The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-05
HE WON HIS BET.

Two French officers were standing at
Fort Victrtne, OF the edge of the Sahara
DESERT.
"IL wager fifty napoleons,' SAID one OF
them, that no European ever goes from
there TO Fort st. Denis alone and reaches
there arive!"
'Done!' said a quiet voice behind him.
Tlhe speaker looked around with a start,
and saw that a new parsonage had sud
denly come upon THE small, thin,
swaaiahy FrenchmGn In civilian dress.
you must not think Of It," my dear
SIR" cried the young lieutenant, who had
offered 1.-THE wager.
Perhaps It may not turn out to be such
terrible business after af1," said the little
a Inn going straight to the colonel
and ask hts permission to make the at
tempt, and 1 have not the least doubt
that I sfharl get It,"
And he did get 1t, sure enough, Though
1t was not without a severe twinge of
conscience that Cor Lagrange gave his
sanction.
Rash as he was, however, the bold ad-
%venturer had a method In his madness,
for the first thing he did was to assume
an Arab dress, knowing that however
usd.ess BDdh a disguise might prove at
close quarters, yet " they saw from q
distance q solitary man In native garb
they might not think 1t worth while to
ride after him, as they would certainly
do after a European.
When the hour for starting came, not
merely the old colonel, but every other
officer who was not actually on duty,
crowded to THE gate of the little fortress
to witness the departure of their adven-
furious guest.
ggCo. oa-r., nx.x AA. .a.. H.
Fort st. Denis, Colonel?" asked The Cater,
turning to Col. Lagrange LIS coolly as
IL me were only setting out for "a picnic
instead Of running a risk in which the
chances were 80 to q of his being killed.
wei, since you wifi CO." rejoined the
veteran, laughing in spite OF himself,
you might give this paper to the COM
mandant, and 1 only hope you'll survive
to deliver it,"
There Is no more grim or dreary specta-
de upon the face of the earth, except
peclJaps the kindred wastes OF central
Asia, than tina mighty desert that
stretches almost unbroken from the palm
groves of Egypt TO the waves of the At
lantic.
Az al once, in 1.-THE very midst of the
not, bra55y glare which makes az earth
and sky seem on fire togather, the paCuny
creshs of a long line Of graceful palms
ere seen standing Hike sentineds along the
edge of a clear, stin, Shining lake. But
N 10 only trnat fatar mira ge of the desart
(which mocluz the weary eve of the Loaf
only No aLHi al keeneu- agony to
tha hitteTneS, of his despair.
m ,u1a h,tar,o L,ranuhrman boweve thlia
,,,yiono,.v rynpendor ana tbIs weird ever
Tas.Irc JsSrration vvara aIilxa b-acknevea
svects,les and Forward he went v~v5tdnon,t
49, tro,,iJIng r,irnsesf IN look on them
Tar mt1ss os sO,a tyyanatv had arraayIv
hoan occonnIIshad Ha,en twelve fourteen
frteen IJa had rnovy achasved thrNee.
,no,,strhl, of bIo narIoua io,,,nev ana ar
ianouG, mo,,nttng tba Great NJ ona on tha
nong ,,yoliLa sand rp1gas no ,iescrjed
A. II ,n,a diatonca NM Nov, white wralra
~ Fort 81 Denis with. its CAV trlcolor
a. 90 rrarca n,oying 20 ,,ntilv over Az
p,,t en- mo elavna nroTnant ha caught sleght
80 so,oel,,Inn, o,se uS,4cr, was NV NO maens
90 so,ttssactoryNo Iiatant oco,,n nf white
ruyon Nos ansI glittsnIng snear noInts and
Arab 'horses Coming 1traIeht down mon
hItm
Ty,o .c,,,, ,r.os ,bot aba rrarc, hod M
,ootan enon,oved nstivo ma.sanosra nanar
ovsr,, r,an ovay 70 ba croL al Hka ON Arab
80 nnn, ~ ohiact 90 s,sn,cion No ,mosa
,Saao,.t ,,,q,,rcs
ANA ,,t,on M av roarAd o,,r rbaro md Sou
,ha. ba nnIetly continued On hls wsv
,v,,g,o,.t toLinc arv not,ca ~ 1oha,, what.
a,er tbay haran - tninL mat tbav ana,~,
mo ,a,roro In ,,rvsnectsng him naturarnv
sc,nnosjng that Me sho.,,ng 80 Iittta feao.
~ thon, s,ra. a nroos ,p,a4 Mo cor,id noya
M ~eoson "a ha as.aid
A. 49, stv ,r.ri, ,horaa,,o, Iaosaa oro,,ra
harn 49,, n.5ts,,Hna ATT o,,rs and snoars
AhAAA1 NHS b0A1 1H'N bN0'o