The Breckenridge news., 1906-05-02
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAP
TERS.

aa1,es ADAMS. graduate Of West Point, and
Eay0peaH rebyeSeHfaffue Of american manN-
faefHyeys, is an PARIS al the opening offhe iUa''
between France ana Germany. tie engages ~
an All, ship reconnaissance /0r the FreHeh ana
naryofufv ESCAPES capture 6y the Germans.
The air ship IS fOreckea at the Chateau LagH-
nav adams is rescued, and as NHrSed 6yfhe
CoHnfs dasgIHey, Aft1ee, tVifh trh0M ne /aIlS
f1 love. Tie Germans adOaNee ana fdke me
Chateau /Oy headquarters. .4dams aefeqds
Aimee against insult BY COL GylesmaH and as
knocked dozvR ~ the Kaiser. Fearing treat
,aeHf as a French Symb0fhisey he enters 'egi-
zze,f of HuSsars, H1dey his /yfeHd C0i Lo10e1-
be,P. 4 spy is cabfHred and turns cut 10 De
Lafonr. a Partisan che /riend. Of AaaD'S
4yya1geytents are mate /or Aimee 10 be taken
azvay 10 the home ofher eoNSin. The German
army noves 1Uesf, leaning GyIeSmaH az charge
oFfke Chateau, Uhils ddamS and his regiment
1I,r6Ksh a French column. Report reaches INN
khaf aimee has Ketf, takfRg aVith her LafoH',
fhs sby GytesMaH goes iR pursuit sU7fh orders
10 Shoot. 4daMS and a Sergeant FIeiSehmaHH
steal an automobile and 60 10 defeHd AihHee.
CHAPTER ".
suddenly found myself riding among a
ereat concourse of mounted officers. To
left and TO right, through the fields, the
regiments were pushing ahead. Al inter,
walls groups OF officers left the road and
struck out toward the northwest, Joining
their troops. And as we settled down 10 a
steady trot Lowenburg explained to me
fhe movement then under way.
The bulk Of the German army lay at this
time between the Meuse and the confluence
OF the Aire and the Aisne rivers THESE
two streams run In generally northwest
direction, and almost parallel, Tor some
fifty miles, being nowhere more than ten
miles apart Between them, and extend
ing for perhaps thirty miles, lies the Forest
OF Argonne, a rugged and densely wooded
area, consisting mainly of single line OF
irregular hills, varying In height, and end
ing at the river junction in bold, precipl-
tous headland. On the east the Are, a
rather small but deep stream, has, IN the
course Of its centuries Of flow, cut sharply
into the hillside. On the west, the hills
slope gradually 10 the Aisne, forming
pleasant valley, from one TO three miles
wide, and under a high state OF cultivation.
At the foot OF the hills a fine road winds
northward, following generally the course
OF the river
the Germans Intended to skirt the nor
thern end OF he Argonne Forest, cross the
Aisne at its junction with the Aire, ana
proceed west TO Reims. The French were
known TO he moving slowly north from
their great camp near Chalons-sur Marne TO
bar the German advance, to assist in which
operation a strong detachment, under Cen
erai Messonier, was moving northwest from
Barbecue, following the road through
the Argonne Valley. This latter move was
intended as a coup; but so perfect were
the German sources OF information that II
bttdult knONu on llt HtNbhh htA9 hN
Emperor issued orders for an immediate
advance of the left wing, then resting south
Of the Chateau, and consisting entirely OF
heavy cavalry, 10 push directly west cross
the ArRonne Forest and fall upon the
French column.
To Lowenberg, with his magnificent hus-
sars, was assigned this important duty.
In addition to his own command were three
regiments OF cuirassiers, three OF mounted
infantry, and two OF lancers-in all about
eight thousand men. These were well
mounted and were armed with sabre, re-
vOlver, and new magazine carbine, carry
ing sixteen shells OF high power, each
bullet being so constructed that upon leav-
ing the barrel II split into five smaller bull !
let's. The principal object OF the attack, |
however. was panic and dispersal, rather
than annihilation. as producing a more dis
astrous effect upon the main French army.
An hour after midnight we reached the
Aisne river which had been bridged some
hours before by a pontOon corps. In the
shadow of high ArgOnne hills II was In