The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-13


sitting in my big leather armchair. He
rose gravcly and impressively. L was
waiting for YOU he said. You are 60
Ing to fight tomorrow with Command.
er Bernard de Ris, who is q blade.
Youneglect practice too much Georges
leaned against the wall, and l saw
that lie had n sword in his hand.
took down q foil and fell into position.
Look out said Georges. 1 am going
to give you what Grisier used to call
80 gallantly lesson In dueling. ITEMS,
here Is an irresistible thrust. Engage
your sword, bring back the left foot
while you toy with your adversary's
blade. One, two, forward! Good, But
you didn't lunge enongh.'
"a pale smile fitted over Georges
lips. We started afresll, and this time
iunged 30 violently that my sword
snapped against the wall. 1t had
passed clean through Georges body.
But, strangely, or rather naturally
enough, my foil had encountered no
resistance. 'Bien! cried Georges. "A
keen eye, steady wrist. a cool brain,
and you will have him.
Georges l cried reproachfully,
there up there that keeps you away
from meT Georges shook his head,
and cried out passionately. viii you
come back soonY
Will come back only once more.
Etienne, and then we will 60 away to-
gether,' and the vision vanished like a
bubble.
II have ali my wits about me-" the
general went on. with Increased ex-
altatlon, "but am sure of what l tell
you. I. Vergamier, took q lesson with
ghost, and the next day l killed my
man! Major. that's a long time ago.
l am waiting for Georges third visit"
Banis could not conceal q nervous
movement; the generals feverish state
alarmed him.
"Voyons, General Etienne; be yourself
again. You've been telling me dreams
strange fancies. Pray don't lay any
i1OFc Stress or them. YOu need calm,
sang froid."
Major" returned the general, a prey
to deep depression, sit is long wh,lc
since saw Georges"
The whole troop had struck to the
left to avoid the torrentlike wady that
bOrdered the plain. General vergamier,
ehivering under his caban, broke 81
lence only to give an officer fe. brief
orders. At daybreak fires were made
out on the sides Of Djebel-Ammer.
These fires showed the bivouac Of the
first scouting coldmn that Vergamier
had orders to join. The junction was
quickly effected and arms were stack
ed.
The little army was encamped On the
mountains dank. At its foot streamed
q vast plain covered with rich grain
fields cut by narrow irrigating bitches
fed from the neighboring wady. On
the other side of the mountain rose a
large Arab village. whose irregular
houses. built In q zigzag line, seemed
to be tumbling down the valley, for on
that side, too, ran q triple belt Of
golden millet and corn fields. Huge
bowlders Of trachytic porphyry, blue,
black and white. hung over in toppling
masses as IL ready to fall. A dense
forest OF cypress, figs and giant tur-
pentine trees crowned the summit.
General Vergamier had dismounted,
and, after having turned his horse over
to q chasseur, it had pleased his fancy
to ascend the Djebel by a steep path
that called for keen eye and an agile
foot. Lost In thought, vergamier did
not observe that on his right stood per-
pendicular rocks rising like q wall be-
tween him and hia troops, but went CT
climbing. leaning aE his sxerd. At
last he reached q great plateau covered
with vegetable mold, the edge OF the
Ammer forest Nothing more melan-
choly, more imposing can be imagined
than the dense masses Of dark green,
gray trunked expresses. Vergamier
plunged with a hasty step into the
black stiffness. The ground was strewn
with fragments OF sharp feldspar, the
debris Of rocks ground into pieces in
some prineval cyclone. His boots were
soon cut through as cleanly as by O
razor. But Vergamier seemed to have
grown insensible to physical pain. Fi-
nally he halted near torrent vomited
from the top Of O tremendously high
cliff and drank a swallow Of water
from his followed palm. Then he sat
down on mossy root and fell into
deep meditation.
AS If this were q solemn momen-
tous epoch in his life, he called up all
his past He saw once again the white
plains Of his native Champagne and
st. Cyr, with Its cloisterlike streets;
Sidi-Ferruch and his feat Of arms;
then Parls, wrapped in It's blue mist,
giant Paris. Illuminated Paris, and the
Tuileries, where his valor had been
recognized and rewarded, and the
Palais Bourbon, where enthusiastic ap.
plause had greeted his entrance. and
the little Nanteuil drawing room, the
poet surrounded by an artistic luxury
In gentle atmosphere of home. ar
those that he had loved. and Georges.
He suddenly raised his head. Above
him nRught but a rock wall a hundred
fathoms high and spsrals Of black
trees, no sky. By his side, standing
near cypress, q man.
"Georges!' he cried and hid his heaC