The Argosy, January 1906 — page 78: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

260 THE ARGOSY. “JT thank you for coming here to- night; would that it had been sooner. It is all as Monsieur Bosworth has told you, but he has not told you that he might have escaped when it seemed as though to remain would mean his own death. He is a brave man, monsieur.” The Prussian appeared surprised. She, a French girl, had thanked him for leading a horde of Uhlans into her father’s house. It is probable he had been accustomed to being addressed in a different manner by those Frenchwomen he had chanced to meet at close quarters. He muttered something under his breath. “The Fraulein may retire; everything will be attended to,” said he aloud, and his eyes turned for an instant upon the body of the marquis. The girl walked to the door. “1 will not trouble you, monsieur,” “said she, holding out her hand to Bos- worth. “ Good-night, mon am.” The Uhlan gave a low command to one of his men. ‘The girl disappeared through the doorway—the soldier fol- lowed her. A dark flush sprang to Bosworth’s temples; an angry sentence arose to his lips, but remembering where he was, he checked the impulse to give it utterance. Instead, he asked: “Well, and what are you going to do with me, Herr Captain? ” He thrust his hand into the pocket of his coat, produced his pipe, and pressed down the half-burned tobacco into the bowl. “If you don’t mind, [ll smoke a bit; I think my nerves need quieting,” he added. Some of the Uhlans smiled; the stern lines on the face of the officer relaxed a little. Bosworth began to hunt for a match; before he could find one there was a sudden movement at the window. Several Uhlans were pushing through the opening, driving before them a trio of the Franc-tireurs; one of the latter was dripping wet, the faces of all three were white with terror. An officer with tilted helmet and mud-bespattered boots pushed past the prisoners. ‘““{ have to report the capture of these men; four were killed on the lawn out- side, and one or two, I think, escaped in the darkness,” said he, standing erect before the Uhlan captain. Having made his report he stared stolidly around the room and at Bos- worth, who had neglected to light the match he keld between his fingers. He was returning the young German offi- cer’s stare with interest. An expression of astonishment crossed the face of the latter. “Gott mn Himmel! It is Herr Bos- worth,” he burst out suddenly. “IT fancy so, Von Werner, but I’ve been several things to-night; not the least of which is a German spy, and now a prisoner,” was Bosworth’s answer. The voice of the Uhlan captain broke in: “Do you know this man, Lieutenant von Werner?” “ It is Herr Bosworth; we were at the university together until I joined the regiment a month ago.” He answered with military precision, but it was plain he was burning with curiosity to learn how and why Bos- worth was there in a French chateau filled with dead men and seized by his own soldiers. As for Bosworth, he felt relieved; he might, indeed, be a prisoner, but the prisoner of a man with whom he had been on terms of intimacy for the good part of a year. He began to enjoy. the situation. The Uhlan captain looked fixedly at the captive Franc-lireurs, then turned suddenly to Bosworth. ““ How many of these men entered the chateau? Can you tell that? ” demanded he abruptly. “A dozen, perhaps fifteen, but I ~ counted a dozen,’ Bosworth replied. ‘** Four were killed in here, four others outside, and these three make eleven. You have permitted one or more to es- cape, Lieutenant von Werner,” said the captain sharply. . ‘There is a river at the foot of the lawn; several of the enemy jumped into the water; we pulled this one out and fired at the others, but the night is very dark, Herr Captain,” replied the lieu- tenant stolidly. The Uhlan turned to the prisoners. “You are not French soldiers, yet you have borne arms and attacked the (Efe) comicbook