The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-11-26

to myself. but no, surely Marcassin
would not risk his life to arrest me here7"
The next day did not think much more
about the affair, and in fortnight | had
forgotten it entirely.
At the end of April the marshals col
umn left Algiers to try raid on the Had
joutes. and we joined it, under Koleah.
The whole expedition came off very
well, for we surprised the tribe in their
douar killed score or so of their horse
men, took 3, 900 sheep about 30 camels
and a whole lot of asses and then the
women and children.
/ had never taken part before In a raid
and was Just looking curiously at this con-
fusion of men, women and children and
animals, all screaming and struggling,
when one of the Arabs approached me
with a suppliant air He was d short man,
rather stout, too, and he had dirty look
ing cap on and burnous all patched and
shabby.
l thought of course that he was going
to ask for mercy and was beginning to
feel proud at thus receiving his submits
sion, but to my establishment he said in
good French:
II sec that you do not recognize me-
lieutenant
"No-thc dcucel I certainly don't"
''Do you not remember coming to sec
me in Algicrs. / lived in the Rue des
Sotophages?'
"Marcassinr" 1 exclaimed, thunder
struck.
1t was Marcassin himself in flesh and
blood and in burnous.
could not get over the SURPRISE and
fal IN onnerript nd ao11d
only stemmer out:
Were you coming to arrest meS'
''Alas, they arrested mel'' he said dole.
fully.
Whom do you meant"
1.-The Hadjoutcs.
"When? Where?"
"Tbree weeks ago, on the way to
rOued- Lalcg."
''Ahl You We're the precious ministerial
officer, were your
You must not blame me for it, lieu
tenant Your creditors at Saumur had
offered me $50 if succeeded in
''In arrcsting me? The deuce take theml
Oh, that was it. Marcassin forgive you
-but--no moro of this nonsense, you
know. Do you agree"
"Alas, even if didn't agree, it's all the
same now-for could not do anything.
These rascally Bedouins took all my pa
pers and lighted their pipes with them"
And my I o U'ss"
'Burned-cvery one of them. Then
they stripped me, and look here what they
did," The poor wretch threw back his
burnous and showed me the works of art
of the Hadjoutes.
They had tattooed him all over. He
had setting sun on his back and a verse
from the Koran ON his breast.
All that is so years ago, but when I
think of it laugh heartily even now, es-
pecially those days when the cursed ball
got in the Crimea land which sticks to me
closer than brother) let's me have a bit
Of peace.
I cannot say that I ever honored my sig
nature, since, thanks to those good hearted
Hadjoutes, my creditors did not hold it,
but when my uncle died paid my debts,
interest and capital What surprise it
must havo been to the wretchesl Ihave
no doubt but that they talk of it even now
at Saumur as the eighth wonder of tho
| world)
1 then sent O check for $50 to Marcassn
to make up to him for the tattooing he
got.
suppose you would scarcely believe me
If / were to tell you that, in spite of my
two stars, which 1 gained as general, and
the cross when l was commander in CHIEF
at the end of my 25 years military cam
paigns, there are days when I regret the
little milliner, Radogonde, and my camp
| days at l. Oued- Laleg--above all, though
| RadeQonde. Million