Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-03-05
A LESSON IN FICTION,
How to Get on to the Curves of the Mod
ern Novel.

such situation us the following, in which
is depicted the terrific combat between
Gaspard de Vaux, the boy lieutenant, and
Hairy Hank, the chief of the Italian ban
ditti:
"The inequality Of the contest was APP
parent With mingled yell of rage and
contempt, his sword brandished above his
head and his dirk between his teeth, the
enormous bandit rushed upon his intrepid
opponent. De Vaux seemed scarce more
than a STRIPPING but he stood his ground
and faced his hitherto invincible assaiant
Mong Dieur cried De Smythe. He is
iostn''
Question. which of the parties to
the above contest do you honestly feel in.
clined to put your money?
Answer.-On De Vaux. He'll win.
Hairy Hank will force him down to one
knee and with a brutal cry Of "Har, har"
will be about to dirk him, when De Vaux
will make a sudden lunge one he had
learned at home out Of book of lunges,
and
Very good. You have answered correct
ly Now, suppose you find, little later
in the book, that the killing of Hairy
Hank has compelled De Vaux to flee from
his native land to the east. Are you not
fearful for his safety in the desert.
A.-Frankly, l am not De Vaux is all
right. His name is on the title page, and
you can't kill him.
Q.-Listen to this, then: "The sun of
Ethiopia beat fiercely upon the desert as
DE Vaux, mounted upon his faithful ele-
phant, pursued his lonely way. Seated in
his lofty hoodoo his eye scored the waste.
Suddenly solitary horseman appeared on
the horizon. Then another and another
and then six. In few moments whole
crowd of solitary horsemen swooped down
upon him. There was fierce shout OF
Allah! rattle of firearms. De Vau1
sank from his hoodoo on to the sands,
while the affrighted elephant dashed off in
all directions. The bullet had struck him
in the heart"
There, now, what do you think of that?
Isn't DE Vaux killed now?
Al am sorry. De Vaux is not dead
True, the ball had hit him-oh, yes, 1t had
hit him-but it had glanced off against
family Bible which he carried in his waist
coat in case Of illness, struck some hymns
that he had in his hip pocket, and, glanc-
ing off again, had fiattened itself against
DE Vaux's diary of his life in the desert,
which was in his knapsack.
Q.-But even if this doesn't kill him,
you must admit that he is near death when
he is bitten in the jungle by the deadly
dongolas
A.-That's all right. A kindly Arab
will take De Vaux to the sheik's tent
Q-What will De Naux remind the
shek off
A.-Ioo easy. OF his long lost son, who
disappeared years ago.
Q-Was this son Hairy Hank?
A.-Of course he Was. Any one could
see chat, but the sheik never suspects it
and heals DE Vaux. He heals him with
an herb, thing called simple, an amaz-
ingly simple, known only to the sheik.
Since using this herb the sheik has used
no other.
Q.-lhe sheik will recognize an over
coat that DE Naux is wearing, and COM
plications will arise in the matter of Hairy
Hank, deceased. Will this result in the
death of the boy lieutenant
A.-No BY this time De Vaux has real
lied that the reader knows he won't die
and resolves to quit the desert. The thought
OF his mother keeps recurring to him, and
of his father, too; the gray, STOPPING old
man-does he stoop still, or has he stopped
stoopingY At times, too, there comes the
thought of another, a fairer than his father,
she whose-but enough, De Vaux returns
to the old homestead in Piccadilly
Q,-When De Vaux returns to England,
what will happenp
A.-This will happen: "He who left
England ten years before, a raw boy, has
returned sunburnt, soldierly man. But |
who is this that advances smilingiy to meet |
him. Can the mere girl, the bright child |
that shared his hours of play can she have
grown into this peerless, graceful girl, at
whose feet half the noble suitors of Eng
land are kneelings Can this be her9' he
asks himself in amazement.
Q.-Is 1t herr
A.-Oh, it's her all right 1t is her, and
it is him, and it is them. That girl hasn't
waited so pages for nothing.
Q.-You evidently guess that love
affair will ensue between the boy lieutenant
and the peerless girl with the broad feet
Do you imagine, however, that it's course
will run smoothly and leave nothing to
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