The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1881-10-22
THE TURCO OF THE COMMUNE.

! that handful OF TurcOS who had thrown them
selves into Paris in the train of the army OF
Vinoy. He had gone through the entire cam
paign from Wissembourg to Champigny darting
over the fields of battle like a storm bird, with
his iron drumsticks and his derbonka ARAB
drum), so quickly, so restlessly that the balls
could not hit him. But when winter came on
this little piece of African bronze, redeemed in
the fire of canister shot, was unable to bear the
nights of guard duty and motionlessness in the
snow; so, one January morning, they found
him on the bank of the Marine twisted by the
cold and with his feet frozen. He remained a
long while in the hospital 1t was there 1 saw
him for the first time.
Sad and patient like sick hound, the Turco
looked around him with great, gentle eyes,
When addressed he smiled and showed his teeth
This was all he could do, for our language was
unknown to him, and he with difficulty spoke
the Sabir, that Algerian dialect composed of Pro-
vencal, Italian and Arabic, made up of varegat-
ed words gathered like shells all along the Latin
seas
To amuse himself, Kadour had only his der
bonka. From time to time, when he grew too
impatient, it was brought to his bed and he was
cause of the other sick men. Then his poor
dark face, so dull, so faded looking amid the yell
low daylight and the sombre winter landscape
visible without, grew animated, grimaced and
followed all the phases of the music. Now he
sounded the charge, and the flash of his white
teeth gave place to wild laughter; now his eyes
moistened at some Mussulman strain his nos
trlls dilated, and amid the nauseOus odor of the
hospital, the vials and the congresses, he again
saw the groves of Blidah loaded with oranges
and the young Moorish girls coming from the
bath, enveloped in white, and perfumed with
vervain.
Two months passed thus. Many things had
in Paris during these two months. but
Kadour suspected nothing. He heard the re-
turning army, weary and disarmed, pass beneath
his windows; later he heard the cannon dragged
about, rolled from morning until evening; then
the tOcsin the cannonade He understood moth
ing of all this, except that the war was yet in
progress, and that he could now join the frav,
since his limbs were cured. He departed. his
drum on his back, in quest of his company He
did not search long Some Communists who were |
passing took him to the place. After much cues |
tonlng, as he could draw nothing from him but |
phrases, the general in command |
gave him ten francs and an omnibus horse and |
attached him to his staff
There was little of everything in those staffs |
If the Commune, red coats Polish cloaks. Hun-
garian jackets, marines blouses, gold, velvet,
'pangles and lace. With his blue vest. EN-
Droide o. is turban and bis dow
1onha TIE tar" @.a eted the masquerade.
Eilled ..r q. e. O himself in ancb f,e
ompf ;, ---~---,..,vu Wy t. might, the can
lonnade, the noise of the Streets the confusion of
Weapons and uniforms, persuaded, in addition.
hat 1t was the war against Prussia which was
with he knew not what accession
+ life and freedom, this unconscious deserter
oined innocently in the great Partisan riot and
vas celebrity of the moment Everywhere
pom his passage the Communists received him
7ith acclamations and feted him The Com
lune was so proud to possess him that it dis
layed him, billed him, wore him like a cockade. !
'wenty times a day the Place sent him to the
uerre, the Guerre to the Hotel de Vile 1t had
cen so extensively said that the Communists
larlnes were counterfeit Marines their artiller-
It's counterfeit artillerists. At least this man
as, without doubt, genuine Turco To be !
'nvinced of it one had only to glance at that !
lde-awake face of young ape and all the saw
5e movements OF that little body agitating itself
pom the huge omnibus horse as in the whirls of
le Arab fantasia.
Something, however, was wanted to complete
adours happiness. He wished to fight, to make '
le powder talk Unfortunately, under the COM i
une as under the Empire, the stats seldom /
ent into the fire. When not engaged in flving h
Fps or parades the poor Turco passed his time I
/ the Place Vendome or in the court-yards of S
e Ministry of War, among those disordered i
mps full OF casks of brandy always on tap, of il
'gsheads OF bacon with the heads knocked out. a
feasts In the open air at which was again felt "
the munger OF the siege. Too good a Mussul- t
an to participate in these orgies Kadour kept c.
'ay from them, sober and tranquil, made his o
lutlons IN a corner and supped on handful of n
arse meal then, after little air on his der p
nka, he rolled himself in his bOurnous and fell b.
eep upon step by the light of the bivouacs 1t
One morning in the month of May the Turco al
is awakened by terrible fusillade. The Min tt
ry was IN commotion everybody was running,
elng. Mechanically he did like the rest, leaped
ON his horse and followed the staff The
eets were full of wild bugle blasts, and battal-
IS fleeing helter-skelter. People were tearing
the pavements and erecting barricades. Evi-
1tly something extraordinary was going on
e nearer one approached the quai the more
IN, ILL