Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-25
vi. DAGOBERT'S REVENGE

hissez-basser thrust into his ragged bouse-he permit
through the German lines that to take him to his
wife and his two children. And the next moment he
remembered that he had betrayed his Chief and that
he had sold Metz.
aWhat-I? l have sold Metz?" he cried stopping in
the roadway and pnching himself to make that he
was not dreaming.
It will be recolIected that he had been imposed upon
by that Prussan officer who had fooled even Count
Raou Dagober; that he had given liberty to the cap
tive whom he believed to be William of Prussia; and
that in exchange for this liberty he had been handed
aissez basser through the enemys armies. And Dago-
bert, deceived by that astonishing likeness to King,
had held his supposed ustrous prisoner hostage for
the fate of Metz itself.
Only when he was alone did the hideous enormity of
his treachery begin press upon him. 1t was black as
the night him. heavy the armament OF darkness
Realization gripped him with strangling fingers
II have done this thng-nloi! The price of Williams
life was Metz, yonder, with two hundred thousand
Frenchmen inside the Notifications. And the city
may fall. Great God The blood OF all those French
already upon my soul! have made thousands of
widows because l wanted to my wife! have made
thousands of orphans because wanted my own chill
dren No, no. it is impossible! am dreaming, or else
am mad-nad-mad!
During the next twenty -four hours ever knew
what became of the schoolmaster of Marthe; and he
himself able to speak about it. Presumably,
overwhelmed by growing horror his reason forsook him.
and he rushed onward terrible object, over the roads
between Metz and Gravelotte the highways trampled
into rutted mre when the retreatng French armies
were forced back from the last named place into the
doomed city. A mailman, Bordenave fled among the
wreckage of ammunition wagons, battery calssons,
ivid sky. Just how long his agony lasted he could
never TELL but he awoke from what seemed eternal
nightmare and found himself on bed.
sensation of utter weakness made itself felt before
remembrance surged through Bordenave'S brain. He
groaned and turned his head which felt heavy as ball
of iron He caught glimpse of an open door, and be-
yond few struggling dandelions growing out of waste
ground. And he looked and wondered girl entered
She had fat red face, sleeves rolled to the top OF her
large coarse arms, and she brought odor of damp
straw. Instantly she observed the wild, staring eyes
of the franc tireur fixed upon her.
All, mon pauwe, so you have come back?' said the
= girl folding her and surveying the haggard
face with goodnatured smile
sWhere have been?" whispered Bordenave
3In the Clouds my brave fellow.
Il have been il?"
aHave been Just listen Of course you per-
fecty well now? You will get straight up and kill the
King of Prussa-and save Metz-and rescue Bazane?
HSlasl you did great things in your fever, can tell
YOU"
aHow did get here?"
The girl shrugged her shoulders 1--WE found you out
side, evening, my mother and l. That was week
ago, and ,D-,
1--WE could not have kept you; but since Metz capitu
lated the Germans have left us alone suppose they
all outside Paris. God grant that in there other
Marshal Bazaine-that thrice accursed traltor!"
@Ahi" grOaned the SchoolnaSter. The city fell? Is
that it,"
aThere we're hundred and eighty thousand French
and six hundred guns and they are lost to France
The eyes of the peasant girl flashed fire. For moment
she was TRANSPORTED.
u want to get up!" cried Bordenave in hearbroken
voice.
3Try."
He made the attempt, and sank back if lifeless.
The girl half smiled and went out.
For seven more days the schoolmaster of Marthe
turned thousand times his hard bed and cursed the
day of his birth. He believed that renorse would kill
him; but he found himself gaining strength. Then a
fixed idea took possession of him.
He would take the first opportunity of getting shot
by the enemy He owed that much to his country and
to his God.
A. ba
his ragged garments which he found in heap in
ner and fearing that open eavetakng would not be