Datasets:
NNEngine
/
Gutenberg-Clean

Dataset card Data Studio Files
xet
Community
id
stringlengths
16
16
text
stringlengths
151
2.3k
word_count
int64
30
60
source
stringclasses
1 value
twg_000012930600
under a glass bowl full of coffee and milk and, in ten minutes, were on their way towards the town. "We shall be lucky if we are often as comfortable as that," Percy said, looking back; and there was a general assent. "There goes the bugle," Louis Duburg said; "we have a quarter of an hour, yet. "What pretty girls
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930601
those were!" Louis was nearly seventeen and, at seventeen, a French lad considers himself a competent judge as to the appearance and manners of young ladies. "Were they?" Percy said carelessly, with the indifference of an English boy of his age as to girls. "I did not notice it. I don't care for girls; they are always thinking about their
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930602
dress, and one is afraid of touching them, in case you should spoil something. There is nothing jolly about them." The others laughed. "I am sure Milly is jolly enough," Philippe Duburg said. "Yes, Milly is jolly," Percy answered. "You see, she has been with us boys, and she can play, and doesn't screech if you touch her, or mind
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930603
a bit if she tears her frock. So are our cousins in England--some of them. Yes, there are some jolly girls, of course; still, after all, what's the good of them, taking them altogether? They are very nice in their way--quiet and well behaved, and so on--but they are better indoors than out." The clock was just striking half-past five,
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930604
as the boys reached the place of assembly. Most of the men were already upon the spot, and the bugler was blowing lustily. In another five minutes all were assembled; including Tim Doyle, with his horse and cart. "Good-morning, Tim," the boys said, as they came up to him. "I hope you had as comfortable quarters as we had, last
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930605
night." "Splendid, your honor--downright splendid; a supper fit for a lord, and a bed big enough for a duchess." The boys laughed at the idea of a duchess wanting a bed bigger than anyone else, and Tim went on: "Ah, your honor, if campaigning was all like this, sure I'd campaign all my life, and thank you; but it's many
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930606
a time I shall look back upon my big supper, and big bed. Not that I should like it altogether entirely; I should get so fat, and so lazy, that I shouldn't know my own shadow." And now the bugle sounded again, and the men fell in. As they started, they struck up a lively marching song; and several windows
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930607
opened, and adieus were waved to them as they passed down the street into the open country. Everyone was in high spirits. The weather, which had for some time been unfavorable, had cleared up; the sun was rising brightly, and they felt that they had fairly started for work. The road was rough, the country wild and mountainous, thick forests
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930608
extended in every direction, as far as the eye could carry. "There is one comfort, Percy," Ralph said, "if we are beaten and driven back, we might get into this forest, and laugh at the Prussians." Percy cast rather a doubtful eye at the dark woods. "The Prussians might not be able to discover us, Ralph; but I would as
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930609
leave be killed by Prussian balls as die of hunger, and our chances of getting food there, for a hundred men, would be very slight." "They don't look hospitable, certainly, Percy. I agree with you. We had better keep in the open country, as long as possible." The first village at which they arrived was Deyvilliers. Here a halt was
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930610
called for ten minutes, five miles having already been marched. Many of the men--less fortunate than the Barclays and Duburgs--had had nothing to eat upon starting and, when the arms were piled, there was a general dispersal through the village, in search of provisions. Bread had been bought over night, at Epinal, and brought on in the cart; which was
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930611
fortunate, for the village was a very small one, and there would have been a difficulty in obtaining more than a loaf or two. Cheese and fruit were in abundance; and the boys bought some apples, and sat down by the little feeder of the Moselle which passes through the village, and watched it tumbling past on its way to
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930612
join the main stream, a few miles below Epinal. In a quarter of an hour, they were again on the march. In another five miles they reached Fontaine, lying a little off the road to their right. They had now marched ten miles, and Major Tempe ordered a halt for three hours. A piece of level ground was chosen, arms
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930613
were piled, blankets and haversacks taken off, and then preparations began for their first meal. Men were sent off with kettles, for water. Others went up to the village with cans for wine--or beer for, in Alsace, beer is more common than wine. Tim took the horse out of the shafts, and gave him some oats. Some of the men
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930614
were sent from each company to fetch wood, and the old soldiers prepared for the important operation of cooking. Several little fireplaces were made, with stones and turf, open on the side facing the wind. In these sticks were placed and, when they were fairly alight, the saucepans--each holding the allowance of ten men--were placed on them. In these the
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930615
meat--cut up in pieces of about half a pound--was placed; with pepper, salt, onions, rice, and potatoes peeled and cut up, and the whole filled up with water. When the preparations were finished, the men threw themselves down under the shade of some trees; and smoked and chatted until, in about an hour, the cooking was complete. Each man then
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930616
brought up his tin canteen, and received his portion of soup in the deep side, and his meat and vegetables in the shallow can. The bread had already been cut up. The tin drinking pots which, with knives, forks, and spoons, were carried in the canteens, were filled with beer and, with much laughing and fun, each man sat down
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930617
on the grass, or scattered rocks, to eat his breakfast. Many of the villagers had come down; and these brought, for the most part, little presents: a few apples, a little fresh cheese, or a bunch of grapes. It was a merry meal, and the boys agreed that it was the jolliest picnic that they had ever been at. At
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930618
two o'clock the bugle sounded. The cooking things were packed up and placed in the cart again; the blankets and haversacks slung on, and the rifles shouldered and, with many a good wish from the peasants, they marched forward again. Eight miles further marching brought them to the end of their day's journey, the village of Destord. It was a
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930619
tiny place, with scarcely over a half-dozen houses. Major Tempe in consequence determined, as the weather was fine, upon bivouacking in the open air. For a time, all were busy collecting wood. A sheltered place was chosen, for the village lay very high, close to the source of a little stream running into the river Mortagne. The cooking places were
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930620
again prepared for supper. At seven o'clock the meal was served, differing but little from that of the morning; except that after the men had eaten the soup, and the meat from it (in France called bouilli), they fried some thin slices of meat in the lids of their canteens, and concluded the meal with a cup of coffee. Then
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930621
four large fires were lit--one for each company--and a smaller one for the officers. Blankets were spread out on the ground round these fires, and the men lit their pipes and chatted gaily. All were more or less tired for, although their month's hard drill had accustomed them to work, eighteen miles with arms, ammunition, and accouterments had tired them
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930622
more than they had anticipated. As this was their first night out, Major Tempe told them that he should not place a regular cordon of sentries; but that in future he should do so, whether they were near the enemy or not. By nine o'clock the fires began to burn low, the talking gradually ceased, and the men--rolling themselves up
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930623
in their blankets, and putting their haversacks under their heads, for pillows--soon dropped off to sleep; a solitary sentry keeping guard against pilferers. A short march of ten miles took them, next day, to Rambervillers, where they were billeted among the inhabitants; and fourteen miles on the day after to Baccarat, on the river Meurthe, where they also obtained quarters.
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930624
They were now approaching the neighborhood of the enemy, and Major Tempe advised a halt for the next day; in order that he might make inquiries, and investigate thoroughly the best route to be pursued. : The First Engagement. The news which the commandant of the franc tireurs heard, at Baccarat, determined him to change his intentions; and to push
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930625
on without delay to Halloville--a tiny hamlet on the lower spurs of the Vosges, some four miles from Blamont; and overlooking the valley of the Vexouse, in which the latter town was situated. It was a long march, and the weather had again changed, the rain descending all day in a steady pour. The men--in their light, waterproof cloaks, and
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930626
the flaps of their forage caps down--plodded steadily on; their spirit sustained by the thought that, ere another twenty-four hours, they might be in action. The news which hurried them forwards had been to the effect that a body of two hundred Uhlans had left Sarrebourg, and were advancing towards Blamont. They were going quietly, stopping to levy contributions at
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930627
the villages on the way. It was probable that they would enter Blamont on the same evening that the franc tireurs reached Halloville. It was supposed that they would proceed, with the sheep and cattle that they had swept up, by the valley of the Vexouse to Luneville. To within four miles of Halloville, the road had been a fair
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930628
one; but it was here necessary to turn off, by a track that was little better than a goat path. In vain, a dozen of the men were told off to help with the cart; in vain they pushed behind, and shoved at the spokes of the wheels. The road was altogether impracticable. At last the horse and cart were
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930629
taken aside into a thick wood and left there; with Tim Doyle, a corporal, and six of the men who were the most footsore, and incapable of pushing on. Tim was dreadfully disgusted at being thus cut off from the chance of seeing, and joining in, any fighting; and only consoled himself with the hope that a vacancy would be
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930630
likely to occur the next day, and that he would then be able to exchange his whip for a rifle. The rest of the corps plodded on until, long after dusk, they arrived at the half-dozen houses which form the village of Halloville. Their appearance, as they marched up to it, was greeted by a scream from a woman, followed
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930631
by a perfect chorus of screams and cries. Men, women, and children were seen rushing out of the houses, and taking to flight; and it was with the greatest difficulty that they were made to understand the truth, that the formidable body, which had so suddenly dropped upon them, was not composed of the dreaded invaders. When the truth was
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930632
known, they did their best to receive them hospitably. Their means, however, were small; their houses equally so. However, in a short time blazing fires were lighted on the hearths; blankets having been put up before the windows, to prevent any light being visible from the valley. A fire was allotted for the cooking of each company, and preparations for
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930633
supper were soon commenced. Then an examination was made of the facilities in the way of sleeping; and two barns were found, well provided with straw. This was shaken out and, after eating their suppers, the men packed close together upon the straw, and soon forgot both damp and fatigue; numerous sentries being thrown out, in various directions, to prevent
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930634
the possibility of surprise--for the peasants had informed them that the information which they had received was correct; and that the Uhlans, about two hundred strong, had entered Blamont that afternoon, and had laid a requisition of twenty thousand francs upon the inhabitants, besides a considerable amount of stores of all sorts. At three o'clock they were roused and found,
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930635
to their great pleasure, that the rain had ceased. Guided by one of the villagers, they made their way down to a point where the wood approached quite close to the road, at a narrow point of the valley. Here Major Tempe posted his men along in the wood. Several coils of wire had been brought with them; and these
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930636
were now stretched tightly from tree to tree, at a distance of about eighteen inches from the ground. Some forty yards farther back, young trees were felled and branches cut; and these were laid with the bushy parts towards the road, wires being twisted here and there among them, so as to form abattis perfectly impenetrable for horsemen, and difficult
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930637
in the extreme for infantry. All worked hard and, by eight o'clock in the morning, everything was in readiness. A small party had been left upon the high ground near Halloville, and one of them had brought down news every half hour. Soon after daybreak, a party of Uhlans had been seen to leave Blamont, and to visit Barbas and
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930638
Harboise--two villages in the flat of Blamont--and then to retire, driving some cattle and sheep before them. At ten o'clock the rest of the men from Halloville came down, with the news that the Uhlans--about two hundred strong--had just left Blamont, and were coming down the valley. Each man now took the station allotted to him: thirty men behind the
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930639
trees, next to the road; the main body being stationed behind the abattis, each man having previously settled upon a spot where he could fire through the leaves, which entirely concealed them from view from the road. Number one company was placed to the right and, consequently, near to Blamont. Ralph and Percy were both in the front line, behind
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930640
the trees. Not a shot was to be fired, on any consideration, until Major Tempe gave the word. The men behind the trees were all ordered to lie down among the low undergrowth and brushwood. The line extended nearly a hundred yards. The waterproofs, blankets, and all other impediments had been left behind at Halloville, so that the men had
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930641
the free use of their arms. The rifles were loaded, the pouches shifted round so as to be ready at hand and--orders having been given that not a word should be spoken, even in a whisper--a perfect silence reigned over the spot. Ralph and Percy were near to each other. They had exchanged a hearty grip of the hand, before
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930642
lying down; and now lay, with beating hearts and hands firmly grasping their rifles, in readiness for the signal. The time was not very long--only a few minutes--but it seemed to them an age before they heard the tramp of horses. Nearer and nearer they came, and now they could hear the jingling of accouterments First, through their leafy screen,
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930643
they could see two Uhlans pass at a walk; scanning keenly the woods, and looking for possible danger. The bushes were thick, and they noticed nothing, and kept on at the same pace. It is probable, indeed, that they really anticipated no possibility of an attack, as the Dijon franc tireurs were the first who appeared upon the scene of
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930644
action; and the Prussians were, consequently, in entire ignorance of the vicinity of any armed body of the enemy and, at worst, apprehended a stray shot from a straggler from one of the French armies, hidden in the woods. In another minute or two four more Uhlans passed; and after the same interval came the main body, escorting a number
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930645
of cattle and sheep. The greater portion had passed the spot where the boys were lying, and were opposite the whole line of franc tireurs, when the silence of the wood was broken by Major Tempe's shout: "Now!" Before the Uhlans had time to rein in their horses, or to ask each other what was the meaning of the cry,
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930646
the flash of thirty rifles broke from the trees, and several men fell from their horses. There was a momentary panic, followed by a hurried discharge of carbines at the invisible foe. The captain of the Uhlans--a handsome young officer, with light mustache and beard--shouted to his men: "Steady, they are only a handful. Form line, charge!" Quickly as the
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930647
maneuver was executed, the franc tireurs had time to fire again; and then--in accordance with their orders--retreated, and joined their comrades by passages left in the abattis, on purpose. In another instant the Uhlans charged but, as quickly, the direst confusion reigned, where before had been a regular line. The wire had served its purpose. Horses and men went down
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930648
on the top of each other, and thirty rifles again fumed their deadly hail into the confused mass. The second line of Uhlans--who had not charged--returned the fire of their invisible enemies and, although they could not see them, several of the balls took effect. Nothing could be cooler than the officers of the Uhlans, and their voice and example
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930649
steadied their men. Under cover of the fire of their comrades the men, in part, extricated themselves and their horses, and drew back behind the wood. Orders were then given for all to dismount and, leaving their horses to be held by parties of their comrades--four horses to one man--the rest advanced on foot against their apparently greatly inferior foe,
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930650
keeping up a heavy fire with their carbines. This was what the commandant of the franc tireurs had hoped for, and expected. The wire had been broken down by the weight of the horses; and the Prussians advanced, opposed only by a feeble return to their heavy fire, until within five paces of the leafy wall. Then the fire from
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930651
a hundred rifles flashed out upon them. The effect was terrible, and a cry of surprise and rage burst from those who had escaped its effect. It was evident that they had fallen into an ambush. The captain--wild with rage and mortification, at the fault he had committed--rushed forward; and his men gallantly seconded his efforts. In vain, however, did
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930652
they try to separate the interlaced boughs while, as they struggled, the shots from the enemy flashed out thick and fast. In another moment the young captain threw up his arms and fell, shot through the heart. The officer next in command ordered a retreat, the horses were regained and, amidst a continuous fire from the franc tireurs, the diminished
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930653
troop galloped back towards Blamont. The franc tireurs now quitted their leafy fortress. A small party was at once sent forward up the valley, to give notice if the Uhlans showed any signs of returning. A strong body set to work to drive in the scattered animals--which were galloping wildly about the valley--while the rest collected the dead and wounded.
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930654
Of the franc tireurs eight were killed, fourteen wounded. Of the Uhlans forty-seven were killed, and nineteen wounded remained on the ground. Their large number of killed, in proportion to the wounded, was accounted for by the fact that the firing was so close that, in many cases, the coats of the dead men were actually singed by the explosion;
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930655
while the slightly wounded men had been able to regain their horses, and escape. The first impulse of the young Barclays, when the fire ceased, was to turn round and to embrace each other with delight--on finding that they had each escaped without a scratch--and then to shake hands heartily with their cousins, whose fortune had been equally good. There
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930656
was no time for words, however; for Major Tempe's order came, sharp and decisive: "You the Barclays, you also the Duburgs, sling your arms, and go assist to drive in the cattle. Quick, lose no time. "You have done well. I am content with you, my boys." With a flush of pleasure, the boys started off to carry out the
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930657
orders; which had been given, by their commander, with the kind thought of sparing the lads the terrible sight of the battle ground. The short but desperate conflict through which they had passed seemed, to the young Barclays, almost like a dream. In the excitement of loading and firing, in the tumult and the rattle, they had scarcely had time
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930658
even to give a thought to the danger. Fear is seldom felt by the soldier when engaged in close conflict. The time when his nerves are most tried is while waiting inactive, at a distance, exposed to a heavy shell fire; or while advancing to an attack, under a storm of musketry and artillery. In a hand-to-hand conflict, he has
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930659
no time to think. His nerves are strung up to so high a pitch that he no longer thinks of danger, or death. His whole thoughts are given to loading and firing. Any thought that the boys had given to danger was not for themselves, but for each other; and Ralph--though his own position was unsheltered--had once or twice spoken,
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930660
to Percy, to keep his body better sheltered by the trees behind which he was standing. It was a long chase before the frightened animals were collected together, and driven up towards the spot where the fight had taken place. By the time that it was accomplished, the wounded had been collected, and the surgeons had bandaged many of their
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930661
wounds. A qualified surgeon had accompanied the corps, as its regular doctor, and two other young surgeons had enlisted in its ranks; and these, their arms laid by, were now assisting to stanch the wounds and to apply bandages. Of the franc tireurs, there were only four so seriously wounded that they were unable to walk. By that time two
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930662
carts arrived from the village of Douteppe, which stood in the valley, half a mile only from the scene of action; and to which place Major Tempe had sent off a messenger directly the affair had terminated. In one of these the wounded were placed, while in the other were piled the arms and accouterments of the fallen Uhlans. One
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930663
of the young surgeons was to accompany the wounded as far as Baccarat, where they were to remain for treatment. Twenty-three horses of the Uhlans had also been captured, by the party who had driven in the cattle--among whom they were galloping. Four men were told off to take them back to Epinal, and there dispose of them, with their
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930664
accouterments, for the benefit of the military chest of the corps. The question then arose as to what was to be done with the Prussian wounded. Major Tempe decided this by saying that, as it was quite impossible for the corps to be burdened with wounded men, the best plan was to allow one of the slightly wounded among the
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930665
prisoners to walk back to Blamont; with a message that the Uhlans could come back to fetch their wounded without molestation, as the franc tireurs were upon the point of taking their departure. The corps then assembled round a grave which had already been dug, and into it the bodies of their comrades who had fallen were placed. Major Tempe
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930666
then said a few brief words of adieu, hoping that all who fell might die equally bravely, and victoriously. Then the sods were shoveled in; and the men, saddened by the scene--though still flushed with the triumph of their first, and signal, success--prepared to leave the spot. Major Tempe had already held a consultation with his officers, and their plan
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930667
of operation had been decided upon. The difficulty which they had encountered the evening before, with the horse and cart, had already proved that it would be impossible to drag it about with them. They had also taken thirty fine cattle, and upwards of a hundred sheep from the enemy; and it was therefore resolved to establish a sort of
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930668
headquarters in the mountains, where they could retire after their expeditions, and defy the efforts of the Prussians to disturb them. The spot fixed upon was the forest of Bousson, high up among the Vosges, and distant two hard days' marching. A portion of the troop, therefore, went round to Halloville, to fetch the accouterments, blankets, etc. which had been
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930669
left there; while the rest marched, by the road, to the place where the cart had been left the night before. Two peasants were engaged as guides and, in the afternoon, the corps started for their destination. It was a terrible march. The roads were mere tracks, and the weather was terrible. Over and over again, the men had to
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930670
unload the carts, shoulder the contents, and carry them for a considerable distance, until ground was reached where the cart could again be loaded. It was not until late on the evening of the third day's march that, thoroughly done up by fatigue and hardship, the corps reached the little village of Raon, in the heart of the forest of
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930671
Bousson. There was no possible fear of attack, here; and the commandant decided that, for the night, there was no occasion for any of the men to be out as sentries. The villagers at once took charge of the animals, and turned them into a rough enclosure. The men were too much done up even to care about keeping awake
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930672
until supper could be cooked and--being divided among the houses of the village--they threw themselves down, and were fast asleep in a few minutes. The next morning, the sun shone out brightly; and the men, turning out after a long sleep, felt quite different creatures to the tired band who had wearily crawled into the village. The bright sky, the
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930673
fresh morning air, the pleasant odor of the great pine forest around them, and the bracing atmosphere--at the height of fifteen hundred feet above the sea--at once refreshed and cheered them. There was a brief morning parade--at which Tim Doyle, for the first time, took his place with a rifle on his shoulder--and then the major dismissed them, saying that
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930674
there would be no further parade that day, and that the men could amuse themselves as they liked. In a short time, every man was following the bent of his own inclination. First, however, there was a general cleaning of the rifles and accouterments; then most of the men went down to the stream, and there was a great washing
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930675
of clothes, accompanied with much laughing and joking. Then needles and thread were obtained, from the women of the village, and there was much mending and darning--for the past three days' work, among rocks and woods, had done no little damage to their uniforms. Next came the grand operation of breakfast, for which two of the sheep had been killed.
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930676
This, being the first regular meal that they had had, for three days, was greatly enjoyed. After it was eaten most of the men lit their pipes, and prepared to pass a day of delightful idleness. Two or three of the village boys had been engaged, as cowherds and shepherds; and the animals were all driven out into the woods
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930677
where, in the open glades, they would find an abundance of food. The cart was unanimously condemned as worse than useless. An empty shed was turned into a storehouse; and it was determined that such stores of powder, etc. as might be required, upon each expedition, should be packed upon the horse's back and, if the horse could not take
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930678
all required, that other horses should be hired. The Barclays, with their cousins, started for a ramble in the wood; taking with them the Irishman, whose good humor and unflagging spirits, during the last three days, had made him a general favorite. "Sure, and are there any wild bastes in the wood, your honor Because, if there be, it would
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930679
be well to take our rifles with us. It would be mighty unpleasant to come across a lion, or a tiger, and not to be able to pass him the time of day." "No, Tim, we shall meet neither lions nor tigers, so you need not trouble yourself with a rifle. A hundred years ago, we might have met with
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930680
a bear, or a wild boar; but they have disappeared, long since. It is possible that there are a few wolves scattered about; but they are never formidable to any but a solitary person, even in winter; and at all other times fly from man's approach." The party had a charming ramble, for the scenery here was very fine. At
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930681
times, the forest was so thick that they could see no glimpse of the sky, and the trunks of the trees seemed to make a wall, all round them; then again, it would open, and they would obtain a glimpse over the country far away, rise beyond rise, to the plain of Champagne or--if the view were behind, instead of
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930682
in front of them--they could see the tops of the highest range of the Vosges, rising hill above hill, and often wooded to the very summit--the Donon, one of the highest points of the range, being immediately behind them. The villages are, here, few and far between, and the people extremely poor; for the soil is poor, and although in
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930683
summer the cattle--which form their only wealth--are able to pick up an abundance of food, in the forests, they have a hard struggle to keep them alive during the winter. Their language is German, and their appearance and dress rather German than French but, notwithstanding this, they were thoroughly French in spirit, and regarded the invaders with an intense hatred.
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930684
Another day, passed in rest, completely restored the most exhausted of the band. Orders were therefore issued for an early start, the next morning; the object, this time, being to endeavor to cut the railway. The band were to march in a body for the slopes of the Vosges, behind Sarrebourg and Saverne; and were then to divide into companies,
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930685
and scatter themselves among the villages between Lorquin and Marmontier, so as to act together or separately, as it might seem expedient. : The Tunnel Of Saverne. It is needless to follow the corps, step by step, through their marches; for the names of the little villages through which they passed would not be found in any maps published in
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930686
England, and would therefore possess little interest for English readers. After two days' long marches, the main body of the corps reached a village situated in a wood, at about four miles from the great rock tunnel of Saverne. The fourth company had been left at a village, five miles to the left; while the third company were, next day,
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930687
to march forward to a place at about the same distance to the right. Their orders were to keep a sharp lookout, to collect news of the movements and strength of the enemy; but not to undertake any expedition, or to do anything, whatever, to lead the enemy to guess at their presence in the neighborhood--as it was of vital
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930688
importance that they should not be put upon their guard, until the great blow was struck. As soon as they had marched into the village, the principal inhabitants came forward, and a consultation was held as to providing lodgings. After some conversation, it was agreed that the officers should have quarters in the village; and that the schoolrooms--two in number--should
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930689
be placed at the disposal of the men. They were good-sized rooms, and would hold thirty men each, without difficulty. The company who were to march forward in the morning were provided with quarters in the village. Ralph and Percy Barclay, as usual, acted as interpreters between Major Tempe and the inhabitants; for neither the major, nor any of his
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930690
officers, spoke German. That language, indeed, was spoken only by a few men in the whole corps; and these the commandant had divided among the other companies, in order that each company might be able to shift for itself, when separated from the main body. "Have you seen this proclamation?" one of the villagers asked. "You see that we are
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930691
running no little risk, in taking you in." Ralph read it, and as he did so his face flushed with indignation, and he exclaimed: "This is infamous! Infamous!" "What is it?" Major Tempe asked. "It is a proclamation from the Prussian General commanding the district, major, giving notice that he will shoot every franc tireur he may catch; and also
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930692
giving notice to the inhabitants that if any Prussian soldier be killed, or even shot at, by a franc tireur--if a rail be pulled up, or a road cut--that he will hold the village near the spot accountable; will burn the houses, and treat the male inhabitants according to martial law, and that the same penalties will be exacted for
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930693
sheltering or hiding franc tireurs." "Impossible!" Major Tempe said, astounded. "No officer of a civilized army could issue such an edict. Besides, during an invasion of Germany, the people were summoned by the King of Prussia to take up arms, to cut roads, destroy bridges, and shoot down the enemy--just as we are going to do, now. It is too
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930694
atrocious to be true." "There it is, in black and white," Ralph said. "There can be no mistake as to the wording." Major Tempe looked grieved, as well as indignant. "This will be a terrible business," he said, "if the war is to be carried on in this way. Of course, if they give us no quarter, we shall give
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930695
them none. That is, we must make as many prisoners as we can in order that, if any of our men are taken prisoners, we may carry out reprisals if they shoot them. "It will, besides this, do us great harm. Naturally, the villagers, instead of looking upon us as defenders, will regard us as the most dangerous of guests.
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930696
They will argue: "'If we make no resistance, the Prussians may plunder us, but at least our houses and our lives are safe; whereas if these franc tireurs are found to have been with us, or if they make any attack in our neighborhood, we are not only plundered, but burnt out, and shot!' "Of course, we are always liable
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930697
to treachery. There are scoundrels always to be found who would sell their own mothers, but now even the most patriotic cannot but feel that they are running an immense risk in sheltering us. "Never before, I believe, in the annals of civilized nations, did a man in authority dare to proclaim that persons should suffer for a crime with
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930698
which they had nothing, whatever, to do. If we arrive at a little village, how are the people to say to us, 'We will not allow you to pull up a rail!'? And yet, if they do not prevent us, they are to be punished with fire and sword. And these people call themselves a civilized nation! "One of the
60
gutenberg
twg_000012930699
evil consequences of this proclamation is that we shall never dare trust to the inhabitants to make inquiries for us. They will be so alarmed, in case we should attempt anything in their neighborhood, that they would be sure to do and say everything they could to dissuade us from it and, if inclined to treachery, might even try to
60
gutenberg