Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-02-16
THE THREE VISITS.

of the line, might have been seen trav-
ersing the beautiful grove of Orange
trees Which lies i'll front of the Die bel
Ammer, one Of the principal ridges of
the Atlas chain Of mountains.
1t was nine O'Clock, aud the night
was setting in clearly and serenely.
The last rays of the expiring san faint
ly tinged the sparsely- scattered clouds,
while the long copper-like bands lining
the horizon were gradually disappear
ing. The soldiers quickened their pace
for they had to reioin the column Of
the advanced guard, which was under
orders to execute ''razzia" in the
morning, a proceeding needed to in.
duce certain mutinous tribes to return
to obedience.
The general commanding this small
detachment had halted, with an officer
of superior rank, tn see it defile and
retake its place with the rear guard.
1t had been hot all day, and the In
minons vapors rising now and then by
puffs from the earth seemed so many
shadowy apparitions in the somber
space.
"Look ! Corporal Gavin, look over
there p exclaimed soldier. Il saw
something like white cape. Don't
you think ltsa Bedoun %
Stupid p said the corporal with
much gravity. its cactus leaf on
which the moon is shining
"Parblen see that very we'll But
/ was speaking of something else--of IL
long, thin, white form which | can see
now. There | see another =
lightning caused by the heat my
boy"
Possibly, possibly, corporal, but all
this is not very amusing L can tell you.
and don't at all like this country"
AS the yonng soldier was saying this
they were passing before the general.
"What makes you so uneasy 2" ask
ed Gavin.
Not much, il you, but all these
things coming and going and dancing
about in the air-these plants which
have long leaves as sharp as knives
those other green things that look like
melons stuck all over with knitting
needles-they don't seem natural to me
And Tn sure the night is haunted by
lot of evil spirits"
"Will you hold your tongue?" said
the corporal, sharply. Cant You talk
of something else sooner than ghosts ?"
"Why shouldn't I talk of them 1
am not afraid while you and others are
near. Arabian ghosts must be very
funny things, 7 should think"
lyon must be q regular yokel," said
Gavin, sententiously, ''to want tact so
completely, not to say feeling. Don't
You know" he continued, lowering his
voice, ''that You ought never to men-
ton those things before the general ?"
why is General Vergamier afraid?
Afraid come, that's good Gen
eral Vergamier afraid man who has
all his grades at the lannon's mouth,
who is commander of the Legion of
Honor, and whose breast is covered
with crosses! Gabet, my friend, you
will never become minister Of war
that's certain.
Then if he's not afraid why won't
he let any one speak of ghosts %
That's Il notion Of his He don't
like those stories, especially at night
a weakness, recruit--a weakness un-
worthy of a brave man like him, and
one which he tries to conceal as much
as possible,
Then how came you to know it.
corporal ?"
''Robergeot, an old friend of mine,
sapper of the 22nd, who had been a
servant Of the general, confded the
tale to me under promise of secrecy,
one night when he was drunk. f"
''And well you keep the secret, don't
you ? Did | ask You if the general"
"Silence, Cabinet my friend" said
the corporal ; II think he suspects we
are talking of him.
And, in truth, the general had not
lost a word of the two soldiers CONVEX
sation, and the impression it made on
him was so evidently a painful one,
that his companion, the surgeon of the
II ID