The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-04-30
"TIMBUCTO0."

tons tho length Of tho avenue. Tho
gay, joyous crowd, moving in this fam.
ing light, seemed to be apotheosizcd-
their faces were gilded, their hats ind
coats were tinted by tho crimson rays,
while eyc their polished shoes Gus
golden shadows on tho asphalt. Before
the Gales, crowds Of men were drinking
from glasses that seemed to be encrust.
Cd with glowing precious stones.
In tho midst OF this throng OF soberly
dressed men, two officers, el grdnde
cltue, were seated dazzling the eyes OF
the multitude by the splendor Of their
uniforms.
Suddenly, u tall, stout negro, dressed
entirely in white, with 4 vest covered
with gold embroiderics, his face shining
as ii waxed, passed the Gale with a ride
ulous air OF importance. IIe laughed
incessantly,-at tho crowd, at tho news
boys, at the brilliant sky, ut all Paris.
He was so tall that he lowered above
every one. Tho loungers stared at him
while he stared mt the TWO officers.
Jostling and stumbling ovor the people
i'll his path, he rushed forward to their
table, fixing upon one OF them his shin
ing, delighted eyes, while bis mouth
was stretched from ear TO ear, exhibit
ing his white teeth, which were like the
moon crossing . dark sky.
The two officers sazed ut the ebony
giant, without understanding his emo
ton, or recognizing him.
In a queer voice, which made the
tables ring with the laughter OF the
spectators, he cried, "Bon jur, mon
lieutenant"
One oil the officers was chief OF bat
TALON; the other a colonel.
II do not know you, sir, or what you
wish Of me" the senior officer answered.
The negro replied, "Moi love you
much, Lieutenant Vedie,-seigc OF Bezi,
81, 81, va"
The officer, astounded at this jargon,
looked hxedly at the negro, searching
mis- memory to the bottom. Suddenly
he exclaimed, "1imbuctoo!"
The radient negro clapped his thigh
and uttered a cry which amounted in
violence to a roar.
/, Isl, 81, va, va! You know me,-Tim-
buctoo."
The commandant extended his hand,
laughing with all his heart. Then lin
buctoo became very grave. He seized
the hand OF the officer, and before re-
leasing it kissed it with rapture, accord
ing to Arabic and African custom. The
embarrassed officer reproved him in Sc
we're tones. GALLONS, allons, Timbuc-
too! We are not in Africa. Sit down
and tell me how Lind you here"
Iimbuctoo drew himself up with in
finite dignity, and while stammering
and stamping he answered, "Aloi bon
cuisinier, moi mango, roll teaucoup, des
Prussiens,"-Which reply was accom-
panied with howls ofjoy.
When the officer, who alone under
stood this strange language, had ques.
toned him at length, ho dismissed him,
"Au revoir, Timbuctoo. A bientot."
The negro arose, and %contenting him
self this time with u pressure OF the
hand, cried out, "Bon jur, va, ya," ges-
ticulating and laughing as he disap-
peared.
The amused spectators were now con-
WINGED that he was q lhnatic, while the
colonel demanded, "Well, who is this
black brute?"
"a good soldier, and a brave one. !
am going to tell you his story. 1t is
amusing. You recall that in 1870 l was
shut up in Bezieres, which the negro
called Bezi. We were not besieged, but
blockaaed. The Prussian lines eur
rounded us, up to the lannon's mouth,
and though they did not attack us, we
wero starving, little by little. I was
then q lieutenant-our garrison was
composed OF troops OF many varieties,
the remains OF regiments nearly ami
hilated, dcserters, marauders,-all sorts,
in TACT, One evening, twelve Turks
arrived. No one knew from whence, OF
how thoy came. They presented them.
selves at the gate, weary, battered and
hungry. The men were assigned to me,
and l soon learned that they were
rebels against all authority, and ignored
discipline. They were always out and
always drunk. I tried the police guar.
tiers, then the prison-nothing succeed.
ed. My men would disappear for entire
days, rs il buried in the very earth.
Then they would reappear in Il condi.
ton that resembled intoxication. They
had no money,-Where did they drink
and how?
"This state Of affairs began to puzzle
mt intensely, especially MS these poor
savages amused and interested me by
their eternal good spirits. They were
simply big, playful children. I observed
that they blindly obeyed the tall fellow,
whom you have just seen. He governed
them by his strong will and led them in
all their mysterious enterprises as il he
were their chici. Finally l ordered
them before me and questioned them
closely. Our interview lasted three
hours, SO eager was Ito penetrate this
singular 'charabia.' As for him, the
poor devil made frantic efforts to be un.
dcrstood-invcntcd words, %gesticulated,
whistled, perspired, then stopped when
he iancied l had caught his meaning. ]
discovered that he was the son OF a
chief, 4 sort OF negro king, in the neigh.
borhood OF Timbuctoo. l asked him
his name. He answered with some.
thing that sounded like CHAR hari
boula hall 1t seemed to me a simpler
matter to give him the name OF his
country, and in eight days the entire
garrison SO called him.
But we were still curious to know
how this savage obtained his liquor.
discovered it in a singular way. On the
ramparts one morning, l was studying
the horizon with my glass, when 1 per.
celved in n VINEYARD q moving object.
The harvest of the vintage was at hand.
The grapes were nearly ready, but this
made little impression on me. Ifancied
l had seen n spy approaching usthrough
tho vines, and l Immediately organized
an expedition to surround and seize tho
intruder, / took command mvsnlf nfto-