confded to him my
tender sentiments, and after blessing
us both he bade me watch her care
emy to set out for Bethel, a small town
to the northwest, where Aimee had
numerous cousins.
The Meuse in front of the Chateau
Lagunay was perhaps a quarter of
mile wide, running swiftly beneath
high preeipitous banks in which there
tance north ana south. Some three
miles, down stream the river mar
rowed, at the town Of Ramune, where
deep waters This point was selected
by the Germans for crossing. Leav-
ing Aimee with a strong guard of
veterans of the FrancoPrussian war,
l set out on horseback for Ramune,
looking like French dandy in my
elegant clothes.
1 found the town in great confusion.
Many persons were loading up their
household goods and making ready for
departures, others had already fled. So
stealthily had the Germans approached
that their advance at that point was
unknown half a dozen hours before my
arrival
From a stone tower on wooded
hill back of the town I looked across
into the valley beyond. AS far as the
eye 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
fro. Tier Of Lorraine, that ancient bone
of contention, and neutral Luxembourg
AS I learned later. once they stepped
upon French soil they swept down like
q 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
of opposition.
ing with characteristic elaboration,
their main force being then at and
around the great military camp of
Chalons, some fifty miles to the south
west They had been apprised on the
previous day of the appearance at the
frontier of several bodies of LanCerS
further reports, the wires were cut
about that time) and it appeared un-
necessary to make any decided move.
OF the detaChments sent out in auto
the iIlfated La Jaune, l could hear
nothing. 1t was not until months
later, when l returned to Paris for
honeymoon with Aimee, that L learn
ed the facts. Our wireless message
had not carried. Martini's 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 or
a northern invasion was a canard.
Therefore the mobiliZing proceeded, all
eyes being centered on Luneville, Bel
fort and BesancOn, where 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 Notifications. Yet the small
garrison, with true military spirit an
nounced it's presence by Il Volley of
cannon, which seemed to anger the
Germans. A battery of mortars was
brought up to the river bank. Into
the town were thrown a hundred or
more sixteen-inch shells, which broke