The Faulkland quiz., 1892-06-25

that the French troops were awakinf
from their slumber. The council hao
lasted three hours, and the trembling
fugitivesrealized that they were between
$ two fires. When the farmer had en-
tered his house Sidi peered out from tn
a. hay and whispered, "No cnel" witt
his usual brevity, and then the tw'
. climbed over the wall again. AS sool
as he felt himself safe, the Arab knel
\. in the dust and gave thanks to Heaven
!" but CorniAard only muttered:
81 might have brought away
n melonl"
IN When the Marauders re-entered thu
I camp, the reveille had sounded half a
l. hour before, and the Marshal OF tn
lis corps had reported them missing, an
. informed the captain of Cornidard
behavior the day before. When there
fore the culprits appeared, much cres'
fallen, before the chief of the batallio
the latter asked in stern voice;
up where have you been?"
Sidi made no answer, but the Ma
seillias replied persuasiveiy:
"It was SO hot in our tent, Coz
:. mandant, that we could notr6n vii.
n ana we uhVi W w oos
81 Of air" fault that wa no,
he "And tsse, said Corninard, but
at lam ~ sad in tone of severity:
.ir s'ftwas not fault my that you left the
camp. AdIutpnt, have the goodness to
place these rascals under arrest, and
when we reach Tiaret, shall pro-
nounce their sentence" Before they
were led away the Frenchman begged
a few moments private interview with
the officer and related what had taken
place in the night. The chief ques-
toned Sid, but ordered the two men
to say nothing about their adventure
to any one.
"Adjutant If these fellows attempt
to repeat their cock and bull stories
they must be gagged" he said, s'I will
not have the troops alarmed needless
ly."
So, in spite of their protestations our
two friends were put under arrest, and |
as Cornifiard persisted in proclaiming |
the conspiracy of the Jakoubias he was /
securely gagged according to the |
chiefs orders. Their feelings can be |
Imagined. Fully aware of the danger
threatening the French column, yet !
apparently unable to convince any one I
of the truthfulness of their report, they |
remained all day in an agony of sus- |
pense. 1t was as il they we're PROSTATE
on a railway track: unable to move and |
listening to the increasing roar of the
train approaching to annlhilate them.
Never before had Cornifard wished
himself at home in Marseilles.
Night came on, aud at the usual houl
the bugle-call announced the ex-
tinguishipg of the camp-fres. Four
hours which seemed like as many CEN
turtles, passed, and towards two O'Clock
In the morning, peremptory qui
vive9 followed by a gun-shot was heard
from the farthest outpost. The sem
tinels fell back. Then white line was
seen advancing from behind the thick
brushwood. Suddenly, clear, ringing
voice cried "Fire" and dinstantaneously
1900 rife-shots carried confusion and
death to the Mussulman troops The
next instant pile of straw prepared
for the occasion in the centre OF the
camp, was set alight, and the flames
darting upward cast flood of radi.
ance upon the scene, and showed two
or three hundred Arabs struggling in
the agonies OF DEATH Astonished, but
rot dismayed, by the greeting extended
to them, the enemy threw themselves,
uttering savage cries, into the French
camp, but wall of bayonets bristled
before them and stopped their pro
gress.
If the Jakoubias had opened the ball,
the French had furnished the music
Two wild figures, illumined by the
freight appeared, suddenly rushing
out of the French camp, two demons
with uplifted sabres. For an instant
they were lost sight of, ther
they reappeared, throwing them
selves upon the enemy, waving their
arms aloft like the sails of windmill,
and with their terrible sabres piercing
breasts and cleaving skulls. But grad.
ually the circle of Arabs closed around
them; exhausted, surrounded, and
almost overwhelmed by superior num-
bers, Sid and Corpi6ard were on the
point of perishing. They had heard
the firing, and thinking the French
had been surprised, had burst their
bonds and rushed out of the tent TO
begin the Defence Their desperate
sfr=ae,s-- isad salmnst cost them their /
lives, when che charge was sounded, and
the whole column of French bore
down upon the enemy. The Mussul-
men we're scattered In all directions,
and when in half an hour the fight
ceased, for want of adversaries, six
Arabs, dead and dying, re.
mained upon the field.
The next day, the chief OF battalion
sent detachment TO arrest the Arab
farmer for betraying the French, but
Il was found that the Jakoubias, think
ing him guilty of treachery towards
them, had dispatched HIM with their
yatagans. The kindhng insurrection
was quenched, and the French broke )
up their camp and marched to Tiaret. !,
Here, Sidi and Corni6ard were
brought before court martial, and =
Tor violating the orders of arrest we're !
Judged worthy of death. In considera-
ion, however, of the information they q
lad furnished, enabling the troops to
De prepared for the nght-attack, and b
'aving the whole column from massa-
ne, they we're granted free pardon, b
While for their courage in repulsing N
he enemy they received the Gross Of ., a.
he Legion of Honor. .