Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-12-24

course toward the French. came Miss
Brown In her donkey cart.
Through his glasses the German Of
ficer in charge could see that her bon
net was set well forward upon her
head, and she was holding the port
manteau with one hand and the reins
with the other. .
As the officer in command described
the event to his own government at
Berlin:
at was enough to take ones breath
away. It was the accursed American
woman about whom I telegraphed your
excellency yesterday. She was driv.
ing the donkey Of the daughter OF
General Pfff at a pace of two miles
an hour, and I instructed my men to
cease firing for fear Of hitting her,
since she is a cousin Of n Of the
American attaches at Vienna"
The French held their charge. too.
though their cavalry, IN reserve be-
hind the hill, intended to perform a
maneuver In the nature Of a surprise.
So, between the two hostile lines Miss
Amanda Brown drove the donkey Of
General Pfin's daughter.
But the truer account of the affair
was given by the enterprising CORE
spondent Of LIE Figaro. who, serving
as a trooper in the Tenth cavalry, par
ticipated in the skirmish.>
when the American woman had at
last crossed the danger zone." he
wrote, "the Germans resumed their
fire. The order being given, we sad
died hastily and mounted, and SO
reached the crest If the hill.
"'Charge!' roared the colonel, stand
ing up in his stirrups and waving his
sword.
with a wild answering yell our
brave fellows dug spurs into their
horses and galloped straight for the
enemy. And at that moment q bullet
pierced my horses heart and he fell
dead beneath me.
"You can imagine my disappoint-
ment at being left on the field. not
| even wounded. But, as watched the
advancing line Of u cavalry l saw
the most singular sight that / ever
| witnessed.
"For In the wake of them came the
mad American woman-Miss Amanda
| Brown Of Boston. Whether the an
| cient donkey resented our attack upon
his countrymen or whether his aged
bones were fired with the spirit OF
war / cannot tell you. Certain 1t Is
that, finging himself forward in the
| shafts, he galloped after u horse:
men with a speed almost equal to
theirs.
And in the cart, standing up and
waving an ancient p~arasol, was Miss
Amanda Brown.
"The charge was the work of about
| one minute. Our brave fellows flung
themselves against the enemy, drove
| them from their trenches and sabered
them numerically. BY the time the
| Germans we're In retreat ] was stand
ing up beside my horse and shouting
in Joy at the victory.
"And after the ga.loping horses went
the donkey and Miss Amanda Brown.
ga mascot!' l screamed, beside my
self with Joy. 'Eep, eep, oorah! for
Miss Amanda Brown!'
"And | started running as fast as
I could go to where the painting DON
key stood among our soldiers. turn
| ing their horses heads back from the
pursuit and waving their dripping
swords. Verify the crazed American
woman had brought victory to the
arms Of France.
Evidently our soldiers thought so,
too, for they had gathered round Miss
Brown and. pulling her from the cart.
they raised her upon their shoulders
and carried her homeward in triumph.
And another party also raised the
donkey, saluting him as a true-hearted
German.
when at last l met them Lieuten-
ant Doyen was at my side, raging. He
shouted %furiously to the men.
Release that lady immediately
he cried. 1t is disrespectful-it is not
French. You must show chivalry and
decorum. Down with her!'
"Ah. mon Dieu, how shall ! tell you
the sequel? Miss Amanda Brown had
plucked the bonnet from her head and
spectacles from her nose, and there
stood revealed to. us-the military
bearing and patriotic features Of our
gallant hero, General Fevert!"