第 30 页

This village was, however, occupied by some half-dozen cavalry; and

it was impossible to pass the river, unseen by them. The Barclays

thanked, very warmly, their friend the Maire, and promised to

mention his conduct, upon their return to Tours; and then, saying

goodbye to him, rode into the village alone. The sergeant of Uhlans

came to the door of the principal cabaret, and looked out.

"Good day," Ralph said, in German, reining up his horse. "Is it

here that I cross the river, for Fontainebleau? They told me, at Le

Chatelet, that it was shorter than going round by the main road."

"Yes, you are right here," the sergeant said. "Have you passes?"

"Oh yes," Ralph said, laughing. "It would have been no easy matter

to get from Frankfort here, without them."

So saying, he pulled out the Prussian permit.

"That is right," the sergeant said. "Your horses look very done."

"We have ridden from Coulommiers through Rozoy, and Normant."

"It would have been an easier road to have gone from Normant

through Melun," the sergeant said. And he took out a map, and

examined it. "No, I see le Chatelet is a more direct line."

"We have time to wait an hour," Ralph said, turning to Percy; "and

it will be better for our beasts. See that they are rubbed down,

and fed."

The sergeant gave a peremptory shout, and the master of the wine

shop ran out. The sergeant pointed to the horses.

"Do you speak French?" he asked Ralph.

"No," Ralph said, "but my son does.

"Aaron, tell him to rub them down, and feed them well; and see to

it, yourself. These dogs are capable of cheating even a horse."

Ralph then entered the cabaret, and called for some bread and

cheese and a bottle of the best wine, with three glasses. The

Prussian sergeant sat down with them, and talked of Germany for an

hour. Then they started again, crossed the river and, an hour and a

half later, entered Melun. Here, as they came in by the road from

Fontainebleau--which was held in force by the Germans--no question

was asked.

They rode their tired horses through the streets, until they saw a

quiet hotel. Riding into the yard, they told the hostler to put up

their horses, and to clean and feed them well; enforcing their

request with a five-franc piece. They then entered the hotel, and

found that they could have beds; as the number of German officers

quartered upon this house was smaller than usual, owing to the

greater portion of the troops having been pushed on, to reinforce

Von der Tann.

It was now half-past five, and was already dusk. They therefore

went at once to the Maire; to whom they presented Gambetta's

letter, and requested his assistance in purchasing a van, with a

pair of good strong horses, at once.

"It will be next to impossible to get horses," the Maire said, "but

I will do my best. I have two carriage horses, of good breed; but I

fear, if I were to let you have them, the Prussians might remark

it."

"We have two first-rate animals," Ralph said, "from Gambetta's own

stables. They have carried us a hundred miles, since breakfast time

yesterday. They are likely to be at least as good as yours are,

only they want a few days' rest. Will you exchange?"

"Certainly," the Maire said, at once. "If any inquiries were to be

made about it, I need make no secret of that transaction.

"As for the covered cart, I will send round at once to those of my

neighbors who have one; and as you are ready to pay for it, and as

the Prussians are requisitioning them without payment, you can rely

upon having one tomorrow morning, ready for your start. I will send

a note round to you, tonight, to tell you where it is, at present."

"We had better go now to the German commandant's office, and get

our passes countersigned. When that is done, we shall be all right

for Versailles."

"Yes, I should advise you to do that," the Maire said. "You will

not have much difficulty. They are civil enough about passes, and

matters of that kind. Will you mention you have seen me?"

"Not unless any question is asked about horses; in which case we

should of course mention that--hearing you had a pair of horses,

and ours requiring rest--we had changed with you."

They now went boldly to the orderly room. An officer was on duty.

"Will you please to visa this for Versailles?" Ralph said, in

German.

The officer took it, glanced at it, and at them.

"The last visa I see was at Meaux, a fortnight since."

"We have been traveling on horseback, since," Ralph said; "and have

had no occasion to have it visaed, as it has always passed us

without trouble. As we are now going to Versailles, with a wagon,

we thought it better to have the pass visaed here."

"Where have you come from, now?"

"From Fontainebleau," Ralph said. "We have been down to Pithiviers,

and I sent off four wagon loads of things from there, for the

frontier."

"Your best way is through Corbeil, and Longjumeau," the officer

said, handing back the paper.

"Thank you, sir," Ralph replied, "that is the way we are intending

to go."

In the evening, the Maire himself came in to look at the horses;

and told them that he had obtained a good light-covered wagon, with

springs, which had been used for the removal of furniture. The

price was a thousand francs.

"If you like," he said, "to come round with me now; my servant

shall take the horses round there, put them in, and bring the wagon

here; and he can then take your horses back with him to my stables.

"Please to write me a paper--signed by the name on your German

pass--saying that you have bought my horses of me, and have sold me

yours. Put down any figures you like as having passed between us.

You are upon a very perilous expedition and, in case of anything

happening to you, it would be well for me that nothing, beyond a

mere business transaction, could be traced between us."

At seven o'clock the next morning they started. The distance was

only thirty miles, but the roads were terribly slippery from the

deep snow, now trampled flat by the immense traffic of the army. It

was five in the afternoon when they reached the first sentries, at

the entrance to Versailles. The pass was sufficient, and they went

on uninterrupted. Percy drove, and Ralph sat beside him.

The town swarmed with officers and soldiers, of all ranks. No one

paid them any attention, and they drove through the Place d'Armes

and on to the marketplace; where they knew there were many inns,

frequented by the market people. Here--as they expected--they found

it impossible to get a bed; but they had no difficulty in obtaining

permission for the wagon to stand in a yard, and were lucky enough

to get stable room for the horses. They went into the town and

bought four blankets; and as, at starting, they had filled the

wagon two feet deep with straw, they had--in spite of the cold

weather--every hope of passing a comfortable night.

Dinner was the next thing and, that over, they strolled about until

nine o'clock. It was a singular sight, this army of invaders

comfortably quartered in the ancient capital of France. The palace,

the statues in front of it, everything told of the glories of

France; every park around, every little palace was infinitely

associated with its sovereigns; and here, in the midst of these

memorials, the German invaders stalked carelessly, drank in the

cafes, or feasted in the hotels, as if the place had belonged to

them from time immemorial. Afar off, in the quiet of the evening,

could be heard the distant boom of the guns round the beleaguered

city.

There were several things which the Barclays wanted to get; but

they had no difficulty with them, as the shops were all open, as

usual. The population had a depressed look. All classes were

suffering much, with the exception of the shopkeepers, whose

business was as brisk as ever--save only those tradesmen who dealt

in articles of female attire, for which there was no demand,

whatever. The ladies of Versailles went as little as possible into

the streets; and when they did so, all dressed themselves in black,

or other somber colors.

By nine o'clock the shops were all closed; and the Barclays

returned to their wagon, with their purchases in their hands.

"It's awfully cold, Ralph!" Percy said, as they rolled themselves

in their blankets, and covered themselves over with straw.

"It is, Percy; but it will be a deal colder, in the river."

Percy gave a shudder at the thought.

"Don't you think, Ralph, that there is any possibility of entering

on either of the other sides?"

"Not the slightest, Percy. It must be across the river, or not at

all. The sentries will not be anything like so thick, upon that

side."

Had anyone looked into the wagon, at eight o'clock next morning, he

would have been surprised at the occupation upon which the boys

were engaged. Each was sewing a piece of thin waterproof cloth upon

a pair of white woolen gloves; so that the fingers, when outspread,

had the appearance of the webbed foot of a frog.

"That ought to help us," Ralph said, when they finished. "For a

really long swim, I daresay they would be very fatiguing; but it is

cold, not fatigue, we have to fear, and speed is therefore

everything."

At nine o'clock, Ralph went to the office of the general in

command. There were a number of other persons waiting for permits,

and Ralph waited his turn to go in to the officer engaged in

signing them.

"I am from Frankfort, as my papers show," he said, handing the

officer his pass. "I wish for a pass to go, with my horse and cart,

to Bellevue. There are, I hear, many officers desirous of selling,

or sending home, articles they have saved."

Saved, it may be mentioned, was the word employed in the German

army for stolen--which has an ugly sound.

The officer signed the paper.

"You must not go by the Sevres route," he said. "You must turn off

at Viroflay, and go by Chaville."

Half an hour later they started in the wagon At the gates of

Versailles--a mile from the town--they were stopped by sentries;

but allowed to pass on production of the order, with the necessary

stamp.

"Everything is going on well, thus far," Ralph said, as they turned

off from the main road, at Viroflay. "It looks like snow, too,

which would exactly suit us."

Viroflay was crowded with Prussian troops. An officer stopped them,

as they passed.

"Where are you going to?"

"We are going to Bellevue," Ralph said. "We are purchasers of any

curiosities or souvenirs of the war--such as pictures, or

clocks--and we also undertake to deliver, in Germany, any article

which may be entrusted to our charge. We have our passes and

papers, in regular order."

"Wait a minute," the officer said. "Draw up at that villa there."

The wagon drew up to the villa, the officer walking in front. He

motioned to Ralph to dismount, and to follow him into the house;

leaving Percy in charge of the wagon Five or six officers were

sitting in what had been the drawing room of the villa.

"Who have you got here?" one of them asked, as Ralph's conductor

entered.

"A worthy Hebrew," the other laughed, "who will either purchase, or

carry home, articles saved."

There was a general movement of interest. The furniture of the room

was a wreck, the papers were hanging in strips, a broken chair was

blazing upon the fire; several family portraits on the wall were

pierced with holes, having evidently served the purpose of targets,

for pistol shooting.

Ralph's conductor left the room for a moment, and returned with a

very handsome drawing room clock; worth, Ralph knew, at least

fifteen hundred francs.

"How much will you give for that?"

Ralph examined it critically.

"Four hundred francs," he said.

"Nonsense! It cost five times that."

"About four times," Ralph said, "when it was new. It is not new,

now, and it has to be taken to Germany. If you prefer it, I will

carry it to Frankfort; and send it on thence by rail, at ten

percent upon its value."

"Yes, I will agree to that," the officer said. "How much will that

be?"

"I am content to take it at your own valuation," Ralph said. "The

value you set upon the clock was two thousand francs."

There was a laugh among the other officers.

"He has you there, major."

"Not at all," the officer said. "He shall take it at the valuation

he placed upon it--four hundred francs."

"Pardon me," Ralph said, "I did not value it at that sum, I only

offered to give that sum for it; besides which, that was an

estimate of the value I set upon it at Viroflay, not the value I

should set upon it at Frankfort.

"I will say one thousand francs; that is, I will undertake it at a

hundred, if you will get it put into a case of some sort."

The other officers now offered various objects, either for sale or

transport--pictures, vases, clocks, and even pianos. Ralph haggled

over the price of each article, in a way which would have done

honor to his appearance. At last--having arranged all their

matters--he said that he was going on to Bellevue; but would call

and complete the purchases, and receive the goods entrusted to him,

either that night or the next morning.

"If any of you gentleman would kindly give me your card, to give to

the officer of the regiment at Bellevue, saying that you have found

me fair in my dealing, I should feel very grateful," Ralph said,

humbly.