Part 6 (1/2)

There was a distinct emphasis on the word _buy_, which told me that mother Poupard, evidently accustomed to her husband's ways, had provided plentifully for his journey but had carefully emptied his pockets before he started.

I went back to my preserves, but as the day wore on the lack of all communication with the outside world began to prey on me. Towards four o'clock I took my bicycle and started down to Charly. A quarter of a mile from our gate, in front of the town hall, a mason had driven two huge posts, into the ground on either side of the road, and was swinging a heavy chain between them.

I looked askance at the schoolmaster who stood in the doorway surveying the work. He explained that he had received instructions to the effect that all pa.s.sers-by unknown to this village were to be stopped and asked for their papers. The men and boys who remained were to take turns mounting guard, and thus to help to eradicate the circulation of spies.

Two suspicious motors and a man on a bicycle had already been signaled.

Should they appear and fail to produce their papers, immediate arrest would follow. Should they offer the slightest opposition or attempt escape, the sentinels had orders to shoot.

I enquired if it would be necessary for we to have a _sauf-conduit,_ being bound for Charly, and possibly the station at Nogent, where I hoped that the soldiers of a pa.s.sing train would throw me a newspaper.

Mr. Duguey replied that he would gladly present me with the first pa.s.sport, and seemed wonderfully taken with my idea about the papers. He admitted that living in darkness was beginning to get on his nerves, too, and asked me, in case my plan should prove successful, if I would be willing to put it on the public sign board so all could see the news.

I acquiesced willingly, and after he had asked a few questions as to names, age, characteristics and destination, he stamped the seal on my paper, and I departed.

At Charly the same preparations had been made, and two elderly men, leaning on their guns, smiled as I presented my paper for their inspection.

At the hotel, the proprietor had just returned after having waited nearly twenty-four hours in line to present his machines. All save one had been bought for the army. But with his double-seated taxi he promised to drive me to Soissons the following morning.

I continued my road, and reached Nogent to find that I was not alone in my idea about begging the papers. Several others from neighboring villages, so I heard, had already succeeded in obtaining a sheet, and had driven off hastily with their trophies. My proceeding was very simple. It consisted of crossing the rails to the up-train platform, to stand in line with the other women already a.s.sembled, there to wait like birds on a fence until a train coming from Paris pa.s.sed by. Then as it whizzed through the station, we shouted in chorus, ”_Les journaux! Les jour-naux!_”

It worked like magic. We had hardly been there two minutes when a train was signaled.

As it approached, we could see that engine and cars were decorated with garlands of flowers, and trailing vines, while such inscriptions as, ”_Train de Plaisir pour Berlin,_” and numerous caricatures had been chalked on the varnished sides of the carriages.

Our appeals were not in vain. With joyful shouts, the boys gladly threw us the papers which were welcomed like the rain of manna in the desert.

I managed to collect two, _L'Action Franfaise_, and _Le Bonnet Rouge_.

Until others and fresher were procured, the Royalist and the Revolutionary sheets hung side by side on the public sign board at Villiers, proving that under the Third Republic, _Liberte', Egalite', Fraternite_ are not vain words.

The news of the violation of Luxembourg and Belgian territory created less sensation than one might have expected. In the circ.u.mstances news of any kind seemed a blessing.

There was still quite a gathering in front of the town hall when the first carts began to return from the revision. They were few and far between, compared with the double line that had driven past in the morning. My heart leapt with joy, as I saw George, driving Cesar, turn into the court.

”Too old, Madame,” he said, his eyes s.h.i.+ning. ”Though still so game that they nearly kept him. He's reserved for a second call.”

”And Florentin and Cognac?”

The boy put his hand into his pocket and held out a slip of paper. I took it and read, ”_Bon pour 1,200 francs, prix de 2 chevaux, etc._”

”Well, thank G.o.d, we've got one left anyhow,” thought I as I entered the hall. Just then the gate creaked and I could vaguely distinguish in the deepening twilight the forms of mother Poupard and Julia hurrying towards the stables. I followed.

”George! George!” called Julia.

”Well?” came the answer from within.

”George--where's the old man?” queried mother Poupard in excited tones.

”How do I know?”

”Was our horse taken? Can you tell us that?”