Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-27
FOREIGN LEGION
HAS REAL MASCOT
Strange Tales Are Told of a
Mysterious Child Known as
"The Little Duchess"

COMPIEGNE, Zone of the French
Armies (by maiD, June 23. 1911
The First French foreign legion has
an extraord nary and mysterious mas
cot. and If you believe half ] tell you
about the Little Duchess you will find
yourself in deep water. Yet II 1t is
possible for true facts to get embroiled
in telling, as they pass along, DO not
think that rude and heroic men, IN
their admiration and protection OF the
strange child, would consciously ex-
agterate. often, an insignificant de-
tail changes the bearing OF propo-
stion. Also there are queer things In
the world.
1t Is a girl child. 8. 3 or 10 years
old (nobody knows), small, wiry, not
beautiful, plain featured, with deep
sunk eyes, high wrinkled forehead,
several and strained exression, ana
much given to silence-she IL only
learning to. speak again. She Is un-
cannily intelligent, and Of such pc
culiar intensity and gifts (to judge
by tales ascribed to her. but which
cannot guarantee). that you will un-
derstand how second sight" might be
claimed for deeds where science Cir
you are stuck on science) would pre-
fer obscure and primitive instincts
developed abnormally by the horrors
and din of war in which she lived,
who knows how long alone?
They came on her absolutely alone
as to human companions. in an ad-
vance over long disputed territory
beaten up by artillery and previously
held by Germans. There was scarcely
any population. She stood in n little
clearing with an aged deerhound dog.
who disappeared the sane day. He
saw her safe among protectors. says
Turov. the Bohemian, "and he went
off to hunt her family" (The legion
aries are convinced she Is of birth
and title, lost from some northern
chateau in the early days Of the in
vasion) Later they noticed that the
child slipped off on the quiet. They
followed her thru underbrush to a
ravine with creek In 1t. where
grazed venerable horse, which she
petted solemnly.
I'VE know that horse" said n peas
efofrt might be not there, TO remem-
ant of the remaining population COM
Ing up for supplies. "He came down
%. with n priest from the north, long ago
The Germans worked him in the fields
until he got n bad name for being too
lucky. He was always getting away
and they always found him again;
but four times his plow mates were
killed by French shells. and twice the
men. and this old nag was never
touched. Each time he ran away
some bad luck happened. like a fire
aviation raid or that explosion which
the Germans had in 1915, and each
time he escaped injury by not being
there. At last the kapitain ordered
him slaughtered for horse meat That
night he kicked n Bavarian, breaking
three ribs, and got away. They die
not find him, being too busy burning
houses and preparing their retreat
But we never saw the child"
A Matter Of Manners.
Mystery No I. Where had sh,
lived? The child could tell nothing
being supposedly deaf and dumb. Hat
the Germans brought her recent,
from the north? No, it is claimed
she knows the neighborhood. One da,
she led them to a spring of gooC
water cunningly covered with plated
twigs and moss. Another time sh,
found a cache" of ia bottles of fin
old wine. "She's n peasant child from
close around here" said Holman tn,
Luxemburger-. NO" said Bompard
the Swiss legionary. "look how sh
eats. She eats like n lady. Let u
make an experiment Try to get som,