The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1900-07-26

sang froid."
ssMajor," returned the general, prey
to deep depression, lit Is long while
since I saw Georges"
The whole troop had struck to the
left to avoid the torrentlike wady that
bordered the plain. General Vergamier,
shivering under his caban, broke ST.
lence only to give an officer few brief
orders. At daybreak fires were made
out on the sides of Djebel-Ammer.
These fires showed the bivouac of the
first scouting column that Vergamier
had orders to join. The junction was
quickly effected and arms were stack
ed.
The little army was encamped on the
mountains flank. At it's foot streamed
a 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 q
large Arab village, whose irregular
houses, built in zigzag line, seemed
to be tumbling down the valley, for on
that side, too, ran a triple belt of
golden millet and corn fields. Huge
powders of trachytic porphyry, blue,
black and white, hung over in topping
masses as If 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 a chasseur, it had pleased his fancy
to ascend the Djebel by a steep path
that called for a keen eye and an agile
foot. Lost in thought, Vergamier did
not observe that on his right stood per-
pendicular rocks rising like wall be-
tween him and his troops, but went on
climbing, leaning on his sword. At
last he reached 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 hasty step into the
black stiffness. The ground was strewn
with fragments of sharp feldspar, the
debris of rocks ground into pieces in
some primeval cyclone. His boots We're
soon cut through as clearly as by
razor. But Vergamier seemed to have
grown insensible to physical pain. FL
nally he halted near a torrent vomited
from the top of tremendously high
cliff and drank a swallow of water
from his followed palm. Then he sat
down on a messy root and fell into
deep meditation.
AS if this were a 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 it's cloisterlike streets;
Sidi- Ferruch and his feat of arms;
then Paris, 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
in a gentle atmosphere of home, all
those that he had loved, and Georges.
He suddenly raised his head. Above
him naught but rock wall hundred
fathOms high and spirals of black
trees, no sky. By his side, standing
near cypress, a man.
Georges" he cried and hid his head
in his hands.
Toward o'clock Major Banis, alarm
ed at the generals prolonged absence,
had battue made by a number Of
spahis. At noon Vergamier's body,
mutilated by a horrible fall, was found
at the bottom of deep ravine. The
soldiers thought that their general had
been killed by some ambushed Arab
and then thrown over the precipice.
Major Banis alone knew that Etienne
Vergamier had received Georges third
visit.-Translated From the French
For Argonaut