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DEATHS  GUIRASSIERS; 0r, Brave of all Braves.

A LEGEND OF THE OLD GUARD-

BY CAPT. FREDERICK WHITTAKER,

“on or “mo. KING OF THE TRAIN,“ “ RED nvmmcn." "THE lu'ssmx spy,“ “mm mm RAJAH." “'er: mlsu CAPTAIN,“ mc.

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l l o '
BRAVE or ILL BRAVES.
A Legend of the Old Guard.

 

' BY CAPT. FREDERICK WHITTAKER,
auraoa or “run PHANTOM xsxeu'rs.” “nun
neurons." “NEIO, xmo or snares,”
“m nusn cums," 1:10., mo.
CHAPTER I.

A sm'r anoam.

Til! were called the “ Death’s Hands” in
In Guard. Most of them Were Gaseous; and
all be world knows Gaseous are dark men,
lite Spaniards, with brown faces, and the
darkest of eyes and hair.

Their helmets were black, with a little sil-
var death’s head in front; b'ack were the
horse-tails that hung down their backs, black
alike crest and pompon, while their uniforms
wereso dark that they seemed black, though
in reality they were the darkest of dark
green, laced with black braid.

They had their cuirasses and scabbsrds
japanned black. and the rest of the troops
dubbed them all sorts of names; meant in jest
but taken up by the regiment in earnest, and
made a matter of pride. They carried the
thing so far that the officers made things
miserable for any blonds officer who happened
tobeassigned to the regiment; and the sol-
diers snubbed the fair-haired r.-cruits in the
same fashion.

And so matters stood in the early part of
August, 1805, When a young man with singu-
larly fair complexion joined the regiment
from the remnant depot, with a number of
other recruits, and answered to the name
of “ Gabriel Lenoir” on the musterrolL

He was the only fair man that had been as-
signed to them in the squai, and when the
colonel came to inspect the recruits, he started
and frowned at this particularly fair young
man, and growled out:

“ Who the devil art thou, young man!”

Coleus! Lenoir was one of the old school of
’93, who had rsen from the ranks, and he did
not believe in politeness to recruits.

The fair young man saluted as otiifly as a

‘ veteran might have done. and said:

“ Gabriel Lenoir, my colonel, at your ser-
vice and that of France.”

The colonel looked aghast.

Recruits were used to tremble before his
frown; but this young man seemed to be per-
fectly cool, and not only answered boldly, but
used the languwge of a person of cultivation.

Moreover, he looked the colonel straight in
the eye, and had the same name as his com-
manding oflcer.

Lenoir lO)k8d at Lenoir; colonel at recruit,
for half a minute; and then the superior
growled out:

“ You’re ill-named. You should be callei
Leblanc," [white] “ not Lenoir. I’d advise
you to exchange into another regiment as soon
as possible. You’ll not be happy here. You’re
out of uniform.”

“0n the contrary, my colonel," replied the
fair young man coolly, “I intend, if you do
not object paitively, to remain in this regi-
ment till I have become its colonel."

Gabriel Lenoir Senior looked at his young
namesake and turned purple, as he blurted
out: r .
“Impudent recruit! and where do you sup-
pose I shall be, then!”

“Holding the baton of a marshal. my col-
onel,” promptly responded the fair-haired re-
cruit with a smile.

The purple faded out of the colonel’s face; -

for it is not in human nature to resist artful
flattery, and he said in a more mollifled way:
. “ Young man, you may make a soldier some
day, if you’ll learn to keep your tongue quiet.
It is not the custom for a recruit to speak to
his commanding officer with the freedom of an
equal."
Then the colonel passed on.
When the inspection was over and the re-
cruits were assigned to quarters, Gabriel Le—

,, noir found himself ‘sent to the first squadron,

and reported to the sergeant'ln charge.
Sergeant Crocasse was a tall, rawboned
Gascon, with a face that seemed made of
leather, and a mustache that nearly touched
his breast. He had an eye like a hawk, a voice

 

like a bull, and was familiarly known in tho
regiment as “Old Guard-house.” from tho fro-
uoncy with which the words “ two days in
t e guard-house " were on his lips, in deolln
with recruits, who were to him I m.
troublesome least, to be punished all the tune.

He looked at our fair yc‘ut'h for a few mo-
Ireuts with a sour expre-ion,nnd then ob-
Served:

“ The service is going to the-devil. A
pretty Death’s Head you’ll make,md.h your
blue eyes and white head. I wonder the
colonel didn’t send you bdck to the depot.
What’s your name, recruit!”

“Gabriel Lenoir,” answered the recruit.

“ Oli Ghoul-house" mad- a grimoce.,

“Lenoir, indeed! The impatience of having
the same name us our colonel. Marbleu, young
man, who gave you that name?"

“My godfather: and godmother! in bap-
tism.” was the composed answer.

“ Old Guard-house " granted.

“The duvil! And what do you want in this
regimenti" .

“ To do my duty till I become its colonel,”
answered the recruit. almost as ho had an-
swered his commander.

If the colonel was astonished, the sergeant
was fairly flnbhergnsted.

He gasped and stared at thorecruit for a
.moment and then burst out:

“ A colonel! You a colonel! you white-
headed sheep of the country! And where shall
1 be then, pray?”

He ended. trying to restrain his p1ssion to
the liuits of sarcasm, and Ellcci’Oded badly, for
the froth flew from his lips as he roared out:

“ Where will I be when you are a colonel!"

' “General commanding the division,” was
the mild reply, with a smile so innocent that
Crocnsm was disarmed at once, and granted
more plucahl y:

“Oh, that, indeed! That‘s diflerentl But
hnrk ye, young man, you talk too muc'i. The
Death‘s Heads do their work silently. How old
are you?" .

" Twenty-two, sergeant.”

“ Very good. Here is your number, 1318,
and y0uder is your bed. You will get ready
for guard at once."

And so Gabriel Lenoir found himself, at the
mandate of “Old Guard-house,” a part of the
machine with which the emperor of the French
was to overturn, in a few years, half the
throne! of Europe.

“And where did you serve, Blancbeci"
[white-nose], asked I no of Gabriel’s new com-
rades, as they turned into the guard-house an
hour after, to wait for their time of going on
post in the second relief. The spookeer a
dark Guscon, With n scar across one check that
split his mustache in half, and his voice had an
unpleasant ring of contempt in it. “ You
don’t look old enough to have smelt powder.”

All of the Guard were large, powerful men,
and they looked nskauce at the young ream
as if they disliked him. ~

Yet he was handsomer than ' . man in he
room, measuring six feet two in 
with oflgurelikeApollo, and MW.
lar features. -,

“In the first placgcom Who answered,
“my name is Lenoir not Blanche, and if you
repeat that name 1’ shall have to slap your
face. In the second—”

But before he could say it, the block Goseon

. strode up to him with a furious scowl, hung

out: ,

“ You’ll slap my face! You, boy, child.
miserable white-head! Do you know who I am!”

“No, I don’t,” answered Gabriel, quietly;
and tho scarred Gascon slapped his cuinass till
it rung i rowling: .

“I sapglargule Fortou, called Cases Tote,
and I hovo killed sixteen men in sin is com-
hat, of whom one was a Momeluke. ow will
you slap my toes!"

 Oa-o Tate [Head Breaker] hold it out

' inviting proximity that the young man

bed and said: _

“ Not unless you are rude enough to call me
Blanchec again. In that case-'—”

“ Blunchec! Blancbecl Blancbecl” hissed
Cease Tete, furiously; and in a moment the
young recruit dealt him a sounding slap with
his hard gnuntleted hand, and then sprung
back and laid his hand on his sword, in expeco
tation of an attack.

But Cease Tete only drew himself up as stiff
as a post, ground his teeth, and growled out:

“Very well. Tomorrow, in the Wood be-
hind the park. You shall see.”

  

 

Gabriel Lenoirmowto thoodouofto

Imperial Guard. did not thowthflifllgs

was fired tho necodtyof forthorwosbby
the buds sounding “Guard turn out,- one.
he, was sent on pod before .tho Par“ 0!
Diana.

The Pavilion of Diana was sacred to tho
emperor. e and the attomlamo that
me with ' and Gabriel's orders were
strict to admit no one elm; echo took up bi
well! while thenlirf clanhoi away, and was
scan lost in tho daydreams of an ambitious
young soldier. from which he was aroused, at
the and of half an hour by the approach of two
persons. 'lben Gabriel Lenoir muttered:

“It is himself. I wonder will hokno'w no
again?” '

 

CHAPTER II.
nu ramon or mass.

Tun two fl;uros that approached boro o
marked contrast to each other. One was tall,
slender, handsome, aristocratic in beating,
dressed as a diplomat of tho first rank, his vel—
vet coat blazing with gold embroidery; the
other was short, stout», in a dark-green uniform
faced with whet, without so much as a gold
cord anywhere.

Yet lhO little stout man's faco was the faoo
of the master, and the tall man trea‘od him
with an obecquious courtesy that showed he
knew it.

The sentry, by the door of tho pavilion,
raised his saber to his lips in sa‘ute, tho little
man acknowledging it with a scarcely percep-
tible movement of his small white han i. nslf
he were used to being saluted all day and found
it a bore to answer so many ti nes.

He glanced carelessly at the tall fizure of
the boy cuiras‘ier, towering over himself a
head uni shoulders; and Gabriel’s countenance
fell as the httle man entered the pavilion,
saying:

“ This way, monsieur tho prince.
be quiet here.”

“He does not remember me," raid the re-
cruit to himself, and he gave a sigh, as ho re-
sumed his tramp up and down. “Yet why
should he!" he muttsred. ‘ Even he has
changed. He has grown stout, and hi'. hair is
cut short. The emperor has forgotten oonsul
and general."

He pursued his walk in silence; but he did
not feel satisfied for all that. He was only a
boy yet, full of ambition and romance, and he
had been indulging all sorts of hopes from the
time when he should see the man ho had not
beheld face to face since he saw himou the
field of Marengo.

But the empIror had passed him by without
miticing him any more than if he had been a
statue.

Presently, as the young dentry pawl his
lonely, round. be heard the sound of voices in-
side the pavilion, ono of them raised as if in
anger; and ho out not help “Mint will to

n m vapodtho emporor that he heard,
and “wk it well.

'“Itollyuu, modem, it mat be; and if his
maid! is not unlined to be with me, he must
be mo. I am dck of these perfidious
Hamil they must be driven from every
port in Europe. They and I cannot exist to-
gether, prince, do you hear?"

Gabriel listened intently and heardthe low
tones of the Austrian diplomat: '\

“ Your majesty is too severe on my ter.
We cannot abandon our ancient allies to '
even your majesty." 3

“Very well, prince, very well,” respodded
the other voice sharply, “it is to be as you
please. You choose wor,ond you shall have
it. When the tricolor floats under the shadow
of St. Stephen’s at Vienna, you will remember
that I dlerod yon your choice."

Then there was a short silence, and the sentry
heard some one pacing up and down the room
as if in excitement.

Presently the smooth tones of the Austrian
broke in:

“ That is you majosty‘s ultimatum?"

“ Absolutuely, prince, absolutely.”

“ Then I have no resource but to ask the
Minister of State for my passports, and to bid
your majesty farewell,” was the quiet answer.

The sentry outside trembled all oVer with
excitement. There was to be war between
France and Austria, and he, simple Gabriel
Lenoir, private soldier, knew it before he
Minister of State.

We shal

 

 

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Heeouidnotheipaieokdprldeoahla
heeuthsAustriaucamemgandtheempaor
stoodin thedoorwayJiang hb hatcoldlyin
response-to the profound aalutatiou of the
diplomat.

"Farewell, monsieur,” was all be said, and
then the first man of France stood in his
favorite attitude, his head bent forward, his
eyes on the ground, his hands behind his back,
while the Austrian walked away.

Meantime the sentry continued his walk as
if he had not seen the emperor, and the

emperor remained staring at the gravel, till

the clash of the sentry’s aocouterments seemed
at last to rouse him from his thoughts, for he
looked up in his sharp, abrupt way.

“ Come been," said the emperor.

The little man with the smooth, marble face
eyed Gabriel keenly, and said:

“ I rem.:mber you. Where have I seen your
face?”

"At Marengo, sire,” almost whispered the
young cuirassier.

"Yes, yes, it Xarengo. What rank did
ya! hold then? ’You were a boy."

“ I was trumpeter in the Ninth Cuirassiers,
sire." answered Gabriel.

The emperor nodded.

“Yes, yes; trumpeter, trumpeter. There
was a trumpeter, I remember, took General
Zack prisoner and brought in a flag. Are you
the man?"

In truth the first man in France had almost
forgotten Gabriel; but he had the rare tact of
feeling his nay with soldiers, and appearing to
remember more than he really did. ,

Gabriel’s face lighted up with pride and joy,
as he stammered:

‘ Yes, sire. Oh, sire, I
majesty had forgotten me.”

The emperOr smiled his rare gracious smile,
for which so many men were Nady to go joy-
fully to death.

“ Comrade," he said, “ I never forgot a
French soldier who does his duty. 80 you are
in the Black Cuirassiersi But you are not a
Gnocchi"

" No, sire, I am from Alsace.
was from Strasbourg."

The emperor nodded again and scanned the
recruit from head to foot.

“ From Alsace? You speak German?",

“Yes, sire.”

“And you speak good French. You are not
a peasant."

Gabriel Lenoir flushed deeply.

“No, sire. We——-my father—an the
old times—noble.”

The emphror looked at him in the same
thoughtful, absent way he had shown all
through the interview.

“Yes, yes, Isee. Tell me.’ Did not Isay
something to you at Mai-ego?"

He knew he must have done so; for he al-
ways complimented acts of valor.

Gabriel looked happyand modest asha stam-
mered out:

“ Yea, sire.

thought your

My mother

I remember every word as
well as if you were saying it now. You said:
‘ Yaw have begun 100'], young man. I never
metbraoesoldo'ers. Rsmindme wheawemeet
Ulatloweyouaehaswetowinan epauleffc.”

As the boy finished he almost gasped for
breath. It seemed to him so absurdly auda-
cious that he should be speakingso freely to the
emperor.

But the little man in the green and white
coat smiled on him still, more kindly than ever,

and replied:
“Very good. It is time I kept my word,
Can you write wall!” ‘
- “ Yes, sire.”

“Write me down your name, number and
Squadmn, and, as sbon as you 'come of guard,
kill your sergeant that I wish tosee you in my
cabinet. Stay. The guard will not pass you,
30 tElie this, and say that I ordered you to
bring it to me."

As he spoke he took from his pocket a small
silver snuflbox, richly chased, and added with
his sweet smile:

“ It Will keep us both in mind of each other.
Au moir .'"

He waved his band and walked 06 toward
the outlines of the great palace, just visible
above the trees.

CHAPTER III.
ms mam or noson.
Gasman. Lnsors hardly knew whether he
were awake or asleep as he resumed his lonely
tramp. - He felt as happy as a bird. The em-

 

peror-had not forgotten him. It seemed too
good to be true.

-thorbed in his thoughts he was recalled
suddenly to himself by a voice near him say-
ing hoarsely:

" Bola! sentry, are you blind that you can-
not see an officer?"

Gabriel halted stiflly and gazed at a hand-
some but dissipated young man in the Prussian
diplomatic uniform who looked at him super
ciliously, and observed in a tone of wonder:

“ Well, upon my word I thought you gentle-
men of the Guard at least knew your business,
but by Jove our recruits are better instructed.
Why don’t you present saber?”

Gabriel looked at the young man and dis-
liked him intenwb'.

“ Because, my orders are to salute none but
field omcers," he answered, “ and you are only
a captain.”

The young man sneered openly.

“ You are very wise." ‘

Then be advanced as if he was about to en-
ter the pavilion, when Gabriel put himself in
front of the door and said sternly:

“That is forbidden, save to the emperor
and the ladies of the court.”

The young Prussian drew up haughtily.

“ Don’t you recognize my uniform? I am
the Prince of Potsdam, of the blood royal of
Prussia, on a visit here. Do you wish me to
complain to the emperor of your insolence?"

Gabriel had heard of the prince as on a visit;
to Paris, and knew that the emperor had
shown him distinguishei honor; but he was
also inflexible in his duty, on account of the
strange and violent antipathy be had taken to
this Prussian stranger.

Not but the prince was handsome; for he
was tall and graceful, with a sharpcut aristo-
cratic face, blue eyes and fair hair, but
there was a certain redness and pumness
about the cheeks that told of drink and dissi-
pation, and a haughty cruel curve to the
mouth that aroused the cuirassier’s antagonism
at once.

80 he only pointed hissword at the prince
and said sturnly: l

“ Stand budr. I have my orders."

The Prussian ground his teeth and turned
away with a curse saying:

“ I‘ll pay you for this yet.”

Then he stalked off toward the palace, and
Gabriel resumed his walk in a flame of mind
in which hatred of the Pruuians and contempt
for this particular Prussian were blended with
asense of triumph that he had sustained the
dignity of the French army against this over-
bearing bully.

But his tour of duty was destined to have
some more little adventures befere the relief
arrived; and he had hardly taken three turns
before he saw his enemy coming back.

Presently the prince came up and on one
arm was the most beautiful being Gabriel had
ever seen, while the other sustained no less a
person th the Empress Josephine herself,
who was king and smiling in her own gra-
cious way to this dissipated Prussian, much to
the poor sentry’s secret disgust.

As they passed, he stood at a salute to the
empress, who bowed her head with her own
sweet smile, and he heard the prince say with
a harsh laugh:

“Your sentries here are stifler than ours.
your majesty. That fellow wanted to kill me
just now. for trying to pass him.”

Gabriel heard and could say nothing, though
he flushed slightly; but if the prince meant 'to
humiliate him, he failed to do so, for just at
that moment the lovely girl on his arm raised
her eyes, looked Gabriel in the face and said:

“ Probably he was right, prince, for they
only put veterans on guard here.”

And Gabriel flushed scarlet then, for the
girl’s eyes seemed to look right into his soul
and such a face he had never seen before, dark,
0V8]. statuesque, warm with color, with intense
black eyes and hair like night.

He heard the prince say as they went into
the pavilion: '

“ Veterans! Why, that’s only a boy."

And the lady’s soft voice answered:

"Our French boys count their years by bat-
tles, prince, and every one of them is a vic-
tory."

After that the young sentry could afford to
passup and down outside, smiling to himself
and wondering:

“Who is that lovely creature? Ah but she
is a good Frenchwoman, and hates a Prussian
as much as I do. Who knows, who knows!"

 

ne'm-i‘ has"    m ,  e

Itwasatime of high hops autism;
and Gabriel was one of those soldiers who
were always thinking of the batoude um
that lay, according to the proverb, at the bot—
tom of every French soldier’s knapsack.

The dark eyes of the unknown beauty had
rested on him and gone straight down into his
soul. What mattered it to him that she was a
companion to the empress?

“The emperor himself was only a lieutenant
of artillery at my age,” he said to himself
“and Marshal Murat was a stable-boy. A. col

onel is not enough, I must be a general and,»

count at the least, and that shall be my countese.‘
I swear it.”

'Meantime, within the pavilion, he could see.

the empress reclining back in an easy~ehair,
and listening to the words of the prince, who
was talking earnestly to her, while the dark-
eyed young lady stood behind the chair ,of her
mistress in an attitude of respect, with her face
turned away so that the young cuirassiercould
not see it.

The door was wide open, and be kept pacing
slowly up and down, so as to be near it, but
could not hear all that was said. ‘

Only the Prussian seemed to be urging some.
thing on the empress which she was unwilling
to grant, for he heard her say:

“It will be useless, prince. You do not
know his majesty."

Then the prince said something in a low tone,
at which she turned to the derivede young
lady and observed:

"Ines, ma belle, will you go to the palace
and bring me from my chamber the small vin-
aigrette on the table?" '

The young lady courtesied, kissed the hand
of the empress, and backed out of the presenCe.
As she came out she cast another look at the
handsome sentry, in the some wide-eyed inoc-
oent way she had done before, and answered
his salute with a slight smile and bow, then
turned away to the palace, just as the Prussian
prince shut the door, observing:

“There‘s no need for the sentry to hear all
that passes, madame."

Gah'riel felt irritated at the action, but con-
tinued his walk for some minutes till he heard
the Prussian’s voice say, in its usual coarse loud
tone: .

“Very well, madame; then I can count on
your influence with lnez."

As he spoke he opened the door, and Gabriel
saw the empress come out, and heard her an-
swer:

“ You shall have it, prince, but I fear it' is
no use.”

Then they moved away, and Gabriel was left
wondering what it was that the Prussian was
asking, and what was all the mystery about it.
He could not unravel it by pacing up and down;
buthe watched the prince and the e

saunter away down a shady alley of the park, I

when the beauth young lady came in from
the palace and stopped as if in dimppointme'nt
at the door, seeing the pavilion empty.

Gabriel felt his heart thump against his ribs
as the lady looked at him.

She was going to speak to him; and, for the

first time, she too showed symptoms of a slight
agitation. Instead of looking at him, as before,
as if he were a handsome piece of furniture,

she seemed all of a sudden to realise that he,

was a young man, and that she was alone with
him, for she blushed as she said: ,

“ I beg your pardon, but where is the empress
—has she gone!”

“Her majesty passed down the path to the
fountain of Hercules, mademoirelle,” replied
our hero, growing crimson in his turn, as be
noted the color of his companion, and then he
drew up and saluted, as she bent her head and
passed by him witha low “Thanks, moasieur,"
and vanished.

Gabriel Lenoir stood staring after her. She
had called him " monsieur," but that was only
her politeness and ignorance of miliiary eti-
quette.

And she had cast down her eyesas she passed,
while her check was crimson.

So was his own for that matter. It was
hard to tell which was the more bashful of the
No.
and, as he did so, he noticed that a flower fell
from the bosom of her dress, while she hurried
on without noticing it. '

Then the young cuirassier‘s face lighted up
joyfully, and he stalked away after her to
where the flower lay, though it was outside of
his mguhr beat; snatched it eagerly; and-then

rushed back and was still and solemn as ever.

I

But at least he dared to look after her. .

0‘

l

 

Kodidnot see, as he turned his back, that
some can watchei him pick up that flower,
no” other than Mademoibeile Inez herself, who
had just rounded a big evergreen, and pooped
bask through the branches.

As she saw it, a smile dimpled her red lips,
and she towed her pretty little head and mur-
mured:

“ HOW absurd! But he’s very good looking.
What a pity he is only a private soldier."

She went on again, for she saw the empress
coming with the Prince of Potsdam, and she
hastede up to her mistress to be rewarded
with a smile and:

“ Thanks, mademoiselle, we were talking of
you. Do you know that the Prince of Potsdam
has just been asking my influ‘ nee with his
majesty, to secure your hand in marriage?”

The pretty maid of honor turned as white
as a sheet, glanced up at the empress in a
frightened sort of way and answered impul-
aively:

“Oh, your majesty, for Heaven’s sake do
nob—do not l—"

She could say no more. Her voice appeared
to fail her, and at that very moment:

“ Clank .’ Clank! Clank !"

The relief passed by them, changing the
guard of grim cuirassiers, and at the head,
afler the corporal, marched the young fair-
haired recruit.

To Inez the interruption was welcome, for
they came so near that conversation was sus-
pended by the noise of their accouterments.

As they passed, her eyes met those of the
young cuirassier once more, and both of them
flushed crimson again. The Prince of Pots-
dam noticed the fact and stared sternly at
Gabriel, who returned his stars with the stern
visage of a soldier on duty.

“ There is my enemy,” thought Gabriel, “ we
shall meet again.”

 

CHAPTER IV.
A PAIR or nrAULmss.

WE may be sure that the young recruit had
not forgotten to save the flower he had picked
up after the beautiful maid of honor had
dropped it. It lay inside his cuirass over his
heart as he marched by and he had it with him
when he reported to his sergeant what the
emperor had told him—that he was to report
in the cabinet as soon as he came off.

The sergeant stared at the sand-box which
Gabriel showed him to confirm the tale told.
The crown and the letter N on the box ware
all-potent. He was excused at once and went
to the palace. Here he was halted at the foot
of a grand stone staircase by a grim old gren-
adier with a gray moustache:

“Not so last, my little cabbage. This is

t a beer saloon. What do you want here?
Go back!"

“ I want to see his majesty." replied the
young man boldly. “ He told me to come to
him in his private cabinet."

The grenadier gave a scornful sniff. and
threw his bayonet forward, aiming at Gabriel’s
throat.

“Not so fast. my chicken. That sort of

l, tale won't pass here. You have been in the
\ca'ntee and the wine has gone to your head.”

Gab el drew the snuff-box from his pocket,

, and said to the sentry:

“There! Do you know that? The emperor
told me to bring that to him.”

Then the grenadier looked puzzled, threw up
his bayonet, brought his gun to an order, and
said doubtfully:

" Well. that’s different. I’ll call the corporal!
I can’t let you pass."

The corporal, with a long white mustache,
looked at the snuff-box, scratched his head, and
finally said: ‘

“ Well, I suppose you can pass to the ante-
room. One of the pages will take you in.”

80 Gabriel ascended the great marble stair-
case‘, clanking and rattling at every step, and
went down a broad corridor to where he saw
a crowd at the end.

As he came cldser, be perceived that this
crowd was made up of marshals, generals,
diplomats and high omcers of the palace, all
blazing with gold, in the midst of which he, in
his simple dark uniform of a private soldier,
felt as if eVery one must be staring and sneer-
ing at him.

Nevertheless, he stalked forward into the
middle Of the crowd, and, u ha m expected,
became at once the target for every eye, while
a slight smile sat on every face.

 

The situation was cmbarrasdng, and Gabriel
grew pink, crimson and purple fin rapid suc-
cession, till a little boy in blue and gold came
Superciiionsly up to him and piped: '

“ I say, my friend, you’ve made a little mis-
take, 1 think. This is not the barracks by any
means.”

Then the smile became a titter as the great
people looked on, expecting to see the boy quiz
the recruit, for waiting in an anteroom is dull,
and a joke to pass the time is very welcome.

Gabriel, feeling very much like a dog in a
crowd of strange dogs. answered in an apolo-
getic way:

“ I beg pardon, little gentleman; but is not
this theanteroom to his majesty‘s cabinet?"

The page tossed his head.

“Of course it is. What do you want in
here? Come, right about face, march !”

But Gabriel grew calmer the moment he
found active opposition, and said:

“ Excuse me, little gentleman; but I was
told byhis majesty to come here and bring
thisback to him. You 5901 wascn guard by
the Pavilion of Diana—”

As soon as he had said the words “ Pavilion
of Diana," there was a stir in the crowd of
officials; and..as Gabriel held out the silver
snuff-box, the crowd made a movement toward
the cuirassier, just as rudely and curiously as
if they had all been peasants.

As for the page, he looked as if some one
had boxed his ears, and answered, civilly:

“Chi is that it? Give me the box and I'll
take it in to his majesty.”

“ No, if you please, little gentleman,” said
the young cuiressier, firmly. “ My orders are
to deliver it personally.”

Then some one in the crowd laughed, and
Gabriel heard a rough voice say:

, “ Purblcu, marshal, I told you no one could
fool one of my babes. He will go in, too.”

Gabriel knew the voice of his grim colonel,
and looking round, saw that stalwart warrior
talking to no less a person than Marshal Ney
himself.

The young man knew the marshal by sight,
as well as Murat. What soldier of the Grand
Army did not?

The marshal nodded kindly to him in answer
to his salute, and said to the page, in his
brusque way:

“Well, well, why don’t you go in and re-
port? if his majesty wants to see a soldier,
depend upon it he has reasons. Go in quickly.”

The boy, looking scared, vanished by a low
doorway in the side of the room, and presently
came sliding back through the crowd, saying
to Gabriel:

“Follow me, cuirassier.”

Then, indeed, there was a buzz of intense
amazement as the simple soldier, in his black
uniform, with his funereal plumes and clank-
ing cuirass, stalked by princes, dukes, counts,
marshals and barons, kicking their heels in the
anteroom, and entered before them all into the
sacred precincts of the emperor’s private and
special cabinet.

“ Who is he?”

“What is he?”

“What a flue-looking fellow?”

“ He was on guard at the pavilion."

“ He must have heard what was said.”

Such were a few of the whispers that Ga-
briel caught as he passed on, to all outward
seeming stiff and impassive, but quaking in-
wardly at the idea of again facing the em-
peror.

He had to stoop his crest to enter under the
curtains that shaded the door; and then he
stood bolt upright in a small room, where eat
the emperor at a desk, writing signatures on a
heap of papers and tossing them on the floor.

Behind the emperor’s chair stood a tall, hand-
some gentleman, in the most gorgeous uni-
form Gabriel had yet seen, and which he recog-
nized asthat of an nide-de-camp of the em-
peror.

I’his gentleman looked at him as he came in,
and nodded his head as if he were well pleased;
but no one said a word until the emperor
had finished the pile. of signatures, when he
looked up and cried out:

“ Aha! My boy trumpeter. Youare prompt.
This is your man, Duroc. He is an Alsatian,
and I know him tohave the cc of ten
devils Let’s see, your name is—”

“Gabriel Lenoir, sire, No. 1318, first squad~
ron, Death’s Head Cuirassiers.”

The emperor turned to Duroc.

“ He‘ll do, Will he not!”

The aide hesitated.

 

“Iny m, ypieues, itwouldnothe-re-
spectful to the ng of Prussia, unlem—' ‘

“Exactly,” said the emperor, interrupting.
“Here, fill out the commission. What rank
should he be?”

A n Duroc hesitated.

“ or a first-class mission, sire, the attache
should not be less than a captain; but the pre-
cedent in the regiment would be—”

The emperor nodded.

“ I know it But it is doubtful if he ever
gets back alive. Make it out Captain in the
Death’s Heads, Duroc, supernumerary."

The aide compressed his lips slightly, but
made no further remark, and filled out a perch.
ment, which the emperor signed in in. mm]
rapid scrawl, and then said sharply:

“That’ll do, Duroc. Remember that on
your discretion hangs the destiny ofall France,
Don’t spare your attache, and above all things
remember, Prussia must be kept out of the
league till I have settled the others. Good-
b ."

yGabriel stood amasedly looking on; for the
emperor had not addressed to him a single
word after his first greeting, and new, General
Duroc came forward, put the roll of parch-
ment in his hand, and said politely:

“ Come, captain, it is time we were off.
You have to change your uniform and we
both must be at Berlin inside of three days.
Comel”

Then, Gabriel, feeling dared and not daring
to believe his sudden stroke of good fortune,
passed out into the ante-room, following Duroc,
and heard the general say to Ncy:

“It is settled, marshal. My attache, Capv
tain Lenoir, of the Death's Heads. We are of!
to-night.”

Then they passed out to the front of the
palace, where there “as standing a coach with
four horses, and Duroc motioned our bewil-
dered hero into it, sprung after, and said, as
the door slammed:

“ To the Tuileries at once, as hard as you
can go. Office of the Controller of the Finances,
Monsieur Vérmouchel”

Then, away dashed the carriage, and Duroc
turned and narrowly inspected his companion
for the first time. The result seemed to pleue
him; for he said at last:

" You look intelligent, and you’re as strong
as a horse. You say you talk good German.
Well enough to pan for a Prusnan' , if M
sary?”

“ Yes, general, if necessary,” replied the
young man, with emphasis on the last word;
“but! admit that I hate them too badlr ‘0
like such a job, even in fun."

Duroc laughed.

" So much the better. You hate them!”

“I have cause to, general. They killed my
father like cowards, after he had given up his
sword, and my mother died of grief onhil Ic-
count. I remember them well before Valmy»
though I was only a child of seven than. I re-
member how they ravaged France, under their
accursed Duke of Brunswick. I hope the time
will come when I shall be even with them."

Duroc listened and smiled, well pleased at
the unexpected energy of the young man’s lan-

e.

“ So you hate the Prussiansl" said Duroc,
rubbing his hands. “ Very well then, captain,
you’ll be pleased to know that we are on our
way to Berlin, to prepare for Prussia such a
beating as she has never had.”

“Good, general, good,” cried Lenoir, joy-
fully. “ And what am I to do? Give me my
instructions, and I’ll carry them out to the
letter."

“Very well,” said Duroc. “ You shall have
them in a few words. I am going to Berlin as
a special envoy from his majesty, to Oder the
King of Prussia the English province of Han-
over, on the simple condition of his neutrality
in the war with Austria. You know we‘re
going to war with Austria of course. If you
had not been 011 guard there when the m.
peror broke out yOu might not be here, He
takes strange fancies; and you have the luck
of wagliAlmtix. Very well. As I aid, 1

to rnas eenvo' ouumin at-
gufche. You can draw?"y’ y m

“Yes, general, I was at school in the town
of Strasbourg, when Marengo came on, and I
went as a substitute. Since that I have
learned fortification in my leisure times.”

"very good. You are the man we want.
I shall be at Berlin; but you will have to do a
good deal of traveling about in the country, as
a simple German citisen, and it is your bush

 

 

 

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nose to get, orto mks, plans of all-thefor-
tresses on the French frontiertto‘find the
numbers and stations of  troops, and to
get up reports of every thing for the cabinet,
to be used when we are ready.”

Then he began to give the young man spe-
cial instructions on all sorts of points, to which
Gabriel listened attentively: and by the time
they reached Paris, Which was not till late in
the evening, he was able to say:

“I think [understand all, general, and can
do it. And now what am I to do for uniform

and expenses, monsieur? I am, as you must ‘

know, only a private man with no fortune.”

“You'll come with me," said Duroc, “and
you shall be provided. Money is nothing,
when work is to be done.”

I; town of Hanover.
And so Gabriel thought, as he was hurried

by his chief from place to place, to find him- 5
himself, shrugged his shoulders and got out of

91f, in the course of a few hours, provided
with capacious trunks of clothing of all sorts,
gorgeous uniforms of half a dozen different
kinds, diplomatic and military, with a purse
of gold in his pocket. and a pocketbook of bills
in his breast, when Duroc told him:

“ Now, captain, it is time we Were off. The
horses are ready, and we must travel all night.
His majesty believes in hurrying every one.”

 

CHAPTER V.
WEARING ran BATTLE.

Two months after Captain Lenoir, of the
Death’s Head Cuirassiers, left Paris to’ go to
Berlin as military attache to the French em~
bassy, a traveling carriage was slowly toiling
along up one of the passes of the Tyrol, and
halted at the top to breathe the horses, looking
down on the Bavarian plains that surrounded
the fair city of Munich.

At the very moment of stopping the pestil-
lion turned his head sharply to the north west
as if something had attracted his attention.

A moment later the hood of the carriage
was thrown back from within, and a tall, fair
young man in a furred pelisse stood up and
looked out in the same direction, saying:

“ What’s the matter, Hans!"

The postillion touched his hat.

“There is fighting going on, Herr Graf, in
the Black Forest. Hark! There it is again."

As he spoke they heard the distant hollow
boom, never to be mistaken, of cannon, two or
three following each other in rapid succession.

In those days civilians were as quick as sol-
diers to recognize the sounds of cannon, for
they heard them nearly as often. The firing
oamo from the direction of the Black Forest,
at least fifty miles off. but.plainly audible to
them at their high elevation.

The young man in the carriage stood and lie-
toned as intently as the postiliiou. After an
inter-valet aminutoorsoafresh report
bee-Md cut, then several together, aftor which
all us still.

The young man took n from the seat of the
carriage a telescope, wi h which be scanned
the plain below him for several minutes.

At last he said, as if satisfied:

“There’s nothing to prevent us going on,
Hans. As soon as the horses are dry, start
them up.”

“is postillion touched his but again, and the
carriage moved on, the way now being down-
ward inward the plain.

They had not gone very far before they
came a: another traveling carriage, halted by
the roadside; and the cause of its stoppage was
made manifest by the fact of one of the hind
wheels having come oil.

The owner, the postilllon and a peasant were
trying to raise the carriage as they came up,
to replace the wheel; and the first named of
these, agentleman in a sort of half—military
uniform, hailed the other vehicle, crying:

“Hols! Come and help us. Don’t you see
We've lost a linch-plni”

The tone of this gentleman was not only an-
thoritative, but rude; and he called out as if
he had a right to say what be pleased to any
one.

The M" Young man in the first carriage
100kell finietly at the wreck, and perceiving
that 3:9 Poetmion and peasant had already got
the 'le up on a’ rest and were fixing the
wheel, he answered coolly:

“ I think you can get along without us, and
I am in a hurry to reach Munich."

As he spoke his eyes met those of the gentle-
man in the road, and the latter uttered an ex—
clamation of surprise.

“ Who are you! I’ve seen your face be-
fore.”

 

a;

The fair young man smiled slightly.
“No doubt, prince. I have seen yours too.

You are Prince Ferdinand of Potsdam and the'

“Drive on, Hans, as hard as you ~can.
We’ve no more time to lose.” '
Then the carriage rattled away and the poor

last man I ever expected to see here when Prince of Potsdam was left by the roadside

fighting is going on."

The prince looked at him in a doubtful sort
of way, as if undecided whether to show anger
or not—but he replied:

“ You know me. Now, then, who are you,
my friend!” ~

The fair young man smiled again.

“ Not your friend, prince, on any account.
I am Grat Gabriel von Schwartz, of the Han-
ovcriun army, traveling for my health.”

The prince eyed him suspiciously.

“ Hanowrian? I never saw you' in any
I have seen you in Paris.
You’re a Frenchman.” -

The Hanoverian count, as he had announced

the carriage. He came up to the Prussian
prince and said to him with the utmost polite-
ness:

“Permit me, prince, to remind you that I
am the Graf von Schwartz, and that any man
who doubts my word will have to answer for
it on the spot."

As he said this, he looked straight into the ,

eyes of the prince, and the latter quailed ever
so little, though he retorted:

“ Then if you are what you say you are, you
are the living image of a man I met at Paris
two months ago.”

The Graf von Schwartz answerec’e

‘ “ I am a Hanoverian, sir. Do you believe
it or not?" ,

And the prince answered, hastily:

“ Of course; if you say so, I must believe it.
Where have you come from, count?"

“From Innspruck,” replied Schwartz. “I
am going to Munich, and thence to the town
of Ulm. Understand me, prince, I am in a.
hurry, and you cannot be allowed to follow
me too closely. You will need a new linch-
pin in your carriage. I will send one back
from the next post-house. You will find it
best to wait here for it.”

“I shall do no such thing,” retorted the
prince, hastily. “ What do you think I am
made of? I shall go on with what sort of a
wooden pin I can make here.”

“You will not go forward till I have sent
you back a linch-pin,” said Count Gabriel,
sternly. “ Do you understand, sir? You and
I do not travel together any further than a
piece of level ground.”

The prince started back and flushed deeply
as he answered:

“ Sir, do you wish to pick a quarrel?"

.“ You have described my intention with en-
tire accuracy," answered Gabriel, with a pro-
found bow. “Either yon do as I order, or
we must cross swords here and now, at once.”

“ Then we’ll do it,” cried the prince, in an

angry tone. “ I’m not to be hectored by any
stranger that comes along. I've swords in my
carriage.”

” So have I," responded the other, smiling,
and in a moment both ran to their respective
vehicles and came back, each with a pair of
swords in his hand, while the postillions looked
on with amazement, wondering what was to
happen. '

The Prince of Potsdam looked a little bit
nervous, but he placed himself opposite the
tall Hanoverian, and held out the swords, say-
ing:

“Choose, sir.”

The Hanoverian took one and threw down
his own blades.

“ This will do," he said; “though mine are
the best, I think."

Then each gentleman retreated to his own
carriage, threw oi! his upper garments, and
wont to meet his adversary.

The sWords clashed, there was a short strug-
gle, and then the Prince of Potsdam uttered a
cry of pain and dropped his sword. . The
Hanoverian had run him through the right
shoulder and disabled him for the time.

Count Gabriel calmly wiped the sword,
picked up the scabbard, and sheathed it, when
he remarked to Potsdam:

“Now, sir, your highnese perceives the
necessity of remaining here till I send you a
linch-pin and a surgeon.”

The, prince gave a grin of pain as he an-
swered, spitefully:

“ You have the best of it this time; but I’ll
be even with you yet."

Count Gabriel laughed, jumped into his car-
riage and said: ,

‘ “ I know it.
l was at Versailles. He’s a spy of the French

 

 

l to nurse his wound and grind his teeth.

“He’s a Frenchman,” he said to himself.
I’ve seen his face bottom, and it

emperor, and if I can only follow quick en-

! ough, I’ll have him taken and banged.”

Meantime the pretended Hanmerian, who
was none other than Gabriel Lenoir, had
changed horses at the post-house and galloped
on toward Munich, feeing the postillions
heavily on the way. and entirely neglectingto
send back either surgeon or linchpin to the
Prince of Potsdam.

The fact was that Gabriel was now in avery
dangerous position. In Prussia. where no one
knew him, he had been able to travel about as
a German, and had performed all the service
directed him by Duroc; but in Prussia he had
been on neutral ground. Now be was in Aus-
trian territory and the sound of guns showed
that hostilities were going on near him, while
he had just been recognised as a Frenchman
by the last person he had expected to meet in
such a place.

As he galloped along from post to post, he
felt more and more anxious, till he crossed the
Bavarian frontier and approached the city of

‘ Munich.

Thin he breathed freer, and when he at last
entered Munich he said to himself in a tone of
satisfaction:

“Now there is nothing to prevent my put-
ting on my uniform again."

As he said so, he looked out of the window,
and felt a strange sinking at his heart. ’30
was on Bavarian territory, it was true; but
there, by the post-house, he saw a little picket
of dismounted hussars, and the uniform was
that of Anstfia. .

An ofilcer came up to the earrings door and
looked in. ~

" Your passport, sir, if you please. Where
are you going!" -'

Gabriel felt in his pockets for the paper and -
began to talk to gain time. ‘

“ What are you doing on Bavarian territory,
monsieuri I thought—”

The Austrian laughed.

“Thought the Bavarians were able to take
care of themselves. It seems not. General
Mack has occupied the whole territory, andtbo

Bavarians have gone to join the French. Oh, - '

we shall give them a fine beating soon, when
the Russians come up."

This was news to Gabriel, who asked, as he
presented his passport:

“ And General Mack, where ishei"

“ At Ulm," said the Austrian as he seamed~
the passport. “This 3 all right Em- Grab
Happyto meet you. Anyone-dan- hrs
fools nottojoin usand help us tobeatthese

men." ,r

“ Perhaps we shall sooner than you think
captain," answered Gabriel, smiling. “ I hope
I shall find the general at Ulm. The fact is
between ounelves, I have a scant minim to
him. You understand.”

The Austrian captain winked wifly in an—
swer to Gabriel’s look of mystery. and than
thbcsrriage drove awayin the dir‘elen of
Ulm.

As thsyclearedthedtytheybesrdfiiedis:
tent mnnonsding renewed, but this time in a. '
different direction, straight ahead, and at or .
beyond the city of Ulm. ~

And, as they passed along the roads, they
began to come on little columns of army
wagons toiling along toward mm, with an oc—'
casional squad of white-coated infantry.

The soldiers stared at the carriage as if they
wondered what it was doing there, and Gabriel
Lenoir took out of the carriage pocket a pair
of pistols, looked carefully to the printing. and
put them back. He began to see thathe might
need them before long. '

He was going straight toward Prussian fer-
tory which had been neutral; but, from the
direction of the firing, it was evident that
French troops must be on that territory; and

if so, Prussia had «one to complain of
France.

“I wish I could see the tricolor,” sa‘d Ga-
brieltohimself.

While he was thinking of it, he heard the
boom of more guns, this time away to the right
of mm, and it became evident to him that the
Austrians were, if they only knew it, in a
perilous position, ,with the enemy on that

c a  » 

 

’———T

wqmmwymmwxumhan

While he was thinking of this. the carriage
stowed again, and the postillion touched his
hat and said:
' “ Herr Graf, the road is blocked
ahead of us, and I think there is going to be a
battle."

The honest German looked puzzled and
frightened, and Gabriel got up on the box
with his telescope to see what was the matter.

For more thana mile ahead the road was
full of wagons; little squads of soldiers were
hurrying to the front, and they could see a
cloud of dust beyond.

Praently they heard the popping of musket-
shote, and then came a broad flash and a heavy
report. Itwasthe soundofacannonolose

by.

 

CHAPTER VI.
rams a nun.

Tuposition of the traveling carriage was
now oneof decided peril. Fighting was evi-
dently going on, near by, and it was clear that
thedispute related to the train of wagons.

If so, it wasequally plain that French and
Austrians were alike near by, and that the oc-
cupant of the traveling carriage ran danger
from both parties. If the Austrians were
victorious, they might, in a fit of suspicion,
search the carriage; and, if so, Gabriel knew
thet, in the trunk under his seat, lay a French
uniform, which would undoubtedly provehis
death-warrant in the character of spy.

I Should the French take the train, the danger
would be almost equally great, from the ex-

‘ citement of the men who would take him for

a German, and very likely cut him down with-

, out listening to a word.

Under these circumstances it showed re-
markable coolnessin the young_ Alsatian that

‘ heretsined his seat on the box, and quietly

watched the smoke and dust, less than a mile
wt told that the battle was growing hot.

rattle of musket-shots became quick
'and sharp, the fiashes of artillery were fre-
quent, and after a little he could see from the
positions of the guns where the contending
parties were posted.

, The Austrians sesmed to be clustered at the
headofthe train witnabattery offourorsix
guns, while the French had guns on three sides
of them, with a cross-fire on them.

Praeatly the hum of a round shot over the
carriage warned the young man that he would
soon be under the tire of his friends, and he
said to the postillion:

‘- Drive on, Hans, right into the train.”

The poetillion. frightened to death, faltered:

“ There, Herr Grafl We shall be killed.

‘ Let esretnrn to Munich.”

~ But Gabriel had taken his resolution.

’ Itdoesnottakeasoldier long to see which
way a fight is going, and be perceived that
thsAnsta'iana was-cine fair way to he an-
nihilatedinaehonflmaif they did not lose
tho taaia’aud flee to Munich.

Bedrewaemsll pistelfrom hie pocketand
pointed it at Hans.

“Drinker I am a French oflcer,” was
allhe said.

flan uttered a groan of fear; but did ache
was told and galloped his horses to the rear of
ti- kaia which Gabriel found already deserted
by the cowardly drivers, who had left their
teams and were streaming away across coun-
try in the true fashion of a defeated army.

“New,” heeaid sternly to Hans. “I warn
you notto try toescape me. Stand by your
hormandlshall shoot at the first stcpyou
take to rim."

“ Indeed, Herr Graf, I won’t run," said Hans,
his teeth chattering, as another shot passed
over the carriage.

,Gabriel‘s keen eyes had caught sight of
something in the train, and a bright idea had
occurred to him.

Tied up in the rear of the wagons were sev-
eral led horses, probabl y officer’s chargers,
showing that the train belonged to some cav-
alry regiment; and it occurred to him that he
might take one of these, make a dash, and in
the confusion of the battle ,cut his way through
to his friends. .

, No sooner had he thought of this than be
JWDPI‘d down into the carriage, tore open his
trunk,and hastily attired himself in his uni-
form. As each article went on he felt more
and more like a soldier, and when he finally
clepped the helmet on, his head and buckled on

 

his sword he could nothelpasighcfptis-
faction.

“At least theycannot hang me for a spy
now,” he said aloud.

Then he stalked past Hans who stood star-
ing at him as if he had seen a ghost, and went
up to one of the chargers in the train, a grand
black horse, who whinnied with delight at his
approach.

“ Aha! old fellow, so you know a soldier
when he comes to you!" said Gabriel in Ger—
man. “ Now let’s see if you’ll serve my em-
peror as well as you have your own. Where
shall I find a saddle for you?”

It struck him that there might be such in
some of the wagons, and sure enough he very
soon hauled out a grand parade saddle with
gold-embroidered cloth, the Austrian eagle in
the corner and all the accouterments of a
cuirassier officer of rank.

“ Clearly," quoth the Alsatian, “I am in
luck. I have strut-k a colonel's rig. But
where is the regiment!"

He had no time to lose in speculation, so he
saddled up in a hurry, lengthened the stirrups
two holes and sprung into the saddle, just as
a loud cheerrose above the din of the firing in
front

With a touch of the spur he sent the black
charger out from the train, up a bank by the
roadside, and saw for the first time what was
going on in front.

The Austrian foot soldiers had gathered in-
to a dense mass at the head of the train, and a
regiment of cuirassiers in white coats was re-
treating behind them in Some disorder, while
through the dust beyond he could see the glit-
ter of steel and the flashes of fire-arms.

As he looked, the white cuirassiers got into
line and began to advance again, while the
firing in front grew more rapid and Gabriel
saw that the moment for action had come.

He was alone, it was true; but be well knew
what an easy thing it is to start a panic.

He drew his long sword and galloped silent-
ly forward bwide the train, in rear of the
white cuirassiers.

Presently these last began to trot, and he
knew that they were about to charge.

Then he dug his spurs into the black charg-
er’s “sides and swept on, full speed, shouting
as he went:

“ Forward, my children! Cut them to
piecesl Death to the Austrian!”

He had a loud, clear voice, and they heard
him, and looked back through the dust.

Then came a pattering hail of bullets; there
was a confusion of dust; a clatter of boots; a
deep-toned about in front; and Gabriel found
himselfin themidst of the white cuirassiers,
stabbing and cutting on all sides, the Austrians
backing out of the way of his herculean
strength, while the distant shout came nearer
and nearer.

Then there was a confused rally; he became
sensible that dark faces, black helmets and
cuirasses and black horses were near him; and
the next minute the white cuirasaiers were
overhorne and swept away like chaff before a
long black line of trotting horsemen that name
on,solid as awallcf stechand in whichGa-
briel recognised to his joy and amaasment, his
own regiment, the Death’s Heads, grinding
their enemies to powder.

He saw the white cnirassiers go down in all
directions, stabbed in the back, and he did his
own share in the slaughter till he found him-
self close to his own colonel, and heard Lenoir
roaring:

“Sound the haltl Halt!"

Then the trotting wall of iron, black and
terrible, Blackened ite pace to a halt, and the
Death’s Head Cuirassiers found themselves in
full possession of the train and in rear of the
little body of infantry, which had formed
square and stood as if undecided whether to
surrender or break up in flight.

The grim colonel hardlg appeared to notice
Gabyiel. Be greeted him with a short nod, but
turned his attention to wheeling his squadrons
to charge the infantry; and then again the
black wall of iron moved forward at the same
rapid, steady trot, armor ringing, horses snort-
ing and tramping, the Death's Head Cuirassiers
sitting up in their deep sa'ldles like towers, as
they swept down on the dcmoralized infantry,
who Opl'uod a szatteriug fire.

Almost unaware of what he did, Gabriel
L ntlir found himself riding in advance of the
right wing, ahead of his old squadron, and
saw the dark, fierce face of Casse Tete only a
few files OR.

I

 

)1 fi

The gaunt Gascoa was at him in a
singular way. as if he had forgotten where he
was; andthenGahriel in afiash remembered
how he had quarreled with this very man, and
had promised to fight him in the park of Ver-
sailles. ‘

From that moment he had forgotten all
about it, and he saw that Cause Tete was think-
ing of this.

But it was no time to dream of duels with
one’s comrades when the enemy was so tiese,
and the next moment he was recalled to him-
self by aheavy blow on the breast, which very
nearly knockel him off his horse. He knew it
tobetheglance of abulleton hiscuiraas, and
turned grimly on the enemy.

There was a blaze of fire and make, a con
fusion of shouts and cries, and then Gabriel
found himself cutting and stabbing at the
Austrian infantrymen like a demon, surround»
ed by the Death's Heads, while Casse Tete had
pressed out of the ranks beside him, and was
giving blow fa' blow, as if in rivalry.

The square was broken, and the terrible
Death’s Head Cuirassiers rode over the field,
trampling, cutting and stabbing, till the last
remnant of resistance was gone. and the
horsemen were scattered over the field in the
confusion of victory.

Then Gabriel became aware that he was
nearing another body of cuiramiers, at the
head of whom rodea mancnahlsck horse, in
the most gorgeous costume imaginable, and
surrounded by a brilliant stafl of ofiicers.

This man was tall, with curly black hair and
huge whiskers; a ver handsome, dark-eyed
face, and one of the figures the young
man had ever seen on horseback.

There was no mistaking who it was. The
threercornered hat, loaded with plumes; the
white heron feather in the midst of the b‘ack
Oatrirhvs; the scarlet velvet pelisse; the white
breeches and crimson bOotn; the air of triu'n-
phant dandyism that reigned over his whole
gallant figure.

Gabriel threw up his saber. to salute “Le
Beau Sabreur," Murat, the chief of the cm-
peror’s cavalry, and felt a thrill of pride that'
he saw him at last on the battle field.

The marshal was riding leisurely on, and, as
Gabriel saluted, be scanned the young cuiras—
sier’s figure approvingly.

“ Your regiment has done well, captain," he
said; “ but have you lost your own horse that
you ride an Austrian?”

Then Gabriel remembered that he had to
account for his presence on the field, so he
answered:

“No, Monsieur le Marechal. The fact is, I
have no husinem here; but I could not help it
when I saw my old regiment coming."

The marshal looked at him haughtily.

“No business here. Then who are you,
sir?”

“I am Captain Lenoir, military  to
the legation at Berlin," answered Gabriel.

Marshal Murat frowned heavily. I

“ You are, are you! Then, captain, you will
report at once to head-quarters under arr-mt.
His majesty has enough oficers to do duty,
without your pushing your nose in where it
does not concern you. Report to the Provost
Marshal at Nordliugen, by my orders. Not a
word, sir. Do as I tell you.”

And the brilliant marshal swept across the
field, imagingI Gabriel petrified with astonish-
ment. 0 a expected praise,' and be but
received a regular snubbing. '

 

CHAPTER VII.
muomnna seam.

Tin: train was captured, and Gabriel found
that he had come, unawares, into the midst of
the Cavalry Corps of the Grand Army under
Marshal Murat himself, who had been busily
engaged for two days in cutting up the Austrian
trains, capturing their reserve artillery, and
intercepting them on the south, while Nay,
Bpmadotm, Boult and the oher marshals wen.
sweeping round on the other side, completing
the circle which was to end in Mack's aur~
render.

But for himself, he hardly knew what to do.
Marshal Murat haul told him to report in
arrest to the Provost. Mzirshal at Nordlingen, and
he did not know if he would be justified in obey-
ing the order. ~

General Duroc had sent him on aAcircuit into _

the Tyrol, to return by the way of Munich and
mm, and he knew that it was important he
should get back as soon as possible.

.Lt—«ap—a—i-«W—w—

6-} r

 

he was puuling his brain as to what
todolnthosmengenoy, hesawasinglecuiras-
dor—ono of his own regiment—riding slowly
toward them at a walk, and recognized the
grim, dark face of Hercule Forton, nicknamed
Gasse Tets. ‘

The cuiramier’s sword was dripping with
blood as he came up, but Casse Tete saluted
him as respectfully as possible, and observed in
nu apologin tone:

‘~ I was looking for you, my captain”

“ Indeed,” mid Gabriel, coldly, “ and why!”

He remembe‘ed his quarrel with lhe man,
and fancied he had come to renew it in some
form. trusting to the license of an active cam
paign to excuse it.

“ Yes.” answered Casse Tate, his dark face
flushing as he spoke. “ I want to ask a favor
of you, my captain."

" And what is it?" asked Gabriel.

“That you will take me for your orderly,
my captain. Every oficer has a right to an
orderly out of the regiment”

“And why do you want to be my orderly!"

Came Tote hesitated.

“Well, my captain, you see I am a plain
man, who only knows how to handle his wea-
pons; and I stuck close to you today in the
nice. I thought I was a good one, but 1
could not keep up with you at the last, and so
I ocuoluded you were a better man than I

n

Gabriel smiled.

“ You change your note. A few months
ago you insulted me."

“I know it, captain; but you were not an
char than. 1 know my duty now, and I am
glad we did not fight in the park, for you
would have got the best of me. Therefore,
my captain, grant me the favor I ask."

Gases Tote Was obviously sincere, and as
Gabriel looked at his gaunt, bony figure he
thought to himaelf that such a mauathis
elbow would not fail to be useful.

“I should like to have you for my orderly,
(hue Tote,” he said, “but I must tell you that
it my present position I cannot have any
orderly, unleSS he speaks German as well as I
do. Besides, I am ordered to report to the
Provost Marshal under arrest for engaging in
this battle without orders.”

Gasse‘ Tots grinned.

“ ’s nothing, your honor. once" under
arrest aro different from us common men.
'Riey have a right to travel like gentlemen.
Your honor must not be slack to take the
privileges of your class. We soldiers are
always proud of a man who was one of us

' hefom he put on his epaulettes. All your

honor has to do is to ask the captain adjutant
to detail mo. That is be, riding over the field
out yonder with a book in his hand. Eds
taking the reports of tho lossos in the
squadron.” ,

“ Very well. Came Tote,” replied our hero,
“ I’ll take you as my order] and give you my
orders. Go to the rear of t train and find
my carriage. The driver’s name is Hans.
Bring it sphere and we’ll go on at once to
Hordl "

Came Tate saluted and rode 08, while Gabriel
went up tho busy adjutant who greeted him
withaooldstareofsurprisoamiastiifsalute.

Gabriel announced his name and rank.

“ Indeed!" said the adjutant, coldly. “I
hover never had tho honor. of seeing monsieur
before, since his sudden promotion. In what
oan I serve monslouri"

“ By detailing Kamila.
squadron, as my orderly."

The adjutant looked vexed.

“Certainly, if monsieur insists. It is his

Forton of the first

fight as an officer. At the same time Hercules
libs-ton isagoodsoldier, too good tcbetaken
from the regimen ”

“The man asked me for the detal,” said
Gabriel quietly, “and I consented to take him.
I shall be obliged for the detail."

He saw that. the adjutant disliked him and
judged it to he on account of the prejudice in
“10 regiment against his complexion.

The Miami“? Shrugged his shoulders.

“ Ceruinli- As i said before, monsieur has
a right to the detail. I presume you will ex—
change into another regiment, captain, at the
earliest moment.”

“ 0a the contrary,” answered Gabriel, With
his old smile of mockery, “ I intend to stay in
the regiment till I am its colonel."

The adjntant compressed his lips and wrote
out the detail. He had heard of Gabriel be—
fore and his boldly expressed design, but being

i

  

 

on duty he could not quarrel with a brother
cmcer '

Gabriel bowed as he took the paper, and
rode away toward the train, from which he
soon saw his carriage coming out, with Casse
Tete riding before it.

He saw it pass by Marshal Murat, who was
halted Wllh his staff, surveying the fleldand
saw the marshal beckon to Game Tete who' ex—
changed a few words with the chief of cavalry
and then rode on.

The cuirassier came uptc his now officer and
saluted, saying:

“ Here is the carriage, my captain."

" What did the’ marshal say to you just
now?" asked Gabriel.

“ He asked who owned that carriage, and I
told him, my captain. Then he said to me:
‘Take it to him, and tell him to be on where
I told him.’ ”

Gabriel dismounted and Casse Tote took his
horse by the bridle. The caplain got into the
carriage and drove oi! on a side road which
led to Nordlingen as they saw from a' guide-
board.

They passed on quietly without further ad-
ventures ovor roads full of scattered parties
of French light cavalry by whom they were
frequently haith and questioned but always
allowlld to proceed.

The sun was setting as they came in sight
of the Blue Danube at the town of Nordliugen
where they found the whole country covered
with French bivouacs, and Gabriel realized that
the circuit was complete.

The Austrians were shut in at Ulm.

Our hero had no difficulty in finding the quar-
ters of Marshal Bessieres who as chief of the
Imperial Guard was also Provost Mar hal Gen-
eral, and to him he reported under arrest
agreeably to the orders received from Murat.

Bessieres was a pleasant gray-haired man,
who looked more like a priest than a soldier,
and he laughed when he heard what Murat
had done. a

“ He adores those dark men, captain,” he
said, “ and he knows that they don’t like you
for being a blonde. You were right to obey his
orders. You are released from arrest! Have
you anything to tell his majesty?”

Gabriel hesitated.

“I have no positive orders, marshal; but I
wastold if I came across his majesty in my
travels to give him a package of maps and

a."

“Very good,” answered Bessieres, looking
as if the newa pleased him. “You’ll find the
tents of Marshal Berthier, chief of staff, on the
knoll yonder. Report to him and tell him
what you have. '

To the head-quarter tents drove Gabriel,
where the chief of stafl received his bundlo of
papers and told him: ,

“Wait here. His majesty will be placed
at this. You have done well, sir."

He disappeared in an inner tent andsocn
reappeared beckoning in Gabriel.

They found the little man in the green coat
sprawling on the ground on a huge map which
he was ornamenting with large pins having
heads of colored sealing-wax. As Gabriel en-
tered he looked up and nodded.

“You‘vo done well, captain. I never mis-
take my men. Where an you going now, or
have you no orders?’

“I am on my way to Berlin, unlem your
majesty has diaerent orders."

The emperor's face twitched, according to
the nervous habit he had when thinking, and
he said to Berthler:

“ Send him with mademoiselle and a squad-
ron of his regiment as escort. No. Twenty
men are enough. One cannot be too cautious
with these Prussians. If they take cflcnse we
shall have trouble. Tell him to be 08 to-
night."

Then, without another word, he turned to
his map and his pins, and Gabriel saw that the
Plus were ranged in‘ a circle around another
Pin which was set on the town of Ulm. Iie
“‘1 census the emperor planning, out the sur-
render.

Berthier motioned him out android him to
wait in the ante-room tent, while he gavo some
orders to officers.

Gabriel not knowing exactly what was to
come of it all, waited in some curiosity, till he
heard the jingling of cuirassiers outside the
tent, and Berthier called him.

He found, outside, his own carriage, and in-
to this the marshal was just handing a young
lady, whose back was turned to him, while a

I

 

 

second lady, with gray hair and afair em
face was leaning from the carriage, speaking
to Perthier.

Oasse Tete was standing in rear of the car-
riage holding his new master’s horse, and a
party of the Death’s Head Cuiressiers headed
by a grim old sergeant, were in rear of Canoe
Tote.

The marshal handed in the young lady, and
said, with a bow to the other:

“It will be all right now, Madame in Mar
quise. The escort will save you from troub'e
in our lines, and, once in Prussia, you will find
matters peaceful.”

“ And you are sure, marshal, that there are
no more Austrians on the road?” asked the
elderly lady, anxiously. “I’m sure I shoulf
expire with fear, if I were to find that we
were in the midst of another such a scene as
we had yesterday.”

Berthier smiled. ,

“ The Austrians are all safe in Ulm," he
answered, “ except a few who are on their
way to the Tyrol. You will I see none but
French till you come on the Prussian frontier.
Farewell, madame. This officer will attend to
your wants.” ~

Then he turned to Gabriel. ,

“You’ll take command of this escort, and
take these ladies to Berlin, captain. The es-
cort will accompany you to the frontier and as
far beyond as the Prussians will let you go. If
they turn them back, send them with the ser- r
geant, take of! your uniform and proceed
alone with the ladies. I have been obliged to
press your carriage into the service. You will
give this dispatch to General Duroc on your
arrival and report Madame la Marquise de St.
Jean, and Mademoiselle Inez do Real, fiancee
to the Prince of Potsdam“ You will treat lb.
ladies with the utmost deference on the way
and take any road that will lead to Berlin.
Farewell, captain.” ' ‘

He t uched his hat formally and turned
away; Hans, the postillion, who looked as if
he were entirely bewildered, cracked his whip;
Cassc Tete brought up his master’s horse and
away trotted carriage and escort, Gabriel feel»
ing very much as if the marshal had dashed a
pail of cold water down his back.

For the name lnez de Real had been uttered
just as the young lady honed forward to lock
out of the carriage and he had recognized the
features of the. pretty maid of honor he had
seen by the Fountain of Diana, and whom ho
had inwardly sworn to make his countess as
soon as he should be a count and a general.

And now here he was escorting, this very
Inez to marry the man of all others hedis~
liked and despised, the Prince of Potsdam.

She was the fiancee of the prince.

0n rolled the carriage into the duskof the
evening along smooth roads lit up by the
glare of innumerable bivouac fires, and as
Red along Gabriel could are that the who ‘

of the country was covered with French
troops, who seemed to bein the best spirits for
they were singing in all directions.

Butas for himself hewas in no mood for.
singing now. He was only revolving in his own
head all sorts of plans by which he could cheat
the Prince of Potsdam of his expected bride
and carry her ofl himself. .

It was a characteristic of this fair and deter-
mined young man that his courage rose with
obstacles, and he never quailed under any‘
odds. Therefore, as he rode on through the
dusk he was only thinking how he should ao—
complish his end. It neVer entered his head
that Inez might be going willingly to marry
the prince.

“ No,” he said to himself, “ she is too good a
Frenchwoman to wish to marry this cursed
Prussian. They are forcing her to it.”

He had noticed when she looked out tint her
face was pale and bad a sad weary look.

“No wonder,” he thought; “but I’ll ave,
her from this rascal." _

So the carriage rolled along till they came
to the bridge of Nordlingen and hadcrosaed
the Danube and arrived at the outposts of the
French army.

Here they were halted by a patrol of bus-
sars and as soon as the oflcer in charge beard
who they were he said to Gabriel:

“ You'd better be careful on this road, cap-
tain. Our patrols have been fired on more than
once during the day and it is my impression
that the band of that wamp Schinderhannes
is at the bottom of the trouble. Our advance
has made it too hot for him in the Black Form
and along the Rhine, so he is hanging on the

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a,c.}.:.,:. i.

 7—» . ,Io-K : 3-,...

_x~..,-,c,_‘.,;. . . . >.  1.

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rear of the army seeking for what he can pick
up in the way of plunder.”

Gabriel thanked him and rode on. He began
to feel anxious.

 

CHAPTER VIII.
,, THE BERLIN ROAD.
THEY rode on most of the night without any

adventures, though Gabriel 'could hear at in-

tervals the hoofs of horses in the rear, telling ,

that some one was following;
morning dawned, he began to be sensible that

but, as the f

“ Ont, my captain, out! A cursed Prussian
'cki” ‘

The marquise began to scream. Inez turned
very pale and instinctively caught hold of the

curt:

“Excuse me, ladies. "

Caught up his pistols~from the carriage
pocket, opened the door and jumped out, to
find two men at the horse’s heads and four
more covering Casse 'l‘ete and the postillion

“ with leveled carbines.

’the horses of the escort were giving out while ;
1 the men; they were unmitigated ruifians and

the carriage was reduced to a slow trot.

They had been unable to secure post-horses Z
all night, the animals having been taken into ;
' : Napoleonic wars, as had been Dick Turpin in

the service of the army; and Gabriel foresaw
that he would soon have to halt or dismiss the
escort if he found horses. As the sun rose,

however, they came to a post-house out of tho !

range of French foraging parties, and here they
found that there were plenty of horses at last.

The postmaster, when he was applied to,
looked puzzled when he saw the glittering
party of cuirassiors, and said:

“Certainly, Herr Officer, I can give you'

horses for the carriage; but not for all this
party. Besides, they will not let you cross the
frontier, which is only a mile beyond.”

“W by not?” asked Gabriel.

“ Eh, do you not know, Herr Officer, that the '
French have vio’ated Prussian territory in ;

their advance and that the King of Prussia is

, furious and swears that he will go to war if he

does not have an apology i”

‘ is was news to Gabriel, but he pretended
innocence, took his horses and rode on with his
escort till they came to a house by the road-
side where he found a whole company of Prus-
sian infantry waiting, with a red-faced captain
in command.

As they came to‘ the house, the Prussians
were seen ostentatioust loading their guns,
and the captain called out:

“Halt! we want no French soldiers here.
This is Prussian ground."

Gabriel halted his men, rode up, and told
who he was and on what errand.

The red-faced captain replied:

._“The soldiers must turn back. You can go
on alone if you wish, but not in uniform. The

'orders are strict."

“ Can my groom follow with my horse?”
asked Gabriel.

“No. If that man is your servant, he can
ride on the box, but you cannot go into Prus-
sia in this guise."

Here the marquise put out her head.

“What does the man say, captain?" she
asked nervously. “ Are they going to fight
any more! If they do, I shall die. ”

Gabriel smiled.

“No, madame. ,We have arrived at Prus-
clan territory and they will not let me proceed
any further unless I get into the carriage and
send back the escort.”

The marquise bowed graciously.

“Certainly, monsieur. We shall be charm-

] ed to have a. companion; for in truth it is very

dull traveling alone.”

The young lady said nothing, but Gabriel
fancied he saw her face brighten up a little as
ho dismounted and came to the carriage door.

Bht again the Prussian captain interposed.

“You cannot cross our frontier in that uni-
form. Have you no plain clothes with you,
“ancient?”

Gabriel laughed.

“Certainly; but where am I to dress? Not
in the road, before ladies. Let me go on to the
next post-house where I can get a room and

' breakfast." '

Somewhat unwillingly the captain gave his
consent, and Gabriel had the pleasure of seeing
his late escort moving slowly of! on the road
to Nordlingcn, while Casse Tete took his seat
on the box, in his heavy accouterments, as if
he had been a footman all his life.

He cast a regretful glam after the two
horses as they were led away, muttering: '

“I bOpe we’ll not be sorry for losing you
before we’ve done this journey, my beauties.”

In truth a cuirassiar without his horse feels
like a' fish out of water. He is not used to
fighting on foot, like a hussar or dragoon.

Gabriel himself entered the carriage with a
bow to the ladies, and they drove on into the
Prussian territory, where everything seemed
to be as quiet as the grave for several miles,
till the carriage suddenly halted in the middle
of a wood, and Gabriel heard the voice of
Cease Tote, calling:

There was no mistaking the vocation of

Gabriel thought at once of Schinderhannes.
This robber was as noted during the early

England a century before. He had ravaged

j the frontiers of France and Germany impar—

3
i
i
l
I

 

. out flinphing.

tially, and had come to Prussia when the Grand
Army had swept through his native haunts.

The cuirassier stood and eyed the men with-
On the contrary his mien was
that of a jester as he said:

“Well, gentlemen, what do you wish?”

“Your purses and jewels," answered one of
the rniiians, “ and be quick about it.”

“ On the contrary, gentlemen, ” answered
Gabriel, “ if you do not at once retire from this
road I shall be obliged to kill you all.”

“ Bang, bang!"

The words were not uttered when two of
the robbers fired at him, within a dozen feet.

But Gabriel knew what he was about. He
had been standing half sidewise to them in
such a position that bullets were nearly cer-
tain to glance, and these two bullets did glance
from his cuirass.

In another moment he had leveled his long
holster pistols, shot down two of the radians,
and then flashed out his long sword and rushed
at them.

Casse Tote, in the same moment fired his
pistol, and then came cluttering down from the
box.

Two of the robbers were killed, a third was
wounded, and the two big cuirassiers made
short work of the other three, though they
fought desperately with their clubbed carbines.
But the physical disproportion betwaen two six-
footers of vigorous frame and three men of

ordinary size, together with the skill and force,

of training bred in the cruirassers of the guard
by long practice made the fight a short one,
and then Casse Tote said, as be wiped his
sword: _

“ They’re gone, captain; but on my word it
will do no harm to take their carbines and
boxes. There may be moreof them in the
woods, and pistols don‘t shoot far enough ‘for
this sort of work. I wish we had our horses
here.”

They picked up four carbincs, loaded them
from the boxes of the dead men, and then
drove on, Casse Tete keeping three of the guns
on the box beside him.

As for Gabriel, on his return to the carriage
he was overwhelmed with thanks by the mar-
quise, while the young lady towed on him a
glance that amply repaid him or all his trials.

Then as they went on for the first time he
ventured to go into conversation with the
ladies, who had hitherto been very distant in
their manner.

“Do you think, captain,” asked the mar—
quise nervously, “ that the Prussians wanted
us to be robbed and murdered?"

“No, madame; but those fellows had been
following us all night as I think in the hope
that our escort would be turned backas it was.
I heard at Nordlingen that Schinderhannes
had been hanging about on the rear of our
army picking up what he could devour.”

“And who is this Schinderhannesl” asked
the young lady in a tone of some curiosity.

“ You will excuse me, monsicur le capitaine,
if I do not know your French celebrities, but
I have only lived in France a few months
since'I came from the island of Martinique.”

Then Gabriel knew how the fair Inez came
to be maid of honor to the empress, for J oseph-
ine was well known to be very fond of Creoles,
being ~one herself.

He enlightened the mind of the fair Inez on
the subject of Schinderhannes who was well
known to him asan Alsatian, and soon found
himself engaged in an animated conversation
with both the ladies who seemed disposed to

treat him with the utmost courtesy now that.

they were wholly dependent on him for protec-
tion.
They experienced no further trouble on

/

— w . .

’.

 

J;
7 a.

their way through firewood and arrived safel"
at the post-house and changed their 
there. '. 4'

Here Gabriel informed the postmaster 6'

young cuiraSsier’s arm, and Gabriel with a  what had happened and that official er

pressed unbounded surprise and dismay at tit
fact that brigands had made their appearanc
on Prussian territory. He sent off a courier a"
once to alarm the nearest military post, and
half-way on the next stage, Gabriel saw '
troop of hussars riding rapidly for the frontier
and he felt that their troubles were over fo
the present.

They had nothing to do but to post to Ber
lin and, even in those days, before railroad:
were thought of, it was quite possible to travel
rapidly by post~horses.

They rolled on, therefore, all that day and
night and the next, and on the morning of the
third day, as they changed horses at the posting
inn, the landlord told them that it was the
last stage to Berlin. Before nine o’clock they
were rolling over the pavements of the city,
and the young officer asked the marquise: '

“Where does madame wish to go! To the
French embassy?”

“Eh, mon Die", noi” cried the old lady,
with something as near a blush as her wrinkles
allowed. “General Duroc is a bachelor, and
it would notbe admissible. No, monsieur, we
will drive straightto the palace of the Princess
of Potsdam, who has promised to receive us
till the prince returns from his mission. You
have met the prince, doubtless!"

“Yes,” said Gabriel shortly. His eyes at
that moment caught those of Inez, and he had
the satisfaction of seeing a look of disgust pass

over her countenance, which be ascribed to the

mention of his rival’s name.

“ And is he not a charming man!” said
Madame de St. Jean, enthusiastically. "So
handsome and distinguished, with that air of
high breeding which only belongs to princes
of the blood.

Gabriel did not reply that he thought dif-
ferently, for his short diplomatic experience
had taught him to conceal his thoughts, and it
was clear that Madame de St. Jean was an
ardent partisan of the prince. Instead of that,
he listened as the marquise went on:

"I told her majesty that it was an honor
that few French ladies could afford to neglect,
that of an alliance With one of the first families
in Europe. Why, it is quite possible that
mademoiselle here might one day, through her
descendants, come to the very throne of P
and thrones are not to be picked up every
day.”

Again Gabriel caught the eye of Inc: and
saw there inexpressible weariness and disgust,
so he asked: ’

“ This mission, on which the prince has gone,
madame, do you know what it is?”

Madame St. Jean nodded her head in a
mysterious way.

“ I may know a great deal, captain, that I
am not at liberty to tell. You, as a man hi
diplomacy, know that there are secrets of State
that must not be spoken of. But here is' the
palace, I perceive. Your man will announce
us. '

Gabriel took the hint and left the
himself. He had resumed plain clothes since
his arrival in Prussian territory and went to the
door himself, where he announced to a pomp-
ous porter the arrival of Madame de St. Jean
and Mademoiselle do Real, to see the Princes
of Potsdam.

A few moments later a crowd of lives-led
servants came out and the two ladies were
ushered into the palace. a largo, gloomy-looking
building, while Gabriel, feeling very discon-
solate at the loss of Inez, drove away to the
French legation, where he reported to his chief
and told him what he had. done, including his
infoml duel with the Prince of Potsdam,
Murat’s rebuke and the escort with which he
had been honored. ‘

General Duroc listened with interest, and
took the dispatches which the emperor had
sent him, which he perused carefully. When
he had finished, he looked at Gabriel in a
manner indicative of surprise.

“You say his majesty intrnsted you with
the escort of the Princess of Potsdam. M is
to be?”

“ Yes, general."

“ And you left the Prince of Potsdam at the
other side of our army!"

“ Yes, general." . .

Duroc looked at him n in the some lin-
gular way and asked, d y:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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‘9?“ Captain Lenoir, did you ever make love
Q your life?" . '
, Gabriel flushed scarlet. '
F “No, general—that is—no, general.”
1%“Very well, sir, then it is time you began.
We go to a grand ball at the palace to-night,
"nd this Mademoiselle Real will be there with
fbr old she-dragon in attendance. You under-
bnd, captain, that I cannot keep my attaches
'l'om amusing themselves, and you are a good—
coking fellow. It will be perfectly proper for
Min to show attention to these French ladies,
vho have no friends in Berlin till the prince
"hmes. By-the-by, how long, think you, will
 be before the prince is entirely well of his
little thrust in the shoulder?”

“About a month, general."
‘ “Very good. You have three weeks, then,
in which to use your time as becomes a gallant
Frenchman. It is necessary to keep things in
suspense here. You don’t fail to understand
me, I suppose?”
- “ I think not, general.”

And Gabriel felt a strange hope rise in his
heart.

 

‘ . CHAPTER 1x.

AT THE BALL.

THAT night Hercule Forton, surnamed Casse
Tete, came to his new master and said, in an
awkward way:

“Please, captain, may I have leave of ab-
sence from dressinghour to-morrow morning
on a little private business?”

Casse Tate had dropped his uniform in Ber-
lin, and subsided into a plain, dark livery, in
which his grim face and bony figure made
him look like a professional mourner at a
funeral. ‘

Gabriel looked at him in some surprise.

“ From dressing hour? I don’t understand.”

Cases Tote looked shocked. I

“Of course, now that your honoris an officer
of rank, it is not fitting to the dignity of a
captain of the Death’s Heads to dress him-
self, and it is my duty, as the orderly of
monsieur, to see that he is properly waited
on.”

“Oh, Isee. But you have not done it yet
on the journey hither, Casse Tote."

“That was because we were in campaign,
monsienr. Now we have come among these

, accursed Prussians, we must sustain the dignity

of France."

Gabriel smiled.

"Very well, Casse Tete; as you please. We
will commence to-morrow morning.”

Came Tete coughed.

“M, my captain, that was why I asked
you to excuse me. I have a little aflsir on my
hands to-murrow." .

“An affair with whom?”

" Please, my captain, it is with one of these
Prussian Cuirassiers of the Guard. They think
there is no one like them, and one of them was
bragging last night that the Prussian cavalry
was the best in the whole world. So I told
him he was much mistaken; that the French
cuirassiers could beat all the Prussians to be
found, and that our Marshal Murat was the
greatest man in the world in a charge.”

“ Well,” said Gabriel, smiling, “and what
said he to that?” ’ .

Cease Tate scratched his head.

“Ma fos', oopitaiu, he only laughed, and
told me that our beau sabreur couldn’t hold a
'candle to their General Seidlitz, a man I'd
never heard of. So I said: ‘I never heard of
Beidliz, but I've heard of Seidlits powders as
good for a sour stomach.’ and what do you
think he said to that, captain?”

Gabriel laughed.

“I'm sure I don’t know.”

“He lid. captain—think of it—the powders
“"0 t“med after the general, because he went
thrWBh the French so badly at a place called
1‘999b59h. fifty .years before. So i told him
he lied, and slapped him. We are to have it
0W behind the Royal Stables in the morning."

Gabriel could not help laughing at the grim'

earnestness of Cease Tote in his belief that the
Prussian had told him a lie about the French
having been beaten: b“ be said:

“Do you knowy Clue Tete, I’m afraid he
told the truth! There was 3 hub of no“-

bach fifty years 980» and the French were very
bully beaten by Frederick the Great.”
Casse Tate looked vexed.
r “ All the sane, my captain. I told him he
lied, and I’m goin'z to Pro", “5'”
“ What do you fight with i” asked Gabriel.

,..i I

“ Itake my lath, captain, and he trusts to
his German tool, called a palasch.”

The straight cuirassier sword of the French
army is nicknamed “the lath,” and the Ger-
man weapon has its own name of “the spit.”

Gabriel gave his consent to the duel, and
Casse Tete seemed to be satisfied, for his coun-
tenance became radiant and he observed, con—
fidentiall y : '

“Between us two, my captain, there is no
love lost between us French and these cursed
Prussians. I hand something to—day that
would astonish you.”

Gabriel, hardly imagining that his orderly
could have heard anything of importance, nev-
ertheless asked him:

“ Well, what have you heardt“

“I heard that there is more going on at the
palace than they know about at Paris," replied
Casse 'l'ete, mysteriously. “ Your honor knows
that in these palaces there are doors and pas-
sages all, over; and that servants will listen to
find out what they can. And when they find
out anything, they are never easy till they
have told it to some friend.”

“Well, and what have you heard?" again
asked the young officer.

if be suspected listeners: ‘

“Please, your honor, the king‘s barber is a
Frenchman, and so is his majesty’s cook; and,
what is more, they are good Frenchman; not
like those traitors of royalists.”

“ And you have made friends of them?”

“Of course, my captain. As scon as they
heard there was a Gascon at the French em-

little pie of game, and I could do no less than
pay him a visit. I was received in his private
chamber. Oh, monsieur, they know how to
treat artists in Berlin. The cook is lodged like
a noble. And there I was introduced to Mon-
sieur Pantoufie, the barber, and between us we
made a day of it.”

“ Well, well, Casse Tete, this is interesting,
of course; but what did you hear?”

“ I heard, monsieur, that the King of Prus-
sia is getting ready for war, and further that
it is his intention to forbid the marriage of the
Prince of Potsdam to the French lady we
brought here, unless the emperor gives him sat-
isfaction for walking over his land to get at
those Austrians.”

“ And how do you know that?”

“ Parhleu .' my captain, Monsieur Puntoufle
heard him say this morning as he was shaving:
‘ Wait till this Corsican gets Well toward Vien-
na, too far to escape. We will show him that
‘we are not asleep.’ ”

“And to whom Was the king speaking?”

“ To the Minister of b‘tate, my captain, and
they talked German, so that Pantoufie could not
understand them, as they thought. But our
countryman is no fool. He will not talk their
accursed tongue, but he can understand it for
all that. And then the minister said: ‘ We
must be patient, your majesty, till we have
Hanover safe. If we make the demand now,
he ,may come back on us and leave Austria
alone; but if we wait till he gets to Vienna,
we can have our own way.’ Then they both
laughed, and Pantoufie heard no more, for he
had finished shaving the king and had to come
away from the room.”

“And that is all you’ve heard?"

“All, my captain; but a sign is enough for
a Gascon. It may be as well,‘ I thought, that
my captain should know this.”

“ You did right to tell me. I will goand see
General Duroc at once!” ‘

So, Gabriel sought his chief, and told him
the little bit of gossip he had heard.

Duroc nodded, as it well pleased.

“ I knew it all along, captain ;’ but I am glad
they talk of it openly to each other. It is im-
portant to keep the Prus-ians quiet till the em-
peror has thrashed the Austrians thoroughly.
3.? the way, you may find it necesmry to keep

young Officers of the Guards to-night. My po-
sition forbids me to tight, you know, but in
you" cue—I suppose you can fence well :”

“ Pai‘abIY. general.” '

Then he departed, thinking to himself whata
strange kind of‘ business he was in, when his

That night our hero was at the ball in the
palace according to his orders, and a gay scene
he found it. Uniforms of every nation in Eu-
rope; bright dresses of ladies; the glitter of

 

gold lace and diamonds; the presence of roy-

   

Casse Tete came closer and looked round, as

bassy, the king’s cook sent me over a delicious ,

up the honor of France before sune of these ,

chief wanted him to fight duels and make love ,
to ladies at b11115, as part of his regular duties. 1

m

alty itself, all combined to dazzle the young
man, whose duties had hitherto kept him roam-
ing about the country far from the atmosphere
of courts.

There was however, something so seductive
in the scene: so many people bowed to him,
recognizing him as the French attache, that he
soon forgot all about the reason why he had
come there, and was recalled to himself by a
voice at his elb0w, saying:

“ Ah, monsieur 1e capitaine, and have you
already forgotten your charges on the way 5"

He looked round, and there was the Mar-
quise de St. Jean, smiling amiany through her
wrinkles, as she leaned on the arm of a pom~
pous old Prussian general, who had not yet
left off the powder and pigtail of the days of
the Great Frederick.

“This is Captain Lenoir, general, of whom
I was telling you. who protected us so bravely
‘ from those frightful robbers,” she went on.

Then to Gabriel in a whisper. ‘ ‘

“It is the old Prince of Potsdam the father
of our prince. He is own cousin to the king.”

his white stock as if he thought him some ob-
jectionable sort of a beast, and favored him
with the coldest of nods, saying: '

“Been long in Berlin?"

“ I arrived yesterday, prince.”

“ Which way came you?” '

“From the Austrian Tyrol into Bavaria
and so hither through Munich and Nordlingen."

The old prince deigned to look interested.

“ Indeed! Did you come across my son

 

i

' there?”

“I met Monsieur le Prince in Bavaria,” said
i Gabriel quietly, “and when we parted company
. he promised to follow as soon as possible.”

“The young dog!” growled the old prince.
“He ought to fly here, on the wings of live,
as he knows what is come to him.” \ -

Then he passed on with the marquise, and
soon after Lenoir caught sight of the dark rich

seat, escorted by a handsome young officer of
the Red Hussars, who seemed to be much
struck with her. ‘

Gabriel lost no time in making up to the
lady of his secret affections, who greeted him
with a sweet smile and accepted his arm at

once, dropping that of the Red Hussar in a'
manner as frankly pleasing to Gabriel as it» ~

was displeasing to the red Prussian.

 

away the lady, and his eye flashed with hatred
1‘ of the Frenchman. Then he strode away to
the corner of the ball-mom, where were stand-
ing quite a large group of his brother officers,
an! they engaged in an earnest and excited
colloquy.

Meantime Gabriel was playing the agree-
able to the best of his powers, with such slic~
oer-s that the lady beside him suddenly said:

“Oh, Monsieur Lenoir, I have no one here
to confide in but you. You are a French sol—
dier and the empress has taught me that I can.
trust at all times to a French soldier.”

" You certainly can in me, mademoiselle,” '

said Gabriel, hlS heart beating rapidly. .

“ Then, monsieur, I tell you that I hate thin
marriage that 1 am about to make. I hate it.
I abhor it,” said the girl in low passionate
tones. “ The emperor forces me to it and I
dare not disobey him, save to do one thing.”

“And what is that, mademoiselle?”

“'l‘ake refuge in the Cloister,” she said in
the same low voice. “Oh, monsieur, some-
thing in your face told me, from the moment
I first saw you on guard at the Pavilion of'
Diana, that you were a man to trust. MOD-
sieur, will you help me to escape from this
place and flee to a convent?"

, den burst of confidence that he could only xe~
; peat vagely:

“ A convent? You ."’ L '

“Yes, a convent rather than a wedding
with him,” she replied with a slight shudder.
1 “There are convents in Bavaria, in Spain,
Ievcn in France. In one of them I‘ shall be
safe. Only say you will help me escape."

Gabriel bowed his head. ‘

“I will help you to the last drop of my
blood,” he'said simply. “ When do you wish
to go away, and where?” a

“I will send youa note tomorrow,” she
isaid softly. “Now” we are watched. There
is the marquise coming this way.”

As Gabriel resigned his charge to her
duenna he felt a tap on his arm. Turning, ha.
saw two cuirassier officers. . . 3

 

Meantime the old prince eyed Gabriel over '

ovul of Inez de Real’s face, as she passed‘to a i

The latter watched the tall cuirassier take ~

Gabriel was so‘much astounded at this sud: -

 
  

 

 

 

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ling, of my squadron.

  
 

CHAPTER X. .
, a LITTLE anus.

Tntwo cuirassier cflicers were nearly as
tall as Gabriel, and they were both staring at
him in a manner indicative of great hostility,
thinly vailed by politeness.

Gabriel saw that they belonged to the Royal
Guards. who still kept up the stiff and pomp-
ous uniform of the previous century.

They were their hair powdered and pig-
tailed while their mustaches curled fiercely up
totheir eyes as they looked at Gabriel.

“Well, gentlemen,” said he blandly, “in
what can I have the pleasure of s rving you?"

" We have the honor," answered one of the
cuirassiera in adeep base voice. “to be the
bearers to monsieur of a message from the
Baron of Damanhauer.”

“ And who is the baron?" arked Gabriel.
“ I havs not the honor of his acquaintance.”

“Possibly, mobsieur. Nevertheless he is
well known as the major of the Red Hussars
of the Guard.”

“ Indeedl And what does he want of me 7"

“An apology, monsieur, for your conduct
this evening toward himself, and his cousin,
his Serene Highness the Prince of Potsdam."

Gabriel was puzzled. It was evident that
these men were trying to pick a quarrel with
him, but on what groundsl

“Gentlemen,” he said, “be pleased to ex-
plain yourselves. I' do not know either the‘
baron or you. Who are you?”

“I am Captain Count Hofi'nan, of the
White CuiraSsiers,” alas Nered the other, stiflly,
“and this, my friend, is Lieutenant von Schil—
Tne baron being in at-
tendance on the lady who is shortly to become
the Princess of Potsdam, (liCifll‘OS that you
rudely took advantage of htr being a French-
wuman, and carried her away from him with-
out even the f irmality of asking him to excuse
you. The baron demands 3'! apology.”

“Then the baron will not get it," replied
Gabriel, sharplv. “I talk to whom I please,
and ask no man’s permission.”

“ Then monsieur willp‘ieaso refer us to his
frimd at onc»'," replied C nunt Hoffman,
stifliy. “Monsieur must know that a lady
aminced to a member of the Prussian court
belongs to us, and that in taking her away
from a Prussian oflicer of the Guard he insults
the whole Guard.”

Gabriel stared.

“The who‘e Guard! Am I to understand,

' then, that I am expected to flgut the whole

I of the baron.

" Guard if I do not apologize to the baron?”

The count twirled his mustache.

“ ‘For the present, only the Red {In-ears. If
they fail to finish you, we shall have our
m.”

. “Then, monsieur,” said Gabriel, “it will do
no pleasure to begin with you, who are the

. advancer of a preposterous doctrine to which I.

will not submit. I will fight you, if you Wish
it; but as for the baron, he and his Red Hus-
can can cool their courage in waiting. I‘ll not
fight them for nothing. If they choose to at-
tack me, let them look out for themselves. One
good cuirassier ought to beat a dozen hussars.”

The count waited till he had finished, and
then replied, eagerly:

” it will afford me pleasure to take the place
Name your friend.”

Gabriel named a Spanish officer who be
longed to the legation, and was 0.18 of the few
friends he had in Berlin, where the French em-
lnssy was representing a nation at war, at
once, with England, Russia and Austria.

Count Hoffman and his friend bowed stiffly,
and went off in search of Don Luis Carrera,
while Gabriel left the ball and returned to the
embassy.

He sought and found General Duroc in his
private cabinet writing dispatches, and report-
ed to him all that had happened in the matter

I of the duel.

Duroc nodded.

" Very good. Fight the count and kill him.
Did you see the young lady and make love to
her as I told you?”

Gabriel flushed scarlet. This frankness was
a little too strong for him. He could bear to
report his duels, but his love affairs were an-
other thing. ‘

“ I am not at liberty to answer. general.” he

i finally said, in the driest of tones.

Duroc smiled and went on writing.
Presently he looked up.
“You are a discreet man," he said, “so I
trust you with a secret. The emperor, as
know, jumped you over the heads of a
I i

 

 

whole regiment from recruit to captain in a
single day. Of course all the others are furi-

ously jealous of you. and it w.ll only he by
the greatest risks that you can keep your
place. I have found out that the P. ussian oili-
cers here have resolved to kill you, if they can,
and after your duel with this count you will
probably have to fight about twenty more. If
you, on the contrary, kill three or four of
them, it will be necessary for you to leave the
embassy. When y"u leave it, there is nothing
in the world to prevent you from making a ro-
mantic flight, and all you have to do is to tell
me how much money you need. \That is all,
sir. Report to—morrow morning at noon what
you have done. (iced-night.”

And General Duroc turned to his writing
again with a jerk. He had fallen into the
habit of doing everything abruptly, after the
manner of the master he adored. It was a
noticeable trait of many around the person of
the emperor that they mimicked his peculiari-
ties of body.

As for Gabriel, he went away to his own
room thinking deeply over what had happened.
He had often wondered at his own g 0d luck
in being promoted so suddenly and being as-
signed to such pleasant duties, but he began to
see the reason now. The emperor expected him
to undertake such desperate service that the
chances of his ever getting back alive to the
regiment were small.

“But if thi-re is one chance in a hundred.”
thought he, “I ll take it. I am to win Inez if
I can, that is plain. Vtht would he say if he
know she had asked me to run away with her
—to a convent, it is true, but still to run away
with her?"

Ills reflections were distnrbei by a tap at
the door, and Cases Toto looked in.

“Don Luis Camera, of the Spanish embassy,
to see my captain.”

“ Show him in at once.”

Dull Luis~ i-nlertd, n guy young Sp'niard,
when face was unusually grave that night as
he said:

“ it‘s all arranged, Lenoir. You are to
fight in the Deer Forest at six in the morning
with swords or sabors as you prefer.”

“Sabers, then,” replied Gabriel. “They
are the quickest in my hands. Have you
made any limits as to the number of attendants?
I have found out that those Prussian officers
have a conspiracy to kill me."

Don Luis looked surprised.

“No, I saw no evidences of it: but in that
case I shall see that our side is not left in the
dark. We havo three in our iegation and
there is the Portuguese embassy, too. You
shall not be assassinated. I promise you."

Don Luis took his leave, promising to be at
the legation in time, and Gabriel arranged his
papers and tried to sleep but found it to be
difficult on account of the unwonted excitement
under which he labored.

A duel was nothing; he had fought them be-
fore and knew, himself to be as good a fencer
as any mailre d armes in France. But a series
of duels with all the ofl'lcers of a whole regi-
ment was a diflcrent thing.

Therefore Gabriel caught but little sleep
that night and was not sorry to be roused an
hour before daybreak by his friend Chrrere,
who came with several other gentlemen, muf~
fled in long Spanish cloaks, and proved to be
as many gay young Spaniards, armed to the
teeth and all anxious for the coming affair.

The party occupied two carriages and drove
out into the Deer Forest—so called—some
miles from Berlin, where affairs of honor
were usually settled.

They drove on rapidly through the growing
dawn and just as the gray light became clear
the carriage turned down an old side road
faintly marked with wheel-tracks and finally
drew up in the midst of a green clearing, shut
in on all sides by brown fading woods.

In this clearing were gathered at least a
dozen oflicers of'cuirassiers, who bowed for-
mally as the carriages drove up.

When Gabriel’s party alighted, threw off
their long cloaks anddisclosed the fact that
each gentleman had a carbine and a pair of
pistols, there was a general murmur of anger

‘ from the cuirassiers, and Lieutenant Schilling

exclaimed:

“ What does this mean, mcssieursl“

“ it means." said Don Luis, sharply, “ that
we are not going to be forced into an unequal
and unfair contest, gentlemen. What do you
mean by bringing so many of your friends to
witness this duel. You all wear swords, I per-

 

“ceive. Very well, we wear pistols, also. If
you [want a fair duel we are ready. If you
want a general mob quarrel we are ready,
too.”

His words had their effect on the Pins-inns,
who saw that their plan of killing the ob-
noxious Freuchman was of no avail in tbd
face of fire-arms and they cooled down and
protested they had no such intentions as D“
Luis suspected. _

“Then,” said-Cartera, slernly, “ bring on
your man. Here is mine, ready, for one duel
to-day and no more.”

Count Hoffman was then disclosed in the
midst of his friends, looking red and ashamed
of himself at the detection of the trick he had
intended. and he and Gabriel proceeded a.
strip off their outer clothes and were brought
face to face sword in hand. ,

They presented a close match in rise but
there was no question as to the physical su-
periority of the young French officer, “hose
muscles stood out prominently while those of
his enemy were obscured by fat.

The sword. clashed, both men sprung book
out of measure, lhen Gabriel ran in, with an
active feint he had learned from his old
maitre d’nrmes, and with one" cut ltid open
the count's right shoulder, disabling him in a
moment.

The duel was over almost ere it. had begun,
and the faces of the cnirassiers looked to blank
and rueful that Gabriel said:

“ I understand your regiment has taken an
oath to challenge me, officer by officer. If so I
am ready to fight two more of you this morn-
ing one at a time.”

The team produced an immediate efl:=ct. and
another officer tore off his coat, picde up
7 lllill- linil’inan‘s sword and faced the French
cuirassicr boldly.

This time the duel began in a fierce attack
by the G -rmsn, who forced Gabriel to fall
back several paces by his urtlor.

But no sooner did he begin to flag in his
fierce attack than the Alsatian came in to a
clo~eraiiy in which the swords were almost in-
visible for a few moments. It was ennui by a
groan from the German as a broad stream of
blood sported from his check as he staggered
back nearly blinded by a cross Slash of
Gabriel’s sword.

“Who comes next!” cried our hero, in a
taunting tone. “ You may as well see what.
you have to expect, gentlemen." .

“I ll fight him but it must be with the
small sword," cried a third ofleer.

Lenoir laughed proudly.

“I let the others off," he said. “As for
you, the small sword will do your business bet-
ter than the ether.” ‘

The rupters were produced, long, slender toys
in appearance; and with these the third ofliecr
tried his in 1:.

Gabriel, taking advantage of his great hight
and reach, lunged at the same moment with his
antagonist, who was a shorter man, and ran
him through the body at the moment the G»:-
man’s sword tore a hole in his shirt, but. miss. d
his back.

The effect of the third duel was stunning on
the Germans. They looked as if they had
found a lion in the path, and when the Alsatian
beckoned with his dripping sword for a [cunt
no one stirred.

Then Gabriel threw idown his weapon and
said aloud: '

“ When any other gentleman wishes to find
me I shall be at the legation. I have the honor
to wish you goodday.”

He turned away amid a dead silence and re—
sumed his clothes, re—entered his mach and was
driven back to Berlin.

The cuirassiers were left with one dead man
on their hands, and two more badly hurt

CHAPTER XI.
‘1 ran non.

Wale! Gabriel got back to the embassy it
was about ten o‘clock, and he found the fa-
‘miliar figure of Casse Tetewaiting for him bolt
upright.

Carse Tete’s face was ornamented with. a
strip of black sticking-plaster that ran down "
one cheek, exactly opposite to the scar that di-
vided his mustache on the other side, and Gn-
briel observed:

“ Ah, Casse Tete, did you catch that to—day,
about Ros<bach and Seidlitz powders.”

Casso Tete grinned. ‘

“ The fortune of war, my captain. The»

 

 

cursed Prussians never fight fair. I’d cut him

 

 

 

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down. and by all the rules be wasa dead man,
when he gave me that slash. ., It is a mere
nothing, but I was so angry at his unpro-
fessional way of fighting that I spitted him as
he lay.”

“ And is he really dead now?"

“Yes, my caplain, and he won’t tell any
more lies about Beidlits powders. Your honor
Had a little affair, t00, I see.”

“ Yes. How did you know?”

“ Heard it from the Coachman, my captain.
These coachmen can’t p a secret. There
was a ladies' maid here th morning for your
honor, who left this no e.”

Gabriel started. He could not help it. Then
Casse Tete. with a furtive wink of great sly—
ness, produced from the recesses of his pockets
successively a tobacco-box, an old black pipe,
a red silk hadkerchief that was rapidly turning
brown, and finally a small white note on which
Gabriel ins'antly pouncei and bore it of! to
his chamber to devour in

It mattered nothing to him that it was
scented with the strongest of black tobacco
and crumpled and stained from its long sojourn

' in Geese Tete’s poeket. He knew that it came

' king is furious.

from her, and that was encuszh. Once in his
room be locked the door and read these words:

“MONSIEUB: I know that you are a man that will
not lake advantage of my over-confidence. I came
hereby order of the em ror. who wished me, for
State reasons, to marryt e Prince of Potsdam.
would rather die than marry him, and 1 wish to on-
tern convent. There is. in the duchy of Austria,
nearalittle village called AustL-rlitz, a convent whose
superior isadlstant relative of my mother. I am
not safe in any part of the French or Prussian do-
minions; but in Austria they would leave me in
We. Will you, dare you help me to mcape into
the Austrian lines? If you dare, have a carriage and
homes reme tonight, and I will steal out of the
palace at nine, and meet you. I trust to the honor
of a French soldier. lsaz m: REAL.”

When Gibriel had finished it, he sat for
some time consi-Isring. ‘

He was madly in love with Ines, but he was
also arFrench soliier, and here was this girl
.asking him to take her insi lo the enemy’s lines
on: of the power of the emperor.

He did not know exactly what to do, and
concluded to ask General Duroc in szwh a
guarded way that the einbassador should not
etisnect the truth.

When he sciight Duroc, the other looked at
him in a q'iizzic ll way, saying:

“ Captain Lenoir, do you know you have the
devil’s own luck with you? I did not exnect
to see you back alive, and here you are with-
out a scratch."

Gabriel told him the event of the triple duel
and Duroc laughed heartily.

“ So the Spaniard was tee much for the slow
German. It is very well.‘ But, do you know
I have just received news about you that will
compel me to give you leave of absence for

awhile! It appears that you were not con-l

tent with slashing these Germans, but must
needs go and kill one of them. That is rash,
captain, and they take advantage of it.

The king has sent me a passport for you to
leave Prussia within twenty—four hours, com-
manding every one to give you horses, but in-
sisting on your going at once. Do you know
who was the gentleman you killed, my
friend?"

“ No, general.”

“ He is a grand nephew of General Ziether,
who was so famous fifty years ago, and the
I will make use of you in
your misfortune. however. You are to go
any way you please, the shorter the better.
Now, the shortest way out of Berlin is due
south, which will take you into Austrian ter-
ritory. Do you think you can pass again for
aPrussian at a pinch, and take a little trip
101' me through Austria in rear of the armies?"

“I have done it once, general,” said Ga-
briel, slowly, “ but I admit I do not relish the
(89k of a spy. If I am taken you know what
Will be my fate."

Baron nodded.

“mow it. But if you succeed in getting
to the .emperor’s head—quarters alive, there is
fiomathmg In store for you there.”

“ And what is that, gammy?

“ Eh parbleu,
sarte was killed in- one of the battles at Ulm
and you are now on the rolls as Major Lenoir.
Promotion is’ quick in these times, major and
there is a talk of putting Colonel Lenoir at the
’head of a brigade of. cavalry. If so, there
will be more promotions. You understand?"

Duroc watched the young man closely as he

bait after bait to his hem-orb ambi-
Finally Gabriel said: r

 

 

point it is likely the emperor will meet it. By-

not much; only Major Del-l

 

“ Give me your instructions, general, and‘ I
will try to obey them.”

“Here they are, captain. Here, you see,
are two passports. One of them is genuine,
for you, as Captain Lenoir of the French
legaticn to leave Prussia in haste. I would
use it till you cross the lines. The other is
made out for Count Schwartz, as before; and
on that you will have to travel in Austria as
a Prussian nobleman on a Special mission to I
Vienna. Do as you think bee“, when you get
there. I want you to ascertain in what force the
Russian army, which is repOrted as advancing
to the help of Austria, is moving, and at what

the«by, I suppose you knew Mack surrendered
at Ulm with fifty thousand men and all his
guns and train?”

“ I suspected as much, general.”

“I got the news this morning, while you ’
were attending to your cuirassiers. The army 7
is advancing toward Vienna. I need ‘ not tell
youto hide your French uniform till you see
the tricolor. In fact, it might be as well for
you to leave it behind you altogether."

Gabriel shook his head. ‘

“ Not that, general. As long as that is with
me I can put it on, and I defy them to hang
me for a spy. Where I go, that goes with
ma."

Duroc shrugged his shoulders.

“ As you please, captain, so long as you
find the numbers of the enemy. Report to his
majesty for orders, and tell h'nn I'll manage
to keep Prussia out of the coalition till he has
trounced Austria and Russia well. You will
depart at once!”

" To—night, general,” said Gabriel, hesitat-

 

   

 

ingly. .

Duroc eyed him keenly.

“If you have a companion on the road, it .
is the Lusiness of no one, you know. Hero is ?
money for your wants. Spare nothing, so '
long as you get the information.” I

Gabriel bowed and went out. His path was I
being wonderfully smoothed for him after all.

He went to find Cease Tete and told him.

“Casse Tete, I’m going on a journey, and I 1
shall have to leave you behind me.”

“ indeed, captain, and you’ll do no such
thing," said Cease Tete, tsstily. “ Where you
go, I go.” ‘ ‘

“ In this case, Cause Tete, it is impossible. I
am going through German territory, and I ‘
must have none but Germans in my service.
I must pass for a Prussian.”

“For a Prussian!" echoed Casse Tete. “ Oh.
my captain, how can you do such a thing! I
would as soon be called a louse as a Prussian.
It’s horrible.”

Gabriel smiled.

“ I know it. But it must be done, and you
will be an obstacle in the way. I am going on
secret service.”

The old cuirassier’s face. cleared up.

“Oh, is that all? Ah, my captain, that is
what I like, to fool these cursed Prussians.
Let me go with you. Any\one would take me
for a Prussian when I choose to look like it. I
can be deaf and dumb, any thing in the world
you like, only don’t send me back to my com-
pany, or the boys will never give me the last
about getting the sack from Captain Blaucbec
—I mean—I mean—”

And Casse Tete turned crimson with confu-
sion at his slip.

As for Gabriel, he only laughed.

“And so they call me Captain Blancbec
still do they, Casse Tete? What do they say
in the regiment about me, anyway?"

Casse Tete was very much mortified, and he
hung down his head as he said:

“They talk all sorts of foolishness, my cap-
tain, and the officers have said they will drive
you out yet; but as for the men. after the
charge at Ulm, they began to like you and
swear that Captain Blancbec—there it’s out
again, I beg your pardon—is a trump in a hat-
tle. But the captains. Ah! they are the
tough ones. If you go back. you will have to
fight them all I fear." -

Gabriel smiled.

” SUPPOQO I 80 back as a major?”

“ Ah, mat would be different, my captain.
Then you would only have to fight the other
major. that is Tortue—Delsarte was killed at
Ulm, I hear. But it is not true really that
they have made you major, my captain. ?”

“ 80 General Duroc tells me.”

“Then that settles it, , my oflcer. Major
Lenoir cannot stir a step without his orderly.

 

You can give me any character you like. I

i’!
t

f ’1 4‘

  

 

 

x g-
a.

  ‘aad‘dumb. You can paint no
black' buthlllgo withyou.” '

“Well, Caste Tete.” said our hero resign-
edly,’ “ I suppose it must be so. You will not
object to be, the French servant of a Prussian
count; and in that character you can go with
me. Now let us see if you are discréet enough
to take a note to the palace of'the Prince of
Potsdam.”

Cause Tete grinned broadly.

“ I know the way to the kitchen, major, and
I have not neglected my duty to the maids as a
henchmen, you may be sure.”

“ Then take this note, as soon as I have
written it.” . i

A few minutes later Casse Tete was striding
away toward the palace of the Princes of
Potsdam. __ ‘

CHAPTER XII.
m mam.

Tau night was dark and rainy with (K
south-west wind blowing, dirty patches or
brown cloud flying over a gray, sickly-looking
haze, behind which the moon occasionally met
a watery glimpse of herself to make things be-
low more dismal by contrast.

The streets of Berlin were deserted save a
few gendarmes who cowered in the dourways ‘

and hid themselves in huge cloaks to listen ‘to \

the splashing of the rain in the puddles.

Nine o’clock was sounding from the towers
and steeples of the city when a traveling car-
riage movad slowly of! at a walk past the
palace of the old Prince of Potsdam, and a tall
man wrapped in a dark cloak got out of it as
is moved along and went toward the palace-
grounds. He looked as if he were waiting for l
some one, and if so he had not long to wait for
us soon as his fl ure loomed up above the low
brick wall that encircled the grounds two
black figures stole out through the raimfi‘ous

the servants’ wing of the palace, hurried to the. "

outer gas and joined the man in the cloak.

He turned to them as they came and said in
a low tone: ‘

“ There is no mistake, is there i" ,

“ None,” answered One of the women for
they were both women—“ I am here and this
is my maid. Babette.” I

The man in the c‘oak bowed, and the three
walked up to the carriage which came up to the.
curb on their approach. . ,

There was a pastill on on the leader of the
four horses and a tall man on the box 'who
jumped down and opened the door for them.

Then the two women got into the carriage
the two tall men climbed upon the box
one of them said in a low tone: «

“ Forward and drive faster. We muit be.
at the frontier by morning it we can.” -

The postillion shook his reins and the four
horses trotted away out of the city of Berlin
taking the direct road south to the frontier of
Bohemia.

The two men on the box were Mayor Lenoir
and his orderly, Casse Tete, and they said but
little to each other on the way, nestling down
into their huge cloaks and bearing the rain in
silence till they came to the first post-house on
the road. "

Here a Prussian gendarme came out with a

lantern to examine the passports, and Gubflel . -

exhibited those with which he had been care-
ful to provide himself.

The gendarme looked suspiciously at him.

“This rt says that you are a French
emcer, but what are you doing on the box
Who is that in the carriage!" '

“ My sister and her maid: here are thei
passports.” .

The gendarme scrutinised them closely and
went to the door of the carriage. ‘

“ I mint compare the descriptions,” he said,
in the same surly tone. 5.

Gabriel interposed. ’

“ You’ll do no such thing. You observe
my passport commands every one to help me.
I come from the legation at Berlin. Rather
than submit a lady to your rudeness I’ll turn
back and complain of you.” -

This frightened the gendarme who said:

” I only wish to do my duty, sir.”

“Your duty is performed when you sign
the pamporta You’re not required to stars in
ladies’ faces."

The gondarme grewled but submitted.

By the. light of his lantern Gabriel looked
into the carriage and found Ines very pale and
frightened.

“ Don’t be afraid,” he whispered.
shall interfere with you.”

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a

both she she and her maid were ‘httired'in the
black robes and coal—scuttle bonnets of nuns.

He said nothing about it and the horses were
put to again.

Then they rattled away toward the next
station, the'way getting more and more lonely
and desolate as they advanced. ,

At the next station they were twenty miles
from Berlin and they heard the village cloak
strike eleven.
sleepily countersigned the passports and let
them proceed without questions, and at the
third station they had even less trouble. At
the fourth and fifth stations they found the

Then he noticed with 

horses improving in speed and before the day , -

broke Gabriel knew that they were nearing the
frontier of Bohemia.

1
At sunrise they saw before them the dark ‘

range of the Erz Gcbirge while the spires of ‘

a large town shone in the light.
“ What is that!” asked Gabriel.
“Dresden, mein herr,” said the postillion.

“Then it is time to change passports, and ‘

tum Prussian,” said Gabiiel, to his orderly.
“ We are in Saxony now, Casse Tote, and you
are my French servant."

He called to the p)stillion to stop and de-
scended to the door of the carriage.

“ Will mademoiselle excuse me,” he said, “if

enter the carriage for awhile with her? It
is necessary to change our passports and I
must do that where the postillion cannot see
us.”

Inez looked pleased.

“But certainly, monsieur, I was surprised
that you staid out in the rain all night.”

“It was necessary,” he answered “for the

protection of mademoiselle from any breath of .

. suspicion.”

 

I

. l

 

 
   
 
 
 
 
 
  

Then after he had entered he told her how
she had passed for his sister and how it now
became necessary for him to change his charac-
ter if he expected to be allowed on Austrian
territory. .

' She agreed to all he said and the Alsatian,
taking out his false passports proceeded to put

in the visas from the true ones as fast as possi- ,

Lie by the simple process of tracing and trans-
ferring them bodily to the new places.
' Not till this was done did he order the pos-

tillion to drive on to Dresden and then to take .

the way to the east by Bautzen to Zittau,
where the road enters Bohemia through a pass
. in the mountains, turning south again.

They changed horses at Dresden without
entering the town and here Gabriel assumel
the character of Count Schwartz with perfect

. success, the Saxon officials not detecting his

forged signatures and not impacting them with '

any closeness.
As they gallcped away on the road to Bant-
" an the cuirassier said to himself:
“ Every stage now takes me nearer to
. danger, but I shall get through for all that. ”
,' Tired with his night’s ride he tried to con-
vorse with his fair neighbor for awhile; but at
 last weariness overcame him and he began to
and finally falling into a doze in the corner of
the carriage—a sad breach of etiquette but
when it is remembered that he had not slept
for two nights it may be pardoned.
, At all events Inez seemed to be able to par-
, don it for she said softly:
. “Hush, Babette! We slept and he watched
all dost night. He is exhausted and no wonder
,feither."

80 Gabriel slumbered peacefully in the cor-
ner of the carriage till he was awakened by its
stoppage and heard loud voices in a dispute

. about horses.

He looked out, startled, and found that they

were at the post-house, where another carriage

3” had just arrived from the opposite direction

while the postmaster was quarre'ling with the
Berlin postillion.
“I tell you that you can only have two, so
you must make the best of it. Do you know
“ who is in that carriage over there? A prince,
-‘ you impudenh fellow, a real prince. Do you
suppose that I’m going to rob him to please a
, beggar-1y Count Schwartz? No, by the head of
, the emperor. _ You must get on with two.”
Gabriel put his hand on the door and got out,
saying to the postmaster:
“ What is all this?
horsesf’
' The postmaster, when he saw he had to deal

Are you short of

 : .1 ' .with a gentleman, dropped his angry manner

and became apologetic.
“It is unfortunate, Herr Graf, but it can’t
he helped. We have onlysix horses ready,

 

    
 

The gendarme on duty there i

. ‘ .
\‘ l‘ " ~v ‘ H s

 

 

Aw ' . 1
.'and here are two carriages. One must be con—

tent with a pair and his Serene Highness the
Prince of Potsdam is here and wants four.”
Gabriel looked at the postmaster severely.

. , , ‘  . v I o- . t I
. 4» eath’fsrfiedd   - - w
, \V ,. ivy ~, R, a,“ ‘, an .  . w .'- . .

“ Surrender, sir. Youare my prisoner."

A tall dark man on the box, with a long
strip of plaster dovm one cheek, uttered a
fierce French oath, and whipped out a pistol

“What nunsense are you talking?” he said. l as long as a small carbine, but a quiet voice in-

“ Where is the Prince of Potsdam?” l

“In that carriage, mein herr. See if he is i
not, for yourself.”

Gabriel went over to the other carriage and
looked in.

The prince, with his right_arm in a sling, lay
back on the cushions of his carriage, fast
asleep and the Frenchman judged from the
redness of his face and the way he snored that
he had been drinking heavily on the road.

He turned to the postmaster.

“I will take the four horses ” he said, “and
the prince can have-two. He is not in a hur-
ry: I am.”

The posmaster looked frightened.

“But, Ilerr Graf—”

“ Do as I tell you,” answered Gabriel stern-
ly. . “The prince is asleep and knows nothing.
I am awake and I am going to have those ’
horses. You’ll give him two. I want four.”

The postmaster began to expostulate, but the .
cuirassier cut him short.

The horses were coming out as he'spoke and ‘
Gabriel sternly ordered the team of four to be .
put to his carriage while the other team want
to the other vehicle.

All the while Gabriel was wondering how in
the world the prince came to be on that road ‘
entering Saxony, when he had left him three
days before near Munich about four hundred
miles off by the roads.

The horses were put to before he had settled
the point to his own satisfaction and he was
about to leave it to time for solution, when
the Prince of Potsdam snorted and sneezed and
opened his eyes.

The moment they rested on Gabriel’s face
the Prussian started up as if terrified and cried
out:

“Good heavens! how wune you here?"

Gabriel put his head in at the window.

“Be calm,” he said quietly. “You know
what you got before for fighting me. Keep
your own counsel and go your own way, or I
swear to you that I will kill you now.”

The prince was deadly pale.

“I want nothing to do with you,” he said in
a faltering voice. “ I will do as you say.”

“See that you do," was the stern answer.

Then Gabriel went to his own carriage, gave i

' a signal to his postillion and the horses galloped II

away full speed t0ward Zittau.
As soon as the sound died away, the prince j

. came out of his carriage and said to the post- I

 

master: .

“ Who was that!”

“It was the Herr Graf von Schwartz,” said
the postmaster uneasily, for he began to fear
another scolding.

“He was no such thing," answered the
prince viciously. “He is a French spy.
Quick, send a courier to the nearest pest of :
soldiers and tell them a French spy is on
Austrian territory. The emperor will give'
ten thousand thalers for him.”

The postmaster stored as if petrified and
then ran to the door of the house. 2

“ Hi, Hans, Fritz, Yakop,” he yelled. “ Come
down and run to the fields. Get horses and 
run like the devil to the next station. No, I‘ll ‘
go myself. Catch me a horse. Will you not
go too, lierr Prince?”

“ If you can get horses, yes."

And in a short time the boys were chasing
out of the pasture a number of horses, one of .
which was taken by the prince the other by
the postmaster.

Then the Prussian took from his carriage a 3
pair of pistols, put them in his pocket, mounted l
and galloped away.

Now, Gabriel Lenoir, see you drive fast, for _‘
the worst of all foes a malignant coward is
after you to rouse the country on the French

spy.

l

 

CHAPTER XIII. l

A PRISONER. l

Ar noon that day, a traveling carriage, i

with four smoking horses, drew up at the post- I

house of the little village of Zittau, inside the ,

Austrian frontier. |

The moment it arrived, thirty or forty men 1
in uniform, who had been hidden in the post-
house, rushed out, surrounded the carriage and
began to cook their rifles, for they were Tyro-
lese Yagers—while an officer stepped to the

door of the vehicle, and called out sternly:

\

side said clearly:

“Be still, Casse Tete. It is all right.”

Then Gabriel Lenoir looked out saying:

“What is the trouble llerr Officer? What
have I done to be arrested for?”

“ You are a French officer in disguise,” was
the instant answer.

Gabriel threw bacfi his cloak and displayed
to the astonished Tyrolese, the full cuirassier
uniform of France.

“I am not in disguise," he answered. “If
I am a prisoner, I am a prisoner of war.”

“Very well,” said the Tyrolese officer, in a
more mollifled tone. “ You are a prisoner any-
way; so get out.” '

Then he turned to the house and called:

“ Here, Herr Prince, we have got him. See

; if it be your man.”

Gabriel descended slowly from the vehicle,
just as the Prince of Potsdam, followed by the
postmaster of the inn where they had met that
morning, stepped out.

The moment the prince saw him he cried:

“ Disarm him. He is dangerous. He is a
spy I tell you.”

The Austrian hesitated.

“An officer in full uniform is no spy, but he-
should be (lisarined. Give up your sword, sir,
at once.”

Gabriel complied quietly; for he saw that re-
sistance was useless.

Then the Prussian prince came up and said
fiercely:

“ I denounce that man as a spy. He has in
his pocket a false passport. His name is Lenoir;
and he calls himself, in the passport, Schwartz.
Search him and see.”

“On the contrary,” replied Gabriel calmly.
“I am Major Lenoir of the Death’s Head Cui-
rassiers, and here is my passport as such.”

He pulled out his original passport, and the
Austrian took it with a puzzled air.

“This is all regular,” he said. “I am sorry
to have to take you prisoner, monsieur; but
you must be aware that your visit here in full
uniform was madness.”

Then, to the Prussian, he said coldly:

“You see, the gentleman is not a spy. He
is only a dare-devil.”

But the prince, now that he ran no danger,
was full of eagerness to punish his rival.

“I tell you he has another passport,” he said.
“The postmaster countersigned it. Here, let
me look at that one.”

He glanced over it rapidly, and then his
countenance fell. He had expected to find it
deficient in signatures. Instead of that, it was
regularly countersigned all the way to Zittau,
to which place he and the postmaster had rid-
den across country by a short cut to intercept

; Gabriel.

The cuirassier eyed him with a smile of scorn

; and said in French:

“ You are a contemptible coward, and I will
cut off your ears when next we meet.”

The prince squared himself defiantly. ,

“ You are a liar and a spy. I will have yen
hung at one-, to save time.’

Then to the Austrian he continued:

“There is some trick here. t is impossible
that they can have countersigned a French
oflicer’s passport on your territory. There is
another somewhere. Search the carriage.”

The Austrian went to the door, and then
seemed to be surprised and embarrassed, for he
bowed low and said:

“I am sorry, ladies; but my duty compels
me to do this. Please descend.”

The Prince of Potsdam uttered a cry of am-

i nzement as he saw two black nuns descend from

the darriage both with their long vails down.

“ Who are these?" he asked.

Gabriel stepped forward. -

“ Ladies under my protection, who must not
be \insulted. ” ‘ '

To the Austrian officer he said:

“Captain, your orders do not extend to the
insult of ladies. I admit I am a fool ‘to be
caught here, but I had engaged to take these
holy sisters to the convent of Our Lady at the
village of Austerlitz. If I am taken, at least
let them proceed on their way." '

The Austrian bowed respectfully.

“Certainly, monsieur. But whom they!”

“Here are their passport. My sister, and 1

her friend, Sister Babette.”
The Austrian look at the passports.

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“They seem 'to be correct,” he said slowly;
“but, seeing the position in which I find you,
I regret to be compelled to insist on seeing their
faces. This may be a trick. They may be
your comrades in disguise."

Gabriel’s heart gave a thump.
not have minded Inez unveiling, but for the
presence of Prince Ferdinand. He knew that ,
Inez had safe in her bosom the false passport f
with the true signatures, which he had copied
on the way, and he hardly knew what to do i

“ I beg of you, sir, as a. brother officer," he I
said, in a low tone, “not to insist on this. I i
.give you the honor of a French soldier that ,1
these are not disguised men, but ladies of rank.” 1'

“ I am sorry,” returned the Austrian, “ but
my duty is clear. The ladies must unvail, and
I must judge for myself."

Inez came forward, and said in a low tone to
Gabriel:

“ It is enough, monsieur. You have done
more than your duty already.”

She turned to the Austrian officer with a
swift motion, dr0pped her vail and looked him
in the face, tur ing her back on Ferdinand
with true feminin dexterity.

The Austrian bowed low.

“ I am satisfied, mademoiselle,” he said.

Inez covered her face as Swiftly as before,
and brought her maid forward to repeat the ‘
operation, when Prince Ferdinand, with a sud-
den twitch, caught the end of her vail and
dragged it down, crying:

“Treason, treason, captain!
trying to carry off my wife.”

In that instant Gabriel, losing control of
himself at the sight of his rival, rushed at the
Prussian, seized him by the throat and shook
him savagely.

Ferdinand struggled, the Austrian soldiers
rushed in and dragged them apart, the Prussian
prince, foaming with rage born of jealousy at
the discovery he had made, and roaring:

“ i tell you he’s a spy, and is trying to ste'al
my wife. That is my wife, I tell you!”

Gabriel stood panting and glaring at his foe
with grim contempt.

“Ah! you are a coward,” be said.
only dare make war on women.”

To the Austrian he said:

“I apologize for my violence, monsieur. I
am your prisoner, but I trust to your honor to
allow these ladies to depart.”

But the Austrian officer was puzzled, and did
not know what to do.

Finally he announced his decision.

“You two in French uniform will be sent on
to Koniggratz. 'If the ladies wish to proceed
they can do so. As for the Prince of Potsdam,
'he says this lady is his wife. Let her decide.”

To Inez he said:

“Madame, this gentleman says he is your
husband. is it- true?"

, Inez, her eyes flashing, answered:

“ No. Do you not see whither I am bound?
Let me proceed on my journey. I This man is the
object of my deepest loathing.”

The Austrian turned to the prince.

“ You see, monsieur, the lady denies you.
The soldiers of the emperor are not paid to
settle disputes between married couples. The
lady is at liberty to take her departure.”

. Inez turned away with a glance of triumph
in her dark eyes. The blood of this hitherto
Gem“, Quiet girl was up at last.

As she passed by Gabriel, who stood among
the Austrian soldiers, a prisoner, she said to
him in French: '

“ I shall not forget what you have done for
me today. God bless you i”

She stepped into the carriage, and laid to
the Austrian officer:

“Please tell them to drive on tothe road
that leads to the Convent of Our Duly of
Amenity."

A few moments later the two cuirassiers,
helpless Prisoners in the midst of the yagers,
39'” the cartilage drive away, and Gabriel felt
1"“ hen“ Sink as he thought:

“ She has deserted me.”

The“ the Austrian ofilcer came to him.

If 5°“ Wm Eire your parole for yourself
.and your servant, you may go on to Konig-
gratz'wmh only a guard. I feel sorry for you,
monsieur. I have been in scrapes myself for
‘a pair of dark eyes. I don’t want to be harsh
to you.” .

Gabriel bowed with gratitude, but replied:

“I thank you much for your kindness, but
I must inform you that I cannot give my

He has been

“ You

1 down to help our emperor?

 

‘.M;'”Iinmnd toescapeifIseonair

 

The Austrian shrugged his shoulders. .
“ As you please. I wanted to be kind to
you, but if you will not acuept the kindness,
why you must take prisoner’s fare. The two
emperors at Kouiggratz will be able to dispose

He would of your case.”

Gabriel looked surprised.
“ The two emperors?"
“ Yes. Didn’t you know the czar has come
Ah, but we shall
give your Nupole ‘n a fine return for his Ulm
tricks. He beat us there; but we’ll give him
his dose before the walls of Vienna.”

And Gabriel thought to himself:

“ So I am finding out something, even as a
prisoner.”

 

CHAPTER XIV.
I N E Z.

IN the eastern corner of the Austrian .prov-
ince of Moravia, near the border of Hungary,
the country is rough, hilly and heavily
wooded.

The great Carpathian Range with its spurs
and offshoots, the Erz Gebirge, the Riesen and
Fichtel Gebirge and a maze of small streams,
marshes and rivers, make it difficult for an
army to move rapidly, and the roads are few.

In the midst of this country lies the town of
Brunn, the capital of Moravia, and from Brunn
runs a road to the east, crossing the little
rivulet of Goldbach, and forking at Possoritz.
One branch of this fork goes to Olmutz, forty-
flve miles to the north, the other stretches to
the south-east toward Hungary, by way of
Goding, and passes within a mile or so, the
little village of Austerlitz, soon to be made so
famous.

Two days after the capture of Gabriel Lenoir
at Zittau, a carriage passed by Possoritz on
the way to Austerlitz, and drove up to the
gate of the Convent of Our Lady of Austerlitz,
where the postiilion was halted by an Austrian
soldier on duty before the gate, who said:

“ What do you want? The nuns are all gone
to Vienna. Didn’t you know it?”

The postilllon scratched his head.

“ No, I didn’t. Why, we’ve had ever so
much trouble to get here. And now you say
we have to go on to Vienna?"

“Certainly, if you want to see the nuns.
I suppose you have some in the carriage!”

The postillion nodded, and at that moment a
lady put her head out of the window and asked
in agitated tones:

“ What! Have they gone?"

“Yes, gracious fraulein. To Vienna.”

She seemed to be much distressed.

“ We must go on then. 7 Oh. what shall We
do! How came they to go to Vienna?”

The sentry answered civilly enough:

“So please the gracious fraulein, the country

*is full of soldiers and the abbess thought it

best to take ladies where it was safer. ”

“ Go on then, to Vienna,” said the lady in
a tone of resignation. “Oh, is it possible I
shall never be at peace?”

The sentry said nothing. It was not his
business todo anything but answer questions
and guard the convent gate.

“What a fool is such a young and pretty
creature to go into a convent.”

Then he resumed his tramp.

Meantime the carriage drove on for some
miles. The postillion knew that he could
easily reach Vienna before night if the horses
on the road had not been taken for army use,
and he dill not care much for the extra ride.

But the lady in the carriage, who was none
other than Inez de Real, accompanied by her
maid Babette, was desolated at the disappoint-
ment and loneliness that confronted her. As
they rattled on with much creaking and jolting,
she could only weep for fear of what might come
to her, while Babette, seing her mistress
frightened, wept to keep her company.

So matters rested for an hour or more, when
both women started violently at the sound of
a sullen distant boom on the road ahead 0
them.

I???)th shrieked:

' 1’, mademoiselle the are 11 htin a in.
What shall we do?” ’ y g g Ea

“I don’t know, Babette. We can only trust
in Heaven,” replied poor Inez. “Perhaps I
did wrong ever to leave Berlin, but I could' not
stay there.”

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” -

More guns far away, and the carriage began
to slacken its pace, while the postillion called
out: ,

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' . gracious fraulein, coming this
‘way’ at a gallop. Shall we turn back?” ‘ ‘
‘ “‘ No,” answered Inez, more calmly; “they
cannot injure us surely. Go on as if nothing
had happened ” 4

The carriage rattled on again, again a short
time the women heard the clatté‘r 9t cavalry
coming toward them.

Presently a single hussar, covered with ddst,
his face all bloody from a wound, galloped by
without noticing them, and soon after several
others passed in the same manner.

Their horses were -white with foam and dust,
and could hardly muster up a gallop. They
looked as if they had been, worked hard lately.

Soon after this came the rapid patter of a
volley ahead, followed by the dash of a con-
siderable body of men coming down at a gal.
lop, and Inez saw an officer of Austrian hus-
sars by her window. He seemed to be ex-
cited.

“ Gracious heavens, ladies, what are you do-
ing here?” he cried. “ Turn back, or you will
be killed or worse. The French have takén‘
Vienna, and we are falling back. Their cav-
alry advance is just over the hill, in form,
Turn back and gallop as hard as you can." .

Even while he was speaking came the crack.
ing of fire-arms at a distance, and crash came
a bullet through the carriage, while the pestil-
lion uttered a cry of fear.

The liussar officer looked round. ' , 4

“ Get out of the carriage,” he cried. “ We
will take you back. They’ve killed one of the‘
horses. Here, quick, get up behind me. There
is no time to lose.”

Indeed there was not.

At that very moment came a loud about on
the road ahéad, and the Austrians broke and
fled, deserting their (flicer, who shouted to
them in vain to.stop.

But when he saw that the French horsemen ' v ,

were advancing at a sharp trot, flring carbine:

as they came, even he thought flight advisable,

so the end of the matter was that Inez found'
herself sitting in her carriage, with one of the

lead horses dead in its harness, while through

the front window she could see a body of
French dragoons trotting rapidly up.

In a few minutes they were all round the
carriage, and she heard a hoarse voice shout-
ing out in commanding tones: .

“ Forward, my lambs! forward! Drive
them over the top of the hill and halt there.”

Then they went on, and she saw a French
officer come to the door.

He looked in and saluted politely. , ,‘

“Sorry to have troubled you, ladiel, but ‘
who are you and “here are you going!”

Inez felt a thrill of relief at the sound of
the familiar French tongue, and had already
made up her mind to surrender to her own
people at the risk of the anger of the ems
peror. ‘

“Oh, monsieur,” she said.
be under French protection once more. I am
Mademoiselle de Real, maid of honor to‘ Irer ‘
majesty the Empress Josephine. In Heaven’s
name, monsieur, tell me, where are the em-
peror‘s quarters?" x

The dragoon seemed to be amazed beyond
belief; but he answered:

“His majesty is in the Imperial Palace at
Vienna. If you desire I'will send you there
with an escort, but it will be best todo it
through Marshal Murat, ‘who has charge of the f
advance.” ' .

“ Anything, anyway, so long as I am out of
this fighting," cried Inez, earnestly. “Oh, ,-
monsieur, I have had a terrible trial since I
escaped from Berlin.” -

The dragoon seemedmore and more pul-
zled. '

“From Berlin! And you are a maid of,
honor to her majesty? Excuse me, madengoi—
selle, but it becomes my duty toaend you to ‘
the marshal under guard.” .

He evidently mistrusted her story and took
her for a spy, but Inez knew nothing of what
Were his thoughts, and felt a great deal of re-
lief when he went away and she found herself
once more proceeding on the road to Vienna,
more slowly now, for she had only a pair instead
of four horses to draw the carriage. '

Her one consolation was that She had got rid
of the Prince 'of Potsdam, that individual
having left her at Zittau, for what reason she
knew not, tlfough she was much relieved at his
absence.

She had expected him to follow, claim her. ‘
and carry her back to Berlin by force, and
his failure to do so was an agreeable surprko.’

\

“Iamgladto I "

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore, as the rolled  .
Vienna!» was re .  finalist"

sorts of pleas to be made to the emperor to‘lno
duos him to rele'nt from his purpose of marry-
mg her to the hateful prince. She did not
know  such matters the Corsican Man
of ‘was pitlless.

After' we or three bonrs' travel the car-
riage with its escort of a den dragoons
mapped at a posthonse, which. was quite sur-
rounded by the blvouao of several regiments
atputrasslers and here Ines was compelled to
wait for nearly a quarter of an hour when a
cuirassler emcer came harsheaded to the door
and laid:

“ Mademoiselle will please descend.
marshal wishes to see her."

“ What marshal?" asked she nervously.

“ Marshal Murat.”

F lghteued at the idea of facing so many
soldiers she hesitated, when the officer seeing
her confusion, called out:

“ All you man fall back and look the other
way. Have you no manners i"

Then he oflpred his arm to Inez who got out
of the carriage, trembling excessively. and
was led into the poet-house, followed closely
by Babette, who clung to her mistress in en-
dent terror.

The post-house proved to be a large inn
and the officer conducted his charges to a
room up—stairs where they found Marshal

The

', Murat, before a table covered with maps and

papers dictating to an officer, who was writ-

ing rapidly, ’
The marshal’s handsome face looked brown

v and thin from hard work and he had a vexed

worried look about him that Ines noted as
very different from the jovial aspect he had
been wont to wear in the salons of Paris.
He went on dictating without noticing her.
“The advance will feel the enemy as closely

.0 possible, compatible without serious loss and

on to Olmutz if they do not find the en-
emy in force. It is important to find just how
many men the Russians have, and where they
are p nted.”

/ “ There,” he added, hastily scrawling his
big “Joachim Murat" at the bottom of the
sheet. “Send that to Lssalle at once. It’s
strange we‘ve not struck them yet, very
strange."

He turned round on
closely at the two shrouded figures.
\rose and bowed formally.

“ I ask pardon of the holy ladies. I was
told that Mademoiselle do Real was here. ”

“ And so she is, Monsieur 1e Marechal,” said
Inca throwing back her long veil and stepping
forward. “ Do you not recognize me?"

Murat looked at her steadily. He was the
brother-in-law of Napoleon, and his wife in
common with all the Bonapartes, hated Jose-
phine intensely. The gallant and handsome
manhal, who was at home the most abject of

the girls and looked
Then he

‘ henpecked husbands, took his one from his im-

perious wife.

He knew Inez well enough as a favorite of
the. empress, and was astounded to find her
here, but he wished to give her a lesson that
her mistreas’a protection would not avail her
much with him.

“ 80, medemolselle," be said sarcastically,
"‘ I was not aware that her majesty's maids of
:30? were in the habit of going on masque-

ug trips in the enemy’s lines. May I ask
.how you came here?”

"No," said Ines boldly. “ You may not. I
am responsible to the emperor and my mis-
tress alone. You will please to send me on
to his majesty's headquarters at once. I have
news of importance to tell him.”

lfurat pulled his whiskersthougbtfully.

“News of importance. It so, you can tell
it to me. I command the advance.”

Ines could not help smiling.

, “I am none of your soldiers, monsieur. I
wish to see his majesty to ask him to send me

.back to' Paris.”

Hurst looked more astonished than before.

“ To Paris! Why, whence have you come?"
. “From Berlin, monsieur.”

He started and asked eagerly:

“From Berlin? Do you know Lenoir the
attache to the legationf He was to meet us
here. Have you seen him!”

. “,He is a prisoner in the hands of the
enemy,” replied Inez, coloring deeply, “ audif
he be not saved by the emperor he will be exe-
cuted as a spy”.

Murat seemed to be struck by be news, for

be repeated. slowly:

  
  
  

 

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 «2"“A prisoherl Ah, that accounts for it. I
was wondering we had not met him yet.

Mademoiselle, you,are at liberty t ) go. I will
send an ofilcer with you to take you to his
majesty at Vienna. ” '

 

(THAI TER XV.
THE ESCAPE.

Gasman Lantern and Casse Tete, in a jolt-
iug farm-wagon on bundles of straw, with a
guard of a down yagers round them. jogged
sleepily along over the road from thtau to
Koniggrata, through scrubby pine woods up
and down rugged hills, with the Carpathians
forever in sight on either hand.

Both had taken off their cult-asses while
neither had any offensive-arms, and it was the
last thing of which any of the escort dreamed
that they would attempt to amps.

They had passed pickets of burners and
cuirussiers on the way with a few of the wild,
scruhby-looking Cossacks; but had met no in-
fantry except Austrians in small numbers.

When they got to the bills by Koniggratz,
however, the scene changed for they came in
sight of a stretch of cwuntry about ten'miles
by five dotted all over with the smoke of
bivouac fires and the glitter of arms’ stacks.

The two men in the wagon were halt-lying,
half sitting upon the straw with their eyes
closed, seemingly asleep, but as the wagon
halted to breathe the horses Casse Tete yawned
and looked out, while Gabriel Lenoir cast a
rapid glance over all the scene.

The Austrian yagers, sturdy little men of
short stature, with rifles that had such short,
heavy barrels they looked like carbines, paused
on the top of the hill to wipe their foreheads
and chat. \

“There is another w00d just beyond, my
major," muttered Cnsse Tote, under his griz-
zled mustache. “Shall we do it there or
wait!”

“ Now’s the time," answered Gabriel, in the
same furtivo tone.

Then be stretched himself and said aloud to
the subdieutonant of the yugers:

“Quite an army you have there.
all Austrians?” ,

“No, monsieur,” said the other, civilly,
“these are all Russians here. You can see
the head-quarters over toward the Olmutz
road. The czar himself is there with at least
eighty thousand men.”

“ Who is their general?" asked Gabriel, in a
tone of indiflerence. .

“His name, I believe, is Kutusoff,” an-
swered the guileless Austrian, “but they have
a Doctoroif and a Soltakofl and a whole army
of fellows ending in 011'. And the whole of the
Russian Imperial Guards is there, too.”

“How many of them are there?" asked
Gabriel.

“I don‘t know. About three thousand I.
should say. Come, we must be moving. ”

The wagon creaked along and descended
slowly into a muddy, narrow road between
high banks where the horses went up to their
knees at every step, while the yagera strung
out into single file, picking out the hardest
places and not thinking of their prisoners.

Thus they rattled and splashed along for
near a mile till they entered a wood of
scrubby pines, when the road became werse
than ever, the soil being here composed of
black loam, while the infantry soldiers had
scattered themselves in all directions jumping
from root to root of the trees.

it was here that, all of a sudden Gabriel
and Casse Tete rose stealthin to their feet
behind the driver, who sat on the box beside
one of the yagers.

There was a dull crashing sound as the
scarred cuirassier clutched the heads of both
men in his formidable gripe and brought them
together with all his force.

Neither man uttered a cry, but both dropped
back into the cart without a struggle, when
Cruse Tote deliberately took the reins and
drove on.

All the rest of the escort was in front, and
not one turned his head, so quietly and neatly
was the whole thing done.

Then Casse Tote urged on his team a little
further, and ilually dropped the reins, leaving
the horses to themselves. I

The consequence was that the animals
floundered on a few paces and then stopped of
their own accord, for it required considerable
ago/gang to get them forward at all on such a
r

Are they

As soon as this took place, Cases Tote took

\

 

on the belt of the yager whose skull it had

, fractured against that of the driver, and picked

up his rifle. ,

“ Now, my oincer," he said, “our way is
clear for a little, unless they come back. In
that case I’ll have to give them a shot. I wish
we had another of the rifles.”

Gabriel scanned the retreating forms of the
yngers ahead, and saw that no time was to be
lost. At any moment one of them might look
back.

He and Cease Tate sprang from the wagon
and plunged into the forest, where as soon as
they left the road they found the walking com»
paratively good while the thick foliage of the
scrub fir trees hid them from sight in a. very
few minutes from the road. ,

As soon as they found this, they struck off
to the edge of the woods into the most broken
ground they could find, selected a hiding place
among some rotks on a hillside, fromwhence
they could see the plain below, and lay in Wait
for the sun to go down. ‘

They knew well that in their French dress
they would be recognised half a mile OR in the
daytime, and that night oflered them the only
chance they had of e-cape if they were not
tracked to their hiding-place in the mean time.

It was not long before they heard a rile-shot
in the wood and shouting.

“ They are after us, my officer,” said Casse
Tote, and he began to look at the priming of
his rifle.

They listened and heard the yagers calling
to one another, their voico a showing that they
had scattered over the wood to hunt.

Their hiding-place had been chosen at, a.
place where the pine Wood cret t over the
brow of a hill, and they were entirely sheltered
from vicw above by an overhanging rock,
while a ledge of the same rock stretched out
right null left for some han a tulle.

Below them, orer the tops of the fir trees
they could see the whole Russian camp, and
busied themselves in counting the fires and
estimating the force of the enemy.

They both agreed that there must he at least
eighty thousand men on the plain below.

Presmtly Cease Tete whispered: ,

“They are coming this way. I hear them."

Both fugitives crouched down under the
hanging rock, and listened.

Thl-re were voices above them.

“They’ve gone on toward the Olmutz road,”
said some one in German. “Its no use our
searching here any further. We’ll give the
alarm to the cavalty pickets. They’ll catch
them. Two men cannot run the lines of a whole
army.

Then they heard voices and steps receding,
and Casse Tete whispered:

“ What did they say, my officer!”

Gabriel told him in French, and the wires—
sier observed. dryly:

“ That remains to be seen. Wait till night,
and we‘ll show them what two French cuiras~
stars can do in a ticklish position.”

They remained where they were for some
hours, watching the plain below, and at last
saw a column of cavalry moving out from
among the fires, taking the road to the south
that ran through the camp.

The sun shone on the column as it went, had
they perceived that it was largely made up of
cuirassien.

“ That means a forward movement,” thought
Gabriel. “Chilrassie-rs are not sent out on
picket duty. That army is about to move in
full force."

He watched the gleaming column as it
wound of! to the south like a serpent with
shining scales, and Casse Tete uttered a sigh.

" What’s the matter, Cease Tetel” asked
Lenoir.

“ Ah, my cflicer,” said the cuirkssler, “it is
seeing these fellows below. It reminds me of
the old Death’s Heads Shall we ever ride in
their squadrbua againf Ah, what fun it would
be if we had them here now. to pitch into
those fellows down there. How we. could
crack them over the head i” .

" Patience, Casse Tt‘te,"said our hero unable
to prevent smiling, “we shall have all the
fighting we want before we have doneycr I
am much mistaken. Leek, yonder goes a bat
tery with the column.
gunsi”

“ Certainly, my officer. But What are those
wagons doing yonder!”

“What wagons?"

Cnsse Tate pointed to where they could
just see, over the tops of the bushes at the edge

Do you see the yellow .

I

 

N .

 

 

 

 

a. a

of the mountain, the white tilts of along line
of wagons crawling out. ' :

They watched them in silence till they had
been defiliug for half an hour, and then Gabriel
mine to the conclusion that the whole Russian
train must be in motion toward Olmutz.

He had no map with him; but he had stud-
ied the country beforehand, and he knew that
the read he saw must be that toward Olmutz.

“And beyond that,” he thought, u is Auster-

v lite where she has gone. I wonder if she is

safe within the corivent walls, or if he has
caught her again. I shall have to kill that
than some day.”

They remained hidden behind the trees until
the sun went down, when the chill November
fog began to creep up the side of the mountain,
and under its cover they stole down into the
plain below, without meeting a soul.

They could see through the log the red glare
of the bivouac fires, and made straight for the
high road.

Their long watch on the mountain side had
shown them that the camp was full of strag-
glers, wandering to and fro, and they both
agreed that boldness oflered them the best
chance. ‘ .

They were inside the pickets of a great army,
and as long as night hid them, they could wan-
der where they Would. ,

They had left their cuirasses behind in the
farm-wagon as too cumbrdus; but their hel-
mets were still as conspicuous as ever, so they
kept away from the fires and confined them-
selves to following the highway, where they
met no one. though a train of wagons was
passing over it.

But the wagoners were sleepy and sullen,
and no one noticed the two men in the mud,
till Casse Tete suddenly pulled his ofiiéer‘s
sleeve, and whispered:

“Listen. Cavalry coming)”

They passed to the roadside where a clump

I of trees loomed up and hid themselves at the

foot of two of the trees, when the heavy,
clanking trot of cavalry was heard, and pre-
sent! y a dense column of men went by at a jog,
passing the train.

They could see the outlines of helmets
against the fog, but the riders were shrouded
in long brown cloaks, and only the peculiar
eiank of armor told that cuirassiers were pass-
ing again.

They waited under the trees for a good half-
hour, and still the horsemen kept on at a fast
walk or a slow trot, till Gabriel estimated some
three thousand men had passed, when the rum-
ble of artillery became audible, and the col-
umn was closed, as had been that of the after-
noon, by a battery of guns.

As the last figure disappeared in the fog,
Gabriel said to Casee Tete:

“‘Now, my comrade, is the time for work.
We must follow that column, kill two men and
take their horses; then make use of the night
to ride on. Dare you follow?"

Cease Tete saluted.

“ Where my ofllcer goes I am always ready
to follow; but if my officer will take advice,
he will stay under this tree for a few minutes
more.”

“ Whyi"

“ Simply because there are stragglers in the
sear still. These Russians, I hear, are devils
to drink and—hark 1"

“Clickl clack! click! clack! clickl clack!"

A horseman was coming up through the fog
from the rear, after the column, at a rapid
trot, and presently he loomed up in sight, atall
suirsssier on a big horse, that was snorting as
K it had been going rapidly. .

He pulled up by the tree, catching sight of
the helmets, and called Out something in Rus-
sian that neither understood.

He spoke in a jesting tone, and walked his
hOreo toward them, holding out something in

hand. ~

As neither answered, he came up close and

saw that he was proflering them a bottle,
Wm. he reeled to and fro in his saddle, and
was evidently drunk,

Mumblins something, Gabriel held out his
band (or the “We, and at the same time got
close to the horseman’s stirrup.

503Wflng nothing, the drunken Rosina,

. who was the soul of good-nature in his cups,

took a'drink out of his bottle and handed it to
Gabriel.

In the same moment the Frenchman seized
his wrist and pulled him, while Cues Tete, on
the other side, lifted his foot bodily from'the

stirrup.

   v' *    . 

 

‘ The result was that the Itussian tomb] u '
his horse on the top of his head, and lay suit

in the mud.

Then muttered Casse Tete:

“ We‘ve got him, your honor. Hold the
horse a moment, and I’ll make him safe. "

Not knowing what he meant, Gabriel seized
the bridle, then saw Casse Tete take of! the
man’s helmet, and deliberately strike him on
the back of the head with the clubbed rifle of
the yager he had killed.

“There is one man safe, your honor,” he
said, coolly. “Now, if we wait, we shall
have another before long. He'll see the horse
and think we’re all getting drunk under this
tree.”

They took the arms and armor of the dead
or stunned cuirassier, w hich Casse Tete assumed
in obedience to Gabriel's order.

Then they waited for more victims.

CHAPTER XVI.
[I ma: mnsr on THE ton.

Tsar had not long to wait. As Casse Tete
had foreseen, before very long they heard more
horses trotting to catch up with the column,
and two men dashed by them, riding fast
along the train, and not noticing the group
under the tree by the roadside.

“What does that mean?" said Gabriel.

“It means, my ofilcer, that the provost
guard is after them, and they’ve no time to
stop,” said Come Tete, rather anxiously.

“ We’d better move back 6:- they’ll all see us.”

Realizing the danger in which they would
be if anything like a party came by them,
Gabriel followed the advice, and they led the
captured horse back into the fog, till the road
was invisible.

Then they soon heard the clank of armor
and heard a party trot smartly by; the stern
tones of an officer calling out orders every now
and then.

These passed out of hearing, and Casee Tete
said, in a tone of relief:

“ That was the provost guard, I think.”

“ Then there will be no more stragglers,"
quoth Gabriel innocently.

Casse Tete laughed slightly.

“ Pardon me, my officer, but you officers are
too apt to think you frighten men with provost
guards, when the sharp ones only laugh at
them. You’ll find more stragglers yet, and
they’ll be the drunkest of all. See if l’m not
right. Moreover, if I don’t get the best
horse in that cuirassier regiment I shall be
surprised. .There is always some officer‘s ser-
vant in the rear with his master’s charger, and
he’s sure tobe a drunken vagabond. Harkl
here comes some one now.”

They heard the loud voices of drunken men
talking recklessly away, and presently two
riders loomed up in the fog, with a led horse
on one side.

One of these riders was a cuirassier, the
other a short fat man, who seemed to be here-
headed and very drunk indeed, from the way
he swayed about in his saddle.

“Now, my ofilcer,” whispered Casse Tete,
“show them the bottle.”

Gabriel advanced from the tree under which
they were lurking, and held up the bottle call-
log out in a hissing whisper:

u  fish P!

The two men instantly became silent and

pulled up their horses, when Gabriel pretended
to drink and waved the bottle. The effect was
magical.
' The chirassier dashed up to the tree and was
of! his horse iua moment, though he wasso
drunk that be nearly fell on his nose in doing
so, while the fat man, in following his example
measured his length on the ground and lay
there.

There was no time to lose.

As the cuirassier stumbled, Casse Tete caught
the horse-hair of of his helmet, jerked him on
his back half choked, and in one instant stab-
bed him in the throat with the long-sword
he had stolen. ,

Gabriel, in the same instant, gave the fat
man a kick on the back of the head that
knocked him senseless, and said to Casse Tete:

“ They‘re finished. Catch the horses.”

This was done with very little trouble, when
our two French cuirassiers found themselves
in possession of four horses, of which one was
evidently an omcer’s charger, a grand bay dap-
pled with black, with a heavy mane and tail
and a neck and chest like a draught horse,
though his sloping shoulders and clean legs

 

- betoken speed.

 

     
   
    

 

 ‘ “in choosing this
' " , ..  »- = it with the
 '  ~,  f Marauder" ‘ l , whose weapons

to“. l ‘ I' ‘W ,

Then our two adventurers mounted, and
rodeofl'throughthefogand‘ _in.fu1i
French uniform, with the skull " ' bones
of the Death’s Heads on their ,‘ ‘ in, but
mounted on Russian horses and fined with
Russian weapons.

“ My faith, major,” observed Cases Tete preo
sentlv, “ that horse of yours is a fine stepper!
He trots so easily and yet he keeps my horse at
a Center.” ' ,

Cdsse Tete did not know that the stolen
charger was one of a breed that was to become
famous in after years as the grandest heavy
trotting stock in the world, under the name of
the “ Oriel! trottcrs.”

Gabriel without knowing it had stumbled on
one of the earliest specimens of this fine breed
in the dark.

Very soon as they trotted along they heard
the column of cavalry ahead of them and
Gabriel said to Casse Tete: ‘

“ Comrade, what do you advise?”

He had become used already to relyingen
the sharp wits of the old Gascon.

Oasse Tete was by no means slow to give his
advice for he felt flattered.

“I should say, my officer, that we keep on
where we are, near the rear of this column, so
that we can pass the pickets with them with-
out questioning.”

. “ But suppose some one comes back from the
column, missing this horse that I amriding,
what shall we do?”

(Jesse Tete seemed puzzled.

“ Indeed I con-d not say, major.”

Gabriel reined up. .

“Let them pass on then. We can run the
guard easy enough going out of the lines, but if
we we too near that regiment we shall be pur-
sued and the slowest horse in such arace would
be yours.”

They diverged after this into a muddy field
where their horses sunk over the fetlocks, and
could hear in advance the loud splashing and
trampling which told that the cavalry column
was doing the same thing. ,

Their position was one full of excitement,
for they did not know at what moment they
might come on some one who would challenge
them in Russian, and they were quite uncer-
tain in the dark, as soon as they left the road, .
of the direction in which they ought to pro-
ceed.

They were in the midst of the Russian
army, but how near to the outposts they knew
not, and they could only follow at a distance
the noise of the column of cavalry ahead.

They could hear the rumble of the wagons
and see glimpses of the long train of white
tilts moving slowly through the fog, which was
pervaded by a reddish glare from the innuv
merable camp fires around. '

This glare was, however, so general that it

 
   

only increased the confusion under which they .

labored, both having low all notions of points'
of the compass, and finding it necessary to
keep the road in sight if they hoped to escape
being lost. ‘
Guided only by the rumble of wagons and
trampling of the column ahead, they moved
on, till all of a sudden they saw a breed red
glare before them, and could distinguish”
ofarmsand crowds of mencn foot standing
before fires. ‘ “
They had run unawares on an infants-y
camp, and it behooved them to escape any
close questioning. ,
So they rode up close to the train again, re.
gardless of danger in that quarter, and slowly
passed by the quarters of a large brigade of
Russian infantry. ‘
They could see the men standing in groups,
by the fires looking at the passing trains and

heard several voices call outtothem in Banish. .

in a bantering tone.

“They take us for stragglers,” said Cum
Tete, in a low tone. “They won’t expect ‘3.
to answer them. So much the better.” I

In fact, they succeeded in passing the camp
of the infantry without exciting suspicion, and
soon after saw that the fog ahead of them

was dark, while the red glare was behind 1

them.

Then they knew they had passed the thick
camp-fires at last. I

In a little while the wagons on the road
came to a bait and the trampling and splashintt
of the horsemen in front ceased. ‘

 
 

      
    

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army, mildly road a long
. a"  strung out with strag-
it neceSsaryto bait and close up,
and on , ‘ occasions the officershili'ry up

i " the rear. divisions with much scoldingr.
~ Presently they could «hear, far ingzfidvance
\ hoarse voices, shouting ' borders with a

 deal of blank node "as the different
squadrons trotted to closdvhp. '

Gabriel and Casse Tete soon after heard
some one trotting back along the train, and
Lenoir turned his horse into the fields away
from the road, followed by Casse Tete. It
“was necessary no one should see them if possi-
ble. ‘

 As they turned away two of the wagoners
‘ called out to them in Russian, and they saw
that they were still taken for stragglers trying
to. sneak out of the ranks.
' They had got fairly out of sight in the fog
atlaet, when they heard a loud voice on the
‘ mid scolding violently, and the two wagoners
were answering.

(lasso Tete quietly drew his sword.

"‘ We have got to fight for it now, my oili-
icer,’,’ he said. “That may be the Provost Mar~
shal himself.”

. r  _ Presently the scolding stopped and they

heard the splashing and panting of a horse

~ ~ coming toward them through the soft mud.
Gabriel and Casse Tete urged their own

horses away and found the ground was getting
I ’ ‘softer and softer.

‘ " ‘ ,Presently Gabriel’s horse nearly ran into a

tree and then sunk up to his belly in a water.

«I

   

 

 ~ “We have got to a marsh,” said our hero in
’. . a a low voice. “ Turn and fight.”

‘ . He scrambled out and the two stood there in
the midst of the damp fog at the edge of some
swamp, while they could distinguish the out-
line of a horseman plunging through the weeds
toward them.

. .. _ This horseman Seemed to see them for he
fl v’shouted out menacingly to them in Russian
something they did not understand though

‘ they judged it as a command to come back to
the ranks.

Gabriel and Casse Tete walked their horses
slowly forward to meet the new-comer who
presently came plunging up on a big black
horse that seemed to have splendid trotting

a ‘ action.

Became tearing up to them and they saw

 ' -‘ in the fog and darkness the face of an officer

4 ‘  , with a light mustache.

3 He seemed to be furious with passion as he
came up and rode straight at Gabriel whom he
struck a violent blow with his clenched fist as
he arrived beside him, cursing in Russian, as
Heldid so. ,

«r  . Inthat very instant Casse Tete drove the
'  ,, point of his long sword into the other’s body,
‘  ‘ ' running him through the arm-bole of his
' mm and the Russian uttered a shout of pain
threw up his arms and fell from the saddle.
, v . “ Take his horse, Casse Tete,” whispered
,3 H \‘ Lenoir eagerly. “It’s better than your own.
‘ Then follow me.”
 I j ( Without hesitation, the Gascon brought his
4  y { horseheIide the black and swung himself out
w of one saddle into the other in a couple of
"cg i 
w “ ’ A. Then they turned toward the road, for Ga-_
— . fibrin! had made up his mind to a bold dash. He
had seen as the Russian officer approached that
. . he was mounted on a horse of the same breed
5  as his own stolen charger and he felt that with
_ "Cane Tete on such an animal they were both
. ' better mounted than any man in the column
’ _ except a few officers. Over the common
troop horses their superiority was marked.
3 5 Without any hesitation they dashed of!
-" through the mud at a rapid slashing trot, a
 gait to which their animals scanned to be pecu-
’ ' liarly fitted; and in a few short minutes had
r»_ g ' come up to the halted column of artillery and
.. t t ' yo

i As they trotted boldly past the flank of the

. 1!, they saw the men turn their heads to

‘ 3003; but acne said a word. They were evi-
dently taken for two officers going to the head
of the column to ree the colonel.

* They found the men sitting on .their horses

. patiently, lighting pipes, singing or chatting

topauthe time and waiting for the order to

close up.

.‘I"‘-‘ \ Afters little they came toagap in the

 

  
   
 

 

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where it was’ open and dashed out into it.
they heard the clatter of another squadron

, closing up in front.

As they did so, an officer at the head of the
last squadron yelled out an order and the
.whole squadron came cluttering after them.
Then they found themselves on the highroad
with Ruussian troops in front and behind them
all trotting away for dear life.

Not for long though.

Inside of a quarter of a mile they caught up
with the squadron ahead and then dashed
round by the flank pushing still for the head
of the column.

No one had suspected them yet. ‘

On they went, convinced at every step that
their horses were better than any other in the
regmont they were passing so easily, and at last
saw that they had come to the head of the regi—
ment. Yes there was no mistaking it now.
The first squadron was marching forward at a
slashing walk, with a little group of officers
ahead, and the solitary figure of the colonel
in front.

“ Now for it,” said Gabriel to Casse Tete in
a low tone. “Follow me, don’t gallop, keep a
steady trot and we’ll run for it.”

He dashed up into the road before the first
squadron and trotted up beside the colonel, who
turned his head supposing it to be some ofiicer
with orders. \

Gabriel rode close beside him at a sharp trot,
and as he passed dealt the colonel a blow with
his clinched fist on the side of the head that
tumbled the astounded officer out of his saddle.

Then, seizing the bridle of the riderless horse
which he saw was a good one, away went
Gabriel at the full trot of his bay charger, fol-
lowed by a shout of dismay and rage from the
Russians.

 

CHAPTER XVII.
CHALLENGED.

THE audacity of the rush made by the two
French cuirassiers was of itself an element that
promised success to their escape. \

The idea that they were French never entered
the heads of the Russians, who took them for a
pair of drunken officers on a wild spree.

The fact that they had dared to knock down
a cavalry colonel before his whole regiment,
and run away with his horse added to the pre-
sumption that they were drunk, and in a mo-
ment more the adjutant of the regiment with
a couple of orderlies was in full chase, while
the first squadron halted to pick up the colonel
who was half stunned by the unexpected blow.

Gabriel looked round as he rode and saw
three men galloping after, but he never broke
his trot; no more did Casse Tete.

They rode on steadily and rapidly, finding
that their pursuers with all their galloping only
gained on them very slowly.

They had gone nearly a mile on an open road
when the Russian adjutant at last gained Ga-
briel’s side, and shouted to him in Russian
something which the other rightly interpreted
as an order to stop.

The Russian had come up on the left side, on
which Gabriel was leading the colonel’s horse,
which was trotting at the same even gait as the
others, and the two orderlies with their horses
panting at every stride were about ten paces in
rear.

Lenoir shook his rein and swerved off to the
right, the led horse following him. As he did
so the Russian officer’s boot touched the mettle-
some charger in the flank, and it lashed out
viciously.

The adjutant uttered a cry of pain, and
dropped to the rear instantly, clapping his hand
on his leg.

Casse Tete laughed.

“That settles your case, my friend,” he laid
aloud.

It was the worst thing he could have done,
for he spoke French.

In a moment the Russian officer cried out.

“ Ogou I Ogou ! Franzi.’ Franzi I"

Firel fire! French! Frenchl]
e pulled out a pistol as he spoke and urged
his horse fiercely, firing along shot.

Gabriel heard the bullet whistle past his ear,
and he laughed tauntingly. He saw that they
Were discovered and did not care now what
happened. .

The three Russians fired four shots after the
fugitives but in vain, and then began to fall
into the rear. The discovery that they ware
followin French soldiers damped their ardor
immediafiely.

rapid slashing trot, and the forms of their pur-
suers were fading into the dark fog when they
were startled by a loud shout ahead, and came
on a horseman who stood in the read.

“The picket, my officer,” cried Casse Tete.

“ We must rush him!”

“ Bang!" '

There was a flash in the fog. and Gabriel’s
horse gave abound in the air while the sharp
thud of a bullet told he was hit somewhere.

They never halted a moment, but dashed on,
when the Russian picket vedette took to his
heels and galloped into the fields, shouting as
he went.

Presently there was a line of red flashes in
the fog on the right, and they heard the whis-
tle of bullets all round them, but for the mcst
part overhead.

Gabriel felt the bay horse beginning to fla'g,
and pulled the colonel’s charger up alongside,
changing his seat as they rode on with a dex-
terity that surprised himself, showing how his
wits were made alert by the danger.

Then be cast loose the bay, and they dashed
on at the same grand sweeping trot till they
found themselves at last alone in the dark fog
on the high road.

They had passed the pickets safely.

Then Gabriel pulled up to a walk.

“ We shall need all these horses can do be-
fore we reach our lines," he said to Casse Tete,
“and in the mean time we'must remember
that there is another force of cavalry ahead of
us somewhere. We may come on them at a
moment we least expect it.”

They rode on at a walk for about a mile
further, but heard no one behind them.

“It seems to me, my officer,” said Casse
Tete, “ that they have given up the chase.”

Gabriel shook his head. a

“Not a bit of it. They expect to catch us
yet. We shall come on the others before long.”

He was right, for in less than an hour’s time
they saw a red glare through the fog ahead of
them, and were almost instantly halted by an-
other picket, whose helmet,looming up in the
fog showed him to be either a cuiraesier or a
dragoon.

The click of his carbine-lock as he challenged
showed the dragoon, for cuirassiers carry no
carbines.

They halted at once, and Gabriel called out
something which was not French nor Russian,
but the German word, ‘ Friends!”

He knew that there were some Austrians in
the Russian camp, and it struck him he might
pass for one in the dark.

The Russian recognized the language in the
dark, but seemed to be puzzled.

He answered in Russian and fired off' his
piece.

“ Now, my ofilcer,” whispered Casse Tete,
“now is the time to rush him.”

“Keep still,” was the answer. , “He has
called for the corporal, who probably under-
stands German. We will get through. We
cannot run through this force as we did the
other.” ,

Presently another helmet loomed out of the
fog and another dragoon rode up, who came
out to our two cuirassiers. ,

“Who you?” he asked, in broken German.

“ Count vou’ Schwartz, of the Imperial Oui-
rassiers,” answered Gabriel, readily. ‘5 We
are on a mission to the French lines to ex-
change some prisoners. It is very important
that we hurry.” .

The Russian dragoon listened, but evidently
understood little. ~

“ You come see captain,” he said, slowly. .

“With pleasure,” answered Gabriel; and as
they rode 03 he kept up a flood of German
conversation, to all of which the dragoon only
answered:

“ Nickie ferstehe.”

When they had got out of sight of the pick-
et, Casse Tete pulled his omcer’s sleeve and
made a motion toward the hilt of his sword,
unseen by the dragoou.

Gabriel nodded slightly. Their lives were
at stake, and they knew not how long they
would be alone.

The dragoon corporal turned his horde to the
right 03 the road toward the glare of a dis-
tant flre, saying:

“ This way.” .

Gabriel rode beside him and Case Tete
dropped behind to get on the other side.

They had not gone three yards in the new
direction when there was a dull thud, and the
unhappy Russian fell forward on his house’s

 

0n went the two adventurers at the same neck with a green, stabbed in the back by

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Casse Tete, who said, as he draw out his drip-
ping sword: , ~

"Poor devil, it’s a pity but it had to be
done, my officer. This is iticklish work were
on.”

Gabriel nodded gloomily. He began to wish
that they could get out of the Russian lines
without so much bloodshed, but he also knew
that if he were taken now, he and his com-
panion could expect no mercy.

Casee Tete put up his sword and they rode ‘

away along the road as before at a walk look-

ing sharply ahead and ready for a dash.
Gabriel judged that havingpassed the picket

safely they would have no further trouble, un-

less the main body of the cavalry column was 3

out-amped on the road itself.

They walked their horses on for some dis— ‘

tance when they saw the glare of more fires
ahead and finally rode into the very midst of
a'large camp, with the fires smoldering away

' and the lines of horses at the picket-ropes

chewing their hay as they stood while the
ground was covered with sleeping men.

They went boldly on taking notice of every-
thing, counting the lines of streets as they
went and passing safely among the sleepers
till they were startled by the sound of gallop-
ing hoofs on the road behind them, while some
one was calling out in Russian:

“They have found the dead dragoon,” said
Gabriel, hurriedly. “Trot up, before the camp
is alarmed.”

They dashed off through the last streets of
the cavalry, but not in time to escape the
alarm. The cry of the approaching horseman
was caught up behind them and the sleepers
began to start up and run out into the road to
intercept the two fleeing cuirassiers, firing pis-
tols.

Then came a short exciting dash in which
Gabriel and Cases Tote drew their swords and
cut at the men who tried to intercept them.

The result of it was that in a few minutes
they had cleared the camp and Were out on
the lonely road again.

Not unpursued though.

The whole camp behind them was roused
and they heard the rapid clatter of hoofs be—
hind them as they swept on, coming closer at
every stride.

Presently Casse Tete looked back and uttered
a. cry of angry contempt.

“My officer,” he shouted, “it is a squad of
miserable hussars that follows. Let them have
a taste of the French cuirassier, for the sake of
the flag."

Gabriel turned his head and saw that h’s
companion spoke truth. Four hussars on light
fleet horses were fast coming up with them
unsilnging their carbines as they node.

“Keep your trot,” he said to Casse Tete.
“ They can’t hit us at this pace. If they come
nearenough let them have it, but they only
desire that we should stop to fight them. it
will give time to cuirassiers to come up to
their help.”

 

CHAPTER XVIII.
A MEETING.

01' went the cuirassiers at the same fast trot
till. they saw another fire ahead.

‘ It was the picket reserve on the other side of
the cavalry camp, and they heard shouts and
cries that told it to be fully on the alert.

Gabriel hastily slung his sword and dived
into the holsters of his saddle for the pistol: be

(ex ted to find there. v

0 his dismay each holster pig‘s was filled by
the neck of a boltle of wine. he colonel had
been evidently a hard drinker.

“ We must get out, each for himself,” he said
to Case Tote. “ Here they are.”

Crack! crack! crack! _ .

. Rod flutes in the fog, spitting out and fol-
lowed by the whiz of bullets; then more shots
from the hussars in the rear, and a scattering
who“. hed h h b

next moment they ms t roug a mo
<2ny or thirt hussars, and scattered the

1181'! horses like 0 at! before the dash of their
lordly big chum

,Thel‘e WM 8 ‘confusion of cutting and stab-
bmg for a few seconds. and then they were of!
a “‘"v the bus“? galloping after them, firing
p BtOlS arid carbides, but not daring to come to
01059 quarters With the men whose strength
they had just felt.

an minutes later the imam gave up the
chase, and Gabriel observed:

“ That is the last of them. Our next hail will
be in French, CasSe Tote.”

He was right. The human had no successors
‘Dd, ten minutes afterward, Casse Tate said, in
O tone of great satisfaction: .

“ We have done it at last, mayor. Who would

1 ' _
» ever have thought it? For in part if I e- ,
i find a church by the wayside,¥ should feel i1

’vowing a candlestick to the Holy Virgin in V

gratitude.”

Now they traveled on unmolested for several ‘

hours, the country round them :eeming to be
entirely deserted. Not a light burned in a cot-
! tage, nor did there seem to be any cottages,
I with or without light. The aspect of desolation
’ was universal, and remained so for several miles
' of further travel.
Of course they realized that a great part of
‘ this dismal prospect was due to the fog and
; darkness: but none the less it had its effect on
their spirits, and when at last they perceived
the gleam of a light ahead of them, Casse Tote
‘ broke out:
“Thank Heaven!
: wandered into the desert and got lost.”
As he spoke, they heard the rumble and rat-
? tle of wheels, and perceived that the light came
. from the lamps of a vehicle rolling toward
£ them. »
| Pretty soon it loomed out of the fog, four
. horses to a traveling carriage, and Gabriel said
I to Casse Tete:
I “Stop it. We might as well know who is
‘ coming between the armies.”
‘ They separated, drew their swords, and stop-
? ped the carriage, the postillions, in great fear,
1 crying for mercy.
E Gabriel told them to be quiet, and rode to the
, door of the carriage.
; ,“ Who is coming this way at such a time?” he
i called out in German. “ how me your pass-
ports or turn back.”
1 “Certainl ,” cried a man’s voice inside, in a
nchous kin of way. “I have asafe conduct
1 from both parties, gentlemen. I am the Prince
4 of Potsdam, on my way to Berlin. Here are
‘ my papers.”

Gabriel knew the voice at once, and took care
to disguise his‘own. I
“ Hand them out here,” he replied, gruflly.

The prince handed out a bundle of papers
with a shaking hand, and our hero took them to
the carriage-lamp.

He found a passport, signed by Tallevrand,
Minister of State, and countersigned by Marshal
Murat, as chief of the advance, givin license
to his Serene Hi hness, the Prince of otsdam,
to s through t 0 lines on his way to Berlin.

sides this was another pa r signed by the
Russian General, Kutusoff, ving the prince
safe conduct through the Russian lines “ on busi-
ness of value to the empire.”

Gabriel saw at once that he could not stop his
rival, and was about to return him the apers
with a bad grace, when a thought struc him.
HC would play Austrian.

“These are all well enough,” he growled in a
tone of distrust, “ but I don’t care a snap of the
finger for the French or the Russians. My
master is the Emperor of Austria, and you have
no Austrian safe conduct.”

“ There are no Austrian troops on this road,
are there 9” asked the prince.

” I call myself one, and if you can’t show me
authority from some Austrian officer, you’ll
have to turn back,” said Gabriel.

“Indeed, I did not think it necessar ,” said
the prince, in some confusion. “ I am 00 well
known as a friend of Austria—”

“ As a friend of France, you mean,” our hero
interrupted him. “ It is well known that you
are oin to marry a French Princess, and that
a renc man carried her away from you.
Where is she now i”

“ She is in this carriage,” was the unexpected
reply. “I appeal to you, sir, as an officer and
a gentleman to let me pass on to the Russian
quarters with her. If on are an Aust ' you
will find out, when it is too late, that you ve
done wrong in stopping me. Let me pass, or
else take me prisoner. I did not come era to
be insulted"

Gabriel listened, and his heart bounded. Inez
was in the carriage.

He concealed his feeling, however, and said
in his gruifest tone: ‘

“ Yeti must come outt be: that carriage at
Once. sus t ouo i as . ore
Casse Tete, [me {he postilliolhga disnrigunt.” ’

He had to speak this in French to make Cacao
Tete understand, and the rince cried:

“ Who are you, sir? I you are a French-

man you shall rue this insult!”
“I am a Frenchman,” returned Gabriel in
his fiercest tone, “and if you don’t get out of
that carriage. I’ll run you through the body.
Do you hear 1”

The door was 0 ned hurriedly and the prince
descended into t e mud, grumbling and swear-

 

in .

% Take him away,” said Gabriel to Casse Tote,
who forthwith conducted the prince, at the
point of his sword, to the roadside, and made

im sit down.

Then Gabriel dismounted, went to the door,
looked in, and beheld two dark figures. The
Prussian had told the truth.

“I am here, mademoiselle,” he whispered,

 

“ I have escaped, as see. Do you still wish
to o to the convent at Austerlitzl”
hoard Inez sob.

“0h, monsieur, that I am glad you are safe!

I

I began to think we had

 

 

 
   

 took me to

   
    
     

W "i s   before
, h, *4 there is no
.  ,Qust submit

 -‘v gym-ls,
Gabriel fellith

“If you   ‘.
defend you gamma 8 W ' _ 
earnestly. t‘Iwilld ‘ ‘ the empemhimhelf.
an on,“ yodwill give me authority to
de end on. ,"-‘~-  ‘ —, . ‘.
“It MW €56 said sadly. “Oh, .

monsieur, forget yoiievfcnhnew me. 'You are
too noble, too generous, .to sacrifice yourself for
e ’ ~ -

Gabriel felt her little hand held out to him in ’

   
    
 
 
   
 

the dark, and be seized it and covered it with

kisses. .

“Oh, mademoiselle,” he murmured softly,
“if I had but the right to protect you from
that villain! But there is only one way I can
obtain that right.” .

He felt her trembling violently, and heard

her whisper: ‘
“What way i" .
“By turning back at once with me,” said

Gabriel, surprised at his own audacit . “ Them
must be villages on the road, and w are there
is a village, there must be a priest.” . .

“0h, monsieurl” he heard her say, and she
snatched away her hand.

Then he heard another voice, that of Babette,
say, 31 ly:

“ In eed, yes, mademoiselle.

and the priest‘s house is close to the road.”
Gabriel felt as if he could have hugged Ba.
bette for those words, and he went on in low
rapid tones: ’
“It istoo late to hesitate, madcmoiselle. You
hate and loathe this man, and you cannot scape
marrying him, save by wedding some one else,
even if it be a form. You do not absolutel
hate me, and I swear to on, that I only see
the right to protect you rom this villain. Con-
sent to this ceremony, and I promise to leave
you at once ina retired spot, and never to claim
any rights that can offend you. Only it will

There is a .
church close to the post-house at the last station,

give me the right to kill the Prince of Potsdam '

if he presumes any further rsecution.” I

Inez said nothin , but he eard her crying in
the dark, while Ba tte whispered to her we
thing the cuirassier heard not.

He waited a little while, and then said in his
most respectful way:

“I am sorry mademoiselle cannot trust me.
I thought the hand of Heaven had brou '
about this meeting, as unexpected b as all.
But since you prefer to marry the rinco of
Potsdam Ihave no right to complain. I will
bid on areWell,mademoiselle.” I

“ h, monsieur, was all she could lay 3

Gabriel, his heart sinking, was just falling '

back when Babette the maid exclaimed, im-
pulsively: ‘

“Oh, mademoiselle, he too will desert us.
Tell him to stay. Anything is better than go—
in back to Berlin.” -

nd as Inez still said not a word Gabriel ‘

closed the door of the carriage and said for the
last time: '
“Farewell, mademoiselle, farewell forever.”
Then, as if the last words had roused her, she
faltered out: -
“ Oh, no, no, not forever. Save me from that
man. I cannot, cannot hear it.”

Gabriel’s heart bounded for joy. He lmrried

back and whispered:

‘: There is but one way. Do you let me take
it?‘

She whispered back almost inaudihly:

“ Save me from him.” a .

Gabriel waited for no more. Be calbd to
Casse Tete:

“Tell that man to march for tho Bil-ha
camp. If he hesitates, shoot him.” »

Casse Tote saluted briskly.

“ Very , major. Here, you Prussian pig.
get up, n ht face, march, or I’ll quicken you
with a bul ct.” -

The clicking of his
night was so distinct but the Prince of Pou-
dam 'um up crying out nervously. »

“ or eaven’s sake, don’t shoot!” .

“March then i" cried Canoe Tete, and away
went the prince at a run, while Gabriel mounted
his horse and said to the pontillions:

“ Come, turn this carriage nick. Wht ii
the station you 'ust came fromll‘
“ Zittau, wors ipful herr,” was the answer.

“ Can we get horses at Zittan?”

“ Yes, mein herr. The road is open as tar as
Brunn. 'lhe French outposts am just outside
the town.”

“ On then to Zittau." . .

And away rolled the carnage again, with the
two cuirassiers ridingobeside it. ~

Inside of half an or they nawl ta ahead
and the stars began to shine throu the fog,
while the air became colder. A frost was not-
ting in and the ground was whitening fast.

The carriage rattled up to the post-hauls at
Zittau and t e postmaster came out in great

surprise.
“ I didn’t expect‘ fired back so

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, heathens at Zittau. That is his house.

gig! statue of vigilance on his
fit the door with the hilt of his swo

‘ alone with me.

é have i consented.

do it I’ll cut of! your head.”
, med two witnesses.”

masts .

..Eewent back to the

x and he helped
'i .did so, he noticed that she still were her nun‘s

Gem-d. 'I went horses far-the neuflauen to

Brunn at ones. How far is it to Bruno!"

“Forty-five miles, ma "‘ said the] post-t,
0!" a

. ’
master, ‘lly. on will
daylight, tar it is now twelve and t stages are
slow at night.” 917' ' ‘
“Yer good. Put tdthehorses. Is there a
priest's ouse near herel”

' The postmas r looked ems-ed.
“ priest! re: surely major, we are not
' Yon-
der by the church."
He pointed across the road.

"Take care of everythin Casse Tote," said

.Gahriel,/ curtly. “I am ing over to the
house yonder. v

N 

_ ood my emcer."
Cane

etc drew along pistol and sat like a
horse, while
el rode over to the priest‘s house knocked

b h looki :fdi w“
presently greeted y an onest- n man
with a law sensible face and the blac cssock

of afi est.
“ ther" said Gabriel, abruptly, “I have

‘ but little time to lose, so I must give quick ques-

tions and ask quick answers. You are the
parish priest?”

“Yes: my son.”

“I am Major Lenoir of the French army.
Will you marry me at once to a lady who is n
macarrisge yonder!”

e priest smiledslightly.

“My son this is a strange request at this
time "Is a lady of age? Do her parents ap-

ve

“She has no parents. She is alone in the
world. I am her only protector. She travels
If you refuse, the reputation
of the lady will sufl'er: for we shall go on as we
have gone. mull consent!”

The priest e a gesture of excuse.

“My son, I have refused nothing yet; nor
1 I am responsible to my
bishop for the marriages in my parish and
under ordinary circumstances I s cold so no.
But‘we are now in a state of war. If can
show to my superior that I was compelled by
military force to perform such a ceremony, he
would excuse me.

“And would the marriage be valid?” asked
Gabriel eagerly.

“A marriage, once sealed by the church is
indimoluable,’ answered the priest solemnly.

* “ His Holiness would excommunicats any one

whosinterfered with it.” h 1

‘° uppose that rson were t e emperor o
the French?" said Gabriel.

Toe priest smiled rather roudly.

,“ All Euro may tremb 0 before him but the
church stan s up on the rock of Peter and
defies him.”

“ Then you will marry me to this ladyi”

“I did not say that my son. I said I might
do it under the pressure of force.”

briel laid his hand on his sword.
“ Then, father, I warn you that if you don’t
“ Then, my son, I will do it for you. You
- Gab-iel smiled.

“ You. shall have my orderly and the post-
and in a few
words explained to Ines that al was ready.

She trembled violently but made no objection
her out of the carriage. Ashe

dress and he said to Babette:
“ new is this? Can we not procure something
more suitable for a weddingi”
Babette took him aside and whispered:
“Monsieur, take her while you can rot her
no matter what her clothes may be. he is
and timid yet and wants to see her
If you show you are afraid, she will
run ewe. from an yet. Don’t you know that
women ike to forced to do things they are
Ion ng for, Take my advice, monsieur, and
ma e no obiections to the dress, it you want
madm‘oiselle. ’
¢ “ But the priest may object.”
“Ah, that is different, monsieur.

master.

Well then

"mademoiselle must take on the hood and veil and

I will do the same.”

She went to her mistress and whispered con-
fidentially with her.

The result was that a few minutes later two
hdies in black dresses with India shawls round
their shoulders, but with bare heads, stood in

‘the priest’s little parlor. while two tall cuiras-

siers and. the puzzled postmaster stood behind
them and the priest in his cassock began the

so as. .
Gabriel Lenoir could hardly believe that it
was all an thing more than a dream as the
father final y pronounced the words:
“1 Pronounce You man and wife. Those

. whom God hath joined let no man putasun-

tier.”

Ines was his wife, but under what strange
drenmetancesl He felt awkward and hard y
hewwhat todo soheeflered his arm to his

     
   

 

th’s Head ‘ '- i 

 

Ilisnd led her' from‘ the room without a

war .

When he got outside he said to Cases Tote:

' “ Go back and give this to the priest and ask
him for the certificate.”

It was a small purse of gold for he had not
been robbed of his money at the time of his cap-
ture. -

The went back to the carriage, and Gabriel,
as be ended in his bride, said in a low tone:

“If on prefer to stay here, I will procure
you a 0d ’ng, but it will be safer to go on to
Brunn, w ere you will have no fears of being
discovered.”

“Whatever you please, monsieur," was the
submissive answer, and Gabriel noticed that
all the agitation had one out of her voice.
She spoke naturally an cheerfully.

Presently Casse Tete came back with the
marriage certificate. and Gabriel handed it to
Ines with the uiet remark:

“ The certi cate. madame. It secures you
from the Prince of Potsdam: but it gives me no
rights which you are not willing to accord.”

‘Thanks, monsieur," was the silvery reply
with a slightly mockin accent, and as Gabriel
retired from the door, 0 could have svwru he
heard a low laugh from Babette in the corner.

But be mounted his horse and they rode on
for another stage and so for about thirty miles,
when Casse Tote observed:

“ My officer, these are_ lendid horses we
have, but they will not last orever to follow a
carriage that changes every ten miles. Wh
should not your honor get into the carri el
will get on the box and we'll lead the orses
behind. They’ll last to Brunn easily if they
have no weig t to carry."

Gabriel hesitated. He felt now what he had
never felt before—a sensation of bashfulness at
the idea of being alone with Inez.

“ Wait till the next stage, at least,” he said.
" The horses don’t seem to me to be fiaggin ."

As he spoke he spurred his own black and t e
animal responded amely for a few steps, then
slackened again. hey began to drop behind
the carriage. and the lights of the post-house
ahead were a welcome Sight. It was clear that
even the grand Orloil’ trotters were getting
tired under the weight of their big riders in
armor.

As the carriage drew up at the postohouse
Gabriel asked the postmaster:

“ How far to Bruno?"

“Sixteen miles—two stages. You will do it
in about an hour and a he] .”

Casse Tote looked anxiously at his master.

“ Shall I dismount, my officer? They can
never do sixteen miles more carrying us."

Gabriel nodded reluctantly.

“ It must be done. Tie them behind.”

Then he went to the' door of the carriage and
said in a low voice:

“I am very, very sorry toi trude, madame,
but the fact is in horse is giving out, and it is
necessary to lea him. May I beg the liberty
of riding inside for two 1”

“Certainly, monsieur," replied the sweet
voice of Inez from within. “ We were pitying
those poor horses all last stage. Enter freely.
I will not bite cu."

And he hear a low titter from Babette.

 

CHAPTER XIX.
IN rm: cannon.

GABRIEL feeling as if his blushes must be
seen in the darkness, was getting into the car-
riage when Babette suddenly cried:

‘ 0h. monsieuri I fo ct. What is to be-
come of Monsieur Forton' ’

“ Monsieur Forton ?”

Gabriel had f tten for the moment the
real name of his gr m orderly.

Yes; he is to

“Oh, Casse Tote. you mean!
ride on the box, of course.”

“Please, monsieur,” asked Babette. “can I
not ride on the box, tool This carriage has
room for two comfortabl , and you and
madame will have a hand things to say to
each other that you will not want all the world
to hear.”

Without waiting to hear his answer, the
maid came bounding out of the carria e, near-
ly falling into Gabriel’s arms as she di so; and
a few minutes later our hero found himself
rolling over the high road to Bruun, alone with
Inc: for the first time in his life. and listening
to the chatter of Babette on the box above; for
the smart Norman maid was talking away to
Casse Tote as if for a wager.

But inside the a Inez said never a
word, and Gabriel foun the silence so mono-
tonous and embarrassing that he at last stam-
mered: H

“l hope—mademoisellkthat is—madame—
is not offended at my presumption.“

“ In what, monsieur?”

The tone of her voice had an indescribable
accent of mockery in it that he did not com-
grehend in the least, partly because it was so

ark he could not see her face.

“ In entering this carriage. I could not help
it, indeed."

“ I acquit you of blame. monsieur.” she said
rather coldly. ” It was evident that you were

 

very unwilling to endure my society, even for
a few hours.” ,

“ Oh, no, do not say that—medemoiselie-
I mean madame—I longed for it—I—I—but I
dared not hope—I—l thought that it would
oflend you."

“IVhy should it offend me, monsieur? You
have a perfect right now, to enter my presence
when you wish. You took care to secure the
ri ht when I was in our wer.”

abriel turned to er impulsive] .

“ Oh, you are angry with me. I have been a
brute to force you to marry me; [at indeed I
saw no other way to help you or preserve you
from that man. Can you ever forgive me!
Ime—l beg pardon. I mean mademoiselle—I
mean—”

“ Do you know exactly what on m
monsieuri" she asked quietly. “ I thought that
I had become Madame Lenoir, to-nigbt; but it
seems as if you do not recognize my title.”

“Oh, if I dared to hope that on were not
ashamed to assume tl at title ow I should
bless this night!" cried Gabriel fervently. “ Is
it possible, lots, that you will do sol”

‘ You have given me no choice in the matter,
monsieur,” she answered calmly. “I rm your
wife, and as the priest told us, a marriage con-
secrated by the church is indiescluLle.”

Gabriel’s heart began to thump like a steam
engine when he asked:

And you really consider yourself my wife
in truth?

She laughed rather nemusl .

“ How can I do any thin else, when I have
the certificate here in my -om, beside your
passport, which I saved or you, though it is a
false one.”

“ And is it possible—by any chance,” he went
on, getting more confused, “that the day run
come when I may hope—that 1—1 am not
together hateful to you i"

“ Hateful to me, monsieur! Why should
my husband he hateful Io mei” .

“ Well, if not hateful, perhaps an object of
indifference?” .

“ Indifference, monsieur! Ah, you cannot
be a cod Catholic.”

“ ota good Catholic! Why not!”

“Because if you were, on would heed the
promise you made before t e priest i”

“The promise. Inez? Ah, you cannot doubt
that I would shed the last drop of my blood in
your defense?”

“ \Vas that what you promised i”

” No—in. fact, I was so confused, so he py. so
fearful of interru ti0n that I had hardly coded
the words, but will keep ivory romise I
made. I ask nothing from you but t 6 right to
protect you.” '

“ It seems to me, mousieur,” she said, “ that

you are hardly aware of what you have done. i

cannot claim such indulgence. I hesitated,
but I married you with my e es open. Do you
know whatare the duties 0 a husband, mon-
sieur, as the priest told us in the service 7"

Mechanics ly Gabriel repeated:

“ To love, honor, and cherish in sickness and
health, in riches and poverty, till death as do
part.

Then he was silent. For the first time he be-
gan to realize the responsibility.

“And do you know what are the dutiuI
promised to assume?” the continued.

He was silent. He did not dare speak.

Slowly, in her soft silver tones she said:

“ To love, honor and obey, in sickness and in
healthpin riches and poverty, till death us do

Then there was a long silence in the dark car—
riage. Gabriel could not see his companion
who had shrunk away to the opposite side, and
it was in a whisper he said at last:

“And can on do all this?”

“ it is my uty now,” was the response, in an

ually faint whisper.

e put out his hand in the dark: it met hers,
and in another moment her head was resting on
his breast, while he whis red:

“ Oh, Inez, is it possib e you love me?”

“Is It not my duty?” she said , but this
time there was a laughin ring n her voice.
" I was brought up in the o urch, monsieur, and
my confessor told me to prefer duty to pleasure
at any time.”

“Then you have no pleasurein loving me?”
he persisted.

She made no direct answer, but he felt a soft
little pinch on the back of his hand, as if to
rebuke his undue curiosity, and somehow,
within a very short time after Gabriel Lenoir
and his strongly-made bride were talking
together as if ey had known each other for
years. discussing the future.

H You will leave me at .Brunn,” she'told him
“ for a soldier’s wife must be content to see 
little of her husband while hostilities. on.
You must also tell the emperor boldly 0 your
marriage. I am a r coward. but you are a.
brave man, and wilmt be afraid to face him.
He will storm rhaps, but on mustbe firm
and refuse to teWhim where‘I am. There is a
lady in Brunn, whom I know, who will take me
into her house, and no one will be, able to find
me. As soon as you have done that, send the

carriage back after that poor Prince of

I,

 

 

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dam.- I begin to feel abn'yat the scary way.
we treated him now that it is impossigle be
can marryme. After that, we must trust to
him and the Empress Josephine to work our

pardon from the em ror.”

He agreed willin {enough to this, and so the
time passed on til hey saw the light of early
dawn stream into the carriage, and soon after
were halted by the French pickets outside of
Brunn.
~ Gabriel got out and announced himself to the
offlxer, who expressed himself as much amazed,
but reorgniaed him instantly.

“ You have become quite a famous man in

’. the Grand Army. ma‘or,” he said. "and even

the Gaseous of the eath’s Heads begin to
swear by you, though the still call you agor
Bl'incbec. I heard Ma al Nay make a ct
with Marshal Murat the other day that you
would be back in safety yet. Yes, you can
pass" Ah, who is that in the carriage with
you

“Hush!” said Gabriel, pretendin slyness.
“ Not a word, on the honor of a sol ier. You
understand."

“I understand," said the chaseeur oflimr,
with a wink., “Ah, we French are all the
mine. Good luck, major.”

They drove on into the city and stopped by
Inee’s direction at a large house in the suburbs.

“Itis the house of Margvaviue of Olmuts,"
she told Gabriel. “She will take care of me.
No 1!. my noble husband, it is time. We must
part”

One close embrace, the first Gabriel had ever
dared to take, and then he took her to the
house and consigned her to the care. of an old
lad . who saluted her as if she had known her
er life, and said to Gabriel:

“Have no uneasiness, monsieur. We will
take the best- c'ire of mademoiselle."

“Oh. yes,” adied Inez, “they know me well
here. Is the Marzrayine visible, Emilia l”

“N)t yet, mademoiselle. I will wake her,
and she will be delighted at your visit."

Then Gabriel bowed low the door shut, and
his new-made wife vanish
, He sent 06' the carriage as she had directed,
and then .he ,and Cases Tate mounted their
weary horses and rode into Brunn.

 

CHAPTER XX.
ms EMPEROR.

Wm the two cuirasaiers reached the head-
guarters, indicated by a large flag, it was broad

aylight.

The first thing that attracted their atteuion
was the tall bearskin shako of the sentry in
front of the flag.

“ Bola!” muttered Casse Tate, ” so the old one
is here, is be?"

By the old one he meant the em ror, for he re-
cognized the shake of the lmper a1 Guard which
alwaysf accompanied the person of the emperor
W l . ‘

Tuey rode n3 to the flag, dismounted, and
Cases Tete be] the horses while Gabriel ad-
vanced till the sentry halted him.

“Can’t pass. His majesty is asleep yet.”

Gabriel threw open his cloak and showed his
uniform, and the sentry saluted.

“Sorr , my oflicer, but the orders are posi-
tive. N one is to pass except one man, and we
shall never see him again.”

“ And who is this one man?” asked Lenoir.

“ Poor Maj )r Lenoir, who they say was shot
by the Austrians at Zittau.”

Gabriel smiled.

uMajor Lenoir was not shot. I am Major

myself. Who said I was shot?"

“ A Prussian ntleman—they said ‘he was a
prince who was ere last night. He went awa
with a safe conduct, major. You can pass, ff
you are really Me or Lenoir."

“I really am. f you doubt it you can call
your officer."

“ No. major, I am satisfied "

Then Gabriel passed on and entered the court-

. here he found a guard
of adlers dozing about on the stone benches
and?” stopped by a second sentry at an inner
doorway. _

His name secured but passage as before, and
he ascended a staircase to an ante-room, when
a Mameluke in all the glory of crimson velwt
and acid lace started up from a sofa where be
bid on sleeping, and said in broken French.

~“Pa.s passed—Defmdu."

[N03 Ilse—forbiddeuJ

Gabr el threw off his cloak. He knew Roustan,
and that the emperor must be in the next room.

“ 1 am 8101' Lenoir,” he said, “and have
come to report to the emperor.”

Roustau put up the saber he had drawn, and

\ fell back pointing to the inner door.

\

“numb

“ Il est la," [he is there] he said.

Then Gabriel knocked at the door, and was
almost instantly answered.

“ Come in. Whois it!”

The cuirassier opened the door, and there was
the emperor fully‘dressed as always when in
campaign sitting up in a large easy-chair be-

le covered with papers.
“‘Aha,” he exclaimed as scan as he saw the

 

cuiressier “ so you are back again like the u a
penny. ell, monsieur, what have you donor?

“ I came from Berlin a week ago b the order
of General Duroc, to find the num of the
Russian army." '

“ Have you found them in

“Yes, sire. The have eighty-five or ninety
thousand men, in uding eight thousand cav-

“as”
h. e emperor nodded and pulled a map toward
1m.

“ Where are they cantoued 'I”

“ They are in bivouac, sire, this morning be-
tween Koniggrats and Olmutz. Yesterday after-
noon their cavalry began a forward movement
to Olmuta, and the whole army will be there by
to night.”

Again the emperor nodded with compressed
lips, and asked:

“ Auythln more? Who is in commandi”

“General utusoff, sire, nominally, but the
emperors of Austria and Russia are both in

camp."
The em ror touched a
“ Tell rthier I want h

tan the Mameluke.

uglbell.
,” esaidto Boas

Then when the Egyptian had gone, he said to

Lenoir emphatically:

“You have done well. sir, very well. I sel-
dom mistake my men. You know that your
namesake the colonel has got a brigade?"

“ No, sire, I didn‘t know it.”

“ He has. Consequently Major Solage, your
senior, becomes lieutenant-color. el, and on are
left senior major. Do you wish to o n our
regiment or remain on special dutyl on ave
your choice.”

Gabriel's heart began to beat rapidly.

“Please your majesty; I would rather join
my regiment. The tact , I am married—”

‘ What I" '

The empemr’s usually marble face was con-
torted with passion in a moment, and his gray
eyes shot out flames.

“Married! You! You have dared without
my leave, monsieuri”

“ I have." replied Gabriel, shaking with his
nervous agitation, but determined not to yield
before the autocrat’s glance. “I was married
yesterda nightto Mademoiselle Inez de Real
maid of onor to her majesty the em rel-s, am
[did it t v save her from marrying t e Prince
of Potsdam.”

As he uttered the last words he felt as if
some one had poured cold water down his back
and he siiflened up and looked at his master
with a sense of relief.

As for the emperor, he sat back in his chair
staring at the Alsatian as if he could not be-
lieve his senses.

“ Repeat that again,” he said, presently.

Gabriel repeated his story briefly, and the
emperor gave a sneering laugh.

‘ So you think that you are competent to de-
cide'the fate of Europe, young man. You un-
dertake to contradict my plans. Where is that
romantic maid of honor!”

“ My wife, sire, is in a place where I am not

at libe at‘ present to reveal, even ‘to your
majesty.
“ Why not?”

The emperor‘s tones were calm. He did not
m an angry as Gabriel had expected to find

“ Because if I do, your ma esty ma declare
the marriage null as you didt at of t e Prince
Jerome. and I am not one of your majesty’s
family.”

The emperor laughed in a'hard, bitter way.

“ I should think not. No, you have the im-

deuce of all the Bouapartes put together. It
s a lucky thing for you that you are a brave
man. Major Lenoir, or I would order you out to
beshot. Instead of that, I am goin to make
your death serve France. You wil' report to
Colonel Splage, and rejoin your regiment. I
shall take care to pat on in the hottest place
to be found on the fie d, and I expect you to
leave Madame Lenoir a widow hetero one week
is out. Do you understand me, Major Lenoir!”

" I do, sire. I am to get killed.”

“ See that you do it as quick as possible. If you
are alive this time next week 1 shall have
something further to say to you. Good-morn-
ing." '

He turned to his papers just as Marshal
Berthier, chief of sin , came sleepin in rub-
bing his eyes, and Gabriel Lenoir went soberly
out from the presence of the Emperor of the
french with the one thought bunting in his

end:

“ He told me to at killed but he was not as
angry as I thought, and he did not say he
would break the marriage.”

He found Casse Tete standin by the horses,
all three, man and brutes, nod ing in the early
morning sunlight, and he roused up hisorrluily,
rode down the street and in uired for the quar-
ters of the Death’s Head Cu1rassiers.

He was directed to the public ardens behind
the arohdural palace, where he ound the regi-
ment in bivouac. the new colonel, Soulage, in
his shirt sleeves watching the men at work on
their horses and every one busy and dirt .

He went up and repo to the coloue , who
eyed him from head to foot searchingly.

 

 

 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 

A , already. Itie
’ billion" $313?“ “tibia mfl'fi
on u sworn ‘ on on
have tostandit new.” , y y
_ CHAPTER XXI.
_m comma ‘

Tuna was no disguising the fect’from him,
self that Gabriel Lenoir was not liked in the
Death’s Head Guirassiers. I

As be scanned the long lines of dark faces,
some of them almost ii 0 those of Arabs, he
caught nothing but scowls in his direction, and.
when the c-illoers began to come up and report
after stable duty, and found him staudin by
the colonel, there was not one friendly 7:880
amen them.

He ad but one superior in rank in the regi-
ment; for, the lieutenant-colonel having been
killed, the senior major had taken his place and

_. /’

pm-

I
.\ .‘

had command or the Death’s Heads, Colonel Le-

noir having a brigade under his control.

Therefore Solute was his only superior; and
Bolage could not in decency rel with his
second in command, while all t e rest were be-
low him.

80 Gabriel settled down to life in the '
from which he had been so )0 absent. and so
himself at once to the task 0 making friuids
with his brother officers

He was assigned quarters by the adjntujt,
and found Cease Tete there almost as soon as
himself, polishing, scouring,
master’s chargers, and loo i

ng after breakfast,
all at once.

rubbing down his.

“ We are in luck,'major,” he cried, as soon as' ‘

he saw Lenoir approach. “ I thought we should
never see the big black again that you took
from the Austrians at Ulm, hut herehe is, the
same as eyer. . it seems the colonel ave orders
to keep your horses till you came back, when
every one else wanted to take them. Ah, he is

a good man, that Colonel Lenoir, and it is no, ’

wonder that I like you so, with
name.”

It was indeed true, and Gabriel found the
he was incomparany the richest omcer in the
regiment in the matter of horseflesh. a consid-
eration of importance to cuirassiein, whole
henVy wu‘ihts rt quire the best of mounts.

He took is breakfast alone, and felt rather

tliesame

lonely

pair of dark eyes he knew not to be very far d
from him: and he had fallen into a rever'e on
the subject, when a grim, dark- ed mine-

but he was kept,up by the thought . of 'a I

sier, in full uniform. stood before him at a la. .

lute, and extended him a letter.

“ Who is this from i” he asked.

“ Colonel Lenoir, my officer.”

Gabriel opened it and read:

“ Major Gabriel Lenoir, of the Death‘s Read (his
rassiem, will report at once to these head-gunners
for cial duty.

“ y order of Col. comdg. Brigade E.

“ Brunei). A. G.”

Gabriel receipted the envelope and handed it
back, and then called Casse Tete.

“ Is the Black Austrian fit for work!"

“Yes, major. The Russian will be all

tomorrow, but he wouldn‘t do much today.‘ .f

“ Saddle the Austrian then."

He inquired for Colonel Imoir's quarters and , ’ 3.: "1

3.!”

found that worth warrior in a tent outside
town. He had threey a”
under his orders. .
Now that he was away from his dark
meat, Lenoir senior, was a different man.
greeted Gabriel cordially, and said: ‘
“ I know they don’t treat you well among

the

‘L: 1
/

l V.

 

. cs; '-

 

 

regimenb and a battery 

, \

Death’s Heads, but it is a point of honor with '  I I

them to have no fair men amen them. I have
heard of all your exploits, and am proud of
you. I wished to treat you civilly when I met.
you at Ulm. but I really did not dare. I he
ieve those fellows would rise in mutiny if the

saw you getting good treatment in the reg:

/

ment. They don’t mind the emperor promote " '.

ing you as long as he keeps you away from
them; but ou’ll never be happy amon them.
How woul you like to come on my stag!"
Gabriel flushed with pleasure.
“ I should like it of all things,
hangdgrsraromr’hisskmajesty.”
‘ a o ers a ed the c ’
hesimmd. olonel, seeing 

colonel, but . 

 

“ To stay with the regiment and killed in-  
y a

side of a week,” said Gabriel, frank
Lenoir stared and then laughed.

“ Why, what have you been about to get'mch " 

an order!”
“I have married, colonel.”

Colonel Lenoir made a grimace. He m a‘ ‘m’k' ‘;
,,

bachelor and woman-ha ter.

“I 'should think he mixht leave you to die  i

a natural death. Whom did you marry! 01- u.
it not a fair question i"
“ I have no objection to answering it, colonel,

My wife was maid of honor to her majesty the

.mpress Josephine.”

Lenoir, senior, whistled.

“The devil! Not the one that was pla
nun, and
when she ran away from Berlin!”

“ 1 fear it is the same, colonel.” .

f‘ Well, major, all I can say is that you are t

came near costing his majesty {hilt

 

 

 

Imgsandwhispe

 

  

I

devilish lucky fellow, inleth ,
I know who that lady was?” . m. , , . '
“ I presume to colonel; I At least '1' ed
her as Mademoiselle Inez'de Real.” ’
The colonel took a pinch of énufl, in imitation
of the emperor.
“ It is not every husband that knows all about
his wife,” he said.

 

  
 

~ and half the royalist princes in Europe. She

was to marry the Prince of Potsdam for State ,
on haVe spoiled one of the prob .

reasons, and
tiest little plo that Talleyrand ever concocted.
No wonder he told

make her a wid0w as quick as possible. My
friend‘ you have sealed your own fate. If you
. love T’alleyrand, you are bound to get killed."
“But I don’t love Talleyrand,” retorted the
01m man, smilin . “I don’t intend to get
ll , either, colone , if I can keep my head
8816 with m hands. I intend to see you a mur-
sha‘l and to a colonel myself before I’m ready
to ie.’
Lenoir looked at him with some admiratibn,
. as he rowled:
‘ “ I ieve you’ll do it yet.
‘ aorrdy you won’t go on my stuff.
ma on

There, there, I’m
I would have

t pleasant for you. But, as it is, you’re ,

better of! with the re intent. We shall have a
battle before long. at me see. This is the
30th of November. ‘The Russians are advanc-
lug. They think they can beat us. “Te shall
'soe, about the day after to-morrow. Good-by,
‘ma or."
brie] returned to his quarto feeling that
, he had one friend in Brunn; an as his duties
with the regiment were a more nothing while
a they lay in bivouac, he strolled out in the even-
ing, wrapped in his cloak, with the object of
seeking a stolen interview with his wife.

He had no difficulty in finding the house, but
the courage necessar to go up there boldly
.failed him; and be new, moreover, that he
might be tracked, and so give his wife into the
power of the emperor or Talley‘rand. He did
not know which of them was really im licated

' in the State schemes he had frustra by his
wedding.
_ Hesitating over what to do, he had paced up
' and down the street several times, when he
,heard his name called in low tones by some one
behind him.

Looking round, be perceived a small door in
the wall that surrounded the garden of the
house, and recognized the head of Babette the
Norman maid of Inez, peeping out after him,
and whispering:

" Come in, quick. Some one may see you.”

We ma be sure the cuirassier was not slow
toobeyt e invitation; and he was in at that
low door in aesnoment, when Babette locked it

r .

“I told madame on would come. I said so.
She thought that h s majest would punish you
and come to hunt for her; at I knew better.
Grand folks think we servants don’t see nor
’ hear; butI know what goes on as wall as the
ladies, if I do get my news at the key-hole, as
the saying is.’

Gabriel laughed. He felt so happy that he i

hn‘gged Babette, sayin .
. . You’re a splendi girl, Babette, worth
‘your weight in gold. How is she?”

‘ “0h, crying all day, as usual. Some ladies
arenever pleased. One would think that she
we in to marry that prince still, though I
to! er t at was impossible now.”

“ Impossible? I should as so, as long as I
'_ “above ground. And I on‘t intend to go
- under it for a little while yet, Babette.”
» “I hope not, monsieur. I su pose you want
tosecmadame; but 1 must tel you that will
nothesoeasy in the house. The Margravine
hates the French and will not have one of them
in the house if she can help it. Still I think I
can manage it, if you will stay here. There is
a' summer house in the corner of the garden
I and I;le get madame to slip out here and see
cu.
.She conducted him to a small summer-house
behind some closely clipped box-hedges, which
. looked as dismal as summer-houses are apt to
do in the last days of November when the days
are cold and we
'. Here Gabriel waited patiently for nearly a
-. gunner of an hour at the end of which time
an made her appearance and whispered anx-
iously: .
“ l have only a few moments. Oh how silly

  ,iofyouit was to come; but I am just all silly,

for I cannot help being glad in spite of the dan-
ger. Tell me quick, was the emperor very
angry?" /
Not so much as I expected: but he ordered
me toget killed within a week so as to make
on a widow. If I fail to do that in the next
. ttle I am to report for orders.”
Then he told her all about his interview with
the emperor and added:
' “But I am not going to t killed to obli e
“ him, Inez, and I could not el seeing that e
'. wasnotsoanwashepreten edtohe. There
is something dden under all this. Tell me,

 
  
 
   
    

  
 

“That lady is first cousin ;
to the Empress of Austria, the King of Naples, ‘

you to get killed. He can 1
not annul the marria 9 because that would.‘
. leave a stain on the lat y 3 name; and the only 1
chance he has of accomplishing hisends is to *

 

 

‘.
u‘ sf“! ,
. _ N

‘l
x I

th’snesagassieis; » ' I x  i;

 

Hells-est, who are on? colonel Lenoir told me

' that on were u to a lofty personage and made

out 1", at 1 had t e impudence of Satan to marry
you.

She gave a soft little laugh as she nestled un-
der his huge cloak.

“It is true, monsieur. I am connected by
blood with the Bourbon family, and it was to

secure the Prussian alliance that his majesty ‘

wished me to marry the Prince of Potsdam.
But that is all over now. The Mnrgravine of
Olmutz is a distant cousin of mine. who hates
I’ruSsians and French with equal sincerity.
She does not know that I am married, but
thinks thatI have run away from the prince
again and has promised to take care of and hide
me. When she finds out what has happened I
fear she will be very angry. In the mean time
I am hidden here and no one can find me. If
our peo 19 win this battle they expect, things
will be tter for both of us. Here is a pa r
which the prince left in the carriage behind
him. I do not know what it is, but it may be
of value to you. Take it with you. 'And now
it is time to say farewell. They will be looking
for me if I stav long.”

And Gabriel Lenoir sorely against his will,
parted with Inez, not knowin when he should
see her again and went bac to his quarters
with the paper she had given him in his pocket,
almost forgotten.

CHAPTER XXIII.
THE SUN or ansrnnu'rz.

WHEN Gabriel Lenoir reached his quarters
he found everything in‘ such a bustle that all
thought of the paper in his pocket was banished
from his mind.

The regiment had received orders to move
and the men were packin and saddling in si-
lence by firelight, with tha celerity and silence
which comes to old soldiers in a campaign.

Casse Tete had his master’s property all in
order, the horses ready, and inside of ten min--
utes the late quarters of the Death’s Head Cui-
rassfers were silent and deserted while a column
of shrouded figures, with crested helmets and
big black horses, was movin of! at a walk down
the street of Brunn to the high road that led to
the Hungarian frontier by way of Possoritz and
the little village of Austerlitz.

They fell in behind the rest of Colonel Lenoir’s
brigade, traveled all ni ht in a driuling rain-
storm, and went into blvouac below the lights
of Pratzen, where they remain all the next
day, during which troops were moving into
position all around them and it was evident
that a great battle was im ending.

To Gabriel Lenoir the inactivity of this da
was very tr ing. He longed for action an ,
for the first time in his career since he had en—
tered his regiment he found that he was igno-
rant of what transpired round him. and had to
stay in camp and watch movements of whose
ob ect he knew nothing. '

ate in the evening of that day—the lst of
December 1805—how well they all remembered
it in after yearsl—the soldiers in the French
camp heard the rumble of artillery from the
direction of Olmutz and saw a red glare on the
hights of Pratzen.

There was a general feeling of restless excite-
ment throughout the cam and even the digni-
fied veterans of the Guar Were not as impas-
sive as usual. .

They knew the Russians had come.

What force had the enemy, what force the
French only one man knew, and he kept the
secret locked in his breast.

Gabriel Lenoir knew the strength of the Bus-
sians and wished he knew how many men were
clustered round the French eagles, but the
knowledge was denied him.

The distant rumbling kept on and the whole
sky was red with the fires of the Austrians

when the night mists began to rise as usual and I

shrouded the whole (prospect in gloom.

The Death’s Hea Cuirassiers were at their
suppers after cleaning horses, when the order
came round to saddle up and be ready to move.

This roused the excitement to fever heat and
when the men realized that the whole brigade
had the same orders they could hardly be re—
strained from cheering. They thought the
battle was about to begin in the night and the

fa .

gut as soon as the horses were saddled and
the ranks formed another order came that
quieted them down.

The men were to rest on their arms all night
and keep u their fires brightly.

“No fig t till to-morrow, major.” observed
Solage to Lenoir. “I wish those Russians
were all at the devil. They‘re going to rob us
of a night’s sleep for nothing.”

Casse Tetecame to his master to ask:

“Which horse will you ride to-morrow, sir?
The Russian and Austrian are both in good
condition now.”

“ Which will carry me furthest?”

“The Russian, my officer. He is a giant.
But then he may give you trouble. ”

“ How, Casse Tete?”

“Oh, your honor knows what these drilled
horses are. He may take you into the midst
of the Russians when he sees their uniforms.

/ V

 

 

On that account I would say take the other.
Besides he is fat and wants work."

“Very well, Cassa Tete. Saddle the Aus-
trian.”

He remained by his fire for a while, but his
position in the regiment was too di ble
or him to remain quiet long. He haii no one
to speak to but his orderly and Solage, and
the latter was decidedly cool and averse to con-
versation.

Noting the fact that the brigade lay next
to the grenadicrs ol' the Guard, he strolled over
to one of their fires to chat with the officers,
too proud to approach those of his own regi-
ment who declined to associate with him.

He found these strangers courteous and cor-
dial, and found also that they had heard his
name and knew of his peculiar position in the
regiment.

‘ Never mind, major, obserVed one grcnndier-
ofiicer, consolineg: “to-morrow may make
great changes to a good many of us and you
may find your account among the rest.”

Gabriel tried to feel comforted by the idea
but he could not help being loomy and after a
few words strolled on towa a little hillock on
the left of the guard from which he hoped to
obtain a better view of the enemy.

To reach this bill be had to-pass among the
camp-fires of the grenadicrs, and suddenly he-
came aware that a little man in a gray over-
coat was also strolling among the fires, ex-
01128133113 a few words with every soldier as he

pa. .
He knew the emperor in an instant. He had
seen him before on the eve of a battle when he '
was simply General Bonaparte, circulating
among the men dropping words of praise and
encouragement. On such occasions the emperor
rarely spoke to officers, except to snub them,
while to the common soldiers he was familiar
to a degree only pardonable because of its
rarity
Al things considered, Gabriel thought it best
to keep out of the way of his majesty, but he
forgot that his tall form, cnirassier helmet and
long cloak made him a conspicuous figure.

He was retiring out of view when he heard
the voice of the emperor cry sharply:

“ Hola, Monsieur le Cuirassier, what are you
doing here? Come hither!”

Then there was nothing for it but to turn
round, salute and answer:

“I crave pardon, sire, but I was only taking
a stroll.”

The emperor beckoned him up and looked at
him from head to foot in his most awe-inspir-
ing manner. He was, in fact, trying to stare
Gabriel down; but the young man refused to be
cowed.

“Well, major,” said the emperor at last in
the driest of tones: “so you are determined to
show that you defy my orders.”

“On the contrary, sire,” replied Gabriel,
calmly; “I was considering at that moment.
how at to obey them so that your majesty
might have no reason to complain.”

‘ .Dld I not tell you to return to your own
regiment and get killed?” asked the emperor.

‘f l have obeyed your majesty. Colonel Le-
nosr asked me to go on his staff and I refused in
obedience to orders, sire.”

The emperor shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, see that goo obey them tomorrow.
I ex t you to lea the regiment.”

“ hat is impossible, sire, while Lieutenant-
colonel'SOIage remains my senior.”

The emperor smiled. \

“True. I had forgotten the details. Well,
get killed as quick as you can.”

He was turning away after this cynical
speech when he seemed to remember something
and asked, abruptly:

“ Ah, by-the-by, where did you say your wife
was major?”

“ In safet , sire. That was all I said.”

Then Ga riel saluted and went away to his
quarters, the emperor looking after him with a
I. ight smile, and muttering:

' He has stud in him. that young man.”

The night passed quiet] , and Gabriel was
lying, wrapped in his cloa before his horse’s
headn half—awake in the early‘ hours of’ the
morning when his ear became aware that the
ground was trembling as if distant thunder
were growlin .

Raising his head to listen he found that the
men, as they lay in line before the horses, were
waking u and listeniég too. I -

Presently several 0 cers rode by and one of
them said to Solage:

“ The ball will open at sunrise. The enemy
are tryin to turn our flanks.”

Gabrie . as the ssed on, noted the cocked
hats of officers 0 t e general staff, and longed
to understand what was going on, but did
not ask any uestions.

Presenth t ere was a murmur in the whole
army and e heard the grenadiers getting under
arms. .

Then up trotted an orderly to say:

“The brigade general’s com liments, colonel.
You Will mount your men an move do“: be-
hind Marshal Soult’s corps.”

Then came the subdued bustle of mountin
and the dark column of the Death’s Head:

I

 

 

 

.3»

 

 

 

a

is

moved‘o'ut Of its bivouac at awalk, the men
still shrouded in their long cloaks.

“The battle is about to begin,” thought our
hero; but he was wrong, for the regiment had
to dismount and wait a weary length of time
by the marshy borders of a little stream before
the sun rose. ‘ ,

And all this time the rumble and rattle of the
enem ’s artillery could be heard plainly mov-
ing 0 to the left, though the fog was so thick
nothing could be seen.

Presently out of the fog on some low und
to the right they began to hear the ratt e and
roar of volleys with the heavy, snapping re-
ports of brass cannon; but still no order came
tothe Death’s Heads to move.

At last a shaft of yellow light pierced the fog
and they saw the sun rising, when as if at?
magic the vapors grew thinner and dispers ,
bringing into view the whole battle—field.

Then, for the first time, Gabriel Lenoir saw
what had been done and what was to be done.

Before him and the cavalry was a dense ar-
ray of infantry soldiers-Soult’s corps—at the
borders of a little stream, and on the other side
of the stream rose a steep hill crowned with a
village and a church spire, but bare of defend-
ers, while the glittering columns of the Russian
army were describing a wide circle to envelop
the French left wing several miles off.

He turned round in his saddle to look to the
rear and saw that they were in front of a little
hill on the summit of which the emperor him-
self. on a white horse, and surrounded by a
glittering staff was pointing to the Russians and
giving orders.

As the last speck of mist broke up, so did the
group of officers, and went galloping of! in all
directions.

One of them, a stout man with a Hebrew face
——Marshal Soult—car‘ne tearing by the wires-
siers at full speed and in a few moments more
the bugles sounded, the infantry moved for‘
ward to take the hights of Pratzen and the bat-
tle of Austerlitz had begun.

Thirt minutes later cannon were roaring all
round t e hights of Pratzen, the Death’s Head
Cuirassiers were deflling past the village
church, but the French were in full possession
of the key of the battle-field, without firing a
shot. __

CHAPTER XXIII.
DEAD on TRIUMPHANT.

BUT the French were not destined to occupy
the ition which the Russians had vacated so
fool shly, without molestation.

Presently the brigade of Colonel Lenoir was
ordered to move out to the rear of the new po-
sition and beheld long lines of the enemy ad-
vancin to retake it, headed by the Russian Im-
perial uard.

A large body of cavalry too was seen to come
tearing up from a distant part of the battle—
field behind the Rassians, and as they halted
each man dropped a grenadier who had been
riding behind him to take rt in the strife
which now became furious al over the plateau.

What was going on in other parts of the field
Gabriel knew not, all his attention being con-
centrated on his Own duties.

The cavalry was kept busily employed for
some time drivin off the enemy’s horse, but
had not come to c ose contest yet when a staff
officer came tearin down from Marshal Soult
and was seen spea ing eagerly to General La-
tour Muubourg who heads the cuirassiers.

A few minutes later the same officer came
gallo ing up to Solage and told him:

“ Ypou are ordered to come with me. A Rus-
sian batter is playing the devil to the left and
It must be ken.”

Sol 9 nodded.

“ Al right. The Death’s Heads will do it.”

- en the moved off at a trot over the field
already we] covered with dead bodies of men
and horses, while the humming of round shot
over their heads told that they were coming
into a hot place.

They found Marshal Soult in the midst of a
hot fire and saw before them a field covered
with smoke.

French regiments, in irregular masses, fringed
with fire and smoke, were slowly falling back
toward the marshal, several batteries of artil-
ler were firing madly away amid dead and
dy ng horses, broken carriages and all the con-

of a losing fight. _

The marshal rode up to them and pomted out
into the smoke.

_ “The enemy are there, colonel," he said rap-

ldlY- “Lenoir’s brigade will charge their right.

I Want you to dash at the center. There are at

least “1 rt? 8“!!! there and whether there are

infantry supports or not I don’t know. I want

$032 Suns quieted. My men will support
ou.

Bolage saluted. He was rather pale, for

‘ any one could see they were going on a des-

Derate service. .
But he drew his sword, sounded the trot, and

the Death’s Head Culrassiers swept forward

0'" the smoke-hidden field.

It was the am time Gabriel had seen them in
‘ te char
We as he look

, and his blood thrilled with
along the line of dark, stern

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_‘  r Lyn. ‘ u .. p  .- — a. ,~ ‘ - L
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faces, the black helmets and cuirasses.’ the v

sable chargers. A ine of gldomy terrible horse-
men they looked, where t a only points of light
were the bright swords and the fierce gleaming
eyes of the soldiers. ‘

The exhausted footmen saw them comin
and looked round to cheer them; the weari
artillerymen paused in their frantic ramming
and sponging to wave their hats and shout; the
smoke hung heavy over the fieldzthe round
shot came tearing through their ranks; but the
dark lines closed sternly up and moved silently
on at the same steady trot; the earth trembling
beneath them, the clanking of their armor
drowning all other sounds.

Gabriel rode abreast of his chief, and so they
went on till they saw a red sheet of fire leap
out of the bluish pall of smoke in front.

Then came a. sickening crash and they saw
the colonel’s body literally blown into bloody
fragments by a twelve-pound shot, while at
least a dosen ghastl gaps appeared in the
ranks of the terrible eath s Head Cuirassiers.

They had meta salvo of artillery at short
range, and even those iron men staggered and
began to pull at their horses, slackening their
trot.

Then it was that Gabriel Lenoir, waving his
sword. shouted like thunder:

“Follow me, Death’s Heads. W'ho will go
furthest, the blonde or the blacks ?”

His answer was a stern shout, and the ranks
closed up firmer than before.

Then with another roar of “ l’ive L’Em-
pereur I” the Death’s Head Cuirassiers burst
out of the pall of smoke and dashed into the
midst of a long line of guns, stabbing horses
and gunners and riding up and down the bat-
tery raging like demons, silencing the whole
thirty guns in as many seconds.

The stillness that followed was broken by a
wild cheering in the smoke behind them, and
answered by a terrible volley in front as a line
of Russian infan;ry came running down to—
ward them.

For a moment it seemed as if the bold horse—
men were doomed in the hour of their triumph.

Then came the thunder and rattle of more
cavalry on the ri ht and down rushed Lenoir’s
brigade to the be p of the Death’s Heads, while
the wearied infantry of Soult plucking up fresh
heart came sweeping over the fields to secure
the guns.

The Russian infantry stricken in flank by
Lenoir, in front by the madd ned Black Cui—
rassiers, threw down their arms and surren—
dered by scores.

From that moment the battle seemed to
Gabriel like a dream of blood and revenge
as he rode among the furious horsemen, cut-
ting and stabbing mercilessly at the fleeing in—
fantry.

When he came to his senses fully he found
that there were no Russians nearer than a mile;
that their army was cut in half, and that the
batteries of the victorious French were playing
on dense helpless masses of men in the valley
below, while the battle was virtually over.

He looked around for his regiment, remem-
bering that he was now its major.

Some distance ofl behind him he spied Came
Tete with a single trumpeter, and he rode back
and ordered the latter to blow the rally.

And then, from all over the field, with dri
ping swords, their armor streaked with bl ,
some wounded, all looking as if tired out with
slaughter, the grim men of Gascony came
trooping back to that familiar call.

There was no more fighting in that part of
the field, but it took a good half-hour to collect
the regiment together and form a line. They
came in singly, by twos, by threes. in squads:
some with officers, more without, but as they
came up every man made a punctilious salute
to Gabriel, who sat on his horse in front of the
new line, and the 'oung man felt that he had
at last conquered is enemies. One by one, the
officers who had looked upon him so freezingiy
before, rode up, and saluted with respect, and
when, at last, the regiment was formed, the
adjutant, his face covered with half—dried blood
from a saber cut, reported and asked:

“What are the orders, major?
mand the Death’s'Heads now.”

The words made our hero start, though he
knew them to be true before.

He commanded the Death’s Heads.

You com-

But as he looked over the diminished line of ?

dark horsemen he sighed:

“Yes, i command—what is left. Have you

taken the reports?”

“ Yes, major.”

“ How many men are lost?”

“We went into action with four squadrons
of two hundred men each. We can muster
three hundred and fifty blades fit for duty now,
but there are a hundred and twenty-seven who
will ’come back to the regiment in a month or
two. ’

Ten minutes’ fighting had reduced the regi-
ment to less than half its numbers and of the
captains and lieutenants only sixteen were left
out of thirty—sewn or, eight. Grim work in
such a time.

Gabriel cast his r383 OVer the field and saw a
body of cavalry lying at some distance in

   
  

 

 

-,  regimegt there, and found

a :- mu s‘w ' -at ismen.

“ My Death’s Heads have done three times
the work you have, and they’re back, while you
haven’tgot your reports ready yet!” he roared
to a group of colonels who were trying to get
their men in shape.

Then to Gabriel he said with a curt nod: »

“ Take your regiment and report to his
mgesty by the church at Preteen.”

Solage. Probably he knew or suspected what
had happened.

Gabriel led his diminished column slowly over
the bloody field, where the horses started at
every few steps to to avoid treading on a
dead body, and at last came to the little village
of Pratzen, which he found full of troo .‘ and
where he saw the imperial standard outing
from the church tower. ‘

As he rode under the walls and halted. he
looked up and saw the emperor, in the familiar
gray coat and threecornered hat, with a tele-
scrpe at his eye, watching the smokein the
distant valley.

His own eyes naturally turned that we ', and
he saw a sig t he never forgot, and whic was
are of the most fearful episodes of that fearful

ttle.

small lake, covered with ice and black with
escape the ravages of the French guns. As he

looked, a grand salvo of artilery was fired, and
the balls could be seen to strike the ice. ‘

despair, heard a mile off, the whole mass of
Russian fugitives was seen todisappear in the

won.

Gabriel saw the emperor compress his lips
with an expression of pain, give a all ht shud—
der, and then turn round and come
tower stairs.

door, his face were its usual calm pallor. and he

the cuirassiers drawn up by the tower,‘ till
Gabriel dismounted, came up and stood before
him, saluting: ‘

Then the emperor stopped and looked at him
in his sternest way saying:

“What! are you here again? Itold you to
get killed.”

“ Instead of which, sire, Iescaped alive, but I
have the honor to report that myr iment took
thirty guns and lost five hundrgf and fifty
men;

“ Your regiment,” repeated the emperor in a
tone of inquiry. “ Where is Solage?"

“Dead, sire. Killed in the charge.
the honor to command the regiment.”

The emperor compressed his lips and looked

deliberate emphasis:

“Very well. I shall have togive you the
cross, I suppose, and make you colonel.
you need not think to escape me. I told you to.
get killed, and you have not done it. Instead
of that, you have forced me to promote you.
Youn
it wil not last forever. Take your men into
orders.”

Gabriel saluted and turned awa . For the
first time in his interviews with his idoliled
chief, he began to feel troubled.

There was something so coldly stem, so
utterly pitiless in the marble face of . the
emperor, that he began to think that his trials
were only beginning.

He was
step that he took in advance seem
him into fresh perils. _

The emperor had said: “ You need not think
to escape me.”
mind to Gabriel’s death?

As he did

into camp, and took off his cuirass.
t pocket and

so he fe something‘in his breast-
before.

' CHAPTER XXIV.
ran SECRET TREATY.

THAT night there was high revelry in the
camps of the French round the village. » Con-
trary to the usual custom of the emperor after
sued, and a

 

 

" a victory, the pursuit was not
flag of truce came in from the

1 tion of hostilities, which was granted at once.
The fact was that the rodtion of the emperor,
several hundred miles

, and he was as glad as the Austrians and the

I Russians to negotiate for peace.
l

Therefore the French troops had nothing to

Russian fugitives, fleeing to the other side to.

black waters, and the battle of Austerlitz was '

own the'

I have,

man, you have had wonderful luck: but *'

promoted; it was true: but every
ed tb lead

Had he then really made up his‘

Revolving all these things, he‘ put his mom

'8, bOrae by
Prince John of Lichtenstein, asking for a cessa- -

e did not express surprise or ask after ‘

Down in the valley, half a mile off, wasga .

At the same instant, with a general cry ofv'

When he made his appearance at the lower . .

paced up and down without taking notice of - *

at him doubtfully. At last he said, with slow ,

But- i

\

camp, and report to me to-night, for special“

found the paper Inez had given him two days \ ,.

rem France, in spite of' 1
his victory, was not devoid of serious danger; ,

i do but celebrate their victory, which they did ..

’r with all the enthusiasm of their nation.

Lenoir, pale» and gloomy, sat by a hivouao fl
r which he had receiv

I And in the midst of all the rejoicing, Gabriel

poring over the pa
rem Inez,

. While 9 was still puuling his brains

and w ich hesawatonce who?
I somethinglof importance. .

  
   
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
     
   
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
   
  
 
   
    
  
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
   
   
   
  

   
 

 

' C" J

 ‘ 3 whatto do witbitum orderly" ' I
4 ,.a dispatch from the colonel commanding
. , brigade; his own old namesake. . »
‘ I It ran thus: ,
. “ll! Dina Bovz-You will be inieresteddn th
orderleendyou. Itbiingshicktousboth.
. “ Yours tml ‘

, “Ayuo. Lenora.
'/ “ General of Brigade.“
‘ Appended to this was the cup of an order an-
nouncing promotions on the lie .
, ~ Two paragraphs interested Gabriel at once,
2' . as Lenoir Senior had foreseen.
.;  One announced the iromotion of Colonel
‘ r August Lenoir of the eath’s Head Cuiras—
. f aim. to be ueral of brigade; the other that
‘ Major Gabr el Lenoir, “ for gallant conduct
in the field, was appointed colonel, rice Lenoir
promoted "
The young man‘s face flushed with pride. He
could not help it.
“I have done it ” he said aloud. “ I have
ytaid in the regiment till I am its colonel. I have
‘ ' married Ines. At least I shall die a colonel."

Then he waited patiently for the summons
he expected from the emperor, and it came at
last in the form of a visit from a staff officer.
,who told him he was wanted.

He called Oasse Tete; put on his best uniform;
wanted the Russian charger be had taken from
the colonel of cuirassiers, and rode to the head-
quarters of his chief, whom he found surrounded

. byladjutants, dictating to three men at once.
' 1'. The emperor nodded to him.

I.) Q

«33-; v r--'x— .— .-—A.;

, ,3.
.

. .‘\'k
55».

\

~ 3%.“;“i2‘1acv: - 
a . ‘- ' J. ..

~4- .

wagwuufle M '«f‘. m»,

 

 ,3 " “Ah, colonel good-evening. You have seen
{1},” V ' the omotions?"

 . fl. ‘ ' “ es, sire."

 " . “You have earned yours, and something else
 too. Come here. ”

l. H; took the cross of the Legion of Honor from
. v his breast before all the officers, and put it on
" i»  / Gabriel’s breast. _

‘ ‘r 3 “Wear it. colonel, to remind you that it is
better to obey orxlt-rs than to please oneself.
Ar? you ready for the roadl”

‘ The road, sire?"

v -‘ ‘ “The road, onlonel. I wish you to go to

' Berlin at 01100, to rep at to General Duroc."

'Tw‘.’ Gabriel lookel blank. ills precious reception
;' I .had made him forgot tor a. moment the

‘s ‘ Vemperor’s saying:

. “ Do you thunk you can escape me f"

*  He gnlped down his disapimintment.

“ I am always ready to obey your majesty." 3

‘ “Very gool. Here are your dispatches. A
word in your ear, colonel.”

I 4 He led him to an inner room where they were
out of emshot of tho oflicm‘s.

o , ' ‘-‘I am about to confide in you, colonel, to

General

#3,, ". goes If you are worthy of pardon.
, . ‘- ' . ‘Duroc has hitherto rucroeded in keeping Prussia
 out of the coalition against 1119—”
gt: 1 ' l “Pardon me, sire," interrupted Gabriel,

. boldly; “He has done no such thing. Look
. here. I

As he spoke he drew from his pocket the
paper Ines had given him, and handed it to the
em ror.

V tvwas the draft of a secret treaty betwaen
. 3, Austria and Russia, by which all three
3;,” .4 givers agreed to unite their forces to put down

‘ e French em ire and restore the Bourbous to

; .j the throne of nce.
. y The em r looked at it from beginning to
' end with flashi
' ’ '-» the! naked Gabrie :
. “ Where did you get this!”
I ~  “It was taken from the carriage which the
‘ ~ " Prince of Potsdam had just left, sire.”
 '- “ How long ago?”
a - “ The night before I had the honor to report
;‘ . .. my‘ arriage to your mnyesty."

)1
V
/
y a
l

eyes and compressed lips;

 

on
Who gave it to your
“ I am unable to inform your majesty."
He was very pale as he said this, and he
2 fully expected an outburst of rage.
‘ « v; But the emperor did not seem angry only
 htful, for he muttered to himself:
. - v’ ‘I “ net as I thought—a woman."
a. u f Re paced up and down the room several
1 _, turns and at last said directly to Gabriel:
" ~' I ’ “ Was it your wife?"
* Gabriel made no answer.

 

“ The emperor nodded, saying:
,;-.— - ‘ “After all I was a youn man myself, and as
.. - xgreata fool as the rest, in those days. Come. I
'\wili give you a chance to earn your life,
I I Colonel Lenoir. This paper is a draft only.
. 2 Find out for me whether the treaty was signed

v‘.. l ornot. and I will forgive you.”

7 ' Gabriel turned on the em r.

‘ g -l .“Bire. to do that, I must )QCOIDG a spy again,
and I admit that the Office is an abhorrent one
,, tome. Twice havn l escaped by a miracle.
‘ l The second time it was to n woman I owed my
,Iafety. 'That woman is my wife, and your
majesty Wishes me to make her a widow—to
marry her to the bitter toe of France. Hear
me. . one moment. General Duroc encour-
Z aged me to believe that your majesty was not
set on this match, but was aiming to deceive
'- .f _ ,the Princa of Potsdam to amuse the Court of
i. Prussia and keep her out of the coalition. I
5 helped Mademoiselle (is Real to flee from Ber-
_ -‘ - fin to take refuge in the convent of our Lady
' g! _ of Austenliiz. was taken a prisoner, and on

 

*

   
 

 

    

' m‘ eeca found
" thz verypinan shebhe: ed and who was plottin

 

 

 

 

returning in the power of

to destroy France. In only one way could
then aid ertoescape. The convents weroall
cloM. l married her to protect her. I have
served your majesty faithfully in all else but
this, and for this I must die. Very well: I am
content to die as a soldier, but not as a my."
The emperor listened to him quietly and
watchfully. VVben he had finished, the first
man in France went on as if the other had not

spoken.

“You will proceed at once to Berlin with
dispatches to General Duroc. You will be
allowed to travel by Ipost and to have such
company as you deem t.

“ You will send your wife to Paris and she
will resume her duties with the empress under
her maiden name. If on can find out for me
what. I want to know will pardon you for the

ast. These d tches are secret. and give to
neral Duroc ull discretion. When he sends
on back to Paris it will be time to talk of the
uture. Wh- re is your wife now? I give you
my word that I will on'y send her to Paris if
you tell me the truth; but I forbid you to tr
and see her on any pretext. Now, sir, where
she?”

Gabriel told him and the emperor smiled on
him more graciously.

“You have told the truth. So will I. At
the moment you left her garden last night her
whereabouts was reported to me. I could have
sent her to Berlin this evening as soon as the
road to Olmutz was open. Now fare you well,
811‘.

He waved his hand in dismissal, and Gabriel,
hardly realizing what had happened, want
slowly out, found a carriage and four horses in
waiting, and was whirled away on the road to
()'mutz before he had fairly collected his
thoughts.

He found the road open only in the middle,
where a passage had been cleared, while the
ditches at the sides were still filled with Rus-
sian and Austrian wagons, broken down, dead
horses and groups of teamsters cooking their
suppers by small fires.

It tool: the earrings about two hours to pass
through this wreck of n be \ten army: but after
that everything was open to Olinulz. and from
there to Berlin the roads were open, horses
plvntiful and the traveling rapi'i.

0n the evening of the second day after leav-
ing Austerlitz he reached Berlin. drove to the
French location and found General Duroc grave
and noxious.

“ Well?” was the embassador's first question,
“ has there been a battle?”

" Yes, general, at Austerlitz, ten or twelve
miles from Brunn. We beat them badly, and
by this time peace is negotiating.”

Duroc uttered a sigh of relief.

” Thank Godl Now we can beat these Prus-

 

cnmna xxv.
in:an m 1806.

A WINTER and summer had passed away from
the time that Gabriel Lenoir went to Berlin to
resume his irksome duties, before he again set
foot on French soil, and in all that time he
never once heard from or saw the bride from
whom he had been so abruptly parted after the
victory of Austerlitz.

It had been a year of restless anxiety to him-
self, com lled to remain in the midst of a peo-
ple who ated him and whom he hated. Bis
increased rank and nouns in the legation
had indeed rid him of the old necessity of tight-
ing duels to maintain his immunity from insult.
for he could only Iguarrel with equals, and all
the colonels in the russlan army were old men
who had past the dueling age. '

But the succession of petty bumiliations and
slights he and Duroc were forced to undergo
would have angered less patient men. and to all
their private complaints to the emperor at
Paris came the same response b courier:

“ We are not ready to crus Prussia yet.
Keep on good terms with them."

To Gabriel, who was a young man. the sus-
pense was intolerable. and the tone of conver-
sation in the Prussian ca ital exasperating.

Accustomed to consier the em ror as the
first soldier in the world, and Frenc soldiers as
the cream of all warlike material, he was
obliged to listen silently to all sorts of slurs
from old generals who had learned the trade of
war under the Great Frederick.

“You French are all me well," said one
whiteheaded general at adlnner-party where
he sat next to Gabriel; “but on have never
had to fight the soldiers of- t a Great Fritz.

You’ll do well enough against undisciplined i
Turks and Arabs, or even against the motley 3

levies of Austria. where they talk a dozen lan-
guages in one corps.
the conquering- stock. Our ancestors overthrew
the Roman pire in its pride, and Prussia.
Single-handeddefled all Euro in the seven
years' war. Your emperor di well not to pro-
voke the King of He knows that we
can eat him up.”

i

But the German race is :

came   tri-
t Hanover was deliv-

And then in Janna
niggh to the Prussiane t
er

ever.
Over and over again Gabriel came to his chief
and implored him to send him back to his -

ment. He could not stand tie boasts of e
Prussians.

Duroc only answered:

“Patience. Our time will come.”

Another irritation to Gabriel lay in the fact
that the Prince of Potsdam had been sent to
Paris in the PruSsian legation, and that he was
obliged to read in the Mmu‘tmr—Ihe ((11ch
French paper—long accounts of grand balls at
the Tuileries, in which the names of the prince
and Mademoiselle Inez dc Real figured together
in the most conspicuous fashion.

The old prince and princess, whom he was
obliged frequently to meet in public, made a
point of ostentatious liteness toward him,
and the princess especially took frequent op r-
tunitiee to tell him long stories about “ her go -
ling boy,” between whom and Gabriel she
merged to imagine a devoted friendship ex-
ist .

She told him on one occn'ion that she had
been much displeased with the flight of marte—
moiselle, till she discovered that she had only
fled to her German relatives in Austria, when
she had attributed it to nothing but maidenly
coynesa and had forgiven it.

“ For I was once young myself. colonel." she
said wag ng her ancient head, “and now that
the s bee in Paris, with the good influence of
Madame St. Jean, whoi one of us—not a pure
yenu creation of that vulgar French court—she
will come to her senses. No one can resist my
son long. and it is not every girl who can get
the chance to be a princess in a stable old
family.” ,

And to all this Gabriel bad in listen. for he
had received strict orders iron. Duroc on no
account to admit his n nrriage. ,

“ llis mnj aty takes strange fancies,” he told
Gabriel, “and leannot for the life of me tell
whether he desires the prince to wed martemhi-
mile or not. You lmnv». I summsc. that under
French law your mun-hire is void. as lacking
‘ the Consent of the man u ho rules Franco. 4 But
as I will lefore. I cannot tell whet her l‘e menus
to tlt‘i‘llll‘a it void or not. Patience. Our time
will come at lasts" '

And it came when Gabriel was so sick at
heart that ho had given up expecting it.

It came one day when our hcro was out on
the famous walk “ Untcr drn Mndm,” return-
ing slowly to the location from the palace,
where he had been to cnrrya formal mismge
from Duroc, congratulating the old king on re—
cowry from an attack of rheumatism. =

The gigantic grenadiers of the Guard. with
their tall caps of the fashion of half a century
back, had been mountingguard in front of the
palace, and he had been ingering to watch their
maneuvers, when a trawling carriage covered
with mud dashed up to the palace full speed,
and he saw the tall figure of the young Prince
of Potsdam jump out and run up the steps. has-
tily answering the mechanical salutes of the
sentries. .

The youn colonel’s heart gave a great bound
as he saw h a old rival.

“ Potsdam back. That means war” he
thought. “He was minister at Paris. When
the minister leaves his post it is the prelude to

war. Thank God!"
He quickened his ce through the streets
help on foot, and as e went, noticed that the
poop e stared and scowled at him as if they had
hefil'dktb. paws.

e new ow rumors ii in a cit and w a
not surprised. Other peb'ple couldy'interpi-i-t
si ns as well as himself. , '

Vhen he reached the legation he found a
rabble in front of it booting the tricolor, while
Cum Tate, who was faithful to him a. of old,
stood on the upper steps looking savagely down
at the Germans. They were for the moat art
boys and very young men, who were bel ow-

ing:

“ Out with the French! Out! outl”

Gabriel stalked into the midst of this rnbhle
; and thrust them right and left like children cut.
I of his way, so that they shrunk from before
: him: but when he reached his orderly he hefll'il
Casse Tete so under his breath:

“They’ve n gathering ewr since a car-
rlage passed by at a gallop Is there going to
be war at last, my 0910119] ’ ‘

“Yes,” said Gabriel. buriiedly. “ Where i.-
‘ the general?" .

“In his cabinet, my colonel. Shall I take
a stick and drive away these curs?"

“No. Let them howl. Come in and shut
the door. If they dare to break the windows.
we shall know what to do." .

Jesse Tete obeyed with a grim smile. The
' old soldier began to smell powder and the odor
excited him. -

 

‘ ‘fonnd Duroc quietly writing.
He told him what had happened and the
; general laughed, and handed him spa r.
‘ “It came in the last bag from Paris.
Gabriel read it.

\

up to them, and they bragged louder than "

Gabriel went up to his chief’s cabinet and V

 

 

 

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“ On the filth of’ September we shall give Po tedam
his p rts. Pniesia will be required to evacuate
Hanover or fight. Have your baggage ready to
come away on the last of September.

“ Tsumw."

‘ \

" You see. To—day is the 29th. This Prussian
has beat us by one day. We were to have gone
mmorrow anyway. But what is that noise?”

A murmur in the streets growing louder every
moment. Shouts and yells audible through the
closed doors. Then the crashing of glass.

“The mob are breaking our windows,” quoth
Gabriel quietly. “They have heard the rumor
of war and want to begin at once, general.
Shall we fight them?”

“By no means.” answered Duroc, as calmly.
“ Let them smash the windows and all down
the tricolor if they dare. So much t e heavier
will be the bill of damages.”

He threw open the door and listened. The
roar of the crowd outside was growing loader
ever, minute.

“get us go down-stairs, colonel,” said the
general, "and it may be as well to take our
swords and call up the servants. We don't
want to submit to personal harm.”

When they git doWn-stairs they found the
front door closed. Casse Tote, with a carbine
in his hand, was getting the servants into line
and they were all armed, but looked fright.
encd.

They conli hear the deep voice of the cui-
rassier scolding:

“ What are you afraid oil This is nothing—-
Only a mob of boys without arms. Even if one
or two of you get hurt, you will die under the
tricolor. This is nothing. Get into line there,
you, Baptiste. Hold that musket up. Do you
want to shoot your comrades?"

Thomas Duroc came down, he saluted and
grumbled on:

“ Eh, general, such a lot of conscripts! But
thev’ll fight. for all that. Shall we open the
dome and charge the rabble!”

Bang! bang! smash ! clash .'

A regular volley of stones rattled in at the
waiting-room windows, followed by a yell from
the mob outside. '

“Odt with the French!
was the shout outside. .

Then General Duroc turned to Gibricl:

“ Do as you please,” he said. “I am not re-
?onsible if it happens when I am lip-stairs.

ut, remember, if you give them a lesson, let it
. be sharp."

He turned away and walked up-stairs as
another volley battered against the door and
Gabriel said to Casse Tote:

“Open the doors and let them have it."

Chase Tete, looking as grim as if he were
about to criarge a batterv. strode to the doors.
unlocked them and threw then wile open.

Thou they saw the cowardly crowd at the
0p iosite side of the street, and a dead silence
fol on the mob as the behold the servants
of the legation armed w th muskets.

Gabriel walked out on,tbe steps and waved
his hand, crying in German:

“ Clear this street at once. This is the French
. legatiou and we shall fire if you throw another
stone.”

A shout came back from the rear of the
crowd, but those in front began to push out-
wardly and run away.

The servants of the legution came out on the
steps and Gabriel cried:

‘, Cock your muskets.
thrown.”

The edges of the crowd began to melt away
and the people to run up the street just as a
troopof Red Hussars trotted round the corner
and came rapidly up.

The moment. the German rowdies saw the
“We” they dispersed, and then Gabriel saw
that the hussars surrounded
which drove up and halted. t. sprung i, 9
Prince of Potsdam, tall, trim. handsome and
brilliantly uniformed with a smile of triumph
onéiisfacg-e.  d t to .

9 re ne no reco ise Ga '
said tophim haughtlly: g“ bnd’ but
I hear him the

“ Where is the ambassador.
ultimatum of the king.”

“ I am secretary of the legation,” said Gabriel
stiifiy. “ 1 will take your papers, sir.”

I Potsdam aved him aside.

“I come row the King of Prussia and I deal
only with the embassador."

Gabriel planted himself in front.

‘ I represent the emperor of the French and
I want your rs.”

“Very wel , sir." ‘

The prince with a covert haughty smile that
ex rated Gabriel—he knew not why—
ban ed him an envelope.

“, I will see whether the ambassador will re-
csive you,” quoth Lenoir coldly. “Will you
enter the reception-room? If it is not as com-
fcrtable as it was you may thank your friends.
They‘lliave just broken our windows.”

“ at is not all that will be broken,” was the
rude answer. “ In three mopths from now,
Wear we will be in Paris.’

albrlei smiled sarcastical y.

Drive them out l”

Fire if a stone is

 

 

  
  

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,
ar '

.9" 93‘ 1,398: 539' 3 9- a 

' “Perhaps. If so we always m our pris-
on well.”
a turned away and took the letter to Duroc
who opened it, lanced over it and said gayly:

“Atlast. l t ought they would do it. It is
an uLtimatum. We are to evacuate Prussia
and apologize for violating Prussian territory
last year or take our passports. Where is this
messenger, colonel.”

“ It is the Prince of Potsdam.”

“ Indeed? Then they mean business.”

He went down-stairs and found the prince
impatiently striding up and down the reception-
room waiting. .

“ Well, monsieur,” he said sharply; “ is your
answer ready l”

“ n. is, prince. Have you our passports with
you?

The Prussian’s face lighted up eagerly as he
pulled from his belt the papers.

“ Here they are, monsieur. Then I am to tell
the kingdyou mean war?"

“ edly, prince.”

He took the passports and added:

" I suppose you see what your mob has done,
to the legation. You will have to pay for that
also.

" “'0. shall be ready. monsieur, when we have
taught your emperor that the soldiers of Prus-
sia are not Russians or Austrians by any
means."

Then he turned to Gabriel and addressed him
directly with a sly malicious triumph that the
young man was at a loss to account for. It
was so unlike the demeanor of the prince when
the had last met.

The man set mod to have changed his nature
and looked as haughty as when Gabriel had
first seen him at the Pavilion of Diana.

“Monsieur,” he said. “ I learn that to you I
owe a special dcbt above all Frenchmen. You
haveTsaVed me from marrying a girl of whom
it is only necessary to say that my family re-
pudiate llf'l'.”

Gabriel turned as white as a sheet and his
eyes blrm‘d us he asked hoarscly: l

“ To whom do you refer?" i

“ To Mademoiselle Inez dc—” l

He got no further when Gabriel‘s glove smote ’
him across the face as the cuirassivr hissed out:

“ Liar and coward. I will teach you to re-
spect her better when we meet next on the field
of battle."

“So be it.” said the prince with a
smile. " I will kill you then.”

 

ghastly

 

CHAPTER XXVI.
a GORGEOUS GENERAL

IN the very midst of the German Confedera~
tion, half—way between the .\orth Sea. and the
Alps, lies the forest of Thuringia.

lt COVore the whole stretci of country be-
tween the Rhine and the Elbe with the Erz
Gebirge mouhtains on the south and the King-
dom of Prussia proper on the north, with a net-
work of small rivers traversing)“ and running
into the Main, the Weser and t e Elbe.

The Main. as every one knowa flows into the
Rhine below Frankfort at Maints or Mayenco;
the Wcser and the Elbe run into the North Sea
through Hanover. At the southern part of the
forest, near the Eric Gebirge mountains, all
these rivers are small streams, but further on in
the Kingdom of Hanover they are only passable
by bridges. ‘

One week after Gabriel Imuoir, in the French
Legatiou at Berlin. struck the Princc of Pots-
dam in the face with his glove, the defiles ol'
the forest of Thuringia cchood to the rumble of
artillery, the steady cluttering march of miles
on miles of cavalry and the buzz of conversation
in the columns of infantry while long striu of
baggage-wagons stretched from the foot 0 the
mountains for more than a day’s march to the
northeast.

The French were entering the forest from the
borders of Bavaria.

On the other side of the vast stretch of wqods
and ravines, the Prussians were ra idly push-
ing forward toward the French rontier at 
Coblens. and had already got as far as Eisenach, l
with their forces scattered over the country in g
all directions, feeling about for the French, ‘
whom they expected by the direct road from ,
the west. . . 

In the midst of this forest of Thuringia ran.
at the time of our story, the boundaries of half 3
a down petty duchies, rand duchies. margra- l
'3‘“. landgravates, am all those minute divi- i
sions which then characterized the German Y

nfcderation and which had come down from ;
the Feudal States of the Middle Ages. ‘
. In peace-time, every little State had its army, 1
its police. its custom-houses. its passwrts: but 1
in t 9 storm of war which broke over Germany i
in 1806 all these distinctions vanished. . l

The giants, Austria, Prunia and France, ,
mart-hm where they leased over the bounda-
ries of these principal ties.

Thus. it happened that a regiment of French
cuimssnerx‘. pushing out from the left through
the forest toward Goths found itself confronted
at that place by the whole arm of the duchy
of Saxe Coburg Goths, consist ng of twenty-
five gorgeous hussaru, a company of infantry n

 

t

   
    
   
  
  

 

' ~gold’ andthegianteinsflverhelmets
a‘ndcfiq whose leader in the uniform of a
sacral, came riding down to the borders of the
ittle stream that s. pnrated him from the
French and observed to the French colonel: ,

“ We are very sorry to be discbliging to you,
monsicur, but this is the territory of his serene
highness, the Prince of Potsdam, who is also
hereditary Grand Duke of the Duchy of Saxe
Coburg Goths, and if you persist in the attempt
we shall be comde to fire on you.”

The colonel o the French cuirassiers was a
powerfully built, but very young man, with a.
fair face and delicate blonde mustache.

His uniform was singularly plain and dark
without a touch of gold, save n the cross of the
Le ion of Honor woich he were at his breast;
and his followers, officers and men, were equally
plain and somber.

It was noticeable too that he was the only
fair man in the command. all the rest being
swarthy, black-mustacth giants on big blue
horses.

The colonel looked pale and gloomy: but his
face lighted up as the other spoke and he asked
with great civility:

“ And who, may I ask. monsienr, are you?

“I am the fir-ldmarshal, Herzog [Duke] Al-
brecht von Wildhausen, of Saxe-Gotna, gener-
alissimo of the forces of his serene highnees,"
was the pompous answer in a tone of great

ride.
p “And where is his serene highnessf" asked
the colonel, in the same courteous tone. -

” At Eisenacli, in command of the  of I
" Who 7

the first army."

“ The first army i" asked the colonel.
wmffilllnalfl lit!" P H b l h in

“ is i mess, rinoe oeno e, err- -
chief to thi king." eqn I

“And you are sure he is at Eisenacbf”

The gorgeous general conSidered.

“ Well, no. He was there vesterday. To day
he may be near Coblens. The fact is. colonel.
that our people are going to take Paris this
time. so you may as well go back.”

“Our people!" echond the French colonel. I

“ Am you :1 ’russian tlion z’"

The general drew himser up.

“No. sir. I am a Suxe Cebqu Gothn man
on my sovereign’s l ind.”

Tl: - young colonel burst out laughing.

“ Very well, then. What are you going to
do if I advance. I have eight hundred cuiras-
1:51;? and you have nota hundred and fifty,
a .

“I shall trust to your sense of fair playto '

send only equal numbers against us uta time. " 5 ’

thcn we have beaten the first lot you can send
another, and so on.”

The
with s innocent proposition, and Gabriel
Lenoir—for be it was—had orders cal to
reconnoiter in that direction. He saw that the
other was not a practical soldier, and it immc-
diately struck our young colonel that lie mi"ht
gain information by humoring his fantaies~ or
awhile.

“ I have a fairer plan than that,” he said to
the general. " Supposel send a single uadrcn
of my men out in your rear till they sight the
Prussian forces. Will you let them pass! In
the mean time, we can have a little tournament
here, all to ourselves, and decide the relative
merits of our systems of training. Have you
ever been in action, general?"

The general blushed as he admitted he had
not; but added that he had studied the works

of the Great Frederick, and had trained hisarmy .
Prussia at  '

on the rinci les which had placed
the h of al Europe. -

He objected to letting any French said 
cross the stream, but had no ob'ection to their
maneuvering on the further ban ,

Gabriel saw that be had psrleyed long enough
and that the time for action had come. With
all his pomposit the General Duke of Wild-
hausen was gain ng time, and he had noticed a
hussar officer ride of! to the rear while the con—
versation was progressi

He gave the signal
squadrons behind him which had been deploy-
ing out of sight While he Was talking to the
general. came crashing through the woods at a,

slow trot, swept over the stream in imposing -

force, and lol the infantry of Sunflome

Goths, in their white and gold uniforms, stood

staring at them in amazement, while, the Black
Cuirassieni came tramping all round them. , '

Then the gorgeous general, very red in the
face. gallopcd up to his men, shouting:

“Why didn’t you fire at them as they
crossed?" ‘

The captain. a white~headed veteran with .
pigtail, saluted stifilg':

“ We had no or are, general: Besides, we
are surrounded. The roper thing to do is to
surrender ourselves.
way out, but we are not cavalry.”

Gabriel heard the colloquy, and could hardly
hel roaring with laughter. All the officers
an men of the usually Solemn Death’s Heads
were grinning at the confusion of the noble
army of Saxe‘COburg Gotha. and in the midst
of it all the valiant Duke of Wildahusen drew his

Born: on general seemed to be in earnest .
l

n .
gr advance, and the'

e cavalrycan cut their .

 

sword, shouted to the hussan, “Fbliow use!" ‘ ‘

   

.

 

 

 

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and galloped off ashard ashe could tear on,
the road to Eisenach with the light hofsbmen.

Gabriel detached a squadron to follow him
slowly at a trot, for he felt ashamed to slaughter
such a ridiculously small force of men, and then
spread out his men on all the roads in the
vicinity to examine the country. -

Half an'hour later he was startled by the in-
telligence that a heavy column of Prussian cav-
alry with guns was moving rapidl toward him,
and he drew in his troops, sent t em back on
the road to the main army at Baruth, from

‘ which he was distant about ten hours’ march,

and resolved to stay himself to the last moment
to see what was to be seen.

He was moved to this determination by the
fact that both armies were as yet feeling for
each other, and it was important for him to find

 

inoble arm of Gotha he saw them bait and

deploy in line while the hussars began to fire
into the woods in front, in the most brilliant
style, and the two cannons in the rear were
brought up to open on the wood.

At the same time the cuirassiers spread out
into a line. and halted in rear of tho uns. It
was obvious they thought the Deaths Heads
still in the wood in front.

A smile of contempt curled the young man’s
lip as he saw this cautious advance, and he
turned his attention to the carriage.

It had stopped in the lane, and as be looked
through the glass more intently, he saw that
some one was getting out, while an orderly held
a horse in front.

Then he uttered a low curse as be shut up the
‘ glass. He had seen his foeman. It was the

out the force and location of the enemy if possi- ' Prince of Potsdam himself.

his, without letting them know his own re-
sources.

He was mounted on the Russian Orloff trotter
which he knew to be able to distance any heavy
horse in Germany, while the faithful Caste Tete,

! on a similar animal was close in attendance on

him.
As soon as he had seen his column off on the'

road to Baruth, he trotted out himself in the ‘

direction which the valiant Duke of Wildhausen
had taken, and soon top )ed a hill from which

.1 he could look over a broa ex nse of cultivated

country stretching from t e forest toward
Cass-ii.

In the midst of this country, coming along
between green lanes. and still two miles off, was
a long glittering string of horsemen stretching
for about another two miles.

He looked at them carefully then turned to
Casse Tete:

“How manv of them should you say there ’

are?" he askeduhis faithful follower.
“About six hundred, my colonel. They are
riding by twos. But they have a gun with

them. See, there are our friends the hussars in *

the advance coming in skirmishing order. They

‘ ‘ think we are still where they left us.”

“Do ou think there are any more behind
asse Tete ’4”

“ No, my colonel. We could give them a fine
now, if it were not against orders.”

, “ It 13 never against orders to destroy a foe,

. Casse Tete, but it would draw the attention of

 

‘ ' glee, saluted and

I

‘ . the’hope
. information of value to the army.

the (mom to this part of the country.”

Casse ete looked longingly at the cavalry, l

and could not help murmuring:

It must be some
prince thev have with them who wishes to make
War in style.”

Gabriel unslun his field-glass and leveled it
on the column. e could indeed see the outline
of a carriage above the hedge-rows. and it oc-
curred to him that this carriage might contain
some person of importance, as Casse Tete had

so

/’ esitatin for alittle while, he at last made
up his mid to attack this luxurious warrior, in
that by so doing he might acquire some

He had joined his regiment three days before

" I at Coblenz, where Duroc had left him to go to
A Paris, and he was still brooding over the words

of the Prince of Potsdam:

“ You have saved me from marry/in a girl
0 whom it is onto] necessary to say I at my

math; iafa her.”

What d d the villain mean? His mien had
been one of triumph-mt malice, and for the first
time in their as uaintance he did not Seem to be
afraid of G-ihrie . Had the prince found out
his marriage, and, if so what made him so tri—

uwant over it?
nking over these things till his head reeled
With anxiety over sible harm to Inez, he was
hardly in a fit con ition to command troops in
a campaign; but as he watched that lonely carv-
ri , so out of plus in the midst of marching
sol re. a strange fancy came into his head.
He id to himself: .
“ at if the Prince of Potsdam himself he

in that carriage? If he be my chance may have

come, and I will take it.”

He turned to Casse Tete.

“Ride back at a trot to the regiment, and
bring them round here through the woods. We

y'  ‘ will give them a trial.”

Cases Tete, his grim face lighting up with
rode offas fast as his horse
canld trot, while Gabriel from his commanding
eminence watched the slow advance of his foes.
Through the ass he could see that they wore
the uniform of he Prussian Cuirassiers of the
Guard. and be counted the files till he saw that
they numbered about as many men as he had
himself, with the addition of the very orna-
mental troop of hussars of Saxo Cohurg Gotha,
in their white and gold uniforms laced and
furred in extravagant style.
, The position hehad taken was off the road,
sheltered from view by a heavy growth of fir-
trees, and he could watch them at his ease as
they wound along the lane in unsuspicious

t .
As they neared the place where the read
crossed the little stream where he had met the

1

He looked round and listened in vain for the
coming of his own men. He wished now he
had not sent them away.

Then, to while away the time, he watched
the figure of the prince through the glass, and
saw him speak to some one in the carriage.

A woman’s face a .ared at the window,
the face of his own wrfif’

 

CHAPTER XXVII.
A DISCOVERY.

THE unhappy young ‘ husband dropped the
glass be was holding to the earth Wit a low
cry as he made this discovery and trembled all
over with rage.

He had seen Inez before in the wer of that
man, and had had no fears. W at then was
it now that caused him to gnaw his lip till it
bled as he looked down?

It was the insulting words of the prinee at
Berlin:

“ You hare saved mm from. marrying lie?‘ I”

And yet here was Inez de Real, his own wife,
in the some carriage with tlmtman.

It was lucky for Gabriel that he was alone
then, for, had others been present. they would
have seen him break down.

But after the-first spasm of 'ealous rage had
passed over he lifted his hea ,und a ghastly
smile lighted up his face.

He heard his men coming.

The dull clank, clank, cloak, of scabbard on

 

1, stirrup as they came, was the swvetest of music

1

to his ears.
There lay his foeman, not half a mile below

I ' “Ah, how we could beat those greenhorns. 1 him, his flank in full view, while the terrible
See, my colonel, they have actually a carriage f Death’s Head Cuirassiers were coming up at a
p in the middle of the soldiers.

trot over the soft carpet of pine cones behind
him to his aid.

He turned his horse and gallo back.

“ Net a loud order,” he said, urriedly, to the
leading captain. “ Spread out in two lines.
Do everything by signs,”

The veterans needed no second bidding. They
remembered their young colonel at the field of
Austerlitz. and since that time the ranks had
been filled u with new men who had heard the
most marve ous tales from the veterans about
the white colonel of the Black Death’s Heads.

They were prouder of him now than they
had been of Lenoir Senior.

“ He can’t hel his eyes and hair,” they would
say. “ The 00 God aye him them. But he
has done al he coul to be worthy of the
Death's Heads. He has taken the name of
Lenoir, and he is a cuirassier to the core. ”

So the grim heroes of Austerlitz spread out
silently to either flank. and when they emerged
from the woods in line. and went sweepin
down ata trot on the Prussians not a soun
was uttered.

They had actually got nearly a hundred
yards out of the woods before they were fully
noticed below, and then came a wild scene of
confusion as the Prussian officers shrioked out
orders totheir men and began to wheel their
squadrons to form line in the new direction.

Then Gabriel Lenoir waved his sword, pointed
to the confused mass of plunging horsemen, and
cried out:

“After me. Death‘s Heads 2”

A deep-toned roar of trium h came from un-
der those black mustaches, t e sable chargers
quickened their trot to a. slashing pace, and the
whole line, Without a swerve or break in_ its
magnificent order, swept down on the Prussmns
and drove them in headlong rout from the
field.

As for Gabriel Lenoir. he had rid ien straight
'for where he had seen the Prince of Potsdam;

' but in the confusion he missed him, and, when

he at last came to the entrance of the lane,
there stood the carriage alone. a mob of Prus-
sian horsemen galloping madly awav down the
lane, others scattered over the field in all direc-
.tions, but still no prince to be seen.
He dashed up to the carriage and shouted out
to the terrified driver?
‘ “ Who is in this carriage?”
“ Nobody, so please your highness, but two
ladies.”
“ Two ladies!”
He was off his horse in a moment, and, at the
carriage window. was met by the wrinkled face

 

of Madame la Marquise do Saint Jean, who
simpered out:

 

 

“ Wh .' it is Colonel Lenoir himself. Oh, how
hapgy am to see you?” , .

“ ho is in the carriage with you?” demand-
ed Gabriel, slowly. not noticing her politeness.

“ In the carriage? Why, of course you must
know Mademoiselle de Real. You remember
her, colonel?”

“ What is she doing here!” pursued Gabriel,
as sternly as before.

His heart was growing more bitter than ever
as he saw Inez herself did not look out to see

him.

“ What is she doing here?” tittered the old
lady. “Well, realiy colonel, that is a most
singular question. know it is war time; but
by what right do you ask such a question! “7e
are ladies, sir, not used to the manners of the
barrack-room.”

Gabriel smiled bitterly. He saw that the old
marquise had been into some plot against him,
and was afraid of its beinr discovered, but
he was on] thinking of Inez m that carriage.

“You as b what right I ask a question of
her, madame.’ he said. “If on know any-
thing, you know that ‘the la y is my wife.
What is she doing in a carriage with the Prince
of Potsdam ‘6"

“Oh, no, not with the Prince of Potsdam.”
the old lady replied, sweetly—“ with me, with
me, monsieur. No one will dare associate any
impro riety with her name under my protec-
tion, hope. We have traveled a few miles
under the escort of his highness, but that is all,
I assure you.”

“He was in the carriage not half an hour
ago,” said Gabriel. “ I saw him through a glass
from the top of that hill, in plain sight. I saw
my wife )ut her head out of the carriage.
Where is s e? Is she afraid to come out and
look me in the face?” ‘

He was pale with passion now, and his words
were directed, not to the marquise, but at her
he deemed the faithless Inez, cowering inside
the carriage. -

They had their eflect.

A pale, beautiful face made its appearance,
and two mournful dark eyes looked out at him,
while their owner said sadly:

“ Oh, monsieur, have I deserved this? I came
in search of you.”

CHAPTER XXVIII.
JEALOUSY.

Bur Gabriel was too angry and jealous to
listen to the voice of his heart leadin power-
fully for Inez. He had seen er in t 0 same
carriage with a man she had once professed to
hate, and from whom he had saved her.

She was accompanied b the Marquise de
Saint Jean, of whom the o d Princess of Pots—
dam had said significantly: “ She is one of us,”
and on whom she had expressed her reliance to
bring Inez “ to hersenses ’—thatisto induce her
to marr the dprince. His eyes met those of
Inez col ly. an he said, in a sarcastic wav:

" You came in search of me, you say. It was
a stran e road you took, throu h the Prussian
lines. t is plain, madame, the you regret the
romance of the village church, and refer the
luxury of a lace to the quarters o a simple
colonel. Be it so. You are free to depart to
Berlin, if you wish.”

Inez burst into tears. She seemed to be
shocked, angry, ashamed, and burst out:

“ How can you be so cruel? I don’t wish to
go to Berlin.”

“Then, madame, in the name of honor, I de-
mand that you return to Paris at once,” said
Gabriel sternly. “ Is this a place for a lady, in:
the midst of the armies in campaign? Return
at once.”

“I am ready, monsieur‘,” she answered. her
face flushing deeply and resentfully. “You
shall not have cause to reproach me again for
my anxiety. I can assure on.”

She sunk hack in the c rriage, and the mar-
guise, who had been looking pale and anxious

nring‘ the whole colloquy, interposed ner-
votisly:

“ But how can we get back toParis? The
roads are full of the enemy, all the wav to
Cassel.” “ -.

“I will send an escort with you. and you
shall go throu h our lines, not those of our'
enemies," was abriel’s stern reply.

Then he called up Caste Tete and gave him
directions to accompany the carriage on the
road to Wurtzl-unz and not to leave it till it.
had crossed the French frontier. '

“After that,” he said pointedly to Inez, “I
do not claim to control your movements aha
Frenchwoman; but when th campaign is over.
if I return aliVe, I shall do myself the honor of
waiting on her majesty the Empress of the
French, if she Will grant me an audience, to
ask after the health of—Mademoiselle de Real.”

She cast on him a glance in which pride and
anger seede to be struggling with some other
feeling, and replied: ‘

“Very well, monsieur. You may not find

the lady of whom you speak in Paris, and then
you may be sorry for your words.”

“ So be it,” he said haughtily.

Then he remounted his horse and sat in the
midst of a field, while the carriage moved off

 

.Jr‘

 

 

' something

 

 

.__.__. . ..._.-._ _ 4...... \

 

gmthhack MIL-and while his captains were

rears-an g the disordered squadrons. . _
He di not know that Ines was watching him
through the window as long as the c 9 re-
mained in sight, and that, when it at last turned
into the wood, she sunk into a corner, murmur—

in :

ig‘ Oh, if he only knew !"

But he was too full ‘of bitter jealous anger to
think otherwise of Inez but as faithless to him:
and his whole soul seemed now absorbed in one
desire, to find and kill the Prince of Potsdam.

As soon as his men had been gathered up

again, be detached a squadron at the trot after
t e fleeing enemy, hoping to find them rallied
somewhere, and followed with the whole regi—
ment, not regarding the danger he ran, so long
as he came up with his enemy and met him
man to man.
But though they pushed on for three hours,
they found no trace of a halt, while the frag—
ments of weapons and accouterments that
strewed the road showed that the enemy were
Very much demoraliznd by their surprise; and
it was late in the afternoon when he at last
came in full view of them at Eisenach.

And then what a sight he saw!

Instead of a single regiment of cuirassiers,
as he expected, there was a large force of in-
fantry cavalry and artillery, drawn up in line
of hatt e. and a parently awaiting an attack.

He had run right into the presence of the first
Prussian army, forty thousand stron , with a
handful of men. Had he ventured suc an ex-
lploit with the Austrians, they would have out

im ofl to a certainty.

But these Prussians, he noticed, seemed like
wooden soldiers in their stiffness and immo-
bility; and when he sent all his men out to the
right and left, behind the shelter of a hill and
caused them to make their ap nce suddenly
in a skirmish line three miles ong, the Prussian
guns opened a furious cannonade on the woods
and fields in front, thinking that the whole
French army was coming down on them.

No damage was done to anything but the
trees and banks, and as soon as our hero had ac-
complished his F , to impress the enemy
with a false bel of, e withdrew his men.

Not before he had seen, through the lass, a
courier dashing widly on the road to eimar,
to’Carry the news 0 the supposed French at
tack.

Then he collected his men and rode back at a
rapid pace toward the place he had left the
do before satisfied that the Prussians were
walking blindly into the trap prepared for
them by the genius of the Emperor of the
French.

This trap was nothing less than to induce
them to advance toward he French frontier at
Cobiens and leave open the roads to Berlin,
while the French army reall advanced from
Bavaria on the south and cu in between the
Prussians and their capital, at or about the vil-
l e of Jena,

Gabriel Lenoir. with the Death‘s Head
Cuiramiers, was part of the bait set to draw
the Prussian forward.

The sun set before he had gone ten miles on.

hieroadback to the army: but the full moon
allolxed him to see the way, and he traveled all
n
n the early morning they met the French
cavalry outposts. in the midst of the forest of
Thuringia, and Gabriel Lenoir was able to re-
port to no less a person than Marshal Murat,
now a pointed Grand Duke of Berg, and chief
of all he cavalry of the French army.
The marshal received him much more gra-
ciously than he had done on a former occasion,
when Gabriel was a simple captaindlunpopular

in his giant. gigsngflulns. nah e haughty
o w t
p1“ rear “8 ti 0 9" Peo‘

ess.

Eh listened to his story; sent 03 news to the
emperorof what had happened. Bud told Ga-
grieljo put his men into camp and rest the

0

recs.

“ We shall do nothing‘more for aday or two
colonel,” he said. “It time the infantry did
now. We have found the enemy.
Let them get ready to beat him, and we’ll finish
him off neatly.” _

So Gabrfei went into camp in a grand forest
of ancient oaks and beeches, where the tired
hora! munched their oats and the cuirassiers
POlilhed up their weapons.

Late that evening Casse Tote rode in, on a
horse nearly broken down from rapid work,

 

and reported that he had left madame on
French territory.
CHAPTER XXIX.

GOSSIP.

SEVERAL more days followed of ap ently
aimless marching and countermarc ing in

_ the defiles of the forest of Thuringia, during

Which no one‘ in the French army,'outeide the

chiefs, know what was going on: and on the

hit}; of October, 1806, the Death’s Head Cuiras-

3181‘8 found themselVBS. with the rest of the

_ eavy cavalr of the Imperial Guard, march—

lng for Jena in the mids of hundreds of con-
ting rumors.

\

"  ow

 

.7

i

 

O

t.

A,

 

It was on this day that Gabriel Lenoir, while
on the march. fell into conversation with a stat!
officer, who brought him an order, and whom
he had known while at Berlin, 3 year_before,
the said officer having come there With dis-
patches.

This young man‘s name was Count Dela-
roche, and he belonged to an old royalist
family.

He was a gay young fellow, full of fun and
frolic, fond of pleasure, adoring Paris, with sen-
timental leanings toward the old nobility, but
enthusiastic in praise of the way the emperor
was carr ing forward the glory of France.

He he a special admiration for the Grand
Duke of Berg, on whose staff he was serving.

“ Ah!” he said to Gabriel, as they rode along,
“it is all very well for you Red Republicans to
say there is nothing in the old blood and the
old traditions; but see what they have made of
him. He is a veritable knight oi romance.”

“ And yet only the son of an inn-keeper,” ob-
served Gahriel' for he felt in that bitter humor
when he loved to contradict every one in his
own heart-soreness as to Inez. “ 1 am told that
he carries the manners of the camp into court,
Delarocbe.”

Delaroche retorted indignantly :

“You are misinformed. It is true I am one
of the old kind, but I must admit that never,
even at the court of Louis the Martyr, have I
seen such perfect breaiiiilgeas at the Tuileries
under our emperor. Ah, .noir, you should see
the ladies of her majesty. Such angelic beauty.
such rfect grace! I declare to you that I
have out my heart a dozen times ovor to each
of them individually.”

Gabriel began to take an interest in the con-
versaticn now, and asked:

“ Were on much in Paris last winter?”

“Much in Paris! I should sageso. Why, his
highness, the Grand Duke of r , was Gov-
ernor of Paris, and my duties too me to the
palace every day."

“ Then you saw all the empress’s ladies pretty
f uently?"

“ should say I did; and, as I said, I lost my
heart to all, one after the other. But they only
laughed at me. A count with nothing
but an old name and is sword, does not attract
them. It takes a millionaire or a prince, even
if he’s only a cursed Prussian.”

" A Prussian? Then there was—”

“ Yes, a Prussian prince of the blood—a fel-
low called the Prince of Potsdam. They were
all wild over him, and I swear I never could see
anything in the fellow.”

“ I heard there was some idea of his marry.
in a French lady.” observed the young colonel,
with affected carelessness.

“ Oh you mean Mademoiselle de Real. Yes,
I heard about that, but I don’t believe a word
of it. Look outl colonel, we’re running on the
heels of the . We’d better bait and let
the column open."

Gabriel slackened the pace of his horse, which
he had allowed to press on in the excitement of
his ligation, and continued: -

“ on said on did not believe it. May I ask
why not? I card from very good authority
that they were to make a match.”

_“ I don’t believe it,” repeated Delaroche, ob-
stinately. one could see that she hated
the Prussian. did hear a story—but never
mind that. I don’t want to re t court gos-
sip. Andafter all, it only came from that old
St. Jean."

Gabriel turned cold and hot as he rode. What
secret was in the air? As gently as he could,
without rousing his companion’s suspicions, he
tried to lead the conversation back.

“Old St. Jean? You mean the maqu I

supve.”
‘ es, I do. She’s an old cat. I ought to
know her, for she’s a great aunt of mine.”

“And she spreads scandalous stories, Isup-
pose about all the ladies!”

“ so. no. not quite so had. Give the devil his
due. Old St. Jean is a r old matchmaker
and I believe had set her mind on making that

r irl marry the Prussian. You w she
53in fhe omce of mistress of the robes, and had
a root deal of control over the maids of honor.”

‘ Yes, and what of it?"

“ Well, you know she could do _a great deal
in excusin them from duty or putting them on
at differen times, to suit her own purposes.”

“ I don’t understand—"

“I mean—confound it. Lenoir—she could
throw them into the way of any lover she fan-
Cied. easily enough. If she wanted to encourage
a man. she could give him a hint as to who
would wait on the empress at such a time, and
tell him to be there.”

“ And she thus throw this prince—”

“Into constant communication with Made-
moiselle de Real. I ought to know it, because I
was madly in love with her myself once, and
whenever I tried to get a chance to speak to
her, there was that confounded Prussian at her
elb0w, and my gracious aunt on guard, ready
to carry off intruders. I would have tried
picking a uarrel with him, but, confound it, he
was an emhassador, and sacred on that account.
And besides, they say the fellow fences oon~
foundedly well. He was taking lessons from

 

 

St.  and the Iameluke Roustan every

morning-all the time he was in Paris.”

“Indeed?” - ‘

Gabriel began to think to himself that he
saw a reason for the prince’s show of courage
when they met at Berlin. He fancied doubtless
that he could beat Lenoir now, after his les-
sons.

The youn cuirassier ground his teeth as he
thought of t e prospect of a fight.

“I‘ll show him!” he muttered, “when the
old Death’s Heads charge whether his lessons
will stand him in stead.”

Then he continued his questions.

“ And he was constantly with mademoisellc
Was that what the marquise made her story
about!"

“No, no. In fact, Lenoir, I don’t like to
speak of it to any one. I’m convinced that it
was a foul slander. But you won’t repeat it?”

“ Not to a living soul.”

“ Well, she told me once, when I complained
of her never giving me a chance to speak to the
young lady; that there was an old attachment

tween mademoiseile and the prince, but that
some beggarly French officer—a fortuncehun-
tor—had once taken advantage of‘the youn
lady, when he had her in his power, and ha
forced her to marry him. That the emperor
wished to annul the marriage and unish thh
cfiicer, but that the prince had ‘med the
right to punish him by his Own hand in a duel,
and that it was understood between made-
moiseile and this Prussian, that, as soon as the
prince had killed this Frenchman, he was to
marry the lady.”

“ And did'the marquise say that the ladycon-
sented to this scheme!”

“ Certainly. She said that the poor girl
hgtled her legal husband, and longed to be rid
0 im.

“ And what said you to all of this?" asked
the young cmras' sier in a low tone.

“ told her that I didn’t believe that a
Frenchwoman would want to marry the mar-
derer of her husband, and that if ever I met
him, I would tell him of this fine plot and re.
commend him to keep in his hand, with the
foi s. .

Gabriel uttered a harsh laugh.

“.A good answer, Delaroche. By all the
gods, there are some honest men left, even in .
our court. And you think that this poor hus-
band waa not altogether to blame; that be has
some rights that even the emperor is bound to

res ectl”

‘ My faith, wh not! But that is all past
and gone now. e are at war, thank Heaven,
wiih these Prussians, at last, and if I get a
chance at that prince, 1’" try whether a pbtol-
shot on the field won’t spoil his fencing. I
don’t know the husband; but it is enough for
me that he is French. and the other a Pi‘uman.
I am for my own country, all the time”

“But this man, you an , forced on unwilliu
girl to marry him and eserva no pity,"sa'
Gabriel rather bitterly.

“ As for that I have only my aunt‘s word.
and she may have wanted to f htm see 1383

It may be all a lie. An way, am for the“
poor husband. Ah. I see the are has“ for
ahalt. Good-by, Lenoir. m wanted.”

 

CHAPTER XXX.
1'!!! NIGHT ass-on JIIA.

As voung Delaroche rode away, he left Ga-
briel Lenoir in a fever of ppremed and
excitement 80 his wife was aciuallyngm
his death with this Prussian, from w he
had saved her just a year before. '

He had given her all he had, lib untamed
name, as a shield against the on.
oftheEm ror of the Free ;bad hem.”
proachod r save with the most prom-d re-
spect; and yet now she had turned
in his absence, had listened to the tempura who
had rank and wealth to offer, and was dam.
ately counting on his death. to enable ha to
ma again-this time “ brilliantly," . the
worl would call it. ,

“Outon hei- hypocrisy!” he mattered. ash.
sat on his horse, moodin watching the men
massing for a bait, and gnawing his mustache.
“'Stht rotteliidded to be casing to look for no:
vii . a o marquise la proprie- .
she must needs travel througyh the w n
lines under the escort of the man who has been
practicing in secret to take my life. But I will
disappomt all their fine plans. I will not be
killed. If I would not do it to oblige the en-
peror, I will not do it to please the marquiso
and any em ty-headed wife. I will kill this fei-
low; and w on be is dead, then I Will my to
her: ‘ You would not have me when you could.
Now I consent that our marriage be annulled.
You are no wife of mine.’ "

Revolving all these plans of revenge, he~did
not notice that the halted masses of cavalry
were moving on again. as the road in front be-
can)? clear, agid  was awnkcned from his bit-
for reverie y e respectful co h of Com
Tete. who observed, with his us‘ifal freedom
to‘h'ilsholdrflnaatgr:

‘ a ir ave moved out, in one],
the orders are to walk the horses."y 00‘ “

Gabriel started and gave theorder tones-

 

 
  
   

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on: but hofelt atthat moment that hewould
have given worlds to have a single friend to
whom he could confide some of his griefs.

But there was no one. He had been alone in
the regiment once because he was the only
blondethere; now he was isolated by the respect
paid to his rank.

The only approach to intimacy that he had
ever had with any one had been with the rough
but faithful Cases Tete, and he could only speak
to bid confidentially when they were alone.

So the day of weary delays. marches and
halts, on narrow mudd roads, to allow for the
lagging of artiller an wagons in front, passed
alowa away, an as the sun set, the young
nan began to be aware that distant fighting
was going on, at several points of the com—

sa
lm’l‘he deep sullen booming of guns was to be
heard every few minutes, and the sound roused
hi him a sort of fierce joy.

“I diall find him somewhere,” was all he

. thought of now. The fate of the campaign, the

glories of the French arms, the chances of dis-
tinction to himself had all become asnothing to
the one idea:

I “ I shall meet him now."

It was dark before they halted, and the cav-

' alry bivoaacked in a dense mass by the banks

of the little river Beale, under the shadow of
some towering hights known as the Laudgrafen-

“it...

, as the fires were lighted and the stars
shone out above, Gabriel Lenoir became aware
for the first time that they had joined the whole
has of the French army, and that the enemy
were on the other side of the Land fenberg.

As far as he could see, all round, t esky was
red with the reflection of the watch-fires, and
the buns of the two armies was plainly audible,
one to the other.

As soon as he had seen to his routine duties,
the young colonel wrapped himself in his cloak
and threw himself on the ground by a fire which
Game Tete had lighted in a recess of the banks
of the Scale, where they were sheltered from

view.

The faithful fellow had noticed his master’s
silence and abstraction during the day’s march,
and had made a shrewd nose at the cause of it,
the more so because, ing as orderly behind
the colonel, he had heard most of the 00an
tiou between Gabriel and Delaroche.

Besides hearing it, he bad form his inion
on b, an opinion he kept to himself they
were alone.

Then when he had built up aroaring blaze
and brought his master his supper—a cold fowl
he had foraaed from a house on the way, with
a bottle of Rhine wine—he coughed as a pre-
Iininary to confidence, and observed:

“ Your honor’s supper is ready.”

“I can not eat to-night,"sa d Gabriel, in a

tone “Leaveine alone, CuseTete. I

iii
gs

coughed again.
‘ IBlinking, on the eve of a battle, is bad for
thohealth,m colonel. Excuse me. Iain an
elder soldier your honor, and your honor
all." me to speak now and then.”
“Yes. yes. Go on, Game T

etc.”
But the colonel leaned his chin on his hands,
3 gaaed into the fire asif his thoughts were

aw
O‘sse'gets coughed a third time,

“If! I were in your honor’s place, I would

the last bones of this fowl and drink every

of thlswine. It is asnresignthataman

gain to killod,ifhemogesand doosnot

eat. th: nigfibefwo an aflair.
“Pchaps it would be the best thin that
CasseTete," said the cclone list-

V
“ I‘ve nothin to live for."

Game 'llete held up is hands in wonder.

“Rothiww live tori Why, your honor is
thaeclonel of the finest regiment in the world.
our think, if you were killed? Why, the
M’s Heads would not know themselves, with
a colonel who was not named Lenoir! It
would break their hearts! To haVe had two
Iondrsforcolonels, and to see one of them a

neral of division now, and then to have no

noiratall. They would all run away, the
next fight, my colonel, and the emperor would
have to break up the meat.”

Gabriel smiled faintly at the earnestness of
his follower.

“ You think too much of my influence, Casse
Tete. The Death's Heads were a regiment of
picked men before I came, and they will re-
main the same after I have gone. We must all
axlpect to go some dag, you know. It is a
so di-r’s lot to face deat , my friend.”

' “Yes, in colonel, to face death. That’s un-
derstood. at not on an empty stomach, not
like asilly lamb, that lets them cut its throat,
and never so much as says bob.”

“.1 can assure you, Casse Tete, I don't intend
to let any one cut my throat without fight-

in .", ‘ .

E That goes without saying, my colonel. You
are Colonel Lenoir of the Death’s Heads, and
woof our kind prefer killing to being killed.
But you’ll need a strong arm to—morrow, my

colonel, and to keep up your strength you need

thh wicken and wine. It’s poor sour stud to

 

hemnotlikeournurglnd ;hutitwill
make a mandrunk for all that.” y

“ But I don’t want to be made drunk.”

“That goes withoutsa ing. The colonel of
the Death’s Heads can ways carry his wine
like a fentleman. But if our honor will per-
mit a iberty to an old sol er—”

Casse Tete hesitated.

“ Well, Casse Tete, what is it?"

“ Then I would say that. if I weroyour honor,
I would not give that old cat the pleasure of
dancing over my grave.”

Gabriel started violently. The cuirassier had
spoken with a bitter vehemence that there was
no mistaking.

“ What do you mean? What old cat!”

“I mean that old woman that came along
with madame, my colonel, and that ought to be
drummed out of camp for trying to excite a
mutiny against the commanding omcer.”

Gabriel looked at him in surprise. The
veteran had got very red in the face, and was
waving the bottle in one hand and the tin plate
which held the cold fowl in the other, at the
imminent risk of dropping the meat out of the
platter.

“If you’re going to pin tragedy,” said the
colonel, with a slight sm le at the ludicrous
picture. “ you’d better put down the provisions,
Casse Tete.”

“ Certainly, my colonel. Here they are. Yes,
that is the knife. Now do eat, for the sake of
poor old Casse Tete, who would have nowhere
to go if he lost his colonel. And then that con-
founded StroEade he would grin and say: ‘ Had
to come bac to the ranks, didn’t you, Casse
Tete? No Colonel Blaucbec to pet you now?’
Oh, my colonel, eat it all up, and pick the
bones, or I shall think you’re sure to be killed
to-morrow."

The old cuirassier was nearly blubbering as
be finished, and Gabriel said:

“Well, well, I’ll eat it. But go on to tell me
what you were saying.”

CasseTete brig toned up at once. He saw
on his colonel’s face an angry resolute expres—
slon superseding the loomy looks of the da ,
and the veteran is ad within himself as a
saw the unconscious y savage air With which
the young officer dissected the chicken. In fact,
Gabriel was grinding his teeth over the bones,
thinkmg of revenge, and every gulp of wine he
took made him feel more angry.

“ Well my colonel," said Casse Tete, slowly,
“it’s not much I have to tell; and I must ask
your honor’s pardon if I was guilty of any die-
respect to any friend of your onor."

" All right, Cssse Tete. To whom i”

“ To that old—lady—"

“ You can say old eat, if on like. I want to
hear lain talk now, Casse etc. I have been
its t the dark too long, too long."

nd the young man laced round at the
inoffensive horses munc ng their oats, as if
ever one were a Potsdam.

“ hat’s what I said, {an honor, to myself.
It is time my colonel rd the truth from
some one, or he’ll be go‘i‘p: headlong to the
devil in the next ch , never know what
he is ng at home.

“ Missing at home?"

“ es, my colcne missing at home, with
madame crying her over dark eyes out‘ and
that old cat to pour poison into her ears a l the
time, trying to make her think you are a
brute, and not agentleman of the old blood,
and all that sort of stuff. Confound that old
blood, say I. What hasall the old blooddoue
for us?”

Gabriel put up his hand.

“ Don’t abuse old blood Cases Tete. My
family were noble, before the Revolution.”

Casse Tete stamped his foot.

“ Hurrah! so much the better. Then I’ve t
the old cat on every point. I’m lad I told er
so. I thought I was i ing; but had made u
my mind to stick to t, as I did in Berlin.
made that Prussian own up that there never
was any battle of Rossbach, and I made the old
cat admit you were noble enough for any one.”

“And now, Casse Tete,” said Gabriel, who
was rapidly becoming irritated at the devious
conversation of his eccentric orderly “if
you’ll tell me what you’re talking about shall

9 obliged.”

“Certain! , my colonel. It all took place at
the ferry of ayence.”

“ What took place!” '

“The flrzht, my colonel, between me and the

'old cat, about madame.”

“ Ah, I be in to see. You mean—"

"I mean t at your honor told me to take the
ladies to the French frontier.”

“ And you did so?"

“ A Death’s Head Cuirassier obeys his orders
at all risks, colonel. I did.” '

“ Did anything happen on the way?"

“ Nothing, my colour], but what always does
hap u when women are around.”

“ hat do you mean.

“ Clack, in colonel, gabble, gabble, as if her
ton e woul never sto .”

“ hom are you talking of?” \'

“ The old eat, your honor. She thought I
didn’t hear her; but I took care to kee my old
Russian’s nose right between the bin wheels.

,

 

and heardher,sll theway, trylagtopersaade

madame tosay she’d leave you, and at be

em ror to break the marriage.‘ I '
brie! was breathless.

“ Well, and did she—l”

He could say no more.

“Did she weaken, my colonel? Ah that was
just what I was afraid of, as I thought of that
poor forlorn little thing that your honor mar-
ried in the village church by Olmuts and how
she’d been away from on a whole year with
every one trying to is her astray. I tell you
I trembled all over. But, my colonel, this I
have to say now, before I tell you anvthin
more. If ever there was an angel with blac
eyes—the paint them blue in the pictures, but
then pain are don’t know any more than other
folks about an ls—if ever there was an angel
in this world, t is madame." .

Gabriel sighed deeply.

“ You say it. Then you, Cease Tete.”

“ Don’t thank me, my colonel. Thank the
good God that gave figou such a wife as you

ave in madame. I ll you it made me think
of the da s , before the guillotine and their
Goddess 0 Reason, when men were not ashamed
to go to church and say their prayei s. Do you
know, my colonel, what was all she would ar.~
swer to the old cat be and a few sobsi”

“What, Casse Tete ’

Gabriel s voice was very low now. ,

The old cuirassier paused. Bis lean dark
face wore an air of solemni new to it. He
took at his helmet and Gabrie was amazed to
see him make the sign of the cross on his breast—
plate as devoutly as a child.

” She only answered, my colonel," he said in
a mere whisper, “she only answered: ‘ Whom
God hath joined, let no man asunder) ”

Gabriel covered his face With his hands.

The revulsion of feeling taught him how potty
was his own suspicion beside the simple trust
and faith of a woman.

“And I’ve been thinking, ever since, my
colonel,” said Casse Tete slowlv,‘"that a wo-
man who holds tothat doctrine, in the teeth of
the Emperor of the French and a host of high
folks, is not the woman to bring disgrace on
my colonel.”

Gabriel bowed his head.

“But she was with the Prince of Potsdam,
and in his power,” he muttered at last.

He felt as if he must confide in some one, and
Cases Tete was his only friend, if a humble

one.
“What was she doing in the Prussian lines

with that man?” here ted' “and-what did ;

Delarocbe mean by say ng—i’

“Please, your honor,” replied Czisse Tete in
his iraflest way, “ there’s more mischief comes
of t ose popinjay staff oflcers than enough.
I don’t know and 'I don’t care what Captain
Delarocheor any other man tells about mad-
ame I’ll stake my life that she’s as true as the
needle to the is, and that the old cat is at the
bottom of all he lies, somewhere. As for being
in the Prussian lines that may have been a mis'
take ornot. I don’t know, but this I do know.
I’ll swear madame is an angel without wings,
and if an man but your honor says the ecn~
trar , 1’! ram thelie down his throat. Thom
san thunders!”

And Casse Tete turned purple at the idea.

CHAPTER XXII.
ma. '

“Bur you saidyon had a quarrel with the
marquise,” pursued Gabriel, when his faithful
orderly had recovered his coolness.

“ Yes, your honor, that was at the ferry o!
Mayence. You see, I’d been listening to all
her talk on the way, and I was as angry as.
whole nest of hornets by the time we reached
the ferry. while my horse, trotting after those
fresh beasts at every stage, was pretty
And then when we got to he ferry, the old car.
tried to serenade madame to send back the car-
i-iage an stay on German soil. I knew what
that meant.” ,

“ What do you think it meantl" I

“That they were going to ve me the slip,
and I was determined to see inflde 0‘11
lines at Mayence. I knew that‘they could not
get back out of the territory of France without
a fresh passport, and to get that they would
have to go to Paris. ” .

“ How came you to know about their pus.

rts'f"

“ Eh, parbleu, my colonel, I had to show them
at our own posts on the road. There was a
passport ned by Prince Talleyraiid himsdl‘,’
givin to t e Marquise de St. Jean and Madame
Lennir the liberty to enter the lines of the
French army, to enable madame to join her
husband.”

“Are you gure,l(]7asse Tete?” asked Gabifle’d
beginning to rem ) e, “ that the passport on u
her Madame Lenoir.”

“Certainly, my colonel.”

“Then my marriage is recognised as being

valid, and I have—”

tired. -

l

He did not say what he meant, that he had I

thrown away his chance of be
jealous anger; but he thought it.

“Yes, my colonel,” motioned Casse Tete,
without noticing his cemmander’s agitation,

ppiness‘r by his

 

.:”~\ “Ls.

 

 

W‘s“,

 

 "’éHead -.

“hater-what itsaid: for l resditwith my
ewee sndlmnread,myeolonei.”

Cases us said this with pardonable pride,
for it was notevery man lathe French army
who read

could .

“ But I knew that as soon as they got back
into France, the chat (signatures) would have
show they had been in our hues, and that the
would require a fresh permit to make a fres
journey, sol was bound they should cross the
ferry. I saw that madame was "fling, and
didn’t know what to do. I knew i e reason
too, colonel: she didn't want to be cut of! en-
tirely from you, and the old cat was pressin
her with all sorts of arguments. So at last

e out myself."

“And what did you say?"

“ Pilrbleu, my colonel, I told the old cat that
I thought she might he in a better bum'ness than
ext-iting mutiny in His Mggeztfi’s Guard: that
madame belonged to the t ’3 Heads now,
and that the colonel had 'ven his orders that
she should stay in Paris ti l the war was over.”

Gabriel could not hel a smile.

“You put it in that l ghti”

“Yes, my colonel, just in the wa of good
order and military discipline. I saw hat some-
thing had to be done and the reputation of the
regiment was at stake.”

‘And what said the marquisel”

“Shecalled me a brute and a rude fellow,
asked how I dared to speak so to a lady of her
rank. and told me to go back to my regiment,
They needed my escort no longer.”

“And what said out"

“ I told her that had my orders, and I was
goiugto obey them, if I had to pick up the two
of them and carry them aboard the ferry-boat,
I didn’t covet the office, I can assure you. in
colonel, but I said it, and it had its exec
The old cat quieted down, and my words
seemed to comfort madame, for she spoke right
out.” .

“ And what did she say?" asked Gabriel, in a
tone of sup ressed eagerness.

“She sa d to me: ‘Thank you. brave man,
for reminding me of my duty. Tell my bus-

when you return. that he will find his
wife in Paris, whenever his duties permit him
to seek er,’ and with that, my colonel, she
held up her pretty little head and called out
to the tillion to go on board the ferry; and
aboarc they went. The old cat had no more to
say then."

And then you ca me away i”

“Not I, my coloneL I staid till I saw the
boat coming back, and the ferryman told me
that they had taken horses for Paris directly
mg got to the other side.”

briel uttered a sigh of relief.

“ Thank you. Casse Tote."

“ No thanks are needed my colonel. If 'you
have finished supper I wxl make up your l edl"

“Not to-ni ht, Cease Tote. If I am not mis-
taken, we sh lfiet ordert to saddle up and be
en the watch, a night.”

“So much the better, my colonel. You’ll
ride the Russian to-morrow, of course. He’ll
nrry you all day and all night. Ah, if we
enly meet that accursed prince to-morrcwl"

“Yes. if we on! do.”

“How we w trounce them, my colonel!
I‘ve a long score to pay those fellows about
their Roabach and all the rest."

And then Casse Tote went to look after his
horses, while Gabriel, wrapped in his cloak,
mt leaning against a tree an thinking to him-
mlf tint he might yet be happy, if he survived
the next day's fight.

Only one thin remained to be explained. and
that was, how no: came to be inside the Prus-
sian lines and under the escort of the Prince of
Potsdam. The Marquise de St. Jean was at
the bottom of the plot, he felt sure, but in what
manna he could not yet see,for the life of

him.

So, alternately ruminating Over the future
and dosing our the fire, paged the chilly hours
of that 13th of October night, and just a; the
first streaks of dawn shown! in the east, mmo
the bugle calls and drums, closely followed by
the roar of artillery all round them,

The Battle of Jena had begun and there was
no mistaking the tem r in which it was
Opened. The French ha before them the far-
famcd Prussian infantry, the steadiest in Eu-
rope; and on the issue hung the fate of 'Prussia
and a whole continent besides. -.

The Death’s Heads were up and on the alert
at the. first gun, cleaning their horses and cook-
ing breakfast, with the coolness of veterans
who knew that a hard da ’9 work is before
them; but they were a110we to remain in quiet
all the morning behind the shelter of the Land-
grafenberg hights, while the cannon thundered
on the iurther side, and the rolling of volleys
never COB .

Gabriel, for the first time durin a battle,
was in a fever of excncment at the mention to
which he was compelled. He could not leave
his regiment, and he could see nothing of the
battle. He- had to price up and down by the
bunks of the little stream. listening to the can-
nourde and thinkin to himsflf all the time:

“The will kill him before I get a chance to
.lh'ikea low.”

 

Thefate ofa camping: hadbecomeof second
ary importance to him thepersonal animosi
he felt against a single man in the enemy

arm .

Aty last, in the middle of the afternoon, he
saw a commotion on the hights of La en-
berg, where he knew the emperor to at»
tioned.

a stud officer was seen descending the hill at
full gallop.

The y ung colonel drew his belt tighter, and
said to assoc Tete:

“ Orders to charge. Get ready.”

Presently came a mighty cheer from the
masses of cavalrymen standin waiting by their
horses, and the cheer spread rom regiment to
regiment, till every man was roaring: “ Vine
l’Emperv «9' I”

Then mine a clatterin and rattling, and
Gabriel saw a crowd of g ittering officers can-
tering toward him behind the white heron
feather of Murat, which rose from its forest of
black ostrich plumes and shone in the rays of
the sun like a s‘ar.

The Grand Duke of Berg was coming, and
the battle was about to be finished by one of
those magnificent charges which no other man
could lead so fiercely. e

The “ Beau Sabrcur” never leaked so well as
when he was about to head such a rush. Bis
tall figure and dark, handsome face. with its
curls and whiskers; the crimson velvet furred
pelisse; the jewels on his dolman, the foppery
of his whole costume and trappings no longer
looked ridiculous or out of place.

It was the lendor of battle; the very mag-
nificence of orce that radiated from that
knightly figure as he mined in his hay charger
and smiled proudl on the vast concourse of
horsemen around h m.

Gabriel saw him coming and forgot his own
wrongs and anger in the fierce excitement of
that magnetic presence. He felt that the time
had come to fight.

The glittering marshal centered up and halt-
ed a moment befOre the Death’s Heads, to an-
swer Gabriel’s salute. The dark cuirassiers had
not uttered a shout, but were standing in the
ranks by their horses’ heads, looking like bronze
mines} iled i l

are an a rev n and ke so that
half the regimentpgould  him:p0

“ Colonel Lenoir,” he said, “I was lookin

for a regiment to head this charge wi
mysel . Mount our men and follow.”
Then he turn to his staff:

“Tell them to mount up at once. The Death’s
Heads have the van, Lenoir’s division the ad-
vance, the rest in support. Sound the advance.”

A moment later the Black Cuirassiers, grim
and silent their dark shocks of horse-hair s ak-
ing behi them as the trotted, were moving
out after the great cava ry chief round the base
of the Landgnfenberg hi ts, while behind
them swept twelve th heavy horsemen,
in wave on wave of steel.

Gabriel Lenoir his sword drawn rode just
behind the marshal’s ms, and in but order
they entered the field.

they cleared the skirt: of the hights, a
bluish white pail of smoke covered ever hing
from $ht, and it was impossible to to what

was on.

The fisshes ofmusketssnd rifies lit up the
val] incemantly, but disclosed noth except
dark groups of men, who stood still an seemed
to have nothing to do but fire away‘into the
blank smoke.

Above the mist they could see the summit of
the Landgrafenberg, crowded with black fig-
ures, watching them, but that was all. Where
txlIiey {ere geing, no one seemed to know but

are

On centered the chief, with his stafl of lit-
tering ofiicers, till the smoke had swallo up
all the glitter, and they looked like ghost of

0 men.

n swept the Death’s Heads and the
funereal gloom 0 their appearance seemed to
fit their surroundings. They rode like men who
are at home.

Presently they began to hear cheerin in
front and on either side, and could see the ttlo
knots of black figures in the smoke break up,
waving hats wildly in the air.

Then they felt that their horses were tram
ling over somethin soft, and knew that they
were riding on dea bodies.

The infantry had fought till they were ex-
hausted and the cuirassiers were to decide the
issue. e cheering grew louder all round
thi‘lp. and they saw parties of men running
rapidly te either side to get out of the way,
while be sound of their own rattling acconter-
ments and .the tremulous motion of the earth
was beginning to drown all other sounds.

And then out of the smoke in front came the
spitting: lines of fire of the enemy’s infantry,
the broader flashes of cannon, while a pattering
hail of bullets came singing over their heads.

Gabriel saw the white plume of Murat more
plainly, and saw. too. that his brilliant staff of
ofilcus were scattering right and left, leaving
the way clear for the regiments.

“ 7b w, my children. Forward !”

They knew the clarion tones of the“Beau

 

 

r

Babreur,” and answered them wit-hone rear
fierce joy: then they saw the enemy, in
Blacklgrdoups of men,firingwildly at them as

ey e.

In another moment the dark line of the
Death’s Bead Cuirsssiers was sw
billow of steel over the confused infantriz’and‘l
Eggh a wail of despair, the Prussians bro an

On swept the dark line, steadily as ever. the
men leaning over their chargers’ necks, stabbing
as they went, or trampling down the fugitives
remorselessl , but neVer breaking their array.

There ha been no serious Opposition as yet,
and Gabriel had not seen his foe.

Then the passed some abandoned batteries,
the teams led or disabled, the dead artillery-
men lying under the wheels of the guns, every-
thing the icture of disaster.

The me e began to grow thinner, and Ga.-
briel looked round him as he rode. Right and
left as far as he could see, the field was covered
with a mam of fugitives, running without order
and not firin a shot, while waves of the home-
men behind im were alloping and spreading
outward to gather up t e Prussians.

had not been needed to decide the bat-
It was won al-

a

tie, these mail-clad horsemen.
ready, and the had only to gather the fruits.

But, look as e would, he could see no ' 0‘
the Prussian cavalry, which should have
there to o pose Murat and save the beaten mm-
nanta of t e army from annihilation.

It was not there. It had been used up, early
in the day, in unavailing charges, and the
French reeerves found nothing to oppose them.

It was a mere unresisted hatchery now, and
even the pitiless Death’s Heads w ashamed
to kill, and rode on after the w ite plume of
Murat, which went, as straight as an arrow, to-
ward a distant line of wagon tilts, that marked
the enemy’s ge train. ‘

It was gaine ,and then as they looked round,
the cannonade had cea , and the French sol—
diers could be seen slowl
field after the cavalry, whi e great black crowds
of prisoners were being driven to the rear Ike

shee

Thpen Gabriel became aware that the sound of
distant guns was glmwlilzfi gainer every mo-
ment on the road t ey captured, and
he spoke to Murat, who had halted.

"Ay s3; replied the marshal with a slant :
“ that is voust and Bernadotte at Anerstadi
 Colonel, the Pnnsians
t.

poundin have I.
army is

CHAPTER xxxn.
HUNTING a men.

Tun marshal‘s words were true: the peer
Prussians had no longeran army. Beaten in
fractions, cut to pieces, prevented from niobi-
ing each other one division after-another sur-
rendered in ifi‘erent parts of the unhappy
kinfim, and within three weeks from the time
the peror of the French entered the Thurin-
gian Forest, there was no enemy to oppose

im.

fl But fiancth movements, wgile the vicar“ '
ous n were trave
breadth of Prumia “WWW '

Lenoir had not met his de'adly enemy, in
Prince of Potsdam.

The Death’s Heads had not been idle, and he
had his share of work. He had assisted at the
surrender of Prince Hohenlohe and Blochec,
and had scanned the lists of theparoled
oners in vain, to find minds name; no
intelligence had rew him.

It was not until they had entered winter-
quarters, when the Cavalr were -
wned at Warsaw,snd the foe to net had
changed from Prumia to Russia, thatheat
heard of him. ‘

The young colonel had been B
regiment that morning, and was riding slowly
hacktohis quarten in the city,when he not
Delaroche, who greeted him and asked hint!
he had heard the news. ‘

" What news? No. I have heard rmofihgp
Are wetoreturntoPai-isi There‘snoonshu.

Delarochelaughed.

“Isn’t therei I’m afraid we shall find 0‘
when it is too late, my friend, that there isscme
one left to fight.”

“Oh you mean next smnmer. Yes. but we
can’t fight now. Whv, the whole country is
covered with snow. You forgot it is January,
Delaroche.”

“January or July, it makes no difi'erence.
The Russians are advancing to drive us out of
our cantonmeuts, if they can.”

“But surely they must be mad. Who am
heard of fighting in winter!”

“ These Russians are not like the rest of the
world. They have winter nine months in the
year, and yet they manage to do some good
fighting. I tell you they are coming, and we
shall get marching orders before io—mnrrow

night. By the by, you remember that Prus- '

sian fellow I told you about that out such adash
in Paris last year?”
“The Prince of Potsdam? Ya," aid M
“ What of him?”

eagerly.
' 30’: with them.”



linea-

advancing over the '

- a

 

 

“ How do you know?” ‘
~ “Well, oneee, a deserter came in, only this
morning, their lines. He was an officer,
by the by, and brought with him a morning
report of their army. I saw it. Among the
rest I saw that there is a corps of Prussians,
thirteen thousand strong, under one of our emi-
grant officers, LZEstocq—more shame to him—
and one of the brigades is commanded by my
.friend.”

“ The prince ?"

“Yes. Wh'y, what‘s the matter,
You look as if I‘d brou ht good newa."

“Good news! You ave indeed, Delaroche.
Ah, that villainl I shall catch him at last, and
drag the truth out of him.”

“What truth? that do you mean?” asked
the voung officer, bewildered.

“ 0 you remember what Madame St. Jean
told you once, Delaroche, about the French
offloer who married Mademoiselle do Real, and

I has had to keep his marriage a secret ever

since?”

_“ Yes. You don’t mean—4"

.“Iam the man. That lad is my wife, and
the emperor has acknowleng the marriage to
be valid.”

Delarocho looked at him for a moment in sur-
pr'le, and then said, slowly:

. “If that is the case, Lenoir, I know what I

. should do in your place."

“ And what is that?“

“Follow that scoundrel to the ends of the
earth, if necessary, tokill him. Do you know
what he said to one of our officers under a tin
of truce? I was there and heard it, and I woul
not t it, but that it concerns your honor.”

“ hat was it?” asked Gabriel, gnawing his
lip. He feared some new slander.

“ The officer was General Cassagnac, our
chief-of—stafl, who came to arrange the details
of a surrender with him. The Prussians were
to march out, bag and baggage, and we were
to have the fortress of Custrin. Well, (lassag.
nae was polite, and assured him of the sympathy
of the French with brave men in misfortune.

‘ So they got to talking, and it ended in talking

.d

of Paris, where they had both met last year."

“Yes, yes. Be quick, Delaroche.”

-“ Well, the name of Mademoiselle de Real
name up, and Cassagnac expressed his sorrow
that the war had broken off what every one
thought was to be a match between her and the

Potsdam laughed, and told him
am he did not care about that, for he had
heard that the character of mademoiselle was
not that which a Prussian noble had a right to
expect in a wife, and that, for his part, he had
carried her OR to Germany, but had got tired
of her, and left herto the careof some poor
devil oft a husband, who, he understood, was
willing to flak up other men’s leaving."

Gabriel ,become whiter and w 'ter while
this precious revelation was being made: but
hisevesblaaedasheaskedinalowtone:

“ Did he mention any name?”

“.No, he knew better, I suspect; for it was

- _ only a moment before, Cassagnac had been

regretting that your regiment had been
detached from the cavalry to go with the
grit, and had been telling stories of how your

we cut up that Prussian regiment of
cuirassiers the other night. ”

Gabriel remembered the affair, and how he
himself had killed-a Prussian officer in the dark
mhaking him for hiaenemywhom thedead
man strongly resembled in face and figure.

“Yd.” continued Delarocbe, smiling at the
recolleciio “I remember Cessagnao told
how the he not was found out in two, and the
mallow never spoke again. But we didn’t

that you were Potsdam‘s enemy.”

“ Then keep it secret now, Delaroche. I want
to catch him at last, and he will keep out of
Inwa it heknowsthat l haveheardhis
moriea

’Ihen Gabriel went to his quarters. and paced
the floor like a caged lion, thinking over his
revenge. .

When the summons came to move out of the
comfortable cantonments into the cheerless
regions of a Polish winter, and the rest of the
army mbled and turned out slowly, swear-
hg the kick the Death’s Head Cuirasaiers
were oneof the few bodies of men that presented
a thoroa hly serviceable appearance. Their
young cool was eager for work, eager for

rdship, for any amount of privation and
misery so longas it brought him face to face
with his deadly fee.

The dreary winter cam
slow length along. and the
rassiers had their
“of February, 1

ign dragged its
eath’s Head Cui-
bare of the work. On the
. in a drivi

g
i
n
i
I
l
l

Lenoir?

 

I
l

snow-storm, 3

gm.

at him. but the fact remained that the Prince
of Potsdam had become a good soldier, and
that the Death’s Beads had suffered their first
check and loss. .
Casse Tete was more excited over it than his
colonel and, although the Russians fell back
after the battle, the obstinate orderly insisted
to his master that the honor of the French arms
was stained. It was the first time that the
emperor had not dr ven his fees in headlong
rent and confusion from the field. ,
“It‘s all very Well to call it a victory, my
colonel,” he said as he brought up Ga riels
solitary remaining horse next morning to their
cheerlessbivouacin the snow; “ but the Russians
have an arm still and your honor has only one
horse left. is lucky it was only the Austrian
horse that was killed. The ()rlofl‘ trotter is left
alive still and he’ll have to carry you all next

' summer.”

And so it turned out.

The French army returned to its matters for
the rest of the winter, and a sin Gu n-iel Lenoir
had to chafe in forced inactivity through three
weary months of snow, rain alid ‘mud till the
Polish summer came on them again with a rush
in June, and the French army found itself
opposed, on a fair field, to the Russians at Fried-

d

ll .

And .there at last Gabriel Lenoir met his
ancient enemy, face to face. ~

It was early in the day, when less than t '
thousand French were olding their own wit
difficulty against more than twice as many
Russians, that the heavy cavalr under Nau-
sonty arrived to the help of t eir imperiled
comrades, and the Deaths Head Cuirassiers
were ordered to charge a mass of Cossacks that
lacked as if they could swallow them up.

Gabriel knew that the charge was a desperate
one, and only made in the hepe of gaining time
for the rest of the French forces to arrive, when
victory was thought to be Certain.

The cuirassiers were to be sacrificed to save
the army.

The oung colonel looked round on his dimin-
ished nd. The once numerous and lordly
regiment had dwindled to a bare four hundred
men, but they were all grim, war-worn vete-
runs.

He drew his sword and pointed to the dark
masses of the Russians.

“ It is time for us to die, Death’s Heads,” he
called out, in his clear, cutting tones. “Who
will follow Lenoir to death?”

There was no answer; but he heard the rat--
tling of accouterments as the Black Gaseous
drew their belts ti hter looked to their pistols,
and settled themse ves into their saddles. He
understood them.

“Forward then,” he said. “France asks us
ltéoliu'll as many Russians as we can before they

i us."

Then away went the grim black line, through
the smoke and dust, over the bodies of dead
wounded men. like the rapid swee of a
thunder-cloud and burst into the m dst of
the astonished Russians, with a vindictive
ferocity that no other regiment in the ser-
vice showed. The Cossacks had not dreamed
they would dare charge with such a handful of
men; but the fierce energy with which they
came, on their big black char ers, scattered the
ponies of the ste pe like 0 before the wind.

The stalwart ascons rode ovsr them and.
trampled them down, smlting all the time with
their long swords, stabbing shootin ,'klllin ,
till thte had hoist (i'lear gling t e‘ ghetto
bosto ussians, eav nga r no 0 ea
behindthe . ,

Then they turned to cut their way back, and
Gabriel saw his enem at last. , .

The Prince of Pot m, in the uniform of a

Russian ueral of cavalry, walz‘pointin to the
Death's eadsand trying to cos a y of
Cossacks to charge.

When Gabriel saw him he was not three hun-
dred erdsoir. "

“ allow me, Death’s Heads!" shouted the
young colonel. “ This way 1”

He minted to the enemy and dashed 0f!
alone e a maniac, going straight for his foe-
man’s back.

With a wild cheer the cuirassiers rushed after

him, in a mass of horses and men, no 10-89? at
the trot but full allop.
. Potsdam heard his foeman come, turned to
face him, calllii‘igd to thfe Cossacks to charge? arlild
actual y gal o a ew as to mee t e
Death’s Heads. W

Then his heart failed him, as he saw the ter-
aible black horsemen coming, and he wheeled to

That sight settled the Cossacks. Unwilling

was fought the battle of Eylau, w era the regi- 5 to charge before, they turned tail as soon as

ment was taken by surprise. by a cloud of Cos-

sacks, who emerged from the mist. at full speed ' moment the Death‘s

while the Deaths Heads were at a belt, and
had killed half, the regiment before they were
finally repulsed in confusion.

it [was then, at the moment when Gabriel
Lenou’s horse was shot under him by a Russian
bullet, that he saw, or thou ht he saw, his
enemg, in the midst of the R Cossacks of the
Ross n Guard.

It was only a glimpse, and he could not get

they saw their leader ive way, and in another
ends were in their rear,
stabbing like fiends. and growling'their rage as
the stabbed, with Gabriel Lenoir many yards
in t e van, cutting right and left to clear a way
and get at his foeman. ,

For the Prince of Potsdam bad a fine horse,
blooded and fleet of foot, and he was burying
himself among his men and Pushing to the
front of the rent, in a way tha showed him to
be desperately afraid.

 

 

 

n

At last  to d h , choked
with dust, his horse b own. the rapidly
distancing his heav , murass‘iers, while a battery
of guns was beginn g to play on his, scattered
men, and it was obviously necessary to retreat.

But the rest mass of Cossacks which had
been threaening the exhausted infantry of
Lannes and Mortier was scattered all over the
plain of Friedland, and the young colonel could
iardly believe his eyes when he saw what his
des eratc men had done.

hey were trotting slowly back now, over the
ghastly field, while the rest of the French heavy
cavalry were coming u to sup )ort them, and
General Nansonty, as 0 met noir, said to
him:
“Colonel, the Death’s Head cuirassiers have
sav d France. The emperor has just arrived
wit 1 the Guard, and saw that charge. It was
terrible. Well may they call you the Cuiras-
sicrs of Death. Go to the rear and halt. Your
work is over."

At another time these words from his com-
mander would have elated our hero beyond
measure; but now he was only thinking of one
thing: his enemy had escaped him again.

He saw, amid the smoke of the French lines,
on a little eminence, the well known dark
group, with the white horse in the center, that
all the old soldiers knew was the emperor and
his stuff, "and as he rode forward toward it, he
called out to his captains:

“Get your squadrons in order, gentlemen.
Get them in order. If we are only a corporal’s
guard let us not disgrace the name of the regi-
ment before his majesty.”

And he was answered by a feeble cheer from
the threats of less than a hundred and flft men
some with bloody faces, others reeling and
fro on their horses, but all as proud as ever of
their name.

The captains—there were but three left on-
wounded—gathered their men into their old
pluccs closing up the gaps and resenting a
solid front, and t was in line battle, at a
slow trot, steady as so many bronze statues,
that the Death’s Head Cuiressiers sw t up to
the foot of the emperor's hill, just as t e bear-
skin shakes of the Old Guard moved steadily
out on the field and a hundred French runs, in
a single rand battery, alloped into action and
openedli e thunder on e amazed Russians.

The handful of French had changed to an
army. They had seized the brid es of Fried-
land, and the Riissians were slow y bein en-
veloped by the French under the e e e the
emperor imself. And in the mi of the
eager streams of blue uniforms, hurrying to
the field, the Death’s Head Cairassiers termed
their line, dismounted and rested by their
horses, while the adjutant commenced the
mechanical calling of the rolls of killed,
wounded and missing.

As for the emperor on the bill, he never out
his eyes that Way. The battle was not over
yet.

 

CHAPTER xxm
COUNT LENOIR.
Bur before the sun had set, the contest was

' terminated. As Casse Tete said:

‘fIn the old style, my colonel, the old st le of
{Marat ngiandklkiusterliitz and Jegz. All t win-
an r noc e to p coca, eig n,
twen y thousand prisoners. and’all the trains
in our hands. The little 00 has wakened
up sin. I the ht be We d not rest till he’d
tang t these Russ us they were no better than
the rest of Empe. The idea of their compar-
ing their lousy. greasy Cossacks to our men.
Now the will mind their Own business.” .

Ca-e‘ ete. unmindful of the fact that the
Russian cannon-balls knocked dirt about
withigzlfewufeet, bladdwlighte’ct’lt af ttle 
was n: y coo a 0 son or
master, w en they witnessod the final)
m It“? y ' 1 el th ' ~

“ u now, m coon , e son is
he said a mound: later. “I thought 33’s.
would have it timed to the very moment the
Russians began to run. It is cod, my colonel,
and as hotnas the place w are all Russians

ought to F0. ‘

abrie watched from his commandin posi-
tion the dark streams of in tives the? were
choking up the only bridge .t e Russians had
left now, and was mechanically sipping his
Eoup, when he was startled by a.voice behind

im. .
“Goodeveninfi, colonel. Is your soup too
scarcetolet me a .
ill/0rd,} am hungry since my breakfast at day-
ivht.
LGabriel turned round and saw the emperor

himself. sitting on his white horse close behind ,

him, with no one near him but the meluke,
Roustan. Casse Tote, Ver red in the face, was
standing at a salute, loozing foolish, and Ga-
briel could not help being confused himself.
“How is it, then, old mustache?” said the
emperor, smiling at Casse Tate. “Heat thou
no sgpp left for me, when I say I am‘ very bun-
8"
XYour majesty ‘can have mine,” said Casse
Tete bluntly, “if you’re not too much used to
silver to mind a tin basin. The brsad‘s had;
\

\

rout of '

we a basin of it? for on my,

 

use-g.-

 

 

\

 

 

.‘K.
s e ' l

. n . ,v . mi v , . '\ ' I . .. ‘ A . I“ .  - y . A, _ ‘

A A

but whammwou  these i

agesf". , . .
 at its cubed" as be 2
spots, then lean over, and mid in a tone of .
affected confidence: _ ,

“My friend, I am starving. I had no dinner, '
thanks to those Russians, and even black bread
would taste nicely.” _ I . I

“Certainly, your majesty, certainly ” cried -
Casse Tote, hustling about. “ Here is t e best
I can do now, but if your majesty would wait
awhile I can cook you a ragout of lamb. 1
killed' it yesterday—”

" Never mind—ah—what’s your name, in
old grumblerl" said the emperor, as he too
the basin and huge iron spoon and began to eat
the soup without an further ceremony. ,

“ My full name, sire, a Private Hercule For- '
ton of the let squadron Death’s Heads, but they
all call me Casse Tete, because I always out
at the head.” I

The emperor burst out laughing. so that he
spilled somesou , and cried to Gabriel, who had
been standing, dly knowing what to do or

so .
xMy faith, colonel, your man has a good 1
name for the regiment at large. I shall ave
to call them my head-breakers in future. Well,
you see, on wouldn’t give me any of our
soup, so ’ve had to take up Casso 'lete’s

sn .” ,

R‘Iiirdeed, sire," answered Gabriel. confused,
“I did not think your majesty would take it
after my lips had touched it, or—”

“Tut, tut,” said the emperor, gayly; “the
ii is of a brave man are not poison to an old 301- :
«her. I suspect I have the best of you, and that
C lese Tete kept the good soup for himself—eh,
old fox?”

“ Oh, our majes
rassier, istressed. “
my Own colonel?”

“Then do you mean you gave me the poor
soup!" asked the emperor, With affected sever-
ity. “ Is that your loyalty ?”

Came Tete flushed deeply.

“No, sire," he said, " but my colonel needs
his son all the time; and your majesty has
only taken mine for a whim.”

“ Whim or not," retorted the em ror, “it is
good enough for any man. and as have drank
it all up, Cease Tete, you’ll have to make some
more. By-theby, did you break any heads to-
davi”

“A couple of Russians, your majesty, just for
practi~e, you know; but 1 pointed five of the
scoundrels, and would have done more, but
th ir ponies ran too fast.”

emperor handed him back the empty s
basin of soup, with a smile: '

“ Did you ever get the cross, Cmsse Tetel" I

The cuirassier’s face lighted up.

“ No, sire, but if i had it—"

“ What Cease Tote!”

“I think I should be ready to go to heaven,
your majesty.”

The emperor took the cross from his own
breast, and handed it to the soldier:

,“Put that on; and if any man asks you bv

what, right yen wear it, to him that I gave it
vou.
' Then he turned to Gabriel, who had been
wondering at the unusual familiarity exhibited
by the man, whose last words to him had been
the cool advice to “get killed." .

The ex on of that pale, marble-like face
cban rom playful irony to grave cou ,
and is words were gentle and wonderful y
gracious.

“ Colonel Lenoir." he said, “ do not think, be-
cause I have not hitherto spoken to you, that I
have not watched you to-day. I came up to
the field as on began vour advance, and, had
you been ven back, Lannes must have been
out to pieces, and I could only have saved the
wreck, not won the battle. You havo saved
the army My. monsieur, and
ofégg  thagekfs you for it.”

He stood ore the em ror, his h d
bowed. and, {01' 15b? first time inPSWO ears 
an to feel the singular charm which ’sur—
rounded that great man, alike with Caesar and
Hannibal in classic days. .

“ I only did my duty sire,” he muttered, for
he was unable to speak loud. I

“ That is true: and if all my officers did their
duty, l should never have had to say ‘Egypt is
no onger French.’ Colonel, are you much at-
tached to your regiment?”

Gabriel ushed with pride.

“ Sire, they would die for me: I for them.”

“ That is unfortunate, for I am about to part 5
mi: from each other. ”
' Casse Tete .uttered a groan, and then turned ‘
crimson at his own tomeritvland retended to j
be coughin over the smoke of a fire. The
emperor fol owed him with a freezing look, and I
went on:

u 1 am about to part -you from each other. 1
have directed Berthler to appoint you to the
vacancy caused by the dent of General Mee- 1
sersc in the corps of heavy cayaky' and you
win .‘mnme command of that division at once,
I have further instructed the Grand Chancellor,
prim Cmucereg, that you are created Count
of medmnd with the estates of the late Duke

,” stammered the old cui.
on wouldn’t think I’d rob

 

the Emperor

 

! sonty,

, otherwise
- reverie by the approach of all the officers of his

‘ rumor of his prom

~ were only boasting.

-. . . “4...-..” ,_. .4 "t. _.... ..,.... g u... a- .m. u

of Wildhcnsen in Bare-Goth, which are now

i confiscated. You will receive your patent by

the first post. In the mean time, count, y-
ing em hasis on the title) if you apply to an-
s will, I doubt not, give you a leave of

ai‘sence. We shall have no more fighting this

V year, and the Russians will make peace in a few

weeks. Good—evening. general.”
And before the astonished young man could

‘ gather his senses to coherent thanks, the em-

peror had lifted his hat formally, and was can-
tering slowly away.
Casse Tote was the first to break the silenco

I that ensued.

Suddenly tearing of! his helmet, he flung it
high in the air, caught it again, and began to
yell at the top of his voice, dancing all the
time:

“Vive l’Empereur! Vive l’Em
le general, Comte de Friedlandl
Hurra!”

He made such a noise that Gabriel called

5 1y to him:
“ ush, Casse Tete! Don‘t be a fool, or I’ll

reur! Vive
urral Hurral

‘ not take you with me."

Cssse Tete stopped dancing and put on his
helmet in, but his face was rippling all over
with smi es as he said:

“ Your honor wouldn‘t know what to do
without me, monsieur le comte. Oh, my gen-
eral, how happy I am. If we only had a few
barrels of wine we’d have the whole regiment
roaring drunk to—night in honor of the Count of
Friedland. Isn't it glorious, my general? And
a leave of absence, tool W'e can go back to
Paris, and gen can see madame, and I can see
Babette. urrah! I can’t help it."

And off went the helmet again, while Casse
Tete actually tried to turn a handspring in his
'oy, coming flat on his back with a clatter that

' brought him to his senses, and called out a de-

risive laugh from the whole body of the Death’s
Hfleads, who were making their soup fifty yards

0 .

Casse Tete got up again looking foolish, and
without another word set to work making an-
other t of soup, while his commander thought
fully nished his own, which had grown cold
during the brief visit of the emperor.

He was thinking to himself over the words of
his chief that he could have a leave of absence.

That meant that he might go to Paris to visit

his wife for the first time since their stolen mar-
rlage.
Could he go? A cloud still rested on the fame
of Inez, a cloud of suspicion caused b the
words of a slanderer; and he felt he co d not
return to Paris till he had met that slanderer
and forced him to eat his words or pay for them
with his life.

Broodin over this one disturbance of his now
appy lot, he was roused from his

regiment in a bod .
News flies nick y in camp: they had seen the
emperor spea ing to their colonel; had heard a.

otion, and had co call to-
gether to express their joy at his fortune
and their at at parting with him.

Old Is . now head of the regi
meat, but who had been Gabriel’s sergeant
whenhe joined the regimentasa recruit, had
been telling the rest of the sin r words the
young man had used when sake why he joined
their regiment. .

“I remember it as yesterday, my colonel,” he
said, before them all, “and how thought you
You said you would ate
in the Death’s Heads till you were our colone ,
and you have kept your word. Now you are
leaving us. but the rest of what you prophesied
has not come true."

“ And what was that, major?” asked the
youn colonel, smiling.

“ at when you were colonel I should be a
general of division. You have reached that be-
fore me.”

“Never mind. major. You know that my
promotion gives you two steps and the other
two are soon taken in these days. W'e may yet
have to give the Austrians one more lesson, and
you will have your chance then.” .

Gabriel was ripht. France was not yet quite
at the head of Europe. and it was two years
later, at W'agram. that Colonel Crocasse, of the
Death’s Heads. gained his general’s» epaulettes
at the head of a regiment which had not a sin-
gle man with blue eyes or light hair in its

Gabriel Lenoir had been the first and

‘ last who had staid in the corps, and he had

earned his place by hard work.
e congratulations of the officers were

I bmkm by the arrival of an orderly hussar

buffing 3 big oflcial enveloEe. It was directed
to L6 General. Comte . Fn'edland," and
contained Gabriel’s commission as general.

h

CHAPTER XXXIV.
concwsxon.

A wnx after the battle of Friedlsnd, the
Russians a truce; two weeks later, on
the 7th of uly, 1807, the Emperors of Russia

' i
\

 

' [Lacy—n.“ - .  . V. L A

 

.-  l
.x‘ ‘

mx_~fi

and the French met on the raft of 'l‘illlt, and
W the famous treaty of pence. '
be new Count of Friediand had been

as a. special mark of favor, to command the
guard of honor for the two emperors on this
occasion, and by his request, the guard was
composed of his old regiment, the Death’s Head
Cuirassiers.

It was a proud moment for Gabriel when the
two emperors, riding side by side, seed in
front of the motionless lines of black orsemen
and he heard Alexander say to the first man in
France:

“Sire, my brother, these are terrible men.
They look as if they were made of iron. What
is the name of this re imcnt’s”

When he‘was told, e cried out:

“ Eh, men Dicu .' so these are the fellowsithat
cut up my Cossacks so badly the other day.
Why, there are not two hundred of them all
told. It is a thing amazing.”

Then Napoleon said, sm' ing:

“Sire, my brother, it was a i owing to a to
they had against their colonel. You see, t ey
are all dark men, and he was the only blonde
that every remained in the corps more than a
week. They tri< d to kill him, and I had to help
them, for I knew they hated him. But it was
no use. Every time he ought to have been
killed, he only came back victorious;-s0 that
finally, to please these grumblers, I had to
make him a general, or he would have bad the
regiment reducai to a corporal’s guard in try-
ing to get himself killed.”

“ And where is this blonde colonel?” asked the
czar. amused at the story.

“ Permit me to iresent to your majesty Gen-
eral, the Count of ‘riedland. ’

And Gabriel found himself bowing to the

' czar with the consciousness that all eyes were

fixed on him.

“ Monsieur lc comte,” said Alexander, “ I am
glad to see a lucky man like you; but I must
say you treated my poor cks very rudely
the other day. Do you know that on made a
general run away in that little affair?”

“ Yes. sire, I fancied 1 saw a glneral cflicer,
but he was a Prussian.”

“ True. You’ll see him presently!
my suit.”

And the two emperors passed on, followed by
a brilliant staff, while the escort was dismounted
and told to rest.

Then Gabriel rode awa after the staff, found
Delaroche, and whi r .

“ He is here. “Iii you act for me?”

“Certainly,” was the eager reply.
is he now f”

“ Out yonde: in the cfar’s suit."

a

s n:
_An hour later Delaroche came back and told

He is in

“ Where

1m:

“ It‘s all arranged. There‘s a nice moon, and
I’ve found a place outside the pickets. My
friend Chabannes has the command out there,
and he‘ll let us through. You’re to fight with
the small sword. He‘s afraid of the saber."

“ So much the better, Delaroche. it wants
thfiee hosusi‘:l to sutr‘ihset.”h d“ Dd

e the roe ours in pa up a
downrcuraing the clock for being so slow, and
at sunset rode out with Delaroche just as the
full moon rose in the east. It was hot and dusty,
with a red sky in the west.

They found the , with a Rusflan ofloer,
in the forest, outside the French lines, and De-
laroche said:

“ Monsieur le Comte de Friedland wishes to
be clearly understood before this eflair begins.
He accused the prince of spreading‘false reports
against madame la comtesse. the prince
retracts these reports, he does not wish to lull
him.

saying:
“ That‘sxonly fair, Potsdam.”
“ I have nothing to retract,” was the sullen
answer. “He has had good luck; I had. Let
him do his best. I

He was rather flushed in the face and thick
in the voice. Gabriel saw he had been drinking
to keep up his courage.

Without another word, the principals were
stripped of their garments to the waist, the

seconds handed them the little slender rapists

and Gabriel faced his fee at last, sword in hand.

The prince sprung back out of measure in-
stantly and waited for his foe to come on, with a
ghastly smile on his face.

He was meditating some trick, and the yOlZY‘g

eneral felt puzzled as to what it might be. 113
Enew the prince had been taking lemons for
several months in Paris and was turning over
in his mind all the movements in fencing he
knew. For himself, hehad never used the foils
much, but he had the advantage of being a.
practical fighter. ' . .

Presently Potsdam said in a sneermg sort of

W8 2

‘F30 he‘s afraid at last. Why don’t you
attack, monsieurl"

Gabriel made no answer but a straight lunge
with all the strength and rage that was in him,
and with a harsh. fret"?! laugh the Pris-inn
evaded itsnd so his wrist with his own left
hand, crying as he shortened his sword:

The Russian officer looked at his principal,

"u

 

4 , “_' ‘ .. .
. I I
.

 i  , ~ 

 

 

 

“ At last I have you!" «

In thesame instant, ere the other oouldstab.
‘ the stale ouiramier closed in,oa the
, point of Potsdam’s Weapon, careless that t out
= ' is fingers, ran it under his own arm and pinned

it fast: then Wrencbed away his right hand b
main strength, and in another moment had h
foe on the ground on his back.

Then, with his own knee on the Prussian’s
chest, his sword at his enemy's throat, he hissed
out:

' -“ Retract, or die 1"

The seconds looked coldly on, for it was under-
stood it was a duel to the death. All of Pots.
dam's spurious courage founded on his supposed
invincible trick and a liberal quantum of
brandy, vanished and he gasped out:

“ l retract."

Gabriel removed his knee, placed his foot on
the Prussian‘s sword, and then rose, still keeping
his sword's int at the other’s throat. '

. “ How di( you decoy my wife into our lines
r- r' before Jena? he asked sternly. “i now the
- truth alreadv. Confess it before these gentle-

men and take your life. "

Potsdam looked up pale and haggard.

“I bribed the marquise to pretend to lose the
way and I kept them prisoners. Madame was
not to blame. I own that she hates me. Is
that onou h?”

" No. nfess before these

on are a liar and a cowar
die."

“I’ll confess anything,” said the prince, “if
you‘ll take that sword away."

, Gabriel removed it with a contemptuous
smile observing:

“ N'ow say on.
belongs to me.”

“ I con'ess that I have slandered the Countess
of Friedland; that she is a noble, brave and

-‘ " pure lady, that I havo done wrong and ask par-
', , don. Is that enough i"

' , “ It is,” said Gabriel, coldly, and he turned his
back and walked away. ,

He was startled by a shout of horror from his
seconds, and instinctively sprung to one side
and turned.
> Not an instant too soon: the treacherous Pots-

. ‘-» dam maddeued by his disgrace. had snatched
up his sword and stabbed at Gabriel‘s back when
every one was off his guard.

Only the nick leap and turn saved the young

neral. Tie sword gr his skin and caught

n‘his shirt. but Gabriel, n another moment,
, x ' had caught his foe by the throat, flung him on
' I  the ground, and with his bare fists pounded the

' ~ other till he fairly roared for mercy. The pain
, . and the beating did more to cow him than it

~ I , sword-thrust.

 ; ' ' Still the recondsdid not interfere, and Gabriel
;* ' r was so angry that be nearly choked the Prumian
to

g . Not till he was black in the face did the young
‘ ~ ‘ man leave him, and then he rose and flung the
sword'fhr away'from him, saying:
\ “ It is a shame to use a sword on such. The
V I - stick is the properwea to punish him."
‘ ' “1 , Hedressed and rode ck tocamp.
. That even he received orders from Ber-
., thier. chief stem“? 0 to Paris :ith dis-
 ” aun ng eempremtepcace
 “talusL ounci

tlemen that
that ‘you

You are watched. Your life

\

 

. ‘1 , “Why do you tremble so, ma belle! One
  think itwaswinter.andthatyou were
,, ,’., ‘ 00

‘ / Itwassaldinawhisperandthespeaherwas

:.  the Emprem Josephine, who sat in state in the

,r ' .‘ " 3. throne room of the Tuileries, surrounded by her

1w .-ladissandtheh hdignitariesof the empire,
" _ awaiting the a val of the oncer who was

" ~ bringing the news of peace and triumph.

.. t ‘ ~ . Close to her side was a young laduhose
 ' ,. white satin robes mm lenlfi of Witnce
 r .' more conspicu or a ts, or it

_." , _ was the loveliestlzos in that court of beautiful

' .. women.
A. . “ I cannot help it, your ma jest y,” was the low
‘ answer. “ We in anger. He may be

“5%.?”

‘ , tut,” said the empress lightly. “If
- the gentleman does not know when he has a
' r  . ' “ears I will tell him he does not deserve it.
‘ ’ ' Bark! there go the guns. Be firm, ines, ma
 belle. It is not well to let a man see that you
w; . .love him too much. I have found that in my

' I / l - time.”
'-.' — ‘And her sunny face was clouded for a
moment, for alread the ominous rumors had
., come to the ears of osephine of the event that
J ' v to sudden the rest of her life, two years

' ‘ a .
 1 But now, in the he day of prosperity, with
g ' France at the head 0 Europe, the guns boom-
 \ ing their loud salute in the parks, the bells
:t "1 pealing ,jo ously, the clash of scabbards and
 , upon, to of nothing but oy, and the, em-
: _ press rose proudly to her cot and stood to
l l, -' ' welcome in the ‘ boy general,” Gabriel Count
1‘ of Friedland, who. entered the saloon at that
” ‘ moment, knelt before his fair soverei and
handed her the letter which contained e joy-

news.
"‘I have the honor to announce to your
majesty, that the emperor has beaten al his

.‘-.' . , I '\

v

 

enemies, thatFr-ameisonoemore atpeaoe,and
that his majesty will be in Paris in awash,”
was his formal announcemont.

The empress smiled on him graciously,and
turned to nes.

“ Give me the patent, ma belle."

Ines, paler than ever, handed to the empress
a large merit.

“Lad es and gentlemen,” said the empress,
“ I have the pleasure to present to n his
majesty's special envoy, General, the nt of
Friedland. Here, mon ('hPf' cents, is your

tent of nobility, with the title to the lands of

ildhausen. May you and your charming
wife live long to enjoy them. The company is
dismissed.”

Therewas a buzz and a dispersal into informal
groups, and the empress desrended from the
throne, leaning on the arm of Ines, and said to
Gabriel:

“And have on not yet had time to speak to
your wife? AK, monsieur, she deserves a scold-
ing; but not from you. Do on know that,
last year she actually deserts me to try and
find you in the midst of the campaign? It is
true. She gave me no peace till I made Talley-
rand give her pamports, and after all, you were
so cruel as to send her back. Ah, monsieur
when I was first married, my husband teased
me to come to the front,- and it was only
because the danger was so great that I had at
last to return. It was in Italy, ten years ago.
Ah, perhaps we were happier then, when I was
simp e Madame Bonaparte, than now when I
am empress.”

And again the empress sighed, but went on
chatting ia her usual cheering way, not giving
the reunited lovers a chance to speak a word.

But they had used their eyes for all that, and
those eyes spoke volumes.

When the levee broke up an hour later, the
young Count of Friedland ound himself at last
alone with his wife, and his first words ware:

“ Inez, I ask for iveness. I was a jealous
brute, a year ago, ut I have, found my mire
take. The man that poisoned our happiness is
dead. Can you forgive me the pasti”

Her eyes filled with tears.

"I have nothing to forgive, monsieur.” she
said, in a low voice. “You are here now and
it is all forgotten.”

“And is it possible—4" he asked, then hed-
tated and stepped.

“ Is what possible, monsieur?”

She was smiling now.

“ That you can fled anything in me not abso-
lutely to love—of course that is impossible-—
but just to tolerate‘l I know I am a rough sol-
dier, Ines. I was a common sentrv when you
first saw me only a simple soldier—”

“ I know it,” she said, slyly, “and oh, mon—
sieur. how afraid I was of you with your big
sword and culrass. I thought you m ght take
to eat me up. You 1 as if you
wan to do it.”

“’Did I, Ines?”

They were strolling down the corridor of the
Tuileried as he said it and he stopped suddenly.

“It was a fact, I did. Do you know what
Iwassa ngtomysslfwhenmyeyeslookedse
“mi...

She ed down at the pavement, very red
in the face and murmured:

“ How should I know, monsieuri"

“I was saying to myself: There is the wo-
man who shall one day be my wife, when I am
a general and a count.”

She looked up with an arch smile.

“ And you were impudent enough to marry
me before you were either. But it is a strange
thing—3’

And she gave a little low laugh.

“ W'hat is a strange thing, Inez?”

“ What I was thinking while you were want-
ing to eat me up."

They heard the clanking of spurs and a scab~
hard on the stone floor at the end of the corri-
dor and Gabriel asked hurriedly:

“Vl'hat was it? Tell me before that follow
comes. Quick, what was it?”

“ I was thinking, monsisur,” and she spoke
with provoking slowness, “that if you were
only a general and a count, and I were your
a countess I should be—”

“What, Ines?”

“The happiest woman in France,” she whis-
pered, and then came a clash of armor as
Gabriel. unable to-mntrol himself, hugged his
pretty wife closely and forgot everything else.

He was roused from his vision of bliss by the
respectful cough of Casse Tete, and there was

his grim orderly like a bronze statue of dis—

cretion, standing at a salute, staring at the ‘

wall.
‘-‘ The carriage of Monsieur le Comte de
Nedland is waiting," quoth Casse Tote.

THE END.

 

snunlnn ["le PllBUllillflllS.

Speakers.
BummAnus have nowon their lists thefol-
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prim“ “dimi’oliiigmm‘ “Vi?” 3.3"
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3. Patriotic Speaker. 15. Komikal Speaker.
4. Comic Speaker. 16. Youth‘s 8 .
it Emmmtm lift ‘35:... s...-
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7. Standard Speaker. er. ' I
8. Stump S «shit. 19. SerioComic Speaker.
13: guvenile pfakcr.   S .
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11. me Debater. 22. oil  .
18. Exhibition Speaker. 9!. .
94. Dime Book of Bocltations and

These books are re lete with choice pieces tlor the
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are drawn from man sources, and contain some of
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, D1 Dialo es. .
The Dime alogues, cue volume 100 pages, en
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Dialogues 0. One. Dialogues No. Fifteen.
Dialogues No. Two. Dialogues No. Sixteen.
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Dialogues No. Four. Dialogues No. Eighteen
Dialogues No. Five. {Dialogues .\'o. Nineteen.
Dialogues No. Six. [Dialogues No. heuty.
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Dialogues No. Eight. Dialogues No. Twenty-two)
Dialogues No. Nine. Dialogues No. Twonlydllrr‘e.
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Dialogues No. Twelve. Dialogues No. Twenty +ix.
Dialogues No. Thirteen. DiabguesNo.'Iu (Wily-Ff“ n.

Dialogues No. Fourteen Dialogues No. Twemyeight.
Diahlguos No.1‘wenty-nine.
15 to 2’) Dialogues and I-mrras in each book.

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0I:I"l::a"alti)oeve pléblicationsgor sale by‘ all 347869810”
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BEADLE & ADA 8, w rnunr  N. Y.p ’

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A New Library Expresst Desngned for “Our Boys”
~ \VIIO LOVE .
True Stories of Stirring Lives!
Tales of Actual Peril and Adventure!
Romance of Sport on Field and Flood!
Daring Deeds and Great Achievement, .‘

0n the ocean and lees—in the deep, silent foreste—on the boundless plains—in the mountain fusinesees and the untrailed Elk——
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NOW READY AND IN PRESS. \
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d. Deeds of Daring, and Romantic Incidents in the Paths and Prairie Trails. By Albert W. Aiken. 1 ’
early life of William F. Cody. By 001. Prentiss lngraham. No. 16. Red River Rovers; or, Life and Admin". in the
No. 8. The Ocean Hunters; Or, The Chase of the Leviathan. Northweot. By C. Dunning Clark.
A Romance of Perilous Adventure. By Captain Mayne Reid. No. 17. Plan and Plain : 0r, Wild Admwm 0' “Min .
- \ FA» extra la number. 3 . 8am,” (Major Sam 8. Bali.) By COL Prentiss 1W
; No. 3. dvonturen 0 Wild 8111. an. Plato] We. 313- No. 18. m. and Revolver; or, The Littleton Gun Clabcntbo
marimhle career of J. B. Hikok, (known to the world as Buffalo Range. B Capt. Frederick Whittaker.
" wnd Bill "i giving the true story or his adventures and acts. no. la. WidesAwake :30, the Boy Pie-em 0'. UM:
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No. 6. Cruise of the Flynqu or, Yankee Boys in Ceylon. the New England Farm-led, the Western Prince

By C. Dunning Clark. A o! the Road. By E. L. WheeleL

 

No. 7. Wine: The History ofa Young “ Border Radian.” lo. 83. The Boy Exile. of Siberia: 0'. m W3Wb'DOI 0'
grit: nee from the Life of Joseph E. Badger, Jr. Rania. By T. C. Herbal: h. ‘ r
N 8d.H.Post. ‘ No.23,P.nlD.LW,ehoifi-eneh3cutmxor,
* 0- ' 9 MW” Afloat: or, Yankee Boys ’Round the World, New York Boys in the Jungles. A Story of Adventure, Peri
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lo. 9. Bruin Adams. Old Grizzly Adm’ Bo Par-d. No. 24. The Sword Prince: The Romantic Life of Colonel -. ;,
Scenes of Wild Adventure in the Life of the Boy nger of Monstery, (American Cbampion-at-arms.) By Captain Fred. f
the 300*? mountalm- BY Col. Prentiss Ingraham. Whittaker-
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A Narrative of Sport and Liie around Lake Winnipeg. out Camp.” A-Taleo Roving Joe and hisBunte‘r PINE. By

I I By T. C. Herbaugh. Joseph E. Badger, Jr. Ready May 3let.
, '0- 11. Old Grizzly AM, the Bear Twat; or, The i No. 28. Snow-Shoe Tom: or. New York Boys in the WW
1

 

Monarch of the Mountain By Dr Frank Powell A Narrative 0’ S ‘ . '

. . , port and Peril in Maine. By '1‘. C. although.
,. NO- 13. Woods and Waters; or, The Exploits of the Littleton M '1'” m‘ 
 No. 13.931: Club. By gapt. Frederick Whittaker. A New Issue Every Week. "5
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'0- 14- Adflfi on the Prairie and Amate ‘ 
i . n:- Hunter. on BEADLE AND ADAMS, Poem ,«
i the 8‘1!!an Ram, By on Coomos. 98 William Street, New York. “

,\

 

\

 

._—_.._

u “is  1'5» in 'xfin‘sfiiin

 

 

 

 

{In

 

 

 

 

 

1. A Hard Crowd. By P. S. Warne.
,8. The Dare-Devil. By 001. Ingrahnm.
3. Kit Oman. Jr. By Buckskin Sam.
4. The Kidna per. By P. S. Warne.
5. The Fire-F ends. By A. P. Morris.
6. Wildcat Bob. By E. L. Wheeler.
7.’ Death-Notch. Tnn Dnsmornn; on,
kl Brmrr LAKE Avwosns. By Oll Coomes.
8. TheHeadless Horseman. Astrange
story of Tens. By (apt Mayne Reid. ,
9. “dynw. By Samuel Lover.
10. Vidoch The anxcn Ponce arr.
w11 b  C t. M t
. . up nrrya .
12. The Death-Shot By Mayne Reid.
18. Pathaway. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.
1 1d. Thayendano ea. By Ned Buntlme.
15. The rvSfiyer. By G. Aimard.
‘ 1 The toWisard. Ned Bantilne.
1 . Nightshade. By Dr. J. H. RobinsOn.
is. The Sea Bandit. By Ned Buntlise.
19. Red Cedar. By Gustave Aimard.
29. The Band“ at Bay. By Aimsrd.
21. The Trapper’s Daughter; 03,
Tm: OUTLAW'S FATE. By Gustave Armani.
22. Whitelaw. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.
23. The Red Warrior. By NedBuni;liue
24. Prairie Flower. By G. Aimard.
25. The Gold-Guide. By F. Johnson.
26. The Death-Track. By F. Johnson.
27. The Spotter-Detective. By Aiken.
28. 'l‘hree-Fingered Jack. Tun ROAD-
Aonx'r or ran: Rooms. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr.
29. Tiger Dick, THE FARO limo; or,
'l’nn CAemnn's  By Philip S. Warne.
30. Gospel Geor e. By J. E. Badger.
31. The New Yor Sharp. By Aiken.
82. B’hoys of Yale. By J. D. Vose.
33. Overland Kit. By A. W. Aiken.
34. Rocky Mountain Rob. By Aiken.
35. Hentuck. the Sport. By Aiken.
36. Injnn Dick. By Albert 1V. Aiken.
37. Hirl, the Hunchback; on, Tar.
Swonmuxnn or rm: SAW. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.
38. Velvet Hand. By A. W. Aiken.
89. The Russian Spy. By Whittaker.
40. The Leno Haired ‘Pards;’ on,
Tun TAMARB or mnPLAms. By Joe. E. Badger. Jr.
41. Gold Dan. By Albert W. Aiken.
42. California Detective. By Aiken.
4‘3. DakotaDan. By Oll Coomee.
44. Old Dan Rackback. Oil Coomes.
45. Old Bull's Eye. Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
46. Bowie-Knife Ben. By 011 Coonles.
47. Pacific Pete. By Joe. E. Badger, Jr.
‘8. Idaho Ton. By Oil Coomes.
49. TheWolf Demon. By A. W. Aiken.
8,510.  Rabbit, TH: PnAmm Srom;
0K W 1’.
51. Rod Re . Tn: Bor ROAD-AGENT.
8y Oil'Ooomes.
58. Silver 8am. By Col. Delle Sam.
54. Always onHand. By P. S. Warns.
55. The Scalp Hunters. Mayne Reid.
56. The Indian Haseppa. By'Aiken.
57. The Silent Hunter. P. B. St. John.
58. Silver Knife. By Dr. J. H. Robinson.
59.“. Han From Texas. By Aiken.
80. Wide Awake. By Frank Dumout.
61. Captain Seawaif. By Ned Buntline

62. Heart. By Gustave Aimard.
63. The W ed Whale. By Aiken.
64. Dcnhie- t, the Death Shot.

By Joseph E. Badger, r.
65. The Red Rajah. By F. Whittaker.
66. The Specter Barque. Mayne Reid.
67. The Boy Jockey. By J. E. Badger.

68. The Fighting Trapper or Krr
Guise: m m Ramon. By Capt. J.  C. Adams

so. The 1.1.1. Captain. By Whittaker.

70. Hydubad, Tnn SrnANGLnn; or,
Aunts. m 0mm or ran Conn. By Robinson.

71. Captain Cool-Blade. J. E. Badger.
72. The Phantom Hand. By Aiken.

or. Tn 11mm or  J. H. 

74. Captain ofthoRilos. Msyne Reid.
75. Gentle-an George. By Aiken.

76. The Queen’s Musketeer; or,
Tamar, ml Panama PALIIST. By George Albony.

77. The Fresh of Frisco. By Aiken.

 

g8. The Mysterious Spy. By Grainger
9. Joe Phenix, Pouon SPY. By Aiken.
80. A. Man of Nerve. By P. S. Warne.
81. The Human Tiger. 'By Aiken.
88. Iron Wrist. them.
By 001. Thomas H. Monastery. .
83. Gold Bullet Sport. By Buffalo Bill.
84. Hunted Down. By A. W. Aiken.
85. The retan Rover. By Ingraham.
86. The Hunter: or, Tan Qum
or rm: we. By the author of “ Silent Hunter."
87. Scarlet Captain. Dells Sam.
88. Big George, Tn: Gum- or rm:
Grim; or, HBFIVE ‘mw Bum ByBadger.
' 89. The Pirate Prince. By Ingmham.
90. Wild Will. B Buckskin Sam.
91. The Winning . By Aiken.
92. Bufalo Bill. By Dangerfield Burr.
98. Captain DichTalhot. By Aiken.
94. Freelance, Tun BUCCANnnn; or, The
Wm or m WAVE. By 001. Prentiss .
95. Ashort. Tar. Axum.- By A. . Morris.
96. Double-Death. By P. Whittaker.
97. Bronze Jack. By A. W. Aiken.
98. The Rock Rider. By Whittaker.
99. The Giant Rifleman. Oll Coomes
100. The French Spy. By A. P. Morris.
101. The Man from New York; or,
THE ROMANCE or A RICH Yonxa WoMAN. By Aiken.
102. The Masked Band. Gee. L. Aiken
103. Merle. the Mntineer. Ingruham.
104. Montezuma, the Merciless: or,
Tun EAGLE AND THE Snurmu’r. By 001. P. Ingmham.
105. Dan Brown of Denver, Tun:
Roch Motwmlx Dn'rnmvz. By J 05. E. Badger, Jr.
106. Shamns O'Brien. Col. Delle Sara.
107. Richard Talbot of Cinnabar;
or, Tn: BROTHERS or THE RED HAND. By A.W. Aiken.
108. The Duke of Diamonds: or. ’lun
Fnowsn or CALCUTTA. By Capt. Frwi. Whittaker.
109. Captain K (1. By Col. lngmlmm.
1 10. The Silent iflesnan. By Herbert.
1 1 1. The Smuggler Captain; or, Tim
Smrnn‘s Cums. By edBuntllne.
112. Joe Phenix. PRIVATE Diz'rnc'nvr;
or, Tn: LEAGUE or mic anmrox KEYS. By Aiken.
113. The Sea 8 er: or, Tm: AMA-
TEUR Flil-IEBOO'l‘lilL‘i. By l’ro . J. H. ingrnhnm.
1 14. The Gentleman from Pike: or,
Tu Glosr or m Carnot. By Philip 8. Warne.
115. The Severed Head. Whittaker.
116. Black Plume. By Col. Ingrahnm.
1 17. Dashing Dandy. By Major Burr.
118. The Bnrflar Captain; or, Tm:
FALLE$STA1L By Pro . J. H. lngmhnm.
11 . Alabama Joe. By J. E. Badger.
120.. The Texan  By N. M.- Curtis.
121. The Sea Ca ct. By Ingrahnm.
122. Saul Sabberday,m 1mm Sn;
or, Lnuon. m 8m. 3 Ned Buntiine.
123. Alapaha. the (wow: or. Tm:
Ransom or m BORDER. By l‘ancis Johnson.
124. Assowaum, the Ave r; or,
Tm: D00: or ran DEBTROYERB. By hon Johnson.
125. The Blacksmith Outlaw: or,
MERRY Exam. By Harrison Ainsworth.
126. TheDeznon Duelist. By Monster-y.
127. 801 Scott, THE MASKED MINER; or,

DAN Bnm‘s DOUBLI. B ' J E. Badger.
128. The Chevalier Corsair : or, Tn,
Humor or fin-1‘11. - the author of "Merle."
l P

 

129. Miss! 1 son. By Ed.Willstt.
130. Captain olcano. By Aiken.

181. Bn Gain. By 001. lngmham.
182. Nor-o, g of the T 3 or,

Tm: Roux! GIIL'I mecn. By Whittaker.
123. Body. the Rover; ‘or, Tan RIB~

nowa or human. By William Carleton.
134. Darhis Dan. By Col. Ingmham.
135. The Bush Ranger. By Johnson.
126. The Outlaw-Hunter. Johnson.

18". Long Board, m "Gum arr. By
011 Coomes.
188. The Border Bandits. Johnson.

. 139. Fire-Eye, m Sn Hymn; or,
Tun Brunt or A Buochssn. By Col. P. I
By

140. The Three Spaniards.

George Walker. 4 ,
141. Equine. ToIn._ 81.3. E. Badger.
1,42. CagtainOrhson, m MAN or run
In)! I'm. y Major Dangerfield Bur. g .
148. The Osar's Spy. By Monster-y. .
144. The Hunchback of Notre-Dalne.
By Victor Hugo.

145. Pistol Pards. By W. B. Eyster.

 

146. The Doctor Detective: or, Tm:
annr or run Gonna)! Con-m. By Geo. bowel.-

147. Gold 8 ur, ms Grimm non
Tms. By Colonel 1m
148. Ono-Armed Alf. ByOllCoomes.
149. The Border Rifles. Pym
150. El Rollie Bravo. Km or m
Swonnsinm. By Cal. Thomas Boyer Monster].
151. The Mouton. By Aimsrd.
182. Captain Ironn ' o, m Donn-
mrmsu mer. ByMsi-mad eDey. .
153. The White Scalper. By Alum-d.
154. Joaquin, m Emma Kmo.
Joseph E. Badger, Jr. .
155. The Corsair ‘ .3 Cl.
Prentiss lngraham.  -’ 0
156. 'Velvet Face. By Major Mr.
157. Monrad. ‘rnn MA 4
Col. Thomas Boyer Monstery.  By
158. The Doomed 3 or Do-
wns. run Dunn’s DAUOITER. By Dr. 1. Powell.
159. Red Rudiger. Tm: 'Aann. By
Captain Frederick “'hittnkor.
160. 803 Hand. Sharp. By Eyster.
161. The Wolves of New York: or,
Jon Pnnmx‘s (ich'r MAN HUNT. By A. W. Aiken.
162. The Mad Mariner: or, DISHON-
0mm AND llxsowxnn. By (‘01. Prentiss Ingraham.
163. Ben Brion, THE TRAPPEB CAP—
rAm. By Dr. J. H. Robinson. , . . ‘
164. The King's Fool. Bylincnn.
165. Jonqum. the Terrible.r~:"~_By Joe.
E. Badger, Jr. ‘. y’ i, a I.
166. Owlet. the Robber P ~ 3 o’r,
Tim Uxxxowx lilGliWAYMAN. By Septimns R.Urban.
167. The Man of Steel. A. P. Morris.
168. Wild Bill, THE PISTOL DEAD Sam.
By Colonel Prentiss Ingrahsm.
169. Co oral C on. run MA: or
Fon'n' an:1.s.rgy Colonel omas Boyer Monetary
170. Sweet William, rm: TnA'rm ‘
Ds'rrc'rn'n. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr. ’
171. Tiger Dick, THE MAN or nu:
Inox limr. By Philip S. Warne.
172. The Black Pirate. By lngrsbsm.

173. California John. By AW. Aiken.

_*

   

174. The Phantom Kning A Tale I

of Chivalry. By Captain Frederick hittnksr.
175. Wild B'iill's Trump Card. . By
u". ,- .

Major Do
176. J m Rosana .
3, mm... wig?" Q‘T‘“
177. Don Diablo. rm: PLANfll-COB~
sun. By (‘01. Prentiss lngrshnm.
178. Dark Dashwood. rm: Dnsrmm.
or, Tn: Cum: or run Sim. By Major 8. 8.1131).
179. Conrad. the Conth or, wAs
HI Gm"! By Prof. Btewnrt Gliderng 1.1.1).
1800  "9.  J“. n W, Jr.
181. The Soviet Schooner: or, Tm:
Wrou- m Bu By Col. Prentisshgn I
182. Hands Up! By Win. R. Eyster.
183. Gilbert, the Guide. 0. D. Clsrk.
184. The Ocean Or, "1‘s:
Harness or CAs-ru (‘vnsn By . P. rohsm.
186. m   A- P. Mort“.
186. The Black .Bravo 3 or, Tm:
ToxtAwAr‘s Tum ByBuckskin Sam. b ‘
187. The Death’s Head Cuiraooiers:
or, Buys or Au. Bums. By Capt. Fred.Whitt_sker.
188. The Phantom Maseppa.‘ ‘ ‘8
Major Dangerfield Burr. y
189. Wild Bill's Gold'l‘r : or, Tan
Drernuno Donn. By Col. Prentiss In rnlism.
190. The Three Guardsmen. By
Alexandre Dumas. ‘ ,
191. The Terrible Tom's-En or,
01.!) Booty AND 1118 PAR-DB. By Wu ,
June fist.

192. The

2111113 8 1112
BAD MIN mania: BAa. By mk. 

June 8th.
A new tame erery week.

“slick Dine Library h it! sale by all
Newsdeslers, ten cents per copy, or sent by mail on
receipt of twelve cents each. BEADLE & ADAMS,
Publishers. 98 William Street. New York.

By.

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