Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1906-05-05
SYNOPSIS or PRECEDING CHAP
TERS.

Tames adams, graduate Of Vest Point, ana
European Representatives Of american manu-.
/actnrerS, is ia Paris at the opening eff the soa,
between France and Germany. lie engages IN
an air ship reconnaissance for the French ana
narrowly escapes capture BY the Germans.
The air ship is saecked at the Chateau Lagn-
nay. AQanfs as rescued, ana as HHrSed BY The
CounfS daughter, Aimee, with sUhOm he /akkS
an lone. The Germans Advance and take the
Chateau for Headquarters. adams de/eHdS
Aimee against insult BY Col. GyieSniaH and is
Knocked DOM ty the Kaiser. Fearing treat
ment as q French sympafhizey he enters a regz-
meRt Of HySSayS, Hnder his /rtead Col. LOSven-
berg n SPY is captured and turns ont 10 be
LafoHr, a Partisan eIn6 TREND of adams.
Arrangements are made for Aimee TO be taken
away 10 tie home Of her cousin. The German
army m0VeS SUeSt, Leaving GyleSmaH in charge
ofkhe Chateau, 1Uhile adams and his regiment
ambush French column Report reaches him
that Aimee has ke/l taking auth her Lat0N,',
the SPY. GyfeSman goes fa pursuit 7OffA orders
10 shoot. adams and a Sergeant FIeiScAD7aHH
steal an automobile and go 10 deIeVa AitHee.
CHAPTER w.
suddenly found myself riding among a
great concourse of mounted officers. To
left and to right, through the fields, the
regiments were pushing ahead. AT inter-
walls groups of officers left the road and
struck out toward the northwest, joining
their troops And as we settled down to a
steady trOt Lowenburg explained to me
the 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 II generally northwest
direction, and almost parallel, for 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 n single line of
irregular hills, varying in height, and end
ing at the river junction in bold, precipi-
tous headland. on the east the Aire,
rather small but deep stream, has, in the
course of its centuries of hoW, cut sharply
into the hillside. On the west, the hills
slope gradually to the Aisne, forming
pleasant valley, from one to three miles
wide and under high state of cultivation.
At the foot of the hills fine road winds
northward, following generally the course
OF the river.
According to the main plan of invasion,
the Germans intended to skirt the nor
them end of he Argonne Forest, cross the
Aisne at its junction with the Aire, and
proceed west to Reims. The French were
known to be moving slowly north from
their great camp near Chalons-sur-Marn TO
bar the German advance, to assist in which
operation strong detachment, under Cen
eral Messonier, was moving northwest from
Barbecue, following the road through
the Argonne Valley. This latter move was
Intended as coup; but so perfect were
the German sources of information that it
became known on the second day. The
Emperor issued orders for an immediate
advance of the left wing, then resting south
OF the Chateau, and consisting entirely of
heavy cavalry, to push directly west cross
the Argonne 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 q 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
lets. The principal object of the attack
however, was panic and dispersal rather
than humiliation, as producing n 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 it was in