Produced by Martin Robb
The Young Franc Tireurs And Their Adventures in the Franco-Prussian War By G. A. Henty.
Contents
Preface. Chapter 1: The Outbreak Of War. Chapter 2: Terrible News. Chapter 3: Death To The Spy! Chapter 4: Starting For The Vosges. Chapter 5: The First Engagement. Chapter 6: The Tunnel Of Saverne. Chapter 7: A Baffled Project. Chapter 8: The Traitor. Chapter 9: A Desperate Fight. Chapter 10: The Bridge Of The Vesouze. Chapter 11: A Fight In The Vosges. Chapter 12: The Surprise. Chapter 13: The Escape. Chapter 14: A Perilous Expedition. Chapter 15: The Expedition. Chapter 16: A Desperate Attempt. Chapter 17: A Balloon Voyage. Chapter 18: A Day Of Victory. Chapter 19: Down At Last. Chapter 20: Crossing The Lines. Chapter 21: Home.
Illustrations
Rescue of a Supposed Spy. Among the German Soldiers. The Children on the Battlefield. The Sea! The Sea!
Preface.
My Dear Lads,
The present story was written and published a few months, only, after the termination of the Franco-German war. At that time the plan--which I have since carried out in The Young Buglers, Cornet of Horse, and In Times of Peril, and which I hope to continue, in further volumes--of giving, under the guise of historical tales, full and accurate accounts of all the leading events of great wars, had not occurred to me. My object was only to represent one phase of the struggle--the action of the bodies of volunteer troops known as franc tireurs.
The story is laid in France and is, therefore, written from the French point of view. The names, places, and dates have been changed; but circumstances and incidents are true. There were a good many English among the franc tireurs, and boys of from fifteen to sixteen were by no means uncommon in their ranks. Having been abroad during the whole of the war, I saw a good deal of these irregulars, and had several intimate friends amongst them. Upon the whole, these corps did much less service to the cause of France than might have been reasonably expected. They were too often badly led, and were sometimes absolutely worse than useless.
But there were brilliant exceptions, and very many of those daring actions were performed which--while requiring heroism and courage of the highest kind--are unknown to the world in general, and find no place in history. Many of the occurrences in this tale are related, almost in the words in which they were described to me, by those who took part in them; and nearly every fact and circumstance actually occurred, according to my own knowledge. Without aspiring to the rank of a history, however slight, the story will give you a fair idea of what the life of the franc tireurs was, and of what some of them actually went through, suffered, and performed.
Yours sincerely,
The Author.
Chapter 1: The Outbreak Of War.
The usually quiet old town of Dijon was in a state of excitement. There were groups of people in the streets; especially round the corners, where the official placards were posted up. Both at the Prefecture and the Maine there were streams of callers, all day. Every functionary wore an air of importance, and mystery; and mounted orderlies galloped here and there, at headlong speed. The gendarmes had twisted their mustaches to even finer points than usual, and walked about with the air of men who knew all about the matter, and had gone through more serious affairs than this was likely to be.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: The Young Franc Tireurs by G. A. Henty
- 2: At the Lycee or great school the boys are just coming out
- 3: He had fallen in love with Melanie Duburg
- 4: Found Captain Barclay reading the papers
- 5: The son of the blacksmith Harve
- 6: Monsieur and Madame Duburg arrived
- 7: But Madame Duburg had so hurriedly answered in their name
- 8: Before Madame Duburg had time to answer
- 9: The troops quartered at Dijon moved forward at once
- 10: The first blood shed the French had taken Saarbruck
- 11: Fresh levies were everywhere ordered
- 12: Bazaine may be able to cut his way out but
- 13: Captain Barclay listened in silence
- 14: That Ralph and Percy were going
- 15: It will be difficult to get chassepots
- 16: Have you thought about uniform
- 17: Madame Duburg sat down upon a garden seat
- 18: Madame Duburg took her departure
- 19: Until Captain Tempe tapped the table for silence
- 20: Vive les franc tireurs du Dijon
- 21: And that MacMahon was marching to the relief of Bazaine
- 22: Been advocating a war with Prussia
- 23: Over the bright barrels of the chassepots which
- 24: Aided by two of the franc tireurs
- 25: He had reached Dijon on that morning
- 26: He said doggedly Sarvint or no sarvint
- 27: But Captain Barclay had at once said that
- 28: And Monsieur Duburg came in as usual
- 29: When they were fairly among the Vosges
- 30: Are all the franc tireurs like these
- 31: We always speak English at home
- 32: I am sure Milly is jolly enough
- 33: Blankets and haversacks taken off
- 34: And overlooking the valley of the Vexouse
- 35: And all other impediments had been left behind at Halloville
- 36: The franc tireurs had time to fire again
- 37: Of the franc tireurs eight were killed
- 38: Major Tempe decided this by saying that
- 39: There was a general cleaning of the rifles and accouterments
- 40: Chapter 6 The Tunnel Of Saverne
- 41: By a franc tireur if a rail be pulled up
- 42: As they walked towards the schoolroom
- 43: No one would suspect two boys of being franc tireurs
- 44: And this amount weighed but lightly upon Saverne
- 45: While the others then seize the Saverne end
- 46: Lieutenant de Maupas exclaimed
- 47: Several of the men shook hands warmly with the Barclays
- 48: A sharp walk soon brought them to Saverne
- 49: In ignorance of the reason of their sudden move to Saverne
- 50: I hope he will hang that schoolmaster
- 51: By the faces of Major Tempe and the officers
- 52: Grunsdorf is three miles from here
- 53: This lane which we are following leads to Grunsdorf
- 54: And they might have come from Colmar without coming this way
- 55: Without giving Percy time to reply
- 56: When he hears that you thought I was a franc tireur
- 57: And then he thought of this outhouse
- 58: And accouterments of all kinds
- 59: One of the franc tireurs now ran back
- 60: That morning telling him to come down to Saverne
- 61: And together they quietly lifted the schoolmaster
- 62: Sent through the forest of OEdenwald to Raon
- 63: The brutes are setting fire to Mutzig
- 64: The whistle of Lieutenant de Maupas sounded loud and shrill
- 65: In a hundred paces De Maupas halted his men
- 66: The franc tireurs were all lying down
- 67: Major Tempe shouted to his men On again for the woods
- 68: There was a cry and Philippe Duburg fell to the ground
- 69: Called the franc tireurs together
- 70: Having entered Colmar on the preceding day
- 71: Sold the sheep and cattle which they had captured at Blamont
- 72: In the fights of Blamont and Still
- 73: Upon the morning of the fourth day from their leaving Epinal
- 74: Lieutenant Ribouville now set to work to inspect the bridge
- 75: Lieutenant Ribouville upon one side
- 76: While he reported himself to General Cambriels
- 77: I shall put the franc tireurs of Dijon in general orders
- 78: That Lieutenant Ribouville would
- 79: Granted them four days' leave to go to Dijon
- 80: Monsieur Duburg came in to see them
- 81: And left to join the headquarters of General Cambriels
- 82: There are franc tireurs in the village
- 83: Fierce as was the pace at which the Uhlans were galloping
- 84: The army of the Vosges pompous as was its name consisted
- 85: Where the franc tireurs were lying hid
- 86: You go with Lieutenant Barclay
- 87: The Mobiles stood their ground
- 88: Percy galloped off to where the Zouaves
- 89: Upon falling back upon Besancon
- 90: With the officers of franc tireurs
- 91: No wonder our franc tireurs do so badly
- 92: And half the franc tireurs fell
- 93: Which Ralph had purposely left open
- 94: And the peasants and franc tireurs lay
- 95: The column had instinctively halted
- 96: As they marched through the streets of Luneville
- 97: All we wanted was the schoolmaster
- 98: It was a long journey thirty six hours to Mayence
- 99: And translated the Irishman's speech to Christine
- 100: Christine laughed for a moment
- 101: Christine started for Wiesbaden
- 102: Christine returned from Wiesbaden
- 103: 'As bad tempered as Klopstock the carpenter
- 104: Tim carried his bundle in one hand
- 105: At a tiny village between Dudeldf and Bittburg and
- 106: The moment they arrived at Cherbourg
- 107: Ministers and members of the late Corps Legislatif
- 108: And sent to organize a camp of new levies
- 109: The doings of the franc tireurs
- 110: Colonel Tempe went in at once to see Gambetta
- 111: We shall leave our horses with some village Maire
- 112: Like those you use for chignons
- 113: They then returned to the hairdresser
- 114: Mister Ralph's turned into an ould man
- 115: Colonel Tempe at once informed them
- 116: Colonel Tempe looked at his watch
- 117: Gambetta was at his writing table
- 118: Before you arrive at Montargis
- 119: And Captain Duprat accompanied them as far as Montargis
- 120: They stopped at the little hamlet of Montarlet
- 121: Will you please to visa this for Versailles
- 122: The German invaders stalked carelessly
- 123: Viroflay was crowded with Prussian troops
- 124: I am content to take it at your own valuation
- 125: And the scene at Viroflay was repeated
- 126: They reached the deserted villa
- 127: To put our dummy into the water
- 128: White shoes with India rubber soles
- 129: Took the dummy from the bag and
- 130: Ralph found he was leaving Percy behind
- 131: We are on board the gunboat Farcey and
- 132: The commander of the Farcey said
- 133: Ralph mechanically did as he was told
- 134: Ralph reluctantly left the room
- 135: Generals Ducrot and Vinoy are surprised
- 136: And should have blown up the tunnel of Saverne
- 137: But he was fairly convalescent
- 138: In the presence of Generals Ducrot and Vinoy
- 139: General Trochu went at once into his private study
- 140: And that he wished Percy to lie down
- 141: For the use of the men employed in filling the balloon
- 142: These clouds below do not move
- 143: Under the direction of Monsieur Teclier
- 144: Bringing their uniform in the balloon for
- 145: And when Monsieur Teclier entered
- 146: Walking up to Monsieur Teclier
- 147: While Monsieur Teclier advanced
- 148: And asked Monsieur Teclier to be silent upon the subject
- 149: Aren't they clever enough to decaive the ould gintleman
- 150: Colonel Tempe and Ralph were in the train
- 151: And found General Chanzy leaning over a map
- 152: General Chanzy told me I should find room here
- 153: General Chanzy said to Ralph I should recommend you
- 154: General Chanzy was sitting on horseback
- 155: Colonel Tempe jumped on his horse
- 156: And so just slipped it into the wallet
- 157: Colonel Tempe said to Ralph as they mounted
- 158: And he rode up to General Sonis
- 159: Ralph could see parties with lanterns
- 160: Many times Ralph could hear groans
- 161: This liquor she put into a smaller pot
- 162: The loft was low and small and
- 163: Then she gave him a basin of bread broth
- 164: When Ralph had eaten his breakfast
- 165: There is an English ambulance there
- 166: In a corner of the loft was a small flat stove
- 167: Begging him to get it sent on in the first bag for Dijon
- 168: And leaving their horses and carts
- 169: But as he had the good fortune to go on to Salbris
- 170: The peasant in whose house he was stopping went into Salbris
- 171: But talked cheerfully to keep up mamma and Milly
- 172: Barclay felt that he would not
- 173: Chanzy and Bourbaki had each an army
- 174: One of these summits is called Talant
- 175: They have taken Daix and Hauteville
- 176: Monsieur Duburg had already agreed to purchase the cottage