the young
men had left with the Mobiles--or mobilized national guard--and all
men under forty were drilling, in readiness to march at a moment's
notice. No serious movement of the enemy, south of Luneville, was
as yet signalized.

After two days' rest, the corps again marched north; their
destination being kept a profound secret, even from the men. So
anxious, apparently, was Major Tempe that, this time, their object
should not be foiled by treachery; that after the first day's march
he left the main road and, having secured the services of a
peasant, as a guide, he made two long days' marches through
forests, and over mountains--avoiding even small villages. Four led
horses accompanied the march; one laden with the gun cotton, and
the other three carrying provisions, so that they might be
independent of the local supply. Each night they bivouacked in the
forests but, as the weather was now fine--although the nights were
cold--this was no hardship, whatever.

Upon the morning of the fourth day from their leaving Epinal, Major
Tempe told his men that he had learned, at Epinal, that the line
was no longer so closely guarded as before--the Germans being
confident, now, of the impotence of the French to harm them--and
that they were now in the forest of Moudan, within three miles of
the railway between Luneville and Rechicourt, on the line to
Strasburg. His intention was to reconnoiter that day and--if
success should be found possible--to attempt, at daybreak next
morning, to blow up the railway bridge over the Vesouze.

The news was received with great satisfaction, as the corps were
burning to distinguish themselves; and in no way could they do such
service as to cut the line of communication--although, as the
Germans were no longer dependent upon a single line, the advantage
would not be of so signal a nature as it would have been, could
they have cut it at the time when they first made the attempt. The
Barclays were naturally selected to reconnoiter and, as their
change of clothes had been always--by Major Tempe's orders--carried
on the baggage horse, they had no difficulty upon that score.

Their expedition was uneventful. At the village nearest to the
bridge, they went in and bought some cheese and other articles
and--after gaining all the information they were able, without
exciting attention--they made their way, through broken ground, to
a point near enough to the bridge to enable them to reconnoiter it,
und