American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1914-03-07
of the state of affairs in France.

of the state of affairs In France.
When, on the 3rd Of September. the
humiliating news arrived that the EN-.
peror was a prisoner and his army an.
initiated, the government, for the first
time In its existence, acted with
promptness and decision In O matter
Of importance. Secret orders were
sent by couriers to the Bank of France,
to the Louvre. and to the Invalides;
and, that same night, train after train
rushed out of Paris loaded with the
battle flags from the Invalides, the
most important pictures and antique
sculptures from the Louvre, the great
er part of the gold and silver from the
Bank Of France, and. last but by no
means least, the crown and jewels OF
France.
These trains were dispatched to
Brest, and at the same time telegram
was directed to the admiral command
ing the French iron-clad fleet In the
Baltic to send an armored cruiser to
Brest with all haste possible, there to
await further orders, but to be fully
prepared in any event to take on
board certain goods designated in
cipher. This we knew In a general
way, though Speed understood that
Lorient was to be the port OF depar-
ture.
The plan, then, was simple; but, for
an equally simple reason, It miscar-
ried in the following manner: On the
4th Of September the treasure-laden
trains had left Paris for Brest. On
the 9TH the Hirondelle steamed out to-
wards the fleet with the news from Sc
dan and the orders for the detachment
OF cruiser to receive the crown
jewels. On the 9Th the news and the
orders were signaled to the flagship;
but the God Of battles unclaimed q
tempest which countermanded the or.
der and hurled the ironclads into outer
darkness.
So, for days and days, the treasure
laden trains must have stood helpless
In the station at Brest, awaiting the
cruiser that did not come.
Speed and l already knew the secret
orders sent. The treasures, including
the crown diamonds, were to be stored
In the citadel and an armored cruiser
was to lie off the arsenal with banked
fires, ready to receive the treasures at
the first signal and steam to the
French fortified port of Saigon In Co
chin China, by course already deter.
mined
Why on earth those orders had been
changed so that the cruiser was to lie
OF Grolx | could not imagine, unless
some plot had been discovered In Lo.
rient which had made 1t advisable to
shit the location of the treasures for
the third time.
Pondering there at the tent door.
amid my heap of musty newspapers. I
looked out into the late, gray after.
noon and saw the maids and men of
Paradise passing and repassing across
the bridge.
A few moments later drums began
to roll from the square. Speed, pass.
Ing, called out to me that the con.
scripts were leaving for Lorient: 30 I
walked down to tho bridge, where the
crowd had gathered and where a tall
gendarme stood. his blue.and. white
uniform distinct in the early evening
light.
attention." cried the officer. a slim.
hectic lieutenant from Lorient.
The mayor handed him the rolls
and the lieutenant, facing the shuffiine
single rank. began to call off:
"Roux of BannaIec2"
Here, monsieur"
Don't say, Here. monsieur!' Say,
Present. Now, Roux?"
Present. monsieur"
idiot! Redirect"
Present."
"Garenne!"
There was silence.
Robert Garenne!" repeated the ON
Ger, sharply. Monsieur the mayor
has informed me that you are liable
Tor military duty, II you are present.