GENÉ AND THE BAVARIAN DRAGOONS
"The story of Gené and the Bavarian dragoons, is one of the best, to
my mind, that has developed in this war," said Captain Favor,
beginning a new story. "Such quick thinking as hers in the face of an
emergency, is very rare in a child, which makes Gené's achievement
stand out so prominently.
"Gené's mother had been ill for months. She had been bedridden all
that time, leaving to the little girl the heavy work of the home, for
the father, too, was in poor health. Gené, though only ten years of
age, was a resolute and capable child, as you will see when I tell you
the story of how she won two little battles of her own.
"After the battle of the Marne the Prussians were pressing northward,
venting their rage on the defenseless inhabitants, killing many such
and carrying others away with them. It was desperate business that
these brutal Prussians were engaged in. Finding themselves unable to
whip the Allied soldiers, they sought to terrorize old men, women and
children.
"Gené's home was situated at the edge of a village, and though they
knew the Germans were headed in their direction, they thought the
soldiers would take pity on their sad condition and leave them alone.
"One day, however, a company of Bavarian dragoons entered the
outskirts of the village and halted before the child's home. Tying
their horses, they entered the house and began a systematic search of
it. They ripped up carpets and tore beds to pieces, helped themselves
to all the food in the house, then turned their attention to the
husband, who had stood helplessly by. Not Gené. She stood trembling
with anger, scarcely able to restrain herself.
"'We want your money!' demanded the captain of the dragoons, turning
to Gené's father. 'Quick, or you shall suffer.'
"'I have none. I have spent it all on my poor wife,' replied the
father.
"'Bah! The French always have money. We shall find it. Throw the old
woman out of the bed. She is but pretending to be sick. She is in bed
to hide the money of the household,' raged the captain.
"Obeying his orders, his men dragged the sick woman from the bed and
dropped her on the floor, where Gené, with tears of anger in her eyes,
bent over and clasped her parent's hand. The husband protested against
their treatment of the wife and Gené pleaded with them to go away and
leave her family in peace.
"'You would resist us, would you!' demanded the captain, drawing back
a fist to strike the child's father. 'Ah! He shall be taken away for
that. You shall see that it is not for cowardly French to thwart the
will of the Bavarian dragoons. He directed his men to remove the
father. Several soldiers grabbed Gené's father and dragged him from
the house.
"'Now to the cellar!' cried the commander. 'There we shall at least
find wine, for the French always have wine in their cellars. Perhaps
you will tell us there is no wine there!' he said sneeringly, fixing
his eyes on the child.
"'There is wine in plenty there,' she answered sweetly, favoring the
captain with a smile. 'You will find the jugs in the front part of the
cellar.' Gené lowered her eyes, that the officer might not read the
thought that she felt certain was reflected there.
"'Come,' he said, leading the way to the cellar, which they gained by
raising the trapdoor in the kitchen floor and descending a ladder,
this being the customary way of getting to the cellar in a peasant's
home.
"For several moments all was silent in the room where Gené and her
mother sat on the floor, the child supporting her parent with one arm.
Down cellar the voices of the Germans could be faintly heard. At last
Gené laid her mother down and tripped lightly to the kitchen.
Listening a moment she cautiously lowered the trapdoor in the floor
and closed the opening, fastening it with its bolt. Not satisfied with
this, the child moved a table to the trapdoor, on which she piled
everything of weight in the kitchen.
"'All is well, mother,' she said, returning to the sick woman. Gené,
for fear of exciting her mother, did not tell her what had been done.
The soldiers with the father having gone, the villagers soon appeared
in the streets, and to them Gené explained that she had captured the
captain of dragoons and several of his men. By this time there was a
great uproar in the cellar. The dragoons were shifting and beating on
the kitchen floor, raging and threatening. They had discovered that
they were in a trap. It would fare hard with Gené and her mother if
the soldiers succeeded in getting out, but of that the child had
little fear. The villagers now offered to guard the imprisoned
soldiers, but the child knew her people could do little in this
direction.
"Early in the afternoon a battalion of French chasseurs came galloping
into town. The villagers set up a great shout, and, running out, the
child recognized the soldiers of her own country. To the commander of
the chasseurs she quickly made known her situation.
"'Monsieur le Capitaine,' she said. 'There are in our house German
soldiers. They are in the cellar. Some of their party have taken my
father away, but the commander and some of his men I have locked in
the cellar.'
"'Bravo!' cried the commander. 'Come, we shall see.'
"'There,' said Gené, pointing to the barricaded trapdoor. 'Hear them
rage. They are furious, as they should be.'"
The officer quickly summoned some of his men to the kitchen, and,
after the trap had been uncovered and thrown open, he bade them
thrust their bayonets into the opening.
"'Come out of that cellar, you Bavarian hounds!' he shouted. 'You are
prisoners!'
"The uproar in the cellar died out instantly. After a brief hesitation
they came out one by one, being disarmed and herded in a corner as
they emerged into the kitchen.
"'Take them away,' commanded the officer.
"'Monsieur le Capitaine,' said Gené, tugging at his sleeve. 'These
soldiers not only have helped themselves to everything in the house,
but they have, as you saw, abused my sick mother and have taken away
my poor father. They have misused us. Please do not let them go until
they have returned my father to our home. If you do not it will kill
my mother, I fear.'
"'We shall do our best, my brave child.'
"'Ah, monsieur le Capitaine, I have an idea. Can you not exchange one
of your prisoners for my father?' questioned the little girl.
"The commander reflected. 'How long have they been gone with him?'
"'Only a short time, sir.'
"'Good. Step forward!' he said sharply to the German officer. The
latter obeyed silently. 'Captain,' said the Frenchman, 'you and your
men have ransacked this house, abused a sick woman and carried away
her husband. A fine business for those who call themselves men. You
deserve to be shot, you and all your hounds. However, I will spare
your life on one condition. It is that the father of this household
shall be set at liberty and returned to his home before nightfall.
Your troops will not be far from here. Who in command?'
"'A captain.'
"'Then one of you will ride and rejoin your detachment--'
"'I will go,' interjected the commander of the dragoons."
[Illustration: A FRENCH DRAGOON DRAGGED HIM IN.]
"'Oh, no, captain; your presence is required here. Come here!' he
ordered, beckoning to one of the Bavarians, 'and listen well to what I
shall say to you. You will immediately mount your horse and as quickly
as possible rejoin your detachment.'
"'Oui, monsieur le Capitaine.'
"'You will tell the commander that we have here seven dragoons and an
officer as prisoners of the French chasseurs. You also will say that
the French commander sends warning to him that unless the father of
this child, taken as a hostage, is returned to this village before
eight o'clock this evening, your captain and seven Bavarian dragoons
in the hands of the French will be shot immediately. Can you remember
this?'
"'Oui, monsieur le Capitaine.'
"'Then go speedily.'
"The dragoon departed in haste. He was eager to get away from this
stern-faced Frenchman, at whose hands he knew he could expect small
mercy after what the Bavarians had done in that little peasant home.
"Gené had rejoined her mother, who had been tenderly placed in her bed
by the tender-hearted French captain. The child sat clasping her
mother's hand and comforting her.
"'Have no fears, my mother. The brave commander of the chasseurs will
see to it that father comes safely home,' said Gené. Yet the brave
little French girl herself was full of anxiety; she could scarcely
keep the tears back when she realized that already her father may have
been shot.
"It was late in the afternoon, darkness was just falling, when Gené
heard some one approaching. By the clanking sound she knew it was one
of the chasseurs, and her heart sank within her.
"The captain of the French detachment entered and halted at the door.
She searched his face and what she saw there caused Gené to utter a
little cry of joy.
"'Here,' said the officer, 'is what you have been waiting for. Here is
the father whose life you have saved. What I have done for you was
only my duty; what you have done for France is immeasurable. I salute
you, daughter of France!'
"With that the captain thrust Gené's father into the room, saluted and
strode out to join his company, who were guarding the captured
Bavarians."