Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-17

ness which had gone so Tar in frs nov l city as to attach their liking; made 1 his breakfast of some wretched onion soup and q roll of black bread; rode l 90 miles in the blazing heat of the l African day at the head Of score l of his men on convoy duty, and
 returned jaded, weary, parched with 1 thirst. scorched through with heat,
 to be kept waiting in his saddle, l by his colonel's orders, outside the barracks for three-quarters of an l hour, whether to receive com mand or censure he was left in igno-
 rance. When the three-quarters had
 passed he was told the colonel had
 gone long ago and did not require him. ]. Cecil said nothing. Yet he reeled
 slightly as he threw himself out of
 saddle; q nausea and giddiness had
 come on him. The chasseur who had
 brought him the message caught his
 arm eagerly.
 l "Are you hurt, corporalT'
 Cecil shook his head The speaker
 was one known in the regiment as l Petit Picpon, who had begun life as a l gamin of Paris and now bade fair to l make one of the most brilliant of the l soldiers of Africa. Petit Picpon had l but one drawback to his military ca
 reer-he was always in insubordina- r tion. The old gamin daredevilry was l not dead in him and never would die, l and now he muttered a terrible curse under his fiercely curled mustache. If the Black Hawk were nailed up l in the sun like kite on barn door, I would drive 20 nails through his l throat!"
 Cecil turned rapidly on him. silence sir, or I must report you. Another speech like that, and you shall have a turn at Beylick."
 l Petit Picpon looked as crestfallen as 1 one of his fraternity could.
 "Sena me to Beylick if you like, cor poral,'' he said sturdily. .I was in
 wrath for you, not for myself" Cecil was infinitely more touched than l he dared for sake of discipline or sake l of the speaker himself to show, but his glance dwelt on Petit Picpon with a look that the quick, black, monkey | like eyes of the rebel were swift to l read.
 l 1T know" he said gravely. T do not 1 misjudge you; but, at the same time, my name must never serve as a pre- | text for insubordination. Such men as care to pleasure me will best do so in making my duty light by their own self l control and obedience to the rules of l their service"
 He led his horse away, and Petit Pic l pon went on an errand he had been ,5c ;y,4 fo1 faff "a 1 officers.
 Picpon had been enrolled in the chas-
 serlrs at the same time with Cecil and, following his gamin nature, had ex- hausted all his resources of impotence,
 maliciousness and power of tormcnting on the "aristocrat," somewhat disap- pointed, however, that the utmost in genEities of his insolence and even his
 malignity never succeeded in breaking the ''arfst0crats" silence and contempt
 uous forbearalce from all reprisai.
 One day, however, it chanced that q lfdetachment of chasseurs, of which Ce- ell was one, was cut to pieces by such ap overwhelming mass of Arabs that
 scarce dozen of them could force their way through the Bedouins with life.
 Cecil was among those few, and flight at full speed was the sole chance of re-
 gaining their cncampment. Just as he
 had shaken his bridle free of the Arabs
 clutch and had moved himself clear
 path through their ranks he caught
 sight of his young enemy, Picpon, on the ground, with lance broken off in
 his ribs, guarding his head with bleed-
 ing hands as the horses trampled over
 him. To make a dash O. the boy,
 though to finger moment was to risk
 certain death, to send his steel through an Arab who came in his way, to lean
 down and catch hold Of the lads sash,
 to swing him up into his saddle and throw him across it in front of him and to charge afresh through the storm of
 musket balls and ride on thus burden
 ed was the work of ten seconds with
 Bel-a-faire-peur And he brought the
 boy safe over n. stretch of six leagues
 in flight for life, though the imp no
 more deserved the compassion than 2
 scorpion that had spent all its noxious
 day stinging at every point of uncov- cred flesh would merit tenderness from the hand it had poisoned.
 When he was swung down from the saddle and laid in front of . yedette fire, sheltered from the bitter north wind that was then blowing cruelty, the bright, black, apelike eyes of the gam ill opened with strange gleam in them.
 "Piepon will rememberr' he mur- mured.
 Cecil himself, having watered, fed and filtered down his tfted horse, made his way to a little cafe he commonly frequented and spent the few sous he could afford on an iced draft of lemon favored drink Eat he could not. Over fatigue had given him a nausea for food.
 (To be Continued)