Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28
VII. THE DAWN

snowflakes They appeared from mystery,
glinted for second in the light of the bivouac fire.
and, disspated by its heat, without so much as
whisper of sound, vanished into mystery.
winter. 1t is here, said Adolphe, the medical
student.
He kicked fragment of pine bough into the
glowing Dagobert and these his children
squatted round the red pile, in the bed of gravel
pit The reddish loose-soil walls sloped thirty feet
above their heads On the top, there, a north
wind screamed its song open country that lay
under wan .shroud. But there was no breath OF
it at the bottom of the pit.
"The winter that is going to freeze the blood
of France-a that left of it to freeze sighed the
Able Remly.
Bah! We must keep close to our guns and
keep them hot enough, dissented Laporte. And
then there will be the running after the Blues
Remember Coulmers and Orleans. The tide is on
the
"Who said that General Won Bresach was at
Loigny?'
he with his Mecklenburg battalions, and those
Bavarians-black and swarning flies. He has
taken up his quarters in chateau in the west end
of the village
Count Raoul Dagobert put the question: Adolph
replied. -.
The former, who lying on his right side with
arm for pillow, added without changing his posture
"Von Breisach, yes. We were at Bonn together. l
remember that we were greatly attached to each
other, mes banvres
what pity he is a German!7 ventured little
Jolbois, pressing the region of his stomach, where
there was ceaseless gnawing
"And there finer fellow at the univer-
sity,7 added DagobeEt refectively.
"Ah bdrblenl if he would only send us each
nice basin of chicken BROTH sighed Laporte
With big, tat goose, baked to a rich, golden
brown, added Fouchard.
and some good champagne, cut in Bordenave
Not forgetting the cigars, said Curtiss the
Englishman.
"All that spells Heaven sighed d'Ormonde the
author. well, he is likely to send us there Ger
tanly if he turns this way those eighty guns posted
at Loigny.'
BLOOD of PAUL. those days' whispered Dagobert
to himself He was walking with Won Bresach arm
in ARM through the streets of ancient Bonn. Fifty,
a hundred, thousand years. ago!'
general groan concluded the general mockerv
Iollbols was not the only one whose stomach gnawed
These francs tireurs the edge of starvation
TT quite true that the French had won Coun,ier
and turned the Prussians out of Orleans 1t was per
fecty true that these victories had aroused new hop
in invested Paris, where they talked sangunely Of tn
army of Orleans now forcing its way to effect juno
ton with their Which was precisely what tn
army of Orleans intended doing. But there had bee
severe check at Loigny and General Chanzy, one o
the few hopes of France had been driven back with
loss of four thousand men.
This happened on December 2. The relieving arm
checked, but not dispirited. On the other hand
the Prussans, determined to stop this forward move
ment, had in person of Prince Frederick Charles re
ceved urgent orders to break it up at all COSTS an
retake Orleans.
believed that the ordered crushing blow the Orlean
army must weaken the enemy's investing forces roun
the Capital since of troops be agains
the French. Hope mounted in all breasts Thre
armies were formed from the garrison, fighting fore
OF nearly half million men, of Desperate vengeanc
fired Frenchmen.
This was the situation early in December, when tn
cruel winter had already begun and when Dagober
and his children crouched in the bottom of the QUAR-
and watched the falling mournfully
They said no other word One by one they fell int
uneasy slumber. Ten hours must pass before daw
brought day
PUT one of those hours had persisted when Fouchar
= opened his eyes He had dreamed that after al
General Won Bresach at the camp at Loigny had sen
the chicken broth, and the golden goose and the wine
apIfb he hotu dol