The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-02-02

Der. after we had come TO the harbor
at dusk and told our story, the gen.
eral asked him TO indicate our landing
place and our journey home on a big
map at headquarters. D'ri studied the
map a brief while. There was a look
of embarrassment on his sober face.
Seems so we come ashore bout
here" said he, dropping the middle
finger of his right hand in the vicin-
ity of Quebec. Then we travelled
aw-a-a-ay hellwards over n this ere
direction" With that illuminating re-
mark he had slid his finger over some
200 leagues of country from Quebec to
Michigan.
They met us with honest joy and no
little surprise that efening as we came
into camp. Ten of our comrades had
returned, but as for ourselves, they
thought us in for a long stay. We
said little OF what we had gone
through, outside the small Office at
headquarters, but somehow it began TO
travel, passing quickly from mouth to
mouth, until il got TO the newspapers
and began to stir the tongue of each
raw recruit. Gen Brown was there
that evening, and had for me, as al
ways, the warm heart of father He
heard our report with a kindly sym
pathy.
Next morning | rode away to see
the Comte de Chaumont at Leraysville.
| had my life, and a great reason 20
be thankful, but there were lives dearer
than my own to me and they were yet
in peril. Those dear faces haunted
me and filled my sleep with trouble.
l rode fast, reaching the chateau at
luncheon time. The count was reading
in a rustic chair at the big gate. He
came running to me, his face red with
excitement.
"Msieur lie Capitaine!" he cried, my
hand in both of his, Il thought you
were dead"
And so l have been-dcad as
cat drowned in a well, that turns up
again as lively as ever. Any news of
the baroness and the young ladies'"
"A letter." said he. Come, get off
your horse. l shall read to you the let
ter"
Tell mellow were they takenT'
l was leading my horse and we were
walking through a deep grove.
Eth bien, am not able to tell, said
he, shaking his head soberly. You re-
member that morning-well, l have
20 men there for two days. They are
armed, they surround the Hermitage,
they keep good watch The wasp he
is very troublesome, but they see no
soldier. They stay, they burn the
smudge. BY and by l think there is
nothing TO fear, and / bring them
home, but | leave three men. The
baroness and the two girls and their
servants they stay awhile TO pack the
trunk They are coming to the cha
teau. 1t is in the evening; the coach
is at the door; the servants have start
ed. Suddenly-the British. | do not
know how many. They come out OF
the woods like a lightning, and bang!
bang. bang! they have killed my men.
They take the baroness and the Misses
de Lambert and they drive away with
them. The servants they hear the
shots, they return, they come, and they
tell us. We follow. We find the
coach; it is in the road, by the north
trail. Dieu! they are all gone! We
travel to the river, but" here he
lifted his shoulders and shook his head
dolefully-"we could do nothing"
The general may let me go after
them with force Of cavalry" l said
Il want you to come with me and talk
to him"
NO no, my capitaine!" said he; lit
would not be wise We must wait
We do not know where they are.
have friends in Canada; they are doing
their best, and when we hear from
them-eh bien, we shall know what is
necessary"
l told him how I had met them that
night in Canada and what came of it.
They ere a cruel people, the Eng
lish," said he. Il am afraid to find
them will be a matter of great diff
Guilty"
But the letter."
"Ah, the letter" he interrupted, feel
ing in his pocket THE letter is not
much 1t is from 'Tiptoes 49, from
Louison 1t was mailed this side Of
the river at Morristown. You shall
see; they do not know where they are"
He handed me the letter. | read it
with an eagerness | could not conceal.
1t went as follows:
MY Dear Count: If this letter reaches
you, 1t will, l hope, relieve your anx-
iety. We are alive and well, but where?
] am sure l have no better idea than if
/ were a baby just born. We came here
with our eyes covered after a long ride
from the river, which we crossed in the
night. 1 think it must have taken us
three days 20 come here. We are shut
up in a big house with high walls and
trees and gardens around tia beautiful
place We have fine beds and everything
10 eat, only we miss the bouil-labaisse,
and the jokes Of NJ. Pidgeon, and the fine
old claret. fat Englishwoman who
waddles around like a. big goose and who
calls me Mumm Gas If l were a wine
makerD waits upon us. We do not know
the name of our hos-. He is a tall man
who says little and has hair on his neck
and on the back of his hands. Dieu! he
is a lord who talks If he were too lazy
to breathe 1t is Your Lordship this
and Your Lordship that But / must
sneak we'll of him. because he is going to