Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-01-28
WHEN THE GENERAL
WAS AFRAID.

Laughter and protests were heard
from their retired excellencies, who We're
sitting round table in Wiesbaden. But
the white headed little general, who had
been speaking, remained grave and said
Eyes it is true; in 1870 | was
"Of whom?"
ITO this day ] know not! -
And seeing their interested faces he
added:
IF you like / will tell you about it.
1t was in the winter, and near Orleans.
The exact name Of the little place in
which we dragons were quartered has
escaped my memory. Bavarians had
been in the village before US. In the
night skirmishes which had preceded the
taking of the village, a troup of Franc
tireurs who were cut off from the main
army had been established there Our
men desired to avoid unnecessary blood
shed through a direct attack, so they
fired the back of the building, and final
ly the Franctireurs withdrew. Ulti-
mately all became quiet, only the flames
still craekled-and the greater part of
the little castle was burnt down on that
cold winters night.
Only the front of the mansion re-
manned standing. The place awakened
gloomy memories. Blood was every
where-tufts of hair on the walls, doors
forced open i'll hand to hand fights. 1t
had all come to pass as they themselves
had chosenthey had resisted us by
force of arms therefore but
at any rate, the desolate house with
broken window panes was standing
empty when we arrived.
In the stiffness of the night-so many
people neutrality-suspicious. sounds had
been heard numerous voices
hushed laughter, steps, banging of doors,
will o. the wisp lights in the windows
And just this mystery excited young
lieutenant of the Bavarian Light cavalry
He declared that for once he would
spend night in the haunted house; and
toward evening he moved over there with
a mattress and revolver. But the 9TH
ers had not yet gone to bed when-at
about 10 o'cock--he reappeared in their
midst and quietly sat down among them
Why he had not remained over there
could not be discovered. He submitted
calmly to being chaffed, but kept a
scrupulous secrecy, and ultimately rode
away with his regiment.
And we, their successors, were already
full of the legends about the castle The
troops were telling the most foolish
stories, and this annoyed our adiutant
He wished to prove that they were false
On the third morning after our arrival,
he said to us quite coolly:
We'll, boys passed the
whole of last night over therel" A
couple of witnesses testified to it, Every
one asked
"Well-and ~"
81 slept and dreamt of my mother.
Nothing else at ALL ~
He laughed and was in good spirits,
although he looked rather pale. Toward
evening he rode to the brigade quarters
three villages off receive orders. He
has never again been seen,
| Some time afterward we were sitting
| together one evening in thoughtful mood
and talking about our missing comrade
and how, just the night before his death.
| he had been in that house of which the
dark window frames were distinctly
yawning across the snow in the moon
shine. Now it so happened that / had
taken good deal of wine that evening
for | had not been well during the last
few days. But now the wine inclined
me to be "a venturesome as | usually
was when a young lieutenant of 26, and
| l called out:
II shall establish my headquarters
over there for tonight"
You will not go there" So spake one
of my best friends beside me. and / re-
piled:
What will You bet:"
MY white Arab. She is anyway toe
! light for my weight! Early tomorrow
she viii he yours!'
'Done!"
So at about 10 o'clock I strolled across
the crunching snow to the silent house
my servant with me- He carried the
bedding, which he laid down by the fire.
place in the great hall. He had already
lit a fire, and, pushing forward a few
more logs of wood for replenishing it
he faced about at my IAN right-now
be Oft" and was scarcely outside the
door than : heard him running as fast
as he could. And then all was still and
was alone.
] gradually fell asleep-at least. it was
a restless halt-sleep, in which reality was
ever taking part--now with a few
strokes from the tower of the little
church, now with few voices of ORA.
goons in the street; then the watchguard
sounded the hour, and in between came
confused dreams about home; perhaps
lpeace would soon be declared-and now
it was all so silent--so deadly silent. =
And cold, too. | was shivering under
the thick wooden covering which l had
put over me, and drowsily looked at
the fireplace near me. / raised myself
upon my elbow and with the other hand
pushed few logs on to the fire Then
lay down again l was now quite
awake. aud looked about the room sc
brightly lit up by the moon. And with
amazetnent l observed that someone was
standing by the window young officer
1t was quite simple; while had been
I j, L, =