The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-07-11
The poc.solpIER.
He-saved the Life OF Colonel and Re-
cefved Decoratlon.


.Who brought that dog hereP Send
him back at once"
So spoke, in his deepest and sternest
tones, old Col. Eugene Noirinont, as
he rode out of the French fort at Bis
kra, in the Sahara desert, at the head
OF a strong body of irregular cavalry
which had been sent TO check the raids
of hostile Arab tribe.
He is my dog, colonel" answered
the junior captain, young Alphonse de
Picardon, glancing apologetically at
the small white poodle that was close
at his horses heels; .sand | hope you
will not object to his going with us, for
IL would break his heart to be left be-
hind"
And whose heart will it break
growled the colonel, ''if the brute be-
gins barking just as we're going to
take the Arabs by surprise, and warns
them of our comingP"
..It Is not for me to contradict you,
colonel said the young officer re-
spectfully. ''but with your permission,
i can soon show you that there is no
fear of that Then he turned to the
dog and said sternly: 'Jacquot, silence
a In mort
Then, mt sign from the captain,
several of the men began to shout.
clap their hands, and make noise
enough to set an ordinary dog barking
furiously, but Jacquot never uttered
sound.
Very welln said the colonel at
length. 1.-the dog may go, but remen-
ber. Capt. de Picardon. that / shall
hold you responsible for his behavior
The young captain saluted and fell
F s.,tr kf- .srf4 f.,.l nd
rode THE detachment.
1t was weary work riding over stony
ridges and sandy hollows through the
blistering heat aud the binding glare,
while the hot. priekly dust. rising up
in clouds ut each step. clogged every
pore and choked every breath. Mile
after mile of the desert was left be-
hind; hour after hour of the burning.
weary, interminable day crept slowly
past; but still there was no sign of the
enemy. or of any living thing save
witle-wingcd vuIture, which hung
poised in mitlair, like n blot upon the
bright, scorehing. cioudless sky. The
soldiers grew impatient, and began TO
murmur and growl.
But all ut once the dog (Which was
still keeping pace with them) stopped
short. snuifed the air uueasily, and
then began to run restlessly backward
and forward, uttering a low anxious
whine.
.-Do you think he scents the enenyP'
whispered Col. Noirmout to Capt de
Picardon.
..rll stake my life that he does" re-
piled the captain. I've never yet
found him wrong. There must be
some hollow here that we can't see.
N Is.l1 F.a 4,
other while 1 climb on TO your shoul-
ders.n
And then, supported by the two bur
ly troopers, he raised himself high
enough TO make out adry water-course
a few hundred yards ahead. in the hol-
low of which a large number of men
might easily be hidden.
'.Ahar' cried the colonel. when he
heard this. they want to catch us In
an ambush. do they? No so fast, my
fine feIlowsl Half dozen of you dis
mount, lads, and unsling your carbines,
move forward about fifty PAGES, aud
then fire"
The crash of the volley rolled like
thunder along the silent desert, while
the colonel roared. in Arabic:
Come out you dogs! We see yor
plainly
The effect was magical. Up started
as if rising through the earth. Il swarm
of savage faces and wild figures, while
the flash and craekle of the answering
volley followed rs thunder follow:
lightning. but the Arabs, firing hastil,
aud almost at random, only wounded
two men.
Now thundered the colonel, ..upoI
them before they can reload"
Down went the French upon theil
enemies like a whirlwind, and in mo-
ment were hand to hand with them.
The Arabs fought like tigers. but train
ing and discipline soon began to tell
aud the battle was over (as one of the
French troopers regretfully observed
almost before one had time 10 enjo,
it.'
But, when the Arabs began to scat
ter and fly. the colonel (whose bloos
was fairly up) dashed off in pursuit o
them SO recklessly that he was soor
left almost alone. seeing which thre,
of the enemy faced around aud attack
ed him.
Capt. de Picardou. who was famou
as the best swordsman in the regiment
came dashing up. barely in time to Gu
down one of Noifmont's assailants
while the colonel himself disposed o
another; but the third man was jus
about tc stab De Picardon in the bacl
when the dog flew at the Arabs throa
and clutched it with such hearty energ,
that the man fell to the ground. bleed
ing and half strangled.
'.Form in linei" shouted Col. Noir
mont when the fight was over and al
the wounded had been brought in
MY children. YOU have done well. AM
l thank you. Tomorrow you shall b
reported for good service to the com
mander-in-chief himself and he will
not forget you. but l have one &C
acknowledgements to make before that
Capt. de Picardon, bring forward you
dog"
The four-footed scout was at one
: produced. and, when set down in from
: of the colonel, he stood up on his hint
: legs and made a military salute wit
J fore paw, TO the unbounded delight o
} the soldiers.
; "A soldier who knows his duty Sc
r well, said the colonel, with a grin
} smile, ''must not go unrecompensed
and thus l reward his services"
r So saying he detached from his owl
) uniform the cross of the Legion o
: Honor and hung it around the dog
neck amid laundering cheers from tn
; assembled troopers. who declared wit
: one voice that this decoration had bee
> fairly won by their dog soldier."-
. DdUid Her IN HdTper's IouHg People.
3 SamsOn's Complaint.
M opd M,.s naIonoy Rnl;nson -,