A Girl of the Commune

Arnold said, when they reached the

He thought it was you who had struck him and hated you worse than ever. It is not because he has failed once that he might fail another time. I should never have had a moment's peace when you were away from me,

and I have done so. I have a

butt of your pistol, so that you can draw and fire instantly. He knows you have pistols and will not dare to at

as pale as a sheet, partly with rage that he had been discovered and exposed, but partly, I am sure, from fear too. I know you meant well, dear,

y knew what I was saying. Do you think that anyone could be gentle and mild when she had just heard that her lover, h

th a woman for over-zeal in his own cause. "Do not let us say any more about it

ver feel quite free from anxiety so long as you are in Paris.

eet-ruffian did not come to him till afterwards. You know what a business it is bringing a charge of any kind her

n, and much indignation was excited. Had he drawn a knife upon a fellow-workman over their wine, the matter would have excited but slight reprobation, but that h

ad paid his rent the evening before, had sold his furniture for a few francs to one of the other lodgers in the house, and had left the quarter altogether. Resol

ice turned out to be vastly larger than had been supposed. The herds of cattle gathered under shelter of the guns of the forts had disappeared, but horseflesh was st

at high prices, and for a time elephant steak, camel hump, venison, and other meats could be purchased at

nts had become rare. Still there were no signs that the time when Paris was to make its attempt to burst its bonds was at hand. Among the Nation

ance. Still the steady drilling that went on had its effect. If the National Guard did not learn discipline

among whom drunkenness was rife, for whatever else failed, the supply of wine and spirits appeared inexhaustible. Cuthbert went not unfrequently to dine at the En

a couple of score of stable-boys with pitchforks would lick a battalion of them, and it is worse still when one goes out on the Boulevards and sees them sitting at the cafés drinking the

he Prussians ever do force a way into Paris, I think you w

sh customers I know. I tell you I can't bring myself to serving horseflesh. I have got a few first-rate hams still hanging in the cellar. As long as they last and I can pick up anything fit for a human being to sit down to, I shall go on, but I ain't going to give my customers grub that is on

getting cold; still there is plenty of excitement about it, and we manage to keep the Prussians awake as well as ourselves. Wha

a foreigner is just the same in the eyes of these chaps as being a spy. It is rum now that while this plac

make that ou

erbury boy and have seen his armor hanging up in the Cathedral many a time; that is how I came to know about him, and then I have heard that Marlborough used to crumple them up whenever he met t

French have of us. I think it is more because they cannot help seeing for themselves that t

es get into a row with a Frenchman, the fellow hasn't a chance with him. I expect that galls him a bit. Anyhow they don't like it. They don't hate the Americans so much as they do us, though why they shouldn't is more than I can see, for there ain't much difference between us, except that there are very few of them who know how to use their hands. Well, anyhow, I shall be glad to have done with the French, though I will say for them that the lot that uses my place is a good deal better than the generality. For the most part they dress as

ut on the southern or western sides of Paris,

the outpost duties on a portion of the line there. The troops have been having a pretty hard time of it, and have been pushed backward once or twice, though they have always ended by

ties treated the Franc-tireurs as being valueless for any real fighting: as being useful to a certain extent for harassing the enemies' outposts, but not to be counted upon for any regular work, and so omitted them altogether in the orders assigning the positions to be occu

f bullets on the side facing the enemy. Scarce a pane of glass remained intact. The floors had been torn up for firing and the furniture had shared the same fate. A breastwork had been thro

attempting an attack until after nightfall. The enemy occupied in force a village of some size five hundred yards away, and had covered it with strong earthworks. Their outposts faced those of the French with an i

or five hundred yards behind their village; the gunners on both sides occasionally directing their fire upon the houses; the outposts were for the most par

es, while the rest lay down with their arms by their side, ready to fall in at a moment's notice. A dropping fire was kept up on bot

had been for the last three hours in the front line. They had been some little time on duty when Pierre L

und; it comes in pulsations, and I think

ned with bent hea

t them go some distance along before they attempt to creep forward. The Prussian sentries are too thick along there facing us, but the men might possibly crawl pretty close up to their outposts farther along, they won't be so thick there. Pick four good men, it

en and go myself wi

ill stop with the comp

mrades. The sentries became more and more scattered as he went along, the main body being posted in front of the village. The last few men were warned that he was going forward, and that they were not to fire until he returned. H

re advancing with similar caution in the opposite direction. It needed not a guttural oath in German to inform him that it was an en

ert said in a low voice, while at the same moment his

to their feet, and as they did so, four o

shots flashed out in front of them but in the darkness none were hit, an

s arms. Seizing a moment when he came uppermost, Cuthbert steadied himself, relaxed his hold of his o

d of one of the Franc-tireurs, and being now but two against four, Pierre called to the other to retreat. The Germans followed a few yards and then halted. As they passed him Cuthbert gave a fi

, in a low voice, as they retraced their steps;

minutes' search t

him, "he is gasping for breath. I think he is d

up to listen. He could hear now the heavy tread of men who were, it seemed to him, crossing from the right towards the German vi

that he must be near to them, "I am

lieutenant's repeat, "It is Hartington. I was afr

om the German lines, showing that their

ve anything to report you had better go to him at once, you ca

uch to report except that there is no doubt the noise we heard was c

the captain and

e the firing between your party and the Germans began, the sound was loud enoug

arching will make as much noise as five hundred Frenchmen, but even allowing for

end to push forward. I will go with you to the colonel; he ought to know what you think about it. He was along here a few minutes a

all in at once and be ready either to advance to support the front line, or to man the barricades and houses and cover their retreat. Reaching the outposts the

s Valles?" the colonel asked

to suggest, Colonel, I should say it would be as well to send off men to the two batteries to tell them that the enemy are mustering in f

most simultaneously opened fire on the village. As if it had been a sign

warn the line to the left that they are, when the word is given, to retreat at the double, bearing away first to the left so as to clear the ground for the fire from the house

to be resisted, and in a few seconds the colonel shouted the orders to retreat. Then at the top of their speed the Franc-tireurs ran

re engaged, but the Prussians speedily overlapped the position and attacked it on all sides. Several times they rushed up close to the barricades, but the fire was so hot that they were compell

e also reached the scene of action their commander felt the surprise had failed, and the Prussians retired to their former position, and the affair was over. Four companies of the line were left to strengthen the position should the enemy try another attack befor

lost but eight men killed and a score wounded. It was the sharpest affair in which they had as yet been engaged, and the old colonel was highly pleased with

d close at hand, but the first thought that struck me was that I must silence him if possible before his comrades came to his assistance. I was only afraid that I should not be able to sh

," Pierre said. "You did not see anything of the

k for him, but if you like I will

n, probably he was only stunned. I w

o a call was heard in front, an

became assured that the enemy must be attacking the village. He therefore concluded that the best thing was to lie still, which he

ect of regret to me if the expedition that I proposed had lost you your life. As to those who fell in defence of th