第 29 页

all information from the officer I have mentioned."

"Thank you very much," Ralph said, and returned to his seat.

Colonel Tempe looked at his watch, a little impatiently. Ralph,

after a minute or two, again approached him.

"Don't you think we may as well have breakfast, colonel?" he said,

in his natural voice.

The colonel looked at him, in speechless surprise.

"So the disguises are pretty good?" Ralph said, smiling.

"Impossible!" the colonel exclaimed. "Do my eyes or my ears deceive

me? Can it really be--?"

"It's us, sure enough, colonel; and now, I suppose we may as well

sit down."

So saying, the boys took their seats at the table; but Colonel

Tempe still looked from one to the other, in astonishment.

"Wonderful!" he at last said, "wonderful! Even now I know who it

is, I do not see the faintest possible resemblance.

"Percy is, of course, less altered than you are, Ralph, because he

is still young looking; but even now I should not recognize him. As

for you, with that wonderful head of hair, and that beard, you look

fifty; and as unlike yourself as possible. Upon my word, if it were

anywhere else but here in Tours--where there are all sorts of

oddities--I should be ashamed, as a colonel in the army, to sit

down to table with you."

"You are a little ashamed, as it is," Ralph laughed. "We had not

intended to come out in our new character, so soon; but when my

hair was once done, you see, it was impossible to go about in

uniform."

"But what in the world have you done with your hair?" the colonel

said, examining him closely; for Ralph had taken off his fur cap

and laid it beside him. "You have not got a wig on; and yet, all

that frizzly bunch cannot be your own."

Ralph explained how it was managed, and added:

"And now, colonel, that you have recovered from your surprise, let

us have breakfast."

Breakfast was ordered, to which the boys did full justice; but

Colonel Tempe was still getting on but slowly, for he could not

take his eyes off Ralph's face.

"Will all that frizzle keep in?" he asked, presently.

"Yes; the man said that the false hair--which is the greater

portion of it--will keep as well for a week; and we have got a

small curling iron, so we can beautify ourselves up when we like."

"Well, boys, I have no doubt, now, that you will be able to get as

far as Versailles; as to getting through, that's another

matter--but if anyone can, you will, I am convinced."

"I have not much doubt about it, colonel," Ralph said. "I seem to

see my way quite clearly into Paris. Much more clearly, indeed,

than I do to getting out again."

"Oh, it does not matter about getting out again, boys. You can stop

quietly in there, until the end of the siege."

"That is just what we don't want to do," Percy said. "Would you

kindly ask them to put into the dispatches a request that we may be

sent out again, by the first balloon that comes? We have no fancy,

either of us, for eating rats and cats; which I suppose is what it

will come to, before it is over."

"I will see to it, boys," the colonel said, smiling; "but really, I

should advise your staying there. You have done all--and more

than--your share of work."

The boys shook their heads; and it was arranged that, if they got

in, they should come out again in a balloon.

The next morning, the boys were up at half-past four and, at

half-past five, were at the Prefecture. Colonel Tempe sent in his

name to the minister, and they were at once admitted. Gambetta was

at his writing table.

"Good morning, Colonel Tempe," he said, cordially; and then added,

in some surprise, "who are these men you have with you, and where

are your young Englishmen? I hope they will not be late."

"These are they," the colonel said, smiling.

"They are who?" Gambetta said, puzzled. "I do not understand you,

colonel."

"These are the Lieutenants Barclay," Colonel Tempe said.

The minister looked from the colonel to the two boys, and back

again.

"Do you mean to say--?" he began, incredulously.

"Yes, sir, it is us," Ralph said; "and I do not think there is much

fear of our being recognized."

"So little that I do not recognize you, now.

"There is no mistake, colonel?" he said, gravely; "no

mystification? You give me your pledge, and assurance, that these

are the officers who have volunteered for this duty? Remember, any

mistake might be fatal."

"These are certainly the Barclays, sir. I give you my word."

"It is a marvelous disguise," Gambetta said, his doubts now laid at

rest; "and does them immense credit.

"There are the dispatches, gentlemen. They are done up in these two

quills, and sealed. They are of the utmost importance; and must

not, at any hazard, fall into the hands of the enemy. The

dispatches are in duplicate so that, in case one only gets in, the

purpose is served.

"This is a circular letter, to all maires and other French

authorities, ordering them to give you every possible assistance.

"This is a special note, to the Maire of Melun.

"Here is a letter to General Aurelles, at Orleans. If he is not in

when you arrive, the chief of his staff will do. He is ordered to

send a staff officer with you, through the lines, as far as you

require him. The horses are in the train.

"Now, goodbye. I wish you a very good future, for you are gallant

young fellows."

So saying, he shook them warmly by the hand; and they hurried off

to the train.

Chapter 15: The Expedition.

A special telegram had been sent forward from Tours to station

master at Orleans, to request him to order the two horses, sent

forward in the train, to be got out of their boxes without any loss

of time; and to do anything else which the owners of the horses

required. Accordingly, as the train was waiting outside the

station, the guard came round and asked at each carriage for the

owners of the horses. He appeared a little surprised, when two Jews

answered the inquiry; as he had expected that they were officers of

high rank, and importance.

"The compliments of the stationmaster," he said, "and is there

anything he can do with the horses?"

"Yes," Ralph said. "Give my compliments to the station master; and

say that I shall be much obliged if he will get them out of the

horse boxes, without loss of time, and send them on at once to the

headquarters of General Aurelles. We will go on at once, in a

vehicle."

Five minutes afterwards the train drew up at the platform, and the

guard ran up.

"This way, gentlemen. A carriage is engaged."

Upon arriving at headquarters they found that--owing to the

forethought of Colonel Tempe--they were expected for, upon sending

in their names, they were at once admitted; although several

officers, of all grades, were waiting in the anteroom.

The colonel of the staff gave a movement of surprise.

"There is some mistake here," he said, to the orderly who had shown

them in; "I ordered the Lieutenants Barclay to be admitted."

"These are the gentlemen who gave me the card, colonel," the

orderly answered.

"It is so," Ralph said. "If you will favor us with a moment alone,

we will explain the matter to you."

The colonel led the way into a small cabinet, adjoining.

"We are bearers of dispatches, for General Trochu," Ralph said;

"and have disguised ourselves, to endeavor to pass through the

German lines."

"Oh, is that it?" the colonel said. "I must really apologize; but

no one," he said, smiling, "could recognize you, in that disguise,

to be French officers. Before we speak further, I must ask you for

some proof that you are what you state yourselves to be; for at

present I have only your cards."

"Here is our letter from Monsieur Gambetta to General Aurelles,"

Ralph said. "It is directed to be opened by you, should he be

absent."

"That is all right," the colonel said, when he had read it. "My

surprise at your appearance was natural, for the telegram we

received this morning only said:

"'The two Lieutenants Barclay will arrive, by six o'clock train.

Their business is most important. Have a well-mounted officer of

staff ready to accompany them through lines.'

"I thought, of course, that you had orders to report on position of

troops; and felt, I admit, rather angry that Gambetta should wish

to send subaltern officers to inspect matters concerning which he

has full reports.

"You wish, of course, to go on at once?"

"Our horses will be here in five minutes," Ralph said, "and we wish

to get as far as possible, tonight. We mean to cross the Loing at

Montargis, and get as far as we can, tonight; so as to arrive

either at Meaux, or Melun, tomorrow evening. We should, of course,

prefer Melun, as being much the shortest route towards Versailles.

We shall, of necessity, be guided by the position of the Germans."

"You have not breakfasted, of course?" the colonel said. "I was

just going to sit down, when you came in; for I go out to the front

at ten, and it is half-past nine, now. You will have no chance of

getting anything, before you arrive at Montargis.

"I can introduce you to the officer who will accompany you."

The boys readily accepted the invitation, and at once followed the

colonel into another room; where breakfast was laid, and several

officers of the staff were waiting for the arrival of the colonel,

to begin. There was a general look of surprise, when he entered

with two strange-looking Jews; which was not a little increased

when he said:

"Gentlemen, the Lieutenants Barclay. You look surprised; but your

astonishment will cease when I tell you that they are upon an

important mission, and do not look like themselves. And now to

table, for they have to start in ten minutes.

"Captain Duprat, let me make you specially acquainted with these

gentlemen. They are bound for Montargis, and you will see them

through our outposts."

In another quarter of an hour, the boys were issuing from the

streets of Orleans; and were soon going along, at a hand gallop, by

the road along the banks of the Loire; while to the north stretched

the flat and densely-wooded country known as the Forest of Orleans.

As far as Chateauneuf they kept near the river. Here they halted

half an hour, to give breathing time to their horses; then started

again, and rode fast to Bellegarde. Here was the last post of

regular troops, but Cathlineau's franc tireurs were scattered

throughout the country, as far as Montargis; and it would have been

more difficult for the Barclays to have passed through them than

through the regular troops, as they had less respect for passes.

After another halt, they again started; and Captain Duprat

accompanied them as far as Montargis, where there was a small body

of franc tireurs. Captain Duprat's orders were to sleep at

Montargis, and then return to Chateauneuf the next day.

The boys felt rather stiff and tired, as they rode into Montargis;

for they had not been on horseback since the day when they were

taken prisoners, in the Vosges, and they had ridden forty miles

since breakfast. They would, however, have willingly pushed on

another twenty miles; but their horses had even a longer day's work

before them, on the morrow.

Being accompanied by a staff officer, no questions whatever were

asked them and, after a good dinner at the hotel, they went to the

Maire, to inquire whether he could tell them as to the advanced

posts of the Germans. This functionary--like such functionaries in

general--could give them but slight information but, as far as he

knew, there were no German troops on the right bank of the Loing,

south of its junction with the Yonne. Beyond the Yonne they were

scattered pretty thickly, everywhere.

At daybreak the next morning, they started. Captain Duprat turned

his horse's head westward again, while the Barclays rode north.

Their pace was rapid; as they never drew rein, except at villages,

to ask whether the Prussians had been heard of. They heard of

parties at Lorrez, and Cheroy; but as they kept through by-lanes,

and as the country was thickly wooded, the risk was--at

present--small. They had with them an excellent map, which enabled

them to follow the smallest footpaths.

At eleven o'clock, they stopped at the little hamlet of Montarlet.

There they breakfasted, and gave the horses an hour's rest while

they consulted with the Maire. He was a miller, and turned out a

shrewd fellow; entering into the matter with great warmth. He

advised them to ford the Yonne between Montereau and its junction

with the Loing; to keep to the woods for ten miles, and then to

turn to the left, and to cross the Seine--at one of the numerous

fords there--into the Forest of Fontainebleau; and they would then

find themselves between that town and Melun, and could ride boldly

into Melun, as if they had come from Fontainebleau.

"I know every foot of the country," he said, "and will guide you,

till you are safely across the Seine. If we should, by any chance,

fall upon a patrol of the enemy, it will be simple enough to say

that I am a miller of Montarlet; and that you have shown me your

permission to travel about, through the German line; and have asked

me to guide you, by the shortest way, to Melun."

They had every reason to be thankful to their guide, for they found

that there were a great many scattered parties of Uhlans about. By

dint of making detours through woods, however, they succeeded in

striking the Seine, at Fontaine le Port, without once meeting them.