The general regulations did not concern us nearly. Unfortunately we never met wounded or straggling French soldiers; we possessed neither bicycles nor telephonic or telegraphic apparatus; we owned no pigeons whatever, and we were content to a.s.sure our neighbours of our sympathy, when, not without groanings and great sorrow, they slaughtered the inhabitants of their dovecots. This ma.s.sacre aimed at the suppression of all carrier-pigeons, and in many farms the application had not waited for the law. At Mme. Lantois", for instance, an under-officer and two men had dropped in unawares, strangled and taken away as many pigeons as they were able to carry.
"Don"t take the big white ones," besought the farmer"s wife.
Naturally, the Germans are too wise not to be suspicious; those French people might be cunning enough to disguise their carriers as big white feather-legged pigeons.
One night, old Leprince heard a noise in his out-house. Half undressed, he hastened out, and met face to face four soldiers, who in broken but energetic language ordered him back to his mattress. The old man watched the intruders go away, went to his dovecot, and by the light of his lantern saw the floor bespattered with blood and scattered all over with pigeons" heads.
But after the proclamation the slaughter surpa.s.sed any previous raids.
It is easy to imagine the emotion that spread among the cooing tribe, famous for their attachment to family sentiments and home life. How many young ones just hatched were killed! How many loving couples severed from one another! Bewildered, the poor things fled in bands throughout the country, and made common cause with the crows, pecking corn in the fields. If a Prussian happened to pa.s.s, he lifted his gun to his shoulder and fired at the white birds. If the frightened flock sought refuge on a roof: "The deuce take the pigeons!" the angry peasant cried out; "am I going to pay 1500 francs because two dozen birds have alighted on my house?" Then stones were thrown and off went the birds.
The order was explicit; for every pigeon saved, the owner was subject to a fine of fifty francs. Therefore all dovecots were shut up, and no one dared give asylum to the proscribed. The race of bicycles, also persecuted, was equally bewildered. The helpful bowels of the earth swallowed some of them; the mouth of a well engulfed a few others. Some I know spent two months in a brook, and then let themselves fall to little bits rather than serve the Germans. True patriots were the bicycles. As to those which had not managed to escape the Germans"
attention, they were taken to the mayor"s house, and clearly showed they were out of temper by grating, creaking, gnashing the teeth of their wheels and screws the whole way long. This did not prevent the invaders from using them on the spot with great satisfaction.
Of the regulations as to pa.s.sports we had a proof before letters, so to say.
On a certain morning of November, Yvonne and Antoinette, attended by Pierrot, went to Laon. For Yvonne a visit to the dentist was urgent; Pierrot wanted a Latin grammar. About five in the evening we began to feel uneasy. The night and the fog fell in concert, and the travellers had not yet returned. At half-past five Mme. Valaine and I ventured out, ready for anything, and at two miles" distance from the house we saw the little group, walking along very fast, and with a candid air.
"Why, here you are! Frightened not to see us back? There was no reason at all! Look, we have got the _Journal de Guerre_, a pound of chocolate, and some sweets!"
We dined with a good appet.i.te. Three days after we heard a loud ring of the bell, and two German officers, attended by the Mayor, were shown in.
"The young ladies who lately were arrested at the level-crossing live here, don"t they?"
We looked at one another, struck with amazement. Yvonne and Antoinette alone seemed to be acquainted with the circ.u.mstance, and modestly acknowledged they were the young ladies in question.
"Well, they are to be at the Commander"s office in Laon at two o"clock.
You need not be afraid, thanks to the Mayor, the affair is already settled."
At two o"clock! It was now past twelve. There was not a minute to lose.
We were ready in an instant, and on the way to Laon the offenders told the truth.
"Oh," they said to me, "we have been so frightened! You know, we did not want to worry mother, but you can imagine that we ourselves were terrified."
"We were already late," said Antoinette, "when at St. Marcel we discovered that we had lost Colette"s ring. We went back to the town, found the jewel half-crushed, and hastened once more on the way home. It was about half-past four, the night was rapidly falling when we got to the level-crossing.
""Pa.s.sports!" we heard.
""But we have none ... they have never been required."
""Then go back to Laon, you are not allowed to pa.s.s."
""Impossible! We have no house in Laon; my mother is expecting us at Morny."
""Wait a minute," said a voice, and, riding on a bicycle, an officer, attended by two men, came out of the fog. We explained the whole thing in our best German, for he did not speak French at all. He was courteous, and seemed inclined to let us go, when he was struck by a sudden idea:
""Are you English?" he asked.
"Yvonne understood, "Do you speak English?" and answered:
""Yes."
""So, you are! Then you don"t go. Come into the house."
"The soldiers gathered round and looked curiously at us. One of them carried a lantern, which made all faces red. Our hearts beat violently.
""Sir, please let us go home. We are not English ... my sister mistook your question."
"You will explain this to me; come in first."
"The door was thrown open; I stood on the threshold, when Yvonne caught my arm:
""Don"t go in, don"t go in!"
"I looked around me. We were alone among these ten men, whose looks seemed very strange to me. Around us nothing but the lonely fields, the darkness, and the fog. In front of us a row of untidy beds; on a broken-legged table a wretched lamp completed this picture of a disreputable house.
""Oh no, I pray you, let us go away; let us return to Laon."
""If you don"t come in, and quickly, I will shoot you."
"And the officer s.n.a.t.c.hed up his revolver.
"Out of despair we went in, the ten men pushed us and rushed in after us.
""You pack off post haste," the officer said.
"The soldiers disappeared, except one to guard the door.
""Well, you were wise to come in," said the officer, "or I would have ordered my men to fire at you."
"To exemplify his officer"s words, the facetious guard pointed his revolver at us. Pierrot chose that very moment to shriek with terror:
""Oh, I am so frightened, so frightened!"
"We were frightened too, I a.s.sure you; yet we did our best to comfort the poor boy. I explained our case to our judge, and produced the twisted ring, the cause of our being late.
""We live in Morny, were born in Morny, our anxious family is waiting there for us. Here are our papers; you see we are French students, and not English."
"At last the interrogation was at an end. Pierrot"s tears were still falling fast when the officer--a small, dark-haired, Roman-nosed nervous-looking man, more like a Meridional than a German--allowed himself to be convinced.
""Well, I permit you to go on my own responsibility. It was a piece of good luck you met me here, or you would not have reached your home.
Never go out at nightfall without a pa.s.sport. Now go."
"We had but waited for his permission, and were off as soon as it was given. Pierrot trotted along, still shaken by his sobs.
""Poor Pierrot, no more crying, it is all over. Take this chocolate. But you know you are not going to tell tales. You may have one sweet more.
Don"t say a word of what you have seen. Mme. Valaine might be worried about it. Keep these cough lozenges, you will eat them to-morrow."
"He took the bribe, and, consoled in his mind, promised not to open his lips about the adventure. So we came back with our heads high, and without a tremor in our voices."
"You throw off the mask now! You had not relied on the solicitude of the Germans, who wanted to know if you had come home safely."