The Redwood gazette., 1901-06-26

@sA = 4S5S ShdSSSuF IduSHeu little.
Don't talk English. Somebody will
i hear you one da y.
that's the odds if they do, sir q
Responded the other. & 1t relieves ones
feelings a little. All Of 'em know I'm
English, but never one of 'em knows
what you are The name you was
enrolled by won't really tell EN- moth
ing. They guess It ain't yours That
cute little chap, Tata, be says to me
! yesterday, You're always a-treating OF
| your corporal like as If he was a
prince Hang me, says i, I'd like to
see the prince as would hold candle
to him. You're right there, says the
little m. There amt his equal for
taking off a beggar's head with a back
sweep .
The corporal laughed little again
!! as he tossed himself down on the car
| pet.
Well it's something to have one
| virtue. But have a care what those
| chatterboxes get out of you"
Lord, sir, amt / been a-taking care
these ten years? I've told 'em such a.
| lot Of amazing stories about where we
KEN from that they've got half mill
lion different styles to choose out Of.
Bless you, sir, you may let me alone
for bamb oozling Of anybody
/ With which the speaker dropped on
| his knees and began to take OF the
| trappings Of his fellow soldier with as
| reverential service as though he were
a lord of the bedchamber serving a
| Louis Quatorze The other motioned
him gently away.
No. no; have told you a thousand
| times, sir, that we aren't and never
will be and don't oughtn't to be- re-
piled the soldier doggedly, drawing off
the spurred and dust covered boots.
"A gentleman's a gentleman, let alone
| what straits he falls into, but ceases to
be one as he takes a service he cannot
requite or claims a superiority he does
not possess. We have been fellow sol
diers for IL years
So we have, sir, but we are what
we always was and always will be-
one gentleman, t'other a scamp. If
you think 50 be as I've done good
thing side by side with you now and
then IN the fighting. give me my own
way and let me wait on you when
can. can't do much On it when those
other fellows eyes is on us, but here i
can and ! viii begging your pardon
SO there ian end Of it. One may speak
plain in this place, with nothing but
them Arabs about, and all the army
knows well enough, sir, that If it
weren't for that black devil, Chateau
roy, you'd have had your officers com
mission and your troop, too, long be-
| fore now
Oh, no. There are scores of men in
the ranks who merit promotion better
far than do And leave the coloners
name alone He is our chief, whatever
else he be-
The words were calm and careless,
but they carried weight with them
that was not to be disputed. The other
hung his head little and went on un-5
harnessing his corporal in silence con-
tenting himself with muttering in his
throat that it was true for all that and
the whole regiment knew it.
You are happy enough in Algeria,
eh p' asked the one he served as he
stretched himself on the skins and car
pets and drank down a sherbet that his
self attached attendant had made.
81. sir? Never was SO happy IN my
life. sir. I'd be discontented, indeed. if
wasn't Always some spicy bit Of
fighting. IL there aren't a fantasia. as
they call it, IN the field. there's always
somebody to pot in q small way. and if
you're lying by in the barracks there's
always scrimmage hot as pepper to-
be got up with fellows that love the
row just as well as you do. It's iife;;s
that's what it is. It ain't rusting. g.'
Then you prefer the French serV-8
ice ~
Right and away, sir. But won't
there never be no hope, sir q he whis-
pered, while his voice trembled a little
under the long. fierce sweep Of his yel-s
low mustaches, no hope Of you ever
being again
He stopped. He scarcely knew how to
phrase the thoughts he was thinking.
The other moved with d certain impa-
tience.
How often must e tell you to forget
that was ever any thing except a sol
dier of France3 Forget as ! have for
gotten It e
The audacious, irrepressible Rake.
whom nothing could daunt and moth
Ing could awe, looked penitent and
ashamed as 8 chidden spaniel
81 know, sly. have tried many q
year, but thought perhaps as how his
Iordship' death
No life and no death can make any
difference to me except the death some
day an Arabs lunge viii give me, and
that Is a long time coming. g,'
i. for God . sake, MI. Cecil, don't
talk like this 4.