第 27 页

no great difficulty in a messenger finding his way in?"

"There is a difficulty, and a very great one," Colonel Tempe said;

"for of all who have tried, only one or two have succeeded. Now

come along, or we shall be late for dinner."

It was a curious medley at the table d'hote, at the Hotel de

Bordeaux. Generals, with their breasts covered with orders, and

simple franc tireurs; officers, of every arm of the service;

ministers and members of the late Corps Legislatif; an American

gentleman, with his family; English newspaper correspondents; army

contractors; and families, refugees from Paris. After dinner they

went to a cafe--literally crowded with officers--and thence to

Colonel Tempe's rooms, where they sat down quietly, to chat over

what had taken place since the last visit.

"But where is your Irishman? Your father told me he was with you. I

suppose you could not get him out."

"Oh yes, Tim's here," Ralph said, laughing, "but he ran across a

couple of Irishmen belonging to the foreign legion and--as he would

have been in our way, and we did not know where we were going to

sleep--we gave him leave till to-morrow morning, when he is to meet

us in front of the railway station."

"By the way, boys, I suppose you know you have each got a step?"

"No," the boys cried. "Really?"

"Yes, really," the colonel said. "That good fellow, Cambriels, sent

in a strong report in your favor upon resigning his command;

rehearsing what you did with us, and requesting that the step might

be at once given to you. As a matter of course it was, in the next

Gazette."

"Of course, we feel pleased, colonel; but it seems absurd, so young

as we are. Why, if we go on like this, in another six months we may

be majors."

"In ordinary times it would be absurd, lads; and it would not be

possible for you to hold the grade you do now--still less higher

ones--unless you understood thoroughly your duty. At the present

moment, everything is exceptional. A man who, perhaps, only served

a few months in the army, years ago, is made a general, and sent to

organize a camp of new levies. Of course, he could not command

these troops in the field, could not even drill them on the parade

ground. But that is of no matter. He has a talent for organization,

and therefore is selected to organize the camp and, to enable him

to do so efficiently, he receives the nominal rank of general.

"In ordinary times a man could not get promoted--three or even four

times, in as many weeks--over the heads of hundreds of others,

without causing an immense amount of jealousy; without, in fact,

upsetting the whole traditions of the army.

"Now, it is altogether different. The officers of the regular army

are almost all prisoners. Everyone is new, everyone is unaccustomed

to his work; and men who show themselves to be good men can be

rewarded and promoted with exceptional rapidity, without exciting

any feeling of jealousy, whatever. Besides which, the whole thing

is provisional. When the war is over, everyone will either go back

into private life or, if they continue to serve, will be gazetted

into the regular army, according to some scale or other to be

hereafter determined upon. Some inconveniences no doubt will arise,

but they will hardly be serious.

"I was offered a general's rank, a month ago; but I declined it, as

it would have entailed either my undertaking duties for which I am

unfit; or setting to, to organize young levies, and giving up

active service.

"No, if you go on as you have hitherto done, boys, you may be

colonels in another six months; for when a name is recommended for

promotion for good service, by a general, you may well suppose

there is no question asked as to his age. Of course, no general

would recommend you as captains to command companies in a regiment,

because you are altogether ignorant of a captain's duty; but you

are quite capable of filling the duties of captain, on the staff,

as those duties require only clear headedness, pluck, attention,

and common sense.

"What I should like to win, even more than a company--were I in

your place--would be a commander's cross in the legion of honor. I

had the cross, years ago; but I only had the commander's cross a

fortnight ago, for the Bridge of Vesouze."

"Ah, yes," Ralph said, "that would be worth winning, but that is

hopeless."

Colonel Tempe was silent. Ralph and Percy looked at him.

"You mean," Ralph said, after a pause, "that there is a chance of

our winning it."

"Well, boys," Colonel Tempe said, "I don't know that I am right in

leading you into danger, but I do think that you might win it. I

was mentioning your names, only yesterday, to Gambetta. A dispatch

had just come in from Paris, grumbling at receiving no news from

the country; and Gambetta was lamenting over the impossibility of

arranging for simultaneous movements, owing to the breakdown of the

pigeons, and the failure of the messengers; when I said:

"'There were two young English fellows with us, in the Vosges--they

were on Cambriels' staff last, and are now prisoners--who if they

were here would, I believe, get in if anyone could. They went down,

over and over again, among the Germans; and I could lay any money

that they would succeed.'

"'How did they get taken prisoners?' Gambetta asked, as sharp as a

knife.

"'By no fault of their own,' I answered. 'They went out on leave,

to see me; and slept with a party of franc tireurs--where they of

course had no authority, as to sentries--and the party was

surprised, at night, and completely cut up. They were taken

prisoners, but I do not expect that they will remain so for long.'

"Gambetta did not say anything, then; but when I left him, an hour

afterwards, he remarked:

"'If you hear of those young fellows you were speaking of having

returned, send them to me, Tempe.'"

Ralph looked at Percy, and checked the offer to go which he saw was

on his brother's lips.

"I think it might be done, colonel," he said, quietly; "but it is a

serious matter, and we will think it over, before we give an

opinion."

Ralph then changed the subject, and they talked over the events

which had happened in the Vosges, the strategy and maneuvers of

General Michel, the arrival of Garibaldi, the doings of the franc

tireurs, etc.

"By the way," the colonel said, "there was a telegram in, this

evening--just as I left the office--that the Germans occupied

Dijon, yesterday."

"You don't say so!" the boys said, jumping from their seats. "Was

there any fighting?"

"Yes, some Mobiles and franc tireurs made a very plucky defense,

outside the town. Owing to some gross mismanagement, the great bulk

of the troops had been withdrawn, only the day before. After two or

three hours' fighting, our men fell back; the Prussians, as usual,

shelled the town; and the authorities surrendered."

"The fighting could not have been our side of the town," Ralph

said, thoughtfully.

"No, just the other side," Colonel Tempe said. "As my wife is still

at home, and our place is not many hundred yards from yours, that

was the first thing I thought of."

"I wonder if papa was in the fight?" Percy said, anxiously.

"I should think it probable, boys, that my old friend would have

gone out; but I do not think that you need be uneasy about it for,

from what the telegram said, our loss was small. The troops fell

back into the town, and retreated unmolested through it. So your

father would, no doubt, have changed his things in the town, and

have walked quietly back again.

"He had volunteered into the national guard, when I came last

through Dijon; and was hard at work, drilling them. Of course, he

had his old rank of captain."

At ten o'clock the boys said that they would go for a stroll,

before lying down for the night. They were out upwards of an hour;

and returned, at the end of that time, with serious but resolved

faces. The colonel was out, when they returned; and found them

stretched on the sofa and hearth rug, when he came in. They gave

him a sleepy good night, and no other word was exchanged.

In the morning, they were up at eight o'clock. Colonel Tempe was

already dressed, and they went out together to get their coffee and

milk. As they were taking it, Ralph told him that they had made up

their minds to make the attempt to enter Paris, with dispatches;

but that they saw but one way to do so; and that, unless they could

be furnished with the necessary papers, they should abandon all

idea of the enterprise.

Ten minutes later, they entered the Prefecture. Colonel Tempe went

in at once to see Gambetta, while the boys remained in the

anteroom. In ten minutes their friend came out again, and beckoned

to them to come into the next room.

"These are the Lieutenants Barclay," he said.

The boys bowed; and examined, with attentive curiosity, the man who

was, at that time, the absolute ruler of France. A dark man; with a

short black beard, keen eyes, and a look of self reliance and

energy. A man who committed endless mistakes, but who was the life

and soul of the French resistance. A man to whom--had he lived in

olden times--the Romans would have erected a statue because, in her

deepest misfortunes, he never despaired of the Republic.

He looked keenly at the young men.

"Colonel Tempe tells me that you have rendered very great service,

by going among the enemy in disguise; and that you are willing to

make an attempt to carry dispatches into Paris."

"We are ready to try," Ralph said, respectfully; "but after talking

it over in every way, we can see but one disguise which would

enable us to penetrate the enemy's lines, near enough to the ground

between the two armies to render an attempt possible; and even that

disguise will be useless, unless we can procure certain papers."

"What is your plan?" Monsieur Gambetta asked.

"We intend to go as German Jews," Ralph said. "The Prussians strip

all the clocks, pictures, and furniture of any value from the

villas they occupy, and send them back to Germany. There are a

number of Jews who follow the army; and either buy these stolen

goods from them, or undertake to convey them back to Germany at a

certain price. Several of these Jews--with their wagons full of

clocks, and other articles--have been captured by our franc tireurs

or troops and, no doubt, papers of some kind have been found upon

them. These papers would naturally be sent here. If we could be

provided with them we could, I have little doubt, penetrate their

lines."

"An excellent idea," the minister said. "I have no doubt that we

have such papers."

And he struck a small hand bell on the table. An attendant entered.

"Tell Captain Verre I wish to speak to him."

"Captain Verre," he said, when that officer entered, "there were

some papers came last week, from General Faidherbe, relative to

those wagons--laden with clocks, ladies' dresses, and so on--that

were captured near Mezieres. Just look through them, and see if

there were any German permits for the bearers to pass freely, for

the purpose of trading. If so, let me have them at once."

The officer at once left the room.

"Supposing--as I have no doubt--that we can give you the papers,

what is your course?"

"Speed is, naturally, an essential," Ralph said. "We shall disguise

ourselves at once and, upon receipt of the dispatches, start from

here to Orleans by train; with two good horses--which can, of

course, be furnished us. We shall ride through the forest of

Orleans, and so to Montargis; cross the Loing there, and make

straight for Melun--keeping always through by-lanes. As far as we

know, there are no large bodies of the enemy along that line.

"When we get near the town, we shall leave our horses with some

village Maire, or give them to a farmer, and walk into the place

boldly. You will furnish us with a note to the Maire of Melun, as

well as a circular to all French authorities, to give us any help;

and we shall get him to assist us at once to buy a wagon, and two

strong horses. With these we shall drive round, direct, to

Versailles. Our pass will admit us into the town, without

difficulty; and then we shall naturally be guided by circumstances.

We must be furnished with a considerable sum of money, to make

purchases of plunder."

"An admirable plan," said the minister, warmly, "and one that

deserves--even should it not obtain--success.

"I need not speak to you of reward because, as gentlemen, I know

that you make the attempt from the love of honor Colonel Tempe has

before spoken to me of you, and you were highly commended by

General Cambriels. Your names will, therefore, be in the next

Gazette for the cross of the legion of honor; and if you succeed,

you will come back captains and commanders of the Legion. I may

mention--although I know that it will not add to your motive to

succeed--that you will be entitled to the reward, of fifty thousand

francs, which has been offered to anyone who will carry in

dispatches to Paris."

At this moment the officer entered.

"Here are the papers the Jews with the captured wagons carried," he

said. "They are signed by the general at Frankfort, and

countersigned by at least a dozen military authorities. There are

three of them."

The minister glanced at them.

"They will do well," he said. "Will you be ready to start tomorrow

morning?"

"Quite ready," Ralph said.

"Very well. Then if you will be here at half-past five, the