The Redwood gazette., 1901-06-19

I &
i then as dexterously sold to an Arab.
.sacre bleuv' he roared. You are in
| love with this conqueror of woman
tLis aristocrat.' 2
| The only answer to this unbeara Bile
insult was louder tumult of laugh
ter, a crash. splash and a voIley OF
oaIhs from Barbe- Grise
Cigarette had launched bottle of
wine at him, blinded his eyes and
drenched his beard with the red tor
rent and the shower OF glass shivers
and was back again, dancing like q
little Bacchante and singing at the top
of her sweet. Iarklike voice
AT the sound of the animated alter
cation, not knowing but what one of
bis Own troopers might be the delin-
quent. he who leaned out of the little
easement moved forward to the door
way of the dancing room. He did not
guess that it was himself whom she
had defended against the onslaught of
the Zephyr, Barbe-Grise
His height rose far above the French
soldiers and above most even of the
lofty statured spahis. and her rapid
glance flashed over him at once. did
he hear?" she wondered. The scarlet
flush of exercise and excitement deep
ened on her clear brown cheek that had
never blushed at the coarsest jests or
the broadest love words Of the barrack
life that had been about her ever since
her eyes first opened In their infancy
to laugh at the sun CLEAN on q cuiras-
sier's corselet among the baggage wag-
ons that her mother followed. She
thought he had not heard. His face
was grave, little weary, and his gaze
as it fell on her was distracted
.Oh-he. handsome SOLDIER thought
Cigarette, with fash of hot wrath su-
persedin5 her momentary and most
rare embarrassment. You are look
ing at me and not thinking of me- We
will soon change that
Such an insult she had never been
subjected 10 from the first day when
top of Il great drum when she was 8
years cid in the middle Of a circular
camp OF tiraiiIeurs. 1t sent fresh nerve
into her 1.-THE limbs, it made her eyes
fash like so much fire, it gave her a
millionfcld more grace, more abandon.
more heedlessness. She stamped her
tiny. spurred foot petulantly.
Quicker, quicker!" she cried, and as
the musician obeyed her she whiried,
she spun. she bounded, she seemed to
live in air, while her soft curls few off
her brow, and her white teeth glanced,
and her cheeks glowed with carmfne
glow, and the little gold aglets broke
across her chest with the beating OF her
heart, that throbbed like birds heart
when it is wild with the first breath of
spring.
She had pitted herself against him,
and she Won-so far.
The vivacity, the impetuosity, the an
telope elegance, the voluptuous repose
that now and then broke the ceaseless.
sparkling movement of her dancing.
caught his eyes and fixed them on her
1t was bewitching, and it bewitched
him for the moment. He watched her
as in other days he had watched the
ballet charms of opera dancers
I Suddenly she lifted both her hands
above her head.
With me, soldiers!'
1t was the signal we'll known, the
signal of permission to join in that
wild vertigo for which every one of her
spectators was painting. Their pipes
were flung away, their caps tossed off
their heads, the music clashed louder
and faster and more fiery with every
sound, the chorus of the ''Marseillaise
des Bataillons" thundered from a hun
dred voices-they danced as only men
can dance who serve under the French
nag and live under the African sun.
Two only looked on, the Chasseur d Af-
rlque and veteran of the Tenth COM
pany lamed for life at Mazagran.
Are you stupid? Don't you dance.
eh?' muttered the veteran to his silent
companion.
The caasseur turned and smiled.
Il prefer dance whose music is the
cannon. good father"
Bravo! Yet she is pretty enough to
tempt you?"
Eyes; too pretty to be unsexed by
such life"
His thoughts went to a woman he
had loved well. a young Arab, with
eyes like the softness of dark waters.
who had fallen to him once In a razzia
as a share of the spoil and for whom
he had denied himself cards. or wine.
OF tobacco. or an hour at the cafe, or
that aIleviated the privation
and severity of his lot as a simple
private, which he had been then, that
she might have such few and slender
comforts as be could give her from
his miserable pay. She was dead
Her death had been the darkest pas
sage in his life in Africa-but the
hutelike music of her voice seemed to |
come on his ear now. This girl SOL |
der had little charm for him after the |
sweet. silent, tender grace of his lost |
Feline
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