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of the forest; in which, before nightfall, they had the

satisfaction of seeing them installed. The few articles of bedding,

blankets, etc. saved at the approach of the Prussians were spread

on heaps of freshly-cut grass; and one of the oxen of the franc

tireurs, which had arrived the day before, was killed and divided.

Great fires were lighted and--had it not been for the bandages on

the heads, and the arms in slings of several of the franc

tireurs--no one coming upon the scene would have guessed how

desperate a skirmish had raged here.

The next day the carts which had been sent for arrived; and the

wounded were placed in them, upon heaps of straw, and sent off with

one of the surgeons; with instructions to travel among the hills,

until they reached a point where it would be quite safe to descend

into the valley, and take the train to Dijon, at the first station

at which it was open. Among them was Philippe Duburg, who was

accompanied by his brother. Louis had obtained a week's leave of

absence, for the purpose; and was the bearer of letters, and

innumerable messages, from the boys to their parents and sisters. A

few hours later, the remnants of the first and second companies

marched to join their comrades.

Chapter 10: The Bridge Of The Vesouze.

The very day after the fight, news arrived which induced a sudden

change of position. Upon the Sixteenth of September the Baden

troops occupied Mulhouse, having entered Colmar on the preceding

day. It was evident that the railway was so strongly guarded,

between Strasburg and Nancy, that it was hopeless to expect to be

able to interrupt it, seriously, with so small a force as that at

Major Tempe's command; still less possible was it to render any

assistance, whatever, to the doomed city of Strasburg. After taking

counsel, therefore, with his officers, Major Tempe decided to march

more to the south; so as to assist to oppose the passage of the

enemy west from Colmar, or Mulhouse, through the passes of the

Vosges.

The alarm was, however, but temporary for, having made requisitions

as usual, the Prussians retired; and the corps returned to their

old quarters. There another ten days passed; spent not in ease, but

in constant marchings and counter-marchings. Whenever news arrived

that any parties of Uhlans were approaching the mountains, with the

object of making requisitions, the corps were instantly set in

motion. Sometimes severe skirmishes were the result. Sometimes the

news turned out to be untrue and, after a long day's march, and a

night spent watching, the men had nothing to do but to march back

again.

Upon the 28th came the news of the surrender of Strasburg, upon the

preceding day, after one of the most heroic defenses in history.

There was now no doubt that the Germans would, ere long, advance

seriously. By this time, the total of the French forces among the

Vosges mountains was considerable. Scarce a day passed without the

arrival of a corps of franc tireurs and--had all these corps been

animated with a spirit such as that evinced by the franc tireurs of

Dijon; and had they acted in unity, with discipline and

intelligence--they might have rendered immense services to France.

Unfortunately, this was very far from being the case. Very many of

the men had entered the ranks only to avoid being called upon to go

out with the Mobiles--or mobilized national guard. Others had only

entered from the impulse of the moment. Very many were altogether

unwilling to submit to any steady discipline while, in a great

number of cases, the corps were completely paralyzed from the utter

incapacity of their officers. Owing to these various causes, the

corps of franc tireurs distinguished themselves, in a great number

of cases, only by the extreme ingenuity and foresight which they

displayed in keeping at a prudent distance from the enemy. Some,

too, earned a bad name not only for themselves, but for the whole

body of franc tireurs, by their conduct towards the villagers;

helping themselves freely to what they required, and making

themselves almost as much dreaded by the peasantry as even the

Germans, themselves.

At the same time the villagers had, in very many cases, only

themselves to blame for the rough measures adopted by the franc

tireurs; for often, instead of doing all in their power for the men

who had taken up arms in the cause of France, the villagers looked

upon them only as strangers, out of whom the richest possible

harvest was to be obtained; and charged the most exorbitant prices

for all articles of necessity supplied to them. In fact, they

sometimes did not hesitate to say that they would not provide them,

at any price, with the provisions required; as these would be

wanted to satisfy the requisition of the Germans, upon their

arrival.

Perhaps in the whole world there is no class of people so

completely engrossed by the thought of gain as are the French

bourgeois, and rustic population. Every change of Government, every

political alteration, every law passed, is regarded by them simply,

and solely, from the view of how it will affect their own pockets.

Thus, instead of driving away their flocks and herds, at the

approach of the invaders; the people remained quietly in their

houses, and shamelessly trafficked with the invaders. This apathy,

faint heartedness, and want of patriotism, upon the part of the

inhabitants of the small towns and villages, caused innumerable

difficulties to the franc tireurs; and Major Tempe was sometimes

obliged to take the law into his own hands, when the villagers

absolutely refused to sell provisions, or to give quarters to his

men.

In these cases he summoned the priest, the schoolmaster, and two

other head men of the place, and formed a committee with them and

his own officers. These fixed a fair price upon the articles

required, and Major Tempe then sent round a notice to the effect

that, if these articles were furnished in two hours, they would be

paid for at the agreed rates; but that if not furnished, he should

quarter his men upon the inhabitants, in accordance with the size

of their houses, and should remain there at least a week--a threat

that never failed in producing the required effect.

It was but seldom, however, that the major encountered any

difficulties of this sort. The corps was, for the most part,

composed of men with some money. They had now, too, sold the sheep

and cattle which they had captured at Blamont; finding the

inconvenience of sending for them, whenever meat was required. The

proceeds of these, and of the horses captured at the same time, had

given them a good sum in their regimental chest; and they were,

therefore, able and willing to pay a fair price for such articles

as they required. Besides this, the report of the actions of

Blamont and Still had now widely circulated and--as a general

thing--the people were glad to do all in their power, for a corps

composed of men who really meant work, and had given good proofs of

their courage and energy.

By this time, the boys had received several letters from home; and

it may be readily imagined the pleasure these letters afforded

them. Major Tempe's official report of the doings of his corps had

been published in the Dijon papers and, from these, had been copied

far and wide through France; and the people of Dijon were not a

little proud of their corps. The names of the two Barclays had

appeared, in the report, as specially distinguishing themselves;

and their father had written, saying how pleased and gratified he

was at their conduct. Mrs. Barclay and Milly had also written; but

their expressions of pleasure were mingled with many hopes that the

boys would not expose themselves, unnecessarily.

The band had dwindled much, in the month since they left Dijon.

Upwards of thirty had been killed, or disabled, in the fights of

Blamont and Still. Half as many more had been killed or wounded in

smaller skirmishes; and ten or twelve had gone home, or into

hospital, completely knocked up with the hard work and exposure.

Only about sixty men, therefore, remained.

Schlestadt and Neu Brisach were now invested by the Germans and,

after waiting for a few days, to ascertain the course that they

were likely to take, Major Tempe determined (as General Cambriels

was forming an army, down by Besancon) to defend the upper passes

of the Vosges and--as it was rumored that a second German army was

likely to advance south, from Nancy--that he would recross the

Vosges, and aid in the defense against this second army of

invaders.

Three days' fatiguing marches brought them to Epinal; where the

boys, in accordance with their promise, went straight to the house

of the gentleman who had so hospitably served them, at their last

visit. Their friends were delighted to see them, and expressed

great regret that one of the party was missing. The boys were,

however, able to say that their last letter from Dijon had given

good accounts of Philippe Duburg, who was now considered out of

danger. There was, however, no hope of his being able to rejoin

them; as the surgeon considered it probable that his leg would be a

very long time, before it would be sufficiently healed to allow him

to use it.

Their host had read the account in the papers of the doings of the

franc tireurs; and his wife laughingly made a further apology to

the Barclays, and their cousin, for her remark at their first visit

about boys.

"My girls have talked about nothing else but your doings, ever

since we had the news of your attack upon the Uhlans, near

Blamont," she said. "One would think, from the interest they take

in the corps, that the whole future of France depended upon the

franc tireurs of Dijon."

The young Barclays laughed, and Percy muttered something under his

breath; while Louis Duburg replied, seriously, that he hoped the

franc tireurs of Dijon would always do their best to deserve the

kind thoughts of mademoiselles--at which piece of politeness Percy

muttered, "Bosh!"

Epinal had, as yet, escaped; but it was feared that, ere long, the

enemy would advance. The town looked deserted, for all the young

men had left with the Mobiles--or mobilized national guard--and all

men under forty were drilling, in readiness to march at a moment's

notice. No serious movement of the enemy, south of Luneville, was

as yet signalized.

After two days' rest, the corps again marched north; their

destination being kept a profound secret, even from the men. So

anxious, apparently, was Major Tempe that, this time, their object

should not be foiled by treachery; that after the first day's march

he left the main road and, having secured the services of a

peasant, as a guide, he made two long days' marches through

forests, and over mountains--avoiding even small villages. Four led

horses accompanied the march; one laden with the gun cotton, and

the other three carrying provisions, so that they might be

independent of the local supply. Each night they bivouacked in the

forests but, as the weather was now fine--although the nights were

cold--this was no hardship, whatever.

Upon the morning of the fourth day from their leaving Epinal, Major

Tempe told his men that he had learned, at Epinal, that the line

was no longer so closely guarded as before--the Germans being

confident, now, of the impotence of the French to harm them--and

that they were now in the forest of Moudan, within three miles of

the railway between Luneville and Rechicourt, on the line to

Strasburg. His intention was to reconnoiter that day and--if

success should be found possible--to attempt, at daybreak next

morning, to blow up the railway bridge over the Vesouze.

The news was received with great satisfaction, as the corps were

burning to distinguish themselves; and in no way could they do such

service as to cut the line of communication--although, as the

Germans were no longer dependent upon a single line, the advantage

would not be of so signal a nature as it would have been, could

they have cut it at the time when they first made the attempt. The

Barclays were naturally selected to reconnoiter and, as their

change of clothes had been always--by Major Tempe's orders--carried

on the baggage horse, they had no difficulty upon that score.

Their expedition was uneventful. At the village nearest to the

bridge, they went in and bought some cheese and other articles

and--after gaining all the information they were able, without

exciting attention--they made their way, through broken ground, to

a point near enough to the bridge to enable them to reconnoiter it,

undiscovered.

A sentry was posted at each end. At a cottage hard by were ten

others, while there were twenty in the village they had just left.

There were also sentries down the line; but these were far enough

apart to render it certain that they could not muster in time to

interfere, seriously, with the enterprise. With this information,

they returned to the forest.

A council of war was held; and it was decided that the news was

satisfactory, and that the attack should take place at daybreak.

Each man was instructed in the work he would have to perform.

Lieutenant Houdin, with thirty men, was to surprise the German

party in the village. The rest--having made a detour to avoid the

village--were to be in readiness to attack the posts near the

bridge, immediately a gun was fired in the village. The attack was

to be made at daybreak. From the bridge, to the nearest point where

the forest was thick enough to afford a safe shelter, was a

distance of about two miles.

As soon as it became dark, the camp fires were allowed to bum low;

and shortly afterwards the whole corps, with the exception of the

sentries, were sound asleep. At four o'clock they were roused, and

marched silently off in the appointed direction. By five o'clock

each party was at its post and, for half an hour, they lay in

expectancy. The Barclays were with Major Tempe's party, near the

bridge. Louis Duburg, and Tim, were with the party at the village.