The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-30

uhWAIllSly, though credltably in this
war, but, because he has no desire to
appear on, a Colombian battlefield
again he dares not come down out of
the Andes into Bogota or any other
town where he could gain the road
leading to the coast and home. He
cannot claim protection either of the
governments force or the rebels, for
the one would hail him as a deserter.
the other as an escaped prisoner of
war.
Barrau1t, through no fault of his
own, got mixed up in the revolution
about two years ago. At that time he
returned to Bogota with his expedition
in order to ship orchids to Philadelphia.
After he had started the plants north
ward on RATS. for the port of Bar
ranquilla, ON the Caribbean, he pre-
pared to go back into the orchid for
ests. On the day set for the expedi-
tion's start a government official pre-
scented himself before Barrault.
You are a Frenchman, 1 believe ?"
asked the dignitary.
Barrau1t acknowledged the honor.
'And all Frenchmen have to serve
in the army?" was the next question.
yes"
"And you have been in the army?"
yes"
Thereupon the Colombian official
gave signal; a half dozen Colombian
soldiers rushed upon Barrault, over
powered him and marched him off to
the barracks.
There the orchid hunter was inform
ed that he was now a soldier in the
Colombian army, and a captain at that
Furthermore, he was given to under
stand that he was expected to put up
good fight against the army of the
rebels that lowered outside the capital
And Barrault, seeing no way out of the
dilemma, made up his mind to be a SOL
der after the manner of a man who
had spent five years in the French
infantry as private.
Leader In Victorious Battles.
1t was not long after this that the
Colombian forces marched out to meet
the rebels. Capt. Barrault and his
company, in the van, came upon the
enemy in village ten miles from Be-
gotta. At sight of the revolutionists the
Colombians began to weaken, but lit
tie Barrault, rallying a handful of so.-
| diers about him, charged straight at
| the. line of popping guns two hundred
| yards ahead. Barrault's dare deviltry
| saved the. day, for the Colombian army,
witnessing the gallant onslaught of the
intrepid little band led by the five-foot-
| four Frenchman, regained it's fighting
| and assisted Capt. Barrau1t in driving
| the rebels into precipitate flight.
After that Barrault was the hero of
| the government forces around Bogota
His advice was sought on military mat
| ters, and in the skirmishes and bat
| ties that followed he and his company
were always assigned to the post Of
| honor and greatest danger.
Barrault had been in the army
q civ he uyh ho hi
| seventh fight. AS usual his company
| was in the most exposed position, but
| this time it was subjected to heavier
! fire than any experienced heretofore.
| In order to prevent what seemed GER
| tain slaughter of his men, whom he
| had come to regard as brave and who,
| in turn, all but worshipped their APP
| parently invincble leader, Barrault
seized a flag, got at the head of his
company and ordered a charge. With
a cheer the men responded; the rest
| of the army followed excitedly. Up the
! side of the hill rushed the soldiers
| up almost to the crest-then they be-
| held their leader falter, and the next
| instant he and the flag fell in a heap
| on the battlefield. At that panic seiz-
| ed the army, and it turned and fed
without so much as giving a thought
| for it's colors or it's bearer.
And so Barrault, severely wounded
| by a rifle ball, became a prisoner of
| the rebels who had learned to fear him
more than a regiment of Colombian
regulars.
Escapes After Six Months.
They chucked the orchid hunter into
prison. put a strong guard over him,
and left him to get well as best he
could. Eventually Barrault recovered
his health and then, one night about
six months after he had been made
prisoner, he neatly knocked one of the
guards over the head, slipped past the
others, lodged their bullsEAand, after
two days and nights of tr8mping,
reached the forest where grow rare
orchids.
Bararult subsisting on roots and
herbs that guides had proved to him
were good for food. patiently worked
his way through the forest until he
reached a secluded village in its midst,
where the revolution had not yet
stirred things up to fever heat. Here
he secured another set of guides and
tree climbers-for only the natives can
successfully scale the big trees in the
tops of which the orchids grow-and
renewed his quest for the wonderful
snow-white orchid.
This orchid Barrault heard of when
he first arrived in Bogota Then Il was
that, after a 400-mile journey by water
and mule path from the Caribbean
coast he slid off the back of q mule
before the principal hotel in Colom-
bias capital, and, after introducing
himself and telling his mission, sought
the hotel keepers assistance in secur-
ing guides.
1t was long before the little Frech-
man was confronted with a nonde-
script band Of Indians, all anxious to
become members of his party. OF
these he engaged twenty and was dis
missing the rest when one of the re-
jected half-naked natives rushed up
and began chattering excltedly
"He speaks Of a wonderful orchid,
senor" said the hotel keeper, "of an
orchid so big"-clasping hands and
rounding arms and as white as
snow on the mountain tops. He says
he knows where II grows-he win take
you 20 IL, senior"
Three days later Barrault and his
little band Of red-skinned followers.
guided by the Indian who had told OF
the mnTvelOusly big flower, turned
their mules heads toward the noun
tains that looked down upon BOgota
from the north. and the quest Of the
wonderful snOw-white orchid had le-
gun.
narrauif Pals over a PreeIpice.
The expedition was scarcely started