The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-11-09
THE xyHCO OF TIE COMMUNE.
A War Sketch, Translated from the French
of A1nhnnse DnndnI

AAS A~NS
was Kadour. He came from the tribe
of Diendel, and was one of that handful
OF Turcos vino had thrown themselves
into Paris in the train of the army of
Vinoy. He had gone through the en-
tire campaign from Wissembourg to
Champigny, darling over the fields of
battle like a storm bird, with his iron
drumsticks and his derbonka (Arab
drum), so quickly, so restlesslv that the
balls could not hit him. 13ut when
winter came or, this little piece of
African bronze, Redeemed in the fire of
canister shot, was unable to bear the
nights OF guard duty and motionless-
ness in the snow; SO, n January morn
ing, they found him on the bank of the
Marine, twisted by the cold, md with
mis- feet frozen. He remained a long
while in the hospital. 1t was there I
saw him for the first time.
Sad and patient like a sick hound,
the Turcc looked around him with
great, gentle eyes. When addressed,
he smiled and showed his teeth. This
was all he conld do, for our language
was unknown to him and he with diff
Guilty spoke the Sabir, that Algerian
dialect composed Of Provencal Italian
and Arabic, made up of variegated
words gathered like shells all along the
Latin seas.
To amuse himself Kadour had only
his derbonka. From time to time,
when he grew too impatient, it was
brought to his bed and he was per-
mitted to play on 1t, but not too loudly,
because of the other sick men. Then
his poor dark face, so dull, so faded
looking amid the yellow daylight and
the somber 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 nostrils
dilated, and amid the nauseous odor OF
the hospital, the walls and the COM
presses, 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 mad happened in Paris during
those two months, but Kadour sus-
pected nothing. He heard the returning
army, weary and disarmed, pass be-
meath his windows; later he heard the
cannon dragged about, rolled from
morning until evening; then the ~tocsin,
the c~annonade. He understood moth
ing of all this, except that the war was
vet in progress and that he could now
join the fray, 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 questioning, as ne could
draw nothing from him bat unintelli-
gible phrases, the general in command
gave him ten francs and ar omnibus
horse and attached him to his staff.
There was a little Of everything in
those stalls OF tho commune, red coats,
Polish cloaks, Hungarian jackets, ma
rines' blouses, gold, velvet, spangles
and lace. With his blue vest, en-
%broidered with yellow, his turban and
his derbonka, the Turco completed the
masquerade. Filled with Joy at finding
himself in such fine company, intoxi-
Gated by the sunlight, the cannonade,
the noise of tho streets, the confusion
of weapons and uniforms, persuaded, in
addition, that it was the war against
Prussia which was continuing with
he knew not what accession of life and
freedom, this unconscious deserter
Joined innocently in the great Partisan
not and was a celebrity of the moment
Everywhere upon his passage the COM
munists received him with acclamations
and feted him. The commune was so
proud to possess him that it displayed
him, billed him, wore him like a cock
ade. Twenty times a day the Place
sent HIM to the Guerre, the Guerre to
the Hotel de Villa. It had been so ex.
tensively said hat the communists
marines were counterfeit marines, their
artillerists counterfeit artillerists. At
least this man was, without doubt, a
genuine Turco. To be convinced of it
n had only to glance at that wide
awake face of q young ape and all the
savage movements of that little body
agitating itself upon the huge omnibus
horse as in the whirls of the Arab fan
tasia.
Something. however, was wanted to
complete Kadour's happiness. He
wished TO fight, to make the powder
talk. Unfortunately, under the COM
nun as under the empire, the stats
seldom went into the fire. When
not engaged in flying trips or par
AIDES, the poor Turco passed his time
in the Place Vendome or in the court
yards of the ministry of war, among
those disordered camps full of casks
OF brandy, always on tap, of hogs
heads of bacon with the heads knocked
out, of feasts in the open air at which
was again felt all the hunger of the
siege. Too good a Mussulman' to par.
ticipate in these orgies, Kadour kept
away from them, sober and tranquil,
; made his additions in a corner and
supped. on q handful of coarse meal;
then, after little air on his derbonka, he
rolled himself in his bournous and fell
asleep upon a step by the light of the
y DlVUuaCS.
One morning in the month of May
the Turco was awakened by a terrible
fusillade. The ministry was in commo-
ton, everybody was running, fleeing.
Mechanically he did like the rest
leaped upon his horse and followed the
staff. The streets were full Of wild bu-
gle blasts and battalions fleeing helter-
SHELTER. People were tearing up the
payements and erecting barbados. Ev-
identity something extraordinary was
going on. The nearer one approached
the qnai the more distinct became the
fusillade, the greater the tumult. Upon
the Pont de la Concorde Kadour lost
the staff. A little further on his horse
was taken from him; it was for O kept,
with eight gold cords, in a great hurry
to see what was passing at the Hotel de
Vile. In q state Of fury the Turco be-
gan to run in the direction of the con-
fict. As he ran he loaded his chasse-
pot and said, between his teeth ::
"Macach bono, Brissieu!" as in his
view it was the Pcussians who had Just
entered the city. Already the balls
whistled about the obelisk and among
the foliage of the Tuileries. At the
barricade of the Rue de Rivolt the
avengers OF Flourens hailed him: clio!
Iurco! Turco!' But twelve of them
were left, and kadour alone was worth
IN entire army.
Standing upon the barlicade, proud
and gaudy as a flag, he fought with
leaps aud cries beneath a storm of can.
lister shot. At n moment II cur
tain of smoke which rose from the street
parted a little between two cannonades
and allowed him to see the red panta-
looms massed in the Champs Elysees.
Then everything was confused again.
He thought he had been mistaken, and
made Lis powder talk in its loudest