Part 17 (1/2)
Worse than all, the Prussians made fun of us unlucky villagers of Rothalp, calling us ”_la grande nation!_” But was it our fault if our officers, who had almost all been brought up by the Jesuits, knew nothing of their profession? If our lads had been drilled, if every man had been compelled to serve, as they are in Germany; and if every man had been given the post for which he was best fitted, according to his acquirements and his spirit, I don't think the Prussians would have got so much fun out of ”_la grande nation_.”
This was the only sortie attempted during the siege. The commander, Talliant, who had plenty of sense, was quite aware that with officers of this stamp, and soldiers who knew nothing of drill, it was better to keep behind the ramparts and try to live without meat.
About the same time the officer in command of the post of the Landwehr at Wechem, the greatest drunkard and the worst bully we have ever seen in our part of the country, came to pay me his first visit, along with fifteen men with fixed bayonets.
His object was to requisition in our village three hundred loaves of bread, some hay, straw, and oats in proportion.
In the first place he walked into my mill, crying, ”Hallo!
good-morning, M. le Maire!”
Seeing those bayonets at my door, a fidgety feeling came over me.
”I am come to bring you a proclamation from his Majesty the King of Prussia. Read that!”
And I read the following proclamation:
”We, William, King of Prussia, make known to the inhabitants of the French territory that the Emperor Napoleon III., having attacked the German nation by sea and by land, whose desire was and is to live at peace with France, has compelled us to a.s.sume the command of our armies, and, consequently upon the events of war, to cross the French frontier; but that I make war upon soldiers and not upon French citizens, who shall continue to enjoy perfect security, both as regards their persons and their property, as long as they shall not themselves compel me, by hostile measures against the German troops, to withdraw my protection from them.”
”You will post up this proclamation,” said the lieutenant to me, ”upon your door, upon that of the mayoralty-office, and upon the church-door.
Well! are you glad?”
”Of course,” said I.
”Then,” he replied, ”we are good friends; and good friends must help one another. Come, my boys,” he cried to his soldiers, with a loud laugh, ”come on--let us all go in. Here you may fancy yourselves at home. You will be refused nothing. Come in!”
And these robbers first entered the mill; then they pa.s.sed on into the kitchen; from the kitchen into the house, and then they went down into the cellar.
My wife and Gredel had sought safety in flight.
Then commenced a regular organized pillage.
They cleared out my chimney of its last hams and flitches of bacon, they broke in my last barrel of wine; they opened my wardrobe--scenting down to the very bottom like a pack of hounds. I saw one of these soldiers lay hands even upon the candle out of the candlestick and stuff it into his boot.
One of my lambs having begun to bleat:
”Hallo!” cried the lieutenant. ”Sheep! we want mutton.”
And the infamous rascals went off to the stable to seize upon my sheep.
When there was nothing left to rob, this gallant officer handed me the list of regular requisitions, saying, ”We require these articles. You will bring the whole of them this very evening to Wechem, or we shall be obliged to repeat our visit: you comprehend, Monsieur le Maire?
And, especially, do not forget the proclamations, his Majesty's proclamations; that is of the first importance: it was our princ.i.p.al object in coming. Now, Monsieur le Maire, _au revoir, au revoir_!”
The abominable brute held out his hand to me in its coa.r.s.e leather glove--I turned my back upon him; he pretended not to see it, and marched off in the midst of his soldiers, all loaded like pack-horses, laughing, munching, tippling; for every man had filled his tin flask and stuffed his canvas bag full.
Farther on they visited several of the other princ.i.p.al houses--my cousin's, the cure Daniel's. They were so loaded with plunder that, after their last visit, they halted to lay under requisition a horse and cart, which seemed to them handier than carrying all that they had stolen.
War is a famous school for thieves and brigands; by the end of twenty years mankind would be a vast pack of villains.
Perhaps this may yet be our fate; for I remember that the old school-master at Bouxviller told us that there had been once in ancient times populous nations, richer than we are, who might have prospered for thousands of years by means of commerce and industry, but who had been so madly bent upon their own extermination by means of war, that their country became at last sandy wastes, where not a blade of gra.s.s grows now and nothing is found but scattered rocks.