Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-05-28

teTinBs Chasing ulm Lou deo ~
shrub.
Speed" shouted-"the sailors
from the Fer-de-Lance!"
had picked up rifle with bro
ken bayonet; the countess, clasping
my left arm; stood swaying In the
rifle smoke, eyes closed; and. when
horrid screeching arose from the
depths of the garden where they were
destroying Tric-Trac, she fell to shud-
dering, hiding her face on my shoul-
der.
Suddenly Speed appeared, carrying
drenched little figure. partly wrapped
in sailors pea-jacket. slim limbs
dropping, blue with cold.
Put out that fire in there" he
said. hoarsely: 1--WE must get her into
bed. Hurry, for Code. sake, Scarlet!
There's nobody in the house!"
"Jacqueline! Jacqueline! brave lit
tie Bretonne," murmured the count
ess, bending forward and gathering
the unconscious child into her strong.
young arms.
A fresh company of sailors passed
on the double. rifles trailing. their Of
ficer shouting encouragement. And
as We came in view Of the semaphore,
l saw the signal tower on fire from
base to top. The marines fired stead
lily from the windows above us.
They want the Red Terror!" laughed
the sailors. "They shall have It'll"
Blackened, scorched, almost suffo-
Gated. staggered back to the tearoom,
where the countess stood clasping JAG
queline, huddled In blanket, and
smoothing the child's wet curls away
from a face as white as death.
Together we carried her back
through the smoking hallway. up the
stairs to my bedroom, and laid her In
the bed.
The child opened her eyes as we
drew the blankets.
Where Is Speed?" she asked. dream
lily.
A moment later he came in, and she
turned her head languidly and smiled
"Jacqueline! Jacqueline!" he whis
pered. bending close above her.
DO you love me. Speed?"
"Ah. Jacqueline." he stammered
more than you can understand"
10
Late that night the light cavalry
from Lorient rode into Paradise. Al
dawn the colonel, established In the
mayory, from whence its foolish occu
pant had fed. sent for Speed and me
| and when we reported he drew from
his heavy dolman our commissions. re
storing US to rank and pay in the regi
ment de marche which he commanded
At sunrise had bade good-by to the
sweetest woman on earth: at noon We
were miles to the westward, riding
like demons on Buckhurst's heavy
trail.
l am not sure that we ever saw hin
again, though once, weeks later. Speed
and and dozen hussars gave chase
to a mounted man near st. Brieuc
and that man might have been Buck
hurst. He led us a magnificent chase
straight to the coast, where we rode
plump into covey of Prussian hus
sars, who were standing on their sad
dies. hacking away at the telegraph
wires with their heavy. curved sabers
That was our first and last sight o
the enemy in either Prussian or com
munistic guise, though in the long, ter
rible days and nights of that winter
| of II, when three French armies froze
and the white death, not the Prus
slams. ended all for France. rumors o.
insurrection came to US from the starv
ing capital, and we heard of the rec
flag flying on the HoteldeVille, ant
the rising of the carbineers under
Flourens; and some spoke of the lead
er of the insurrection and called hin
John Buckhurst.
Then. for three blank, bitter months
freezing and starving. the First regi
ment de marche of Lorient Hussars
stood guard at Brest over the dia
monds of the crown of France.