The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-14
OONSCRIPTS OF FRANCE
PEN PICTURE or a SQUAD or
ARMY RECRUITS.


scripts resulted in the following i'm
preston" from the pen Of an English
journalist
1.-The train drew up suddenly at Di-
jon station. II was nearly midnight.
and the weary passengers, who were
unable to sleep. rubbed their eyes and
stared out at the scene on the plat
form. 1t was a curious spectacle 70
English eyes. Although the hour was
late. the long platform. from one end
to the other. was crowded with a mot
ley collection Of humanity. At first one
wondered what all this unusual hustle
could possibly mean. Why were all
these men waiting so patiently in de
iected groups2 Il was strikingly like
a scene which any one can witness at
one Of the great Irish ports. when
the weekly band Of emigrants are
leaving the old depopulated country
for America. Suddenly through the
close packed mass a soldier stolidly
forced his way. and the gasllght
cleaned on the long 1.-the steel Of his
bayonet Two others followed him at
close distance, and compelled the
men to keep a good distance from the
drawn-up train. The presence OF these
soldiers explained it all 1t was the
annual eonscription. and these men
were the conscrlpts. whom a despotic
militarism had drawn from the sur.
rounding district.
They formed, indeed, a motley
though an intensely interesting group.
The conscription spares no one. and
the conscripts themselves represented
nearly every class and phase of French
life. A man Ia sombre. respectable
black. with a steel watch chain hang
ing from his waistcoat pocket must
have been mechanic In a good posi-
tion. His keen gray eyes and promi-
nent forehead, denoted him a man Of
intelligence. He seemed to watch the
scene with a sense OF loathing and
distaste and a fierce light shone in his
eyes when one Of the sentries forced
him backward. Next him stood a typl-
cal French workman In his blue frock,
looking for all the world like one Of
those yokels whom Caldecott delighted
70 draw IN his children's books. His
face wore no expression whatsoever.
He seemed to blindly accept the sltua-
tion in which circumstances and the
law OF his country had placed him
with exactly the same lack OF zest
with which he would have accepted
job at digging drains. Another little
group were more lively. They had evil
IDENTIFY been drinking to keep up their
spirits, and their voices were hoarse
with shouting and singing.
They represented the impression
able portion OF the French community:
like sons Of that maddened crowd
who. on a certain hot fifteenth day Of
July, swarmed through the streets Of
Paris, shouting their infatuated yell
Of A Berlinl A Berlinl They cracked
Jokes, and played a thousand tricks on
their more morose companions. A
tail, gigantic peasant. a head and
shoulders above his somewhat dimlnu.
tive fellows, stood with his arms fold.
ed, looking out fercely on everybody
from beneath his heavy eyebrows. An
officer in tight-ftting gloves, specta.
cles, and an immaculate uniform,
strolled up He looked with approval
at the gay, bacchanalian group; they
would make the type Of soldiers OF
whom France is most proud. Then
his eye caught the almost insane
glance Of the big peasant conscript.
Something IN the man irritated him.
Pushing aside the others who stood
in his way, he went up to him. A few
sharp, inaudible sentences were ut.
tered The man. still standing stolidly
with his arms folded, looked down at
the officer from bis superior height.
and his lips seemed to twitch with
contempt He made some reply. For
answer the officer lifted his gloved
hand and struck him across the face.
i have seen that diabolical look Of
a frustrated madman, but it was mild
and gentle compared to the awful ex.
precision Of almost animal animosity
which spread across the peasants
face. With the utmost difficulty he
controlled himself. and his fingers
gripped his arms nervously. 1T seemed
as II there must be an explosion. but
the man. almost by a miracle, mas.
tered himself. Uttering a sharp ejacu.
lation Of command or contemplate was
impossible to tell which-the officer
turned on his heel. and continued his
promenade up and down the platform
followed by the hatred Of the peas.
ants eyes.
II would not be surprised to hear
Of that officer being shot accidentally.
Such things do take place in the
French army, end cases OF a similar
nature are not unknown in our own.
The man who win shoot him win be
that giant peasant Such men as he
never forgive a blow. Our train moved
on. We had Witnessed an interesting