Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-11
CHAPTER X-(Continued)

TIME stretcher was taken into the villa of
L well.todo resident; and it being still
broad daylight, Joos asked to be directed
TO the house Of Monsieur Alphonse Stau-
waert The miller was acquainted with the
topography Of the town, but the Stauwaert
family had moved recently TO a now abode.
Barely 200 meters, tout drot." he was
told.
They had gone part OF the way when
troop OF Chlans came at the gallop along
the Namur road. The soldiers advanced in
pack, and were evidently in hurry.
Madame Joos was seated in the low-built
fat cart drawn by two strong dogs, which
had brought her from Nerviers, Maertz
was leading the animals. Tho other four
were disposed on both sides of the cart
At the moment no other person was nearer
than some thirty yards ahead. Three men
were standing there in the roadway ana
thcv moved closer to the houses on the
left. Maerts, too, pulled his team on TO
the pavement on the same side.
The Uhlans came on Suddenly, without
the slightest provocaton, their leader
swerved his horse and cut down one or
the men. who dropped with shrek OF
mingled fear and agony
Retributiou came swiftly, because the
charger slipped I'm some rounded cobbles'
crossed its forelegs and turned a COM
plete somcrsault,
The rider. burlY noneommssioned ON
Ger pitched clean on his head, and elther
fractured his skull or broke his neck, per-
hans achieving both laudable results, while
his blood-stained saber. clattered on the
stones at Dalroy's feet. The nearest Uhlahs
drove their lanCes through the other TWO
civilians, who were already running lor
their lives. In order to avoid the plunglng
horse and their fallen leader the two
ruffians reined on to the pavement
They swung their weapons, evidently mean
ing to transhN some of the SIX persons CIuS,
tered around the cart The women scTc"'''uu
shrillv Leontinc covered near the wan
Joos valiant soul in an aged body, put him-
geIf In front of his wife MaertZ, hauling az
the dogs tried 10 convert the Nehlcle htu
n shield for Ieontine, while palroy' con,
scious that Irene was close behlnu' pIcNeu
uD the unterofiZier's sword.
Much to the surprise OF the trooper
who selected this tall peasant az an easy
nre,, no married. the lance thrust in sucn
wise that the blade entered the morse OH
rorcIcr and brought the animal down Al
fhe same instant Maertz ducked ana douseu
n wild unge which missed because tne
IrhIan was trying to avoid crashlnE mo Lne m
cart But the vengeful steel found ahother
,.ictir, nv mischance it transtXed Madame
Ioos while the horses shoulder caught )aI-
ro,, a rIancinG blow in the back and sent
him sprawling'
Some of the troopers, seeing two of their
men prone, were pulling up when gru'
,,oice cried, "AchtunG! Welll clear out
these swine later! ,.,.
1rore who saw all that had passed win
- Extraordinary vivdness. was the only
ono who understood why the order whlcI
mechanically saved five lives was given
stout staff officer, wearing plue GnlioIn
with red facinFs, rode with the Ihlans
and she was certain that he was III a s'ate
80 obgect terror His funk was probably eN-
,,toined nv an irregular volley lower down
tha street though. in the event the shooIlhs
nroyad 10 be that Of his own men, iWo
miles away at SOlayn, these Same 'l'"H
had been badly bitten by Belgian patIoi,
and the fat man, prospecting tne Na.,'u' .,'
road with a cavalry escort, wanted no more
i,,'l,io,sont surprises that evening. Ostensl'
bIv of course. he was anxious 10 report "
a brigade headquarters at huy' AZ any
rate the Uhlans swept on ,.,
They were gone when Dalroy IesaIHeu
his feet A rideress horse was c'atIe, ,,.ns nns
nfter them: another with broken leg Wa'
S.ai,,,, irving TO rise. Close at hand lay Two
TItiaHs one dead and one insensible. Joo'
"a eontine were bending over the aylht
U,on,an I'm the cart, making trahtlc eiLoIt'
10 stanch the blood welllhg lo.th lrutr
mouth and breast me ,,snio,,s Is,L 20 for min
ber lungs. but she was conscious LOT a MN
,,ta nta nr 90 ana actually smiled the farewell
SNS S,oortz was swearing horribly, with the
,rcoberence OF man just aroused IRON
5r,,nl,en sleep. Irene moved a few steps
- r,aet Dalroy. Her face was marble
white her eyes strangely dilated.
,sAre Won hurt?" she asked,
mo And you?'
.TTntouched thanks TO you. But those
hr,,tes have killed poor Madame Joos"
The wounded Uhlan was stretched be
queen them. He stirred convulsively and
Srooned Dalroy looked at the sword whicl
81 stin held. He resisted a great tempta
- and sprang over the PROSTATE body
Ne was about to say something when {
gbastIv object staggered past. 1t was tn
man who received the saber cut, which ha'
gashed his shoulder deeply,
"Oh. mon Dieu A." he screamed. "Oh, moi
| Dieu!"
He may have been making for some bur
row They never knew. He walled tina
frenzied appeal as he shambled on--alway
the same words. He could think of moth
| ing else but the last cry Of despairlng hu
| manity 20 the Au-Powerful.
owing 10 the blight Of the cavalry, Dial
row imagined that some body Of Allie
| troops. Belgian or French, was advancing
| from Namur, so he did not obey his irs
| impulse, which was 20 enter the neares
| house and endeavor 10 get away throug
| the gardens or other inclosures in the rear
He glanced at the hapless body on tn
| cart and saw by the eyes that life ha
| departed Leontine was sobbing pitifhll,
| Maertz. having recovered his senses. va
| striving 20 calm her. But Jooa remaiue