The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1873-07-03
MacMahon's Leap For Life.
THRILLING INCIDENT IN THE CAREER Oh
THE NEW PRESIDENT OF FRANCE.

In 1881 McMahon, then young Lieuten-
ant serving with the French army in Algeria,
under the command Of Marshal Bugeaud,
vas stationed with small company Of men
at an outlying settlement, forty miles, from
headquarters. The Arabs, then bitterly
hostile to the new colonists, .besieged the
small fort, slaughtered all the settlers they
could catch, intercepted all supplies, and
brought the little garrison to the verge of
starvation. Capitluation was not to be thought
of, for that meant immediate slaughter.
Help from the marshal was not to be expected,
for he was quite unaware of their danger;
intact all hope seemed lost when MacMahon
volunteered to be the bearer of dispatches
announcing their predicament. The COM
mandment thought the venture perfectly
useless, as the intervening country was abso-
lutely alive with infuriated Arabs, but be-
ing aware that help must come in that nun
uer if it came at all, he reluctantly con-
sented to what he considered at the time was
the desperate sacrifice of valuable life.
MacMahon, perfectly overjoyed at gaining
consent to his enterprise, spent the short
time intervening before his start in looking
carefully to the equipment Of his horse and
to his own accoutrements, and in the first
hour of darkness he set out brisk, blthe and
debonnaire as every gay young soldier on
parade with brighteyes gazing on hissplendor.
The willy Arabs, seldom caught unaware,
soon noted his departure, ond followed hard
and fast in his rear; but, seeing that his
course lay toward broad and deep ravine
some five miles from the post, they spread
out widely, hoping to outaank him when he
should be compelled to turn at the brink,
and SO, securing him alive, learn from him
under tortuae all those particulars concern
ing the French forces which they wanted to
obtain. MacMahon, who had in the first
mile or two easily distanced them, under
stood their plan thoroughly and was we'll
prepared to meet it. He looked back and
saw in the moonlight the constantly-increas-
ing crowd of white.clad warriors, spreading
out in o wide semi-circle behind him. He
knew we'll how they exulted in the thought
that they would wiring from his tortured
frame all the secrets they wanted to know,
and he quickly slackencd little the head
long speed Of his horse, in order to reserve
its strength for the effort he had determind
upon, that should-he hoped-sayo life and
liberty. The Arabs, thinking that his horse
was already failing, renewed their efforts to
overtake and surround him, and by the time
he had reached Within few hundred yards
of the brink, their shouts Of triumph were
clearly audible. But Arabs, as we'll as other
men, sometimes count their chickens before
they are Matched, and it proved they had
headed him almost to the brink of the dread
full chasm, and followed hard behind, certain
Of an easy capture, when all Of q sadden,
obedient to the masters resolute hand upon
the rein, tho horse broke into swift gallop
and, with touch from the spur, flick
from tho glove and an encouraging word
from the well known voice, gallant steed and
rider cleared the yawning gap, and landing
safely on the opposite side, were out Of sight
of the enraged Arabs before they could get
the slightest chance of taking even doliber
ate aim. In two hours more MacMahon stood
before his astounded chief. and two hours af
ter that, refusing rest and relief, he accom-
panied the aid he had risked his life to pro
cure on its way to his bcleagured comrades
EDWARD ELLIS.
Hanging does not stop murder, but il