Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-03-11
LOST HIS BEARD.

"Rezonvillei Gravolottol Montrc-
tout What a long time ago II all socms
half a lifetime, monsieurr' said my
old friend PHILIPPE ALBERT, the cx-dra-
coon, as we stood before Drisset's pic
turo in the salon Of 1904. "Ye3, that is
Gravelotte-I was there. Is the picture
like it? Oh, no doubtl The artiat knows
II cannot tell. / had to fight, not look
about.
"You want IN anccdote of oar troop,
monsieur? Well, you shall have one.
You may take it that we were picked
men. There was but one younggtcr
among us, and to us old mustachos his
beardless face seemed strange. All, LIE
was handsome, with tho beauty du d.
able, fairly tall and very slim. Hehada
caustic tongue. and nothing pleased him
better than to uso it On US, lis comrades,
In such a manner that we feared him
and left him to himself. How it was we
could not tell. but Leon St. Paul carried
everything before him. Did II of us
offer attention TO q pretty Prisetto mere
ly pour passcr 10 temps, Leon woull Get
him out and cover him in his retreat
with confusion. This, in truth, wa bad
enough when the intent was merely to
nmuse oneself, but, sacre, it is hard to
bear when q man was in earnest, as
poor Cambert was with Mnm'Gallo Ma
rie Emmanuel, the viyandiore.
"a good creature, that Marie. We
were devoted to her to a man, bat she
reserved her smiles Tor Leon, ard, if /
must say what / think, the inIlost TO-
cesses of her heart fer monsieur 10 doc
teur.
Poor Mariol NJ. Vendomo thought
nothing Of her.
"Cambert hated Leon and would o.
ten say while stroliing his thick, Lack
beard: This young cocl1ortl row too
loud, messieurG. We must cat his comb
for him.
"'Thero are plenty of Prussian combs
FOR cutting, Corporal Cambcrt, our ser
gcant would reply. Let us carve them,
my friend, before we practice On each
other. Who knows?' he aided thought
fully on II occasion. The time may
come when we shall none of u have
h heart fOr Growing.
"Ah, well, the campaign was in III
infancy then, and France, like n brldt
who decks herself for her ~nuptials, hat
gone ont to osporse the god Of war, lit
tie dreaming what the children Of hel
marriage bod would be. But to my
story, monsieur. It was tho eve o
Gravelotte, and Cambert, moody a
usual, came across Leon trifling witt
Mario, the vivandiere. He found he
smiling into tho youths handsome
beardless face, and in a burst Of sar
casm unusual with him-for monsieu
will understand that be had no grea
command of language except for ours
ing-he said to her, 'Mam'gello Mari
Emmanuel, if you would have us con
a man for u rival
Icons face turned scarlet Man o
boy no answered, i will wager m,
silver rosary, blessed by the holy ia
Their himself, against that beard O
yours, Of which you think 50 much
that l ride before you into the fgh
when next we charge the Pr%cssians.'
"'Agreedv replied Cambcrt lightly
Have the goodness to accept my ASST
nnce mademoiselle, that l shall presen
you with u silver rosary in a httl
time
"'Marie shall have the rosary, bu
she shall also have your beard to stui
a pillow for her fayorite poodle m
swered Leon, and theii, looking dagger
~ aach other thew na1ted
''The morrow was the day Of Grave
lotte, and we heard that we were I
charge the blue tunics and drive thei
out of the plantation of hop vines b
hind which they lay concealed.
"'Ah, this is work for men, grunte
Cambert, as no looked 10 the left, c
which side rode Leon, with myself nel
IN line.
Look TO your beard, Cambert,' al
awered Leon, laughing seornfully. 'YC
will never carry it into another fight.
1.-THE word was given, and oil Y
went. Tell you about it? What shall
say? Only that the air was thick wi
a mist which smelled Of sulphur al
that a swarm of bees from hell its6
seemed buzzing round our ears,
"Ping! We were not half way aero
the space which interyened betweI
our starting point and those green ROY
Of hop vines, each n masking a bl'
coated Prussian. when | got It! n
right arm was stung by ono Of tho
bees and the bone shattered. l transft
red my saber to my left haad and
my reins fall on tho neck Of my or
mare. On she went, her head down, h
neck stretched out, her nose to {
ground.
"'God of war; Isaid to myself. H
IL only been my left arm some Prussi
should pay Cor thisl' j was thinking
myself, of course, for it is not good
agreeable to charge Prussians with o
arm useless, but saw what passed ne
mel saw very we'll, though the gr
mist seemed turning red.
Young Leon was the next. A bulI
struck him below the breast just abo
the belt, a little 10 the side-a dii
Ereeable spot that Strike yourself wi
your fist, monsieur, 90 just there, a
you will know what ! mean. ! hea