Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-06-27
MACMAHON,s LEAP Fo:s LIFE.
Thrilling Incident i'm the Life at
the New President af France.

| T. 1881 MacMaiinD. then Young lietIt,.ns
ant seryin. with the French army hi Alg ria
under the communal OF Marshal Engeaila
was stationed witls small conpsny Of men
Al All outlying settlement forty miles fr, III,
Headquarters. The Arabs. then bitterly hrs
| flle to tilr new euiensts beseigcll the small
| fort. slaughtered all the settlers they cnnI
catch. Intercepted all supplies. aud brough.
the little garrison 10 the yery verge OF starva
tion. Cspitulatinn was not to be thought of.
for thai meant Immediate. slaughter. Help
from The niarsIa Was not to be expected for
| he was quite unaware ot their tingar; in fact
all hope seemed inst when AlacAahon vol
unterca to is~. the bearer of disa ate'res an
nouncing their pradicament. Tlieemnmand-
ant thought the venture perisetly useless. ~
the intervening country was absolutely alive
with infuriated Arabs. but being aware thai
/ help must cere in that MANNER if I. came at
all. he reluctantly consented to what he corr
aidered ut the time was the desperate sacr2-
! flee Of valuable life.
Mae3iahon, perfectly oycrjoyei at gaining
consent to the enterprise. spent the short time
Intervening before his start in loo ing care
| fully to the equipments of his horse and 70
own acc0utrcments. and in the first hour Of
darkness he set out, brisk. blithe aud ds5oa-
naire as ever gay young soldier on parade
will, bright eyes gazing on his splendor.
1.-The Willy Arabs. sehlon caught unaware,
| soon noted his departure. and followed lllrtl
| and fast in his rear; but, seeing that his
course lay toward a deep and broad riviEe
some five miles from the post. they spread
out widely, hoping to oaiilank him when he
should be compelled to turn at the brink.
and s.. scouting him alive. learn from him
under torture all those particulars concern
In" the Fr:nch forces which they wanted to
obtain. MacMahon who hal in the first
| mile or two easily distenced them, unler-
stood their plan thoroughly AMI WAS well
prepared to meet 1t. He lookeil back ami
saw in the moonlight the constantly increas-
ing crowd of white-2lad warriors. spreading
out in a wide semi-circle behind him. lie
knew we'll how they cxufe.l In the thought
that they wauli wiring from his tortured
frame all the secrets they waited 10 know.
and he quickly slackenel little the heal-
long speed of his horse il order to reserve
its strength tor the eff ,rt he had determined
upon. that shouLi--he hope l--Saye life ami.
liberty. The Arabs. thinking his horse was
already falling renewed their cff,r.s to over
take AMI surround him. AMI by the time lr
had reached within Il few hl.l Ire | yarls Of
the brink. their shouts of Iriu upil ware clear
lr auII,Ie. BIt Ar1rS. rs wen tpIrrsr tIr-Is.
sometimes colut thrir chickens htf,r,. they
are hafc3el. ani 50 it proved that thry hal
done IN thi. ease. Th-y hal h-liel HIN al
most to the brink ot the dreadful chasm and
followed hard behind, certain of an easy cap
ture. when. all OF 4 su llrn. obedient to the
masters rcsolute hand upon the rein. the
horse broke into a swift gallon, and with a
touch from the spur, fiick from the glove
and an encouraging word from the we'll
known voice, gallant steed and gallant 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 deliberate
aim. In two hours more MacMahons stood
before his astonished chief, and two hours
after that. refusing rest and relief, he accom-
panied the aid he had risked his life TO pro-
cure ON the way to his beleagured comrades.
EDWARD ELLIS.