Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1906-04-28

herolcally, clearing out much OF the
me Old tapestries and carpets. and
s some Of the more valuable pictures
dawned the Count left US, going south
10 offer his services to the General
lsslmo-a somewhat childish procceo-
ing. 1 thought, though / did not op-
pose him, as Aimee was thus LEFT m
my care. had confded to him my
us both he bade me watch her care
fully and at the approach of the en-
envy TO set out for Bethel. a small town
To the northwest, where Aimee had
The Meuse in front of the Chateau
was perhaps a quarter of q
nigh pre,elpitous banks in which there
was no break fer a considerable dis
lance north ana south. Some three
rowsd d1w tbo stream tp@ The river par-
a massive stone bridge SPAWNED the
deep waters. This point was selected
ny the Germans for crossing. Leav-
ing Aimee with a strong guard OF
armed servants, some of whom were
veterans of the Franco-Prussian war,
set out on horseback for Ramune.
looklng like a French dandy in my
elegant clothes.
i ound the town In great confusion.
Many. persons were loading up their
household goods and making ready for
departure;. others had already fled. Sc
s~tealthily had the Germans approached
that their advance at that point was
half a dozen hours before my
arrival.
From a stone tower on a wooded
NIL back OF. the town l looked across
into the valley beyond. As far as the
| eye could see stretched the ranks of
the invaders. They had risen out of
russia and Baden and Saxony, out of
| Wurtemburg and Brunswick, out of
| Hesse and the M~ecklenburgs; and mob
lllzlng rapidly had swarmed across the
FRO Ter of Lorraine, that ancient bone
of contention, and neutral Luxembourg.
As l learned later. once they topped
| upon French soil they swept down like
a storm. Spies preceded them cutting
telegraph wires in all directions. The
thirty miles between the frontier and
the Mouse River had been covered in
ten hours, the troops moving at a
swinging trot. And here they were at
the crossing without the least show
OF. opposition.
Meanwhile the French were advance
ing with characteristic elaboration,
their main force being then at and
around the great military camp of
Chaions. 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
and Hussars. There had been no
further reports, (the wires We're cut
about that time) and 1t appeared I'M
necessary to make any decided move.
or the detachments sent out in auto
mobiles. at the time of my departure In
the Inflated La jaime, | could hear
nothing. 1t was not until months
later, when l returned to Paris for n
iAyiNS iANOIi WIN AlAAlttt lAAt L ltdII-
ed the facts. Our wireless message
had not carried. Martins sacrifice
was ain. 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 a canard.
Therefore the modifying proceeded, all
eyes being centered ON Luneyille, Bel
fort Besancon, where the German
Crown Prince, with his Bavarian, army
manoeuVred at a safe distance, threat
ening, retreating, building mock forth
hcations, 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 its presence by a 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