The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-02-10

pat an end TO all this. Whoever
could these four people be? Were
they phantons? No; soldiers do not
believe in phantoms.
Treasure-seekerS, perchance. This
hypothesis seemed attractive 10 the
Corporal at urst But the drum and
the wateriDg-can were disconcerting.
You do not water treasures and you
do not search tor [ easure 10 the sound
Of a DIR III
Wee they ~sorcerers, then? sup
posing they we're. Ii they were every
thing could be explained. Then he
rejected that after all, the mystery
might be solved 10y the aid OF a little
diplomacy. The footpath, borderel
by crum bling stone walls by means
OF which the royers must have fed.
siLce there was no other escape, led
straight 10 the Mas de rAgasse.
This Mas de PAgasse belonged 70 NJ.
Baculas, the destroyer OF TourdreS "A
Jolly fellow. who was fond OF playing
a joke. on the police, and on whom
the police kept their eve, for sthis
sanfe reason, aid also because, even
in the Republic, his opinions were
scandalously advanced. Pincer Bacu-
lus, what a Joke
1--WE shall see" the Corporal said
to himself. .Thereupon, having nude
his plans and resolved upon n course
OF action, he fell into the sleep OF the
Just
Next morninE-it was a fine Sun.
dav-thc Corporal, newly shaycn and
very smart in his best uniform, came
out with the amiable air Of a good
naturel warrior who is about 10 take
a gentle walk As 500 as the day
was sufficiently advanced, he turned
toward the Mas de rAgasse. The
chimney was smoking.
Now we are coming TO the par
ticnlars," he said, smiling the air
like a hound who is getting on To a
scent There wa nOdoubt about it, One
rapid glance into the interior OF the
hut through the open door told him
everything. For there he saw, hung
up against the wall like a trophy, Il
large basket, Il w~atcrIng-can, "A bulls
eve lantern, TO say nothing OF the
drum covered with a towel.
The criminals, however, showed no
CONSERVATION at all; on the contrary,
they shouted, "Hallo! Is that the
Corporal How are you, Corporal?
Come in, Corporal, unless yol are
afraid OF a bottle OF new wine" The
Co poral entered, determined to OBJ
serve men and matters. Except for
the lantern and the drum-for there
was nothing extraordinary in the
presence of the watering-can and the
baSket-the hut looked commonplace
enough. II was one OF the ShadeleSs
huts where the good P%rovencal, who
has remained somewhat OF Il Mussul-
man, passes his sunday rejOicingly
among his friends, face TO face with
nature, and away from wOmankind,
On the whitewashed walls. decorated
with kitchen utensils, inscriptions
such as let us drink" Let US
sing" LET us be merry" stood out.
Lists Of friends, written in pencil,
with a cross against those who were
dead, spoke Of the date Of some
jovial luncheons held in the hut.
over the fireplace was the painted
semDlance OF a clock without hands,
and round its face was written the
p%hilosOphic phrase: IN this place
the dial has no hours"
Three saucepanS were bubbling un-
der the supervision o. three men, who
carefully watched the red embers.
The fourth, Baculas himself, with
bare arms and the p~erspiration stand
ing i'm beads on his forehead, was
crushing the sacred aioli in the cor
ner. Suddenly. and with helculcan
gesture. he put down the mortar,
planted the wooden pestle in the
midst of the Odorous, webbing mass.
and cried out: Every man TO the
table; the aiOli is ready" Then,
turning round, as IL descending to
more earthly things, he said: "I
say, Corporal, / hope you Will not re-
fuse a taste OF our aioli:" The Cor
poral accepted without much ado,
although his sense OF honor made him
feel rather awkward about breaking
bread with the rascals whom he hoped
TO hold by the neck before long.
al nd the cod" asked Baculas.
THE cod is done" ''And the hari-
cots' The potatoes?" THE beans
and the potatoes are done TO perfec-
ton" And the cacalauses?" C'Caca-
lause" is the Proyencal dialect for
C"snail.") Cant you smell them:
They are Of the balmiest" ~ cry
well, then we may sit down to our
meal"
They all sat down, and BaculaS.
before Joining them, pronounced the
Classic phrase, Let Us remember.
my good people, that the ancient
l;omans made broths Of snails, ate
the al oil beetle three times a week,
nor did these things pre- ,ent them
from being great cOnluerors, from
living TO a good old age and from
having pretty wives and daughters. "
The Corporal said TO himself, IL
verify lie ieye they are laughing at
the sold cry"
What is the matter. Corporal?
You seem preoc up cd. You eat with
opa own nm vpur plafp and tho ofbar