Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-04-23

vintage was at Eano- ms StdPeS 49,"
nea,ly ready, bun this made little impress
sion on me. | fancied bad seen a spy APP
proacling ns through the vines, ana I'M
nediately organized IN expedition 70 sur
round and seize the intruder tooA
command myself, after receiving the sane
iion of the general. ordered ont three
small companies, by three different routes,
,rbo were to march near the suspected
vineyard and surround it. In order TO cut
~ the retreat of the spy one company
would be Obliged to march an hour or
more. One man Jeff on the wall, to make
observations, Indicated bv signs 70 me that
the spy was still there. We marched in
silence. bending double. We nearly
crcl,s he'd IN the dust.
.sFinally, we reached the spot. | ad-
/ yance,f my soldiers, who sprang suddenly
| mo Che vineyard, 10 find only Timbuctoo,
1 who was crawling ON all fours, deyouring
the grapes, or rather tapping them as adog
would a bowl of milk, with open mouth
swapping the grapes with his teeth. or
| dercd him to get up. 1t WAS quite impos-
| siblc and / soon understood why he
dragged himself on his hands and knees.
| As often as he was planted on his feet he
would fall fat on his nose. This poor,
| simple creature was really drunk. He was
carried away on two props, laughing and
gesticulating with hands and feet. This
solved the mystery; my soldiers drank the
grapes, and when too stupeiied TO move.
they slept where they fell AS for Timbuc-
too, his love for grapes passed all bounds.
He simply lived in the vines like the
thrush which he hated like jealous rival,
constantly repeating. The birds eat all the
grapes, the thieSes'
Zone evening they came TO tell me that
strange something WAS advancing to-
ward us had not my glass AID my sight
WAS bad Some one said it appeared to ie
a huge serpent, which uncoiled itself:
othprs that It was funeral train under
guard
II sent several men ont to meet this
queer caravan. Icould not guess what it
might be. IL was this Timbuet0o and
eight Of his companions bore in triumph a
sort Of an altar upon watch were angel
eight bleeding, grinDing heads. Tie tenth |
negro led horse, to the tail Of which WIS
tied another, and six beasts followed Sc
cured IN this same fashion. They told their |
story: Having zone into their beloved |
vineyard, these Africans had seen a detach |
mcnl Of Prlssians approaching from the |
village Instead Of flying they had con
Gttlttl iLkNistlASNs anu Nitti Ait t4s+tHiN Il
bad dismonnted from their horses for II.
fresllments at IN inn, the eleven nes1 oes
bad rushed upon the Ultans, putiing them
10 flight, and had shot tie sentineis uill |
five Of the officers.
THAT day embraced Timbuotoo, but | I
observed that he walked with difficulty. / |
asked II he was wounded, Me, no: my pro /
visions be replied: and then discovered |
that he fought for gain--not Tor glory lie
collected everything OF the smallest value
especially things which sparkled snd
plunged them into a pocket which hung
from hip to thigh He called it his pro
fonde,' and profound it was. Every dny
he added 60 his collection, stripping gofu
from uniforms, leather from caps. buttons
pieces Of tin-anything shining, until his
'profoude' was full TO oyerilowng. He
hoped to convey his collection 80 his land
Of the ostrich, aud had there been no pro
fonde,' verify believe be would have tried,
like the ostrich, To swallow the things,
piece Us piece.
when the general heard Of :he work OF
TmbgctoO be ordered the dead soldiers 10
be buried ia haste, in order that il nigh,
net be discovered that they had been bt
headed Next day the Prussians returnsi
aud shot the mayor of the village witL
seven OF his best citizens presuming fbas
they Ind been betrayed to our men, Win
ter came and we were desperate. harassed.
starving. The negroes alone remained fat
and vigorous and always ready to fight.
"'Iimbuctoo WIS growing visibly stouter.
He said 20 me one day: 'Tol, very hungry.
] have good meat and he brought me an
excellent iilet. We had no beef or sheep,
mutton or goats nor were there pigs or
asses. II was now impossible 10 procure
even horse meat. | thought Of all this
after devouring The hlet Then horrible
thought oppressed me These negroes
werr born near the land Of the maaeaters.
Soldiers were constantly falling ia the VII
lage. questioned Timbuctoo, who dill 40;
care to reply, nor did insist, but refused
his presents of filet thereafter.
lie adored me- One night the snow
us at the outer posts We were
On the ground, and looked with pity
upon the poor shivering negroes, covering
an!er this freezing, white dust also
suffered from cold and commenced to
cough. Suddenly | felt something large I
aud warm cover my shoulders. 1t was the
Hoax Of Timbuctoo.
Il arose and handed it to him saying;
Keep il, poor fellow You need il more 9
nan 1. ne dusNefeu, NO, nO-lt Is pour
oi, and declared that he was warm, in
listing that | should keep it, until was
orced to command him to take il. He
'tood up, seized the cloak, and taking his
word would have cut it in pieces but for
ny accepting it.
Eight days later we had surrendered >
few escaped. but the majority went to q
he village, giving ourselves up to the con \
Iueror l was directed TO the Place =
FArmes, where we were to unite, when | :.
ound myself face to face with negro >
liant dressed in white cotton and wearing .
straw hat. | was overwhelmed with :
and surprise. 1t was the radi- y
mt Timbuctoo, who promenaded before n
hop with his hands in his pockets The n
window was decorated with plates and $
,lasses. asked what he was doing here. s.
lie replied: Moi, mango DIES Prussiens. g
oti teaucoup. Twill not run away good
ook' n
II shuddered with horror before this h