The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1894-03-31

one morning was studying the horizon
with my glass, when perceived in vine
yard a moving object. The harvest Of the
vintage WINS at hand The grapes were
nearly ready, but this made little impress
zion on me. fancied had seen n spy APP
preaching us through the vines, and i'm
rncdiately organized an expedition to sur
round ard seize the intruder I took
command myself, after receiving tho sane
;icn Of tho general. / ordered out three
small companies, by three different routes,
who were to march near the suspected
vineyard and surround il. In order to cut
Of the retreat OF the spy one company
would Dc obliged to march an hour or
more. One man left on the wall, to make
observations, indicated by signs TO me that
the Spy wan stiil there. We marched ia
silence, bending double. We nearly
crouched in the dust
FINALLY, we reached Che spot. / ad-
vanccd my soldiers who sprang suddenly
into the vineyard, to find only rimbuctoo,
who was crawling on all tours, devouring
tho grapes, or rather tapping them as a dog
would bowl Of milk, with open mouth
swapping the grapes with his teeth | or
dercd him to get up. II was quite impos-
sibc, and l soon understood why he
dragged himself on his hands and knees.
As often as he was planted on his feet he
NNuiu ldii itdt on MS nose. Ids DOOR,
simple creature was really drunk. He was
carried away on two props, laughing and
gesticulnting with hands and feet. This
solved the mystery; my soldiers drank the
grapes, and when too stupcfied 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 thievcsp
Zone evening they came to tell me that
strange something was advancing TO.
ward us. l had not my glass and my sight
was bad. Some one said it appeared to be
q huge serpent, which uncoiled itself
others that it was funeral train under
guard.
II sent several men out to meet this
queer caravan. l could not guess what it
might be. 1t was thisi Timbuctoo and
eight Of his companions bore in triumph a
sort Of an altar, upon which were ranged
eight bleeding, grinning heads. The tenth
negro led horse, to the tail of which was
tied another, and six beasts followed Sc
cured in this same fashion. They told their
story; Having gone into their beloved
vineyard, these Africans had seen a detach-
ment Of Prussians approaching from the
village. Instead Of flying they had con-
cealed themselves, and when the officers
freshments at an inn, the eleven negroes
had rushed upon the Uhlans, putting them
to flight and had shot the sentinels and
Eve Of the officers.
THAT day l embraced Timbuctoo, but
observed that he walked with difficulty. l
asked if he was wounded, Me, no; my pro
Visions he replied; and then l discovered
that he fought for gain-not for glory. He
collected everything Of the smallest value
nu ftI l.t Il.
plunged them into a pocket which hung
from hip to thigh. lie called it his pro
fonde,' and profound it was. Every day
he added to his collection, stripping gold
from uniforms, leather from caps, buttons
pieces of tin-anything shining, until HE
'profonde' was full to OVERLOOKING. He
hoped to convey his collection TO his land
of tho ostrich, and had there been no pro
fonde,' l verify believe hewould have tried,
like the ostrich, to swallow the things,
piece by piece.
"When the general heard of the work Of
Timbuctoo he ordered the dead soldiers To
be buried in haste, in order that it might
not be discovered that they had been be
headed. Next day the prussians returned
and shot the mayor of the village with
seven Of his best citizens, presuming that
they had been betrayed TO our men. Win.
ter came and we were desperate harassed,
oNAAfAhEs uN httSlb1N tllpnt remained ldJ
and vigorous and always ready to fight.
"Timbuctoo was growing visibly stouter.
He said TO me one day; 'Toi, 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. 1t was now impossible to procure
even horse meat. / thought of all this
after devouring the lilet Then a horrible
thought oppressed me. These negroes
Hon 4 L.. q
Soldiers were constantly falling in the vii
lage. questioned Timbuctoo, who did not
care to reply, nor did insist, but / refused
his presents of ilet thereafter
"He adored me. One night the snow
surprised us at the outer posts. We were
on the ground, and l looked with pity
upon the poor shivering negroes, covering
under this freezing white dust / also
suffered from cold and commenced to
cough. Suddenly l felt something large
aud warm cover my shoulders. IL was the
cloak Of Timbuctoo.
Il arose and handed it to him saying:
Keep il, poor fellow. You need it more
than L. He answered, No, mott is pour
toi,' and declared that lac was warm, in
sisting that | should keep il, until / was
forced to command him to take it. He
stood up, seized the cloak, and taking his
sword would have cut it in pieces but for
u1 uNtcplltlE IT,
Eight days later We had surrendered.
\ few escaped, but the majority went TO
the village, giving ourselves up to the con
quoror was directed to the Place
d'Armcs, where we were to unite, when
found myself face to face with a negro
giant dressed in white cotton and wearing
straw hat. / was overwhelmed with
omazement aud surprise. IL was the radi-
ant Timbuctoo, who promenaded before n
shop, with his hands in his pockets. The
window was decorated with plates and
glasses. asked what he was doing here.
He replied: Moi, mango des Prussiens,
roti tcaucoup. Twill not run away. good
cook
Il shuddcred with horror before this
negro in white cotton. who, smiling al
ways, took me by the arm and made me
enter his shop I saw a sign leaning
against the wall awaiting our departure
70 be hung outside, for he was ashamed.
IL read thus: