The Redwood gazette., 1901-06-19

rne Flag to dance ror rnem anu .rau
failed. but for set OF soldiers. wal
worn, dust covered, weary, with TOT
and stiff with wounds. she would do IL
till they forgot their ills and got as IN
toxacated with it as with champagne
And she was dancing for them now,
All her heart was in it-tnat heart of a
girl and soldier of a hawk and kit
ten, OF a Bohemian and an eDicure,
OF a iascar and a child. which beat so
brightly and so boldly under the dainty
gold agiets with which she laced her
dashing little uniform.
So she danced now IN the cabaret OF
the As du Pique. She had a famous
group Of spectators, not one of whom
knew how to hold himself back from
spr1ng1ng in to seize her In his arms
and Whirl with her down the f1oor. But
Il had been often told them by expert
ence that unless she beckoned one out
blow of her clinched hand and a ces-
saflon of her impromptu dance would
be the immediate result. Her specta-
tors were renowned fire eaters, men
whose names rang like trumpets in the
ear OF kabyle and Earabout, men who
had fought under the noble eolors OF
the day of Mazagran or had cherished
or emulated its traditions, men who
had the salient features OF all the va
ried species that make up the soldiers
Of Africa
And every now and then her bright
eyes would flash over the ring of ia
miliar faces and glance from them
with an impatient disappointment as
she danced Her big babies were not
enough for her. She wanted a chas-
seur with white hands and grave
smile TO be among them, and she shook
back her curls and flushed angrily as
she noted his absence and went Oh
with the pirouettes, the circling fights.
the wild, resistless abandonment of
her inspirations, till she was like a des-
ert hawk that is intoxicated with the
scent of prey borne down upon the
wind and wheeling like a mad thing in
the transparent ether and the hot sun
glow.
He was in the house: she knew it.
Had she seen him drinking with some
Others, or rather paying for ALL but
taking little himself, just as she en-
tered? He was in the house. this mys-
terious -faire-peur. and was not
here to see her dance!
He was leaning over the little wood
en- ledge of a narrow window in an in
Eer room, from which one by one some
spahis and some troopers of his own
squadron. with whom he had just been
as the place could give. had sloped
away one by one under the irresistible
attraction of the vivandiere.
A whirlwtnd of laughter, so loud that
1t drowned the music of the shrin vio-
Inns and laundering drums, echoed
through the rooms and shook him from
his reyerie.
Amid the shouts, the crash, the tu-
mutt. the gay. ringing voice of Cigarette
rose distinct. She had apparently
paused in her dancing to exchange one
Of those passes of arms which were
her speciality.
You call him misanthrope. and
you have been drinking at his expense,
you rascalr' she cried disdainfulIy.
The grumbled assent of the accused
was inaudible
.sIngratep' pursued the scornful tri-
umphant voice Of Cigarette. You
would pawn your mothers grave
clothes! You would eat your children
In a fricassee! You would sell your
fathers bones for draft of brandyr
The screams of mirth redoubled
Cigarettes style of wfthering eloquence
was suited to all her auditors tastes.