Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-05-08
THE DOC SOLDIER.

back at once.
So spoke. in his deepest and sternest
tones. old Colonel Eugene Noirmont, as he
rode ont of the French fort at Biskra, in
the Sahara desert, at the head of a strong
body of 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 Picar-
don glancng apologetically at the small
white poodle that was close at his horses
heels. "and | hope you will not object to
his going with us, for it would break his
heart to be left behind
And whose heart will it break, the
colonel growled. ''if the brute begins bark
ing Just as we are going to take the enemy
by surprise, aud warns them Of our com
ing?'
at is not for me to contradict you,
colonel, said the young officer, respectful
w: ''but with your permission | can soon
show YOU that there is no fear of that
Then he turned to the dog and said, stern
w: "JdcQuot, silence Ia mOrt.'
Then at a sign from the captain, several
of the men began to shout, clap their
hands, and make noise enough to set an or
binary dog barking furiously. but .Jacquot
never uttered sound.
every well" said the colonel, at length,
''the dog may go. but remember, Captain
de Picardon, that | shall hold you rcspOn-
sible for his behavior"
The young captain saluted and fell into
place without a word, and off rode the de-
tachment.
1t was weary work riding over stony
ridges and sandy hollows. through the bills
tering heat and the binding glare, while
the hot prickly dust, rolled up in clouds at
each step, clogged every pore and choked
every breath. Mile after mile of the des-
ert was left behind, 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
wide-winged vulture which hung poised in
mid-air like a blot upon the bright, scorch-
ing, clOudless sky. The soldiers grew inn
patient and began to murmur and growl.
All at once the dog, which was still keep
ing pace with them. stopped short, snuffed
the air uneasily, and then began to run
restlessly backward and forward uttering
low whine.
"Do YOU think he scents the enemy?''
whispered Colonel Noirmont to Captain de
Picardon.
"Tll stake my life that he does replied
the captain. Eve never yet found him
wrong. There must be some hollow here
that we can't see. Here, Morel, Barbot,
hold fast to each other, while / climb onto
your shoulders"
And then, supported by the two burly
troopers, he raised himself high enough to
make out dry water course a few hun
bred yards ahead, in the hollow of which
large number of men might easily be hid
den.
"Ah.n cried the colonel, when he heard
this, ''they want to catch us in an ambush
do they? Not so fast, my fine fellows
Half a dozen of you dismount, lads, and
unsling your carbines, move forward fifty
PAGES and fire.
The crash of the vOlley rolled like thun-
der along the silent desert, while the colonel
roared in Arabic Come out, you dogs
We see you plainly
The effect was magical. Up started, as
if rising through the earth, a swarm of saw
age faces and wild figures, while the flash
and crackle of the answering volley follow
ed as thunder follows lightning: but the
Arabs firing hastily and almost at random,
only wounded two men.
'Now," Numbered the colonel, ''upon
them before they can reload"
Down swept the Frenchmen upon their
enemies like whirlwind, and in a moment
were hand to hand with them. The Arabs
fought like tigers, but training and disci-
pline soon began to tell, and the battle was
over, as one of the French troopers regret
fully observed, ''almost before one had time
to enjoy it..
But when the Arabs began to scatter
and fly, the colonel, whose blood was fairly
up dashed off in pursuit of them so reck-
lessly that he was soon left almost alone.
seeing which three of the enemy faced
round and attacked him.
Captain de PiCardon, who was famous as
the best swordsman in the regiment, came
dashing up barely in time to cut down one
of NOirmont's assailants, while the colonel
himself disposed of another, but the third
man was just about to stab De Picardon in
the back, when the dog flew at the Arab S
throat and clutched it with such heavy en-
ergy that the man fell to the ground bleed
ing and half strangled.
''FOm in liner' shouted Colonel Nor-
mont when the fight was over and all the
wounded had been brought in. "AIy chill
dren, You have done well, and thank you.
Tomorrow you shall be reported for good
service to the cOmmander-in-chief himself
and he will not forget you; but l have one
more acknowledgment to make before that.
Captain de Picardon, bring forth your
dog
The fOur-footed scout was at once pro
duced, and when set down in front of the
colonel, he stood up on his hind legs and
made military salute with his fore paw,
to the unbounded delight of the soldiers.
"a soldier who knows his duty so well, -
said the colonel with grim smile, ''must
not go mrecOmpensed and thus l reward
his services
So saying he detached from his own uni
form the cross of the Legion of Honor and
hung it around the dogs neck amid thun,
dering cheers from the assembled troopers
who declared with one voice that his deco
ration had been fairly won by their "dog
soldier