Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-23
TX. PAROLE OF HONOR


departed sum- glmmered the brass epaulets of the
German cavalrymen. They disappeared behind the
ridge:
is their game, | wonder? The beggars!" He crammed
his fingers into his mouth and endeavored to thaw
them by breathing.
A thin, almost imperceptible vapor rose from where
Count Raoul Dagobert and his francs reurs crouched
in frozen watercourse, and with wearied, hungry eyes
stared at the summit of the ridge which the Uhans
had vanished.
@Beggars?" echoed Curtiss the Engishman. Rather
it is who ragamufins. Not whole shirt be
tween us! As you say, my friend it is somewhat queer,
this proving about of odd detacments all day, which
keeps from showing the tips of our frozen
Have they lost something these restless bluecoats
confess don't understand it at ALL"
"Nor l." agreed dOrnonde the author speaking
well as his chattering teeth would permit "Since
Chanzy was driven out of LIE Mans there absolutely
nothing between these Germans and the Mayenne.
"Come my wolves said Dagobert suddenly. 1--WE
cannot stay here all night
And he began to edge way down the frozen bed of
the petred stream. They followed him, and the os.ars
and grass their hands they pushed them
aside.
THEY proceeded in single file, and the last of the
struggling line Adolphe the medical student.
He far gone and at times lurched forward in blind
fashion. They had had gimpses of the battle of LIE
Mans which had been fought three days back. They
had hung about the vicinity of the tenth Corps OF the
German Second Army and they had seen Chanzy suffer
defeat that fell just short of a victory. Despite
ton, they had been separated from that retreatng
The everlasting necessities of food and shelter urged
them All day wandering parties of Uhlans in
search of Heaven knew what had made them lie low;
but twilight thickenng into darkness and the
word was @En dudnn"
First went Dagobert an old wolf of the trail with his
miraculous instinct of discovering of meeting
those everlasting necessities which had saved his little
family time and again Behind him little Jolbois,
the Partisan shopkeeper who trying sing in ter
nby husky voice the song OF liberty that begins, la
victoire ehandnt la barrre. Bordenave,
the schoolmaster of Marthe, in Alsatia joined just
huskily in the chorus, ia Repubqne appellee
Able Remly and d'Ornonde followed in gum silence.
Curtss and Laporte the Zouave kept up their courage
by an argument. The latter saying vehemently:
"You may talk you please; but have my own
opinion to the commanding genius in the Prussan
army corps. He is neither Moke, is he the Grand
Duke but he is Prince Frederick Charles that accursed
red Hussar. | give him his due, by Jove He is fine
fellow and great General and it is disgrace to be
beaten by German like that And that he has
pushed Chanzy out of the way there nothing speak
of between him and Paris. There is the who is
responsible for Frances humiliation He will come out
of the covered with glory One hears nothing but
his nowadays. There he at Metz, with the
First and Second Armies Didn't he crumpe up our
brave fellows on the Loire? And now he has won LIE
Mans By the devil | would shake his hand if he
Frenchman'
A DOLPHE, last in the file, heard neither song nor
argument. How weary he was There nothing
the skin of his chest the dornan of Lieu
tenant of Hussars, and that with grapeshot
Yet fatigue leaving his limbs and glow steal
ing through MS VEINS, Wnlcn mao been nan frozen he
kept standing the tips of his toes and craning his
neck to catch sight of the square tower of little
church only mile northward There long, strag
Cling village there and he knew every house in it. And
very likely there plenty of food and shelter.
All of which was known also to the Captain; but the
knowledge, unfortunately, supplemented by the
fact that the village occupied by part of the Ger
man Second Army Corps.
"But third of a league from herel" muttered the
medical student, whose eyes shining. Il would
take the chance-yes! And if caught and shot
what of it, Ah Boys, the campaign much for me!
/ already as good as dead. How | envy our brave
fellows who underneath the ground! Rest-rest!
Yes am ready to take the chance her more
if she is alive To stroke for the last time those dear