The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-07-10
ing his mead knowingly.

finally He was barracks gossip,
swaggerer, and he spoke after his kind.
"Well, this is about it, my captain; one
Is not made Of wood, you see, and ths
desert is wide, and six months is a long
time It is very hard-not to see
woman for that long Then he went
on to say that the Kabyle girls wer'
wont to go to wash their bright colored
rags at a rill at no great distance from
the camp, and THE DEVIL one gets a
twist in both eyes when one sees their
brown. round ankles, as they 60 down
10 the gully But that is ALL as TO their
heads, they are so logged out that one
sees only their eyes But such eyes!
That scamp Hanrion liked to 60 to watch
them wash--a fancy like any other. He
declared that the tallest and the shortest
Of them winked at him sidewise as they
passed by him; and that always pleases
man, wherever he may be, my cap
tain
"That is enoughl" said Cabarousse,
and he gave the order to saddle the
horses.
Thirty men were left In charge Of the
tents. The Others were galloping in the
bright moonlight, and by the clear rays
horses and riders projected gigantic
shadows, scattered by the haste Of
march, but equal in their dimensions,
the lines being maintained strictly, The
thirst for battle and the joy Of vengeance
impelled the squadron; besides, any ex-
citement is welcome which comes to
break the monotony Of long days Of idle
ness. Then forward Uprose and fed
from the road the marauding jackals,
whose shrill squeals insult from afar their
natural enemy, man, once he is safely
past them, Now and then a saber
sounded against stirrup, or horse
which left his place was by force Of hand
returned thither; but always the troop
continued advancing with spectral as
pect, forming an ever retreating picture.
The soldiers were content with the ex-
pedition, perceiving that the death Of
one among them was not to be passei
over indifferently, and that all bloody
memories would find prompt vengeance.
Little by little, sparse vegetation spread
beneath the feet of the horses: then the
way was streaked by the silhouettes Of
palm trees; farther yet, and the Kabylt
village stood confusedly out from the
earth, with its mud novels, low, narrow
windowed, whose doors were too small
for human stature; and round about the
Enclosures for cattle, now vacant.
At brief word Of command, the
squadron halted. No light shone, al
was dark; no one moved, nor anything
whatever Only few vagabond dogs
scenting the strangers, barked upon the
dung heaps, The troop surrounded, al
walk, the village, still silent, still
dark. Dismount! They entered the frs
hut, and it was vacant; vacant, too, thu
second; the third vacant; all were va
cant-the inhabitants had fed, taking
their effects and weapons. This wa
their guilty confession. More than tha'
all farther search was now useless ant
without purpose.
But what was that? Lying across ;
doorway, with its face in q heap of filth
was the body Of man, with its throa
cut, its face bathed in blood. 1t wa
Hanrion. Then on Che vast night, aros,
clamor Of rage, which presently sink
into grief--a tone of unspeakable sad
ness, Of supreme pity. Afar stretch tn,
undulating plains and the imperturba
BILE chain Of hills, black now. seemed in
solently to bar the way to reprisals.
Stiff upon his horse, gloomy and for
bidding in the clear night, Cabarouss
shook his clenehed hand at the invisible
NJ one who dreams of vengeance.
Lieutenant" he cried. at last, "tak
fifty men and crush that brood of mag
gots until not two are left livingl Oh
that ] must stay at my postl that
might go with you'll"
When the ranks were formed, the sub
lieutenant, Philippe Vaudras, salute,
! and started with his fifty men towar,
the Unknown before them, while Caba
rousse and his squad returned at a foo
pace, in their own despite. to the camp
with heads bent, with hearts saddened
bearing, laid across two horses, tn
bloody body Of the murdered Hanrion.
Tall, slender, leonine blonde, witl
/ clear blue eyes, when he left the mill
tary school, Philippe Vaudras had chos
! en- Africa as field for adventure, and
in year Of camp life, he had made him
self noted for his bravery and this in
wild squadron where every man wa
valiant. Because of his white hands
his sweet voice, and his youth, the sol
diers called him "The Little One,
mile. vaudras, or else MY Lady Sub
Lieutenant" but, when he charged
across the plain, that "little one" glad
dened the heart; his horse had splendi,
legs and was always first in the combat