New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-15


since they brought with them a fine rabbit
stolen, doubtless-and they made signs to the
old woman that there was to be something
good to eat.
She set herself TO work at once to prepare
breakfast; but when it came to killing the
rabbit her heart failed her. And yet it was
not the first One of the soldiers struck it
down with blow of his fist behind the ears.
The beast once dead, she cut the red body
from the skin; but the sight Of the blood
that she was touching which covered her
hands, and which she felt cooling and coagu-
lating, made her trcmbe from head to foot;
and she kept seeing her big boy cut in two.
bloody, like this palpitating animal.
She sat at table with the Prussians, but
she could not cat not even a mouthful. They
devoured the rabbit without bothering them
selves about her She looked at them askance,
without speaking, her face so impassive that
they perceived nothing.
4 IL Of a sudden, she said: 81 don't even
"A know your names, and here's whole
month that we've been together" They un-
wanted and told their names. That was not
sufficient; she had them written for her on
a paper, with the addresses of their families,
and resting her spectacles on her great nose
she considered that strange handwriting, then
folded the sheet and put it in her pocket, on
the top Of the letter which told her the
death of her son.
When the meal was ended, she said to the
men: II am going to work for you
And she began to carry up hay in the loft,
where they slept.
They were astonished at her taking all this
trouble. She explained to them that thus
they would not be so cold; and they helped
her. They heaped the stacks of hay as high
as the straw roof. and in that manner they
made a sort OF great chamber, with four
walls of fodder, warm and perfumed, where
they should sleep splendidly.
At dinner one Of them was worried to see
that Mrs Savage still ate nothing. She told
him that she had pains in her stomach. Then
she kinded fire to warm herself. and the
four Germans assembled to their lodging place
by the ladder which served them every night
for that purpose.
4 S soon as they had closed the trapdoor
n the old woman removed the ladder,
then opened the outside door noiseessly, and
went back to look for more bundles of straw,
with which she filed her kitchen, She went
Barefoot in the snow so softly that no sound
was heard. From time to time she listened
to the sonorous and unequal snorings Of the
four soldiers who were fast asleep.
When she judged her preparations TO be
sufficient she threw one of the bundles into
the fireplace and when it alight she
scattered it over all the others. Then she
went outside again and looked.
In a few seconds the whole interior Of the
cottage was Illuminated with a violent bright
ness and became a dreadful brazier, gigan-
tic fiery furnace, whose brillance spouted
out Of the narrow window and threw gilt
terng beam upon the snow.
Then great cry issued from the summit
Of the house; it was clamor of human
shriekings. heartrendng calls of anguish and
of fear Finally the trap having fallen in,
whirlpool of fire shot up into the loft pierced
the straw roof, rose to the sky like the i'm
mense flames Of a torch; and all the cottage
Jared.
Nothing more was heard therein but the
cracking Of the fire. the cracking sound Of
the walls, the falling of the rafters. Sud
denly the roof fell in, and the burning car
cass Of the dwelling hurled a great plume Of
sparks into air, amid cloud Of smoke.
The country, all white, lit up by the fire,
I - c1o of tod mi. rad
A bell far off began to toll.
| The old Savage stood before her ruined
dwelling armed with her gun, her sons gun,
| for fear lest one Of those men might escape.
When she saw that it was ended she threw
| the weapon into the brazer. A loud report
rang back.
People were coming-the peasants the
| Prussians.
/ They found the woman seated on the trunk
/ Of tree, calm and satisfied.
A German officer, but y eaking French like
a son of France demanded
where are your soldiers"
She reached her bony arm toward the red
heap Of fire, which was slowly dying, and an
swered with q strong voice:
"There!"
They crowded around her. The Prussians
asked:
| "How did it take fre?'
at was who set it on fire."
They did not believe her. They thought
that the sudden disaster had made her crazy.
While all stood around and listened, she
/ told the story from one end 10 the other
/ from the arrival of the letter to the last cry
Of the men who were burned with her house
and never omitted a detail.
WHEN she had finished she drew two
~ pieces OF paper from her pocket, and
10 distinguish them by the last glimmers Of
/ the fire, she again adjusted her spectacles;
! then she said, showing one: "That is the
/ death of Victor" Showing the other, she
| added, indicating the red ruins with a bend