The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-02-26

soldiers and women stood back Il
leave her a clear space, Cigarette wal
dancing alone.
She had danced the cancan; she had
danced since sunset. she had danced
till she had tired out cavalrymen who
could go days and nights In the saddle
without a Sense of fatigue and made
spahis cry quarter who never gave II
by any chance In the battlefield, and
she was dancing now like a little Bac.
eIante, as fresh as IL she had just
sprung up from a long summer days
rest.
Marshals had more than once essay.
ed to bribe the famous little Friend OF
the Flag to dance for them and had
failed, but for q set Of soldiers. wal
worn, dust covered, weary with toll
and stiff with wounds, she would do II
till they forgot their ills and got as in.
toxicated with 1t as with champagne,
And she was dancing for them now.
All her heart was in it-that heart of q
ten, of a Bohemian and an eplcure,
of a lascar and a child, which beat Sc
brightly and SO boldly under the dainty
gold aglets with which she laced her
dashing little uniform.
So she danced now in the cabaret of
the As du Pique. She had a famous
group of spectators, not one of whom
knew how to hold himself back from
springlng in to seize her In his arms
and whirl with her down the floor. But
Ii had been often told them by expert
ence that unless she beckoned one out
a blow of her clinched hand and a ces-
sation of her impromptu dance would
be the immediate result. Her specta-
tors were renowned fire eaters. mer
whose names rang like trumpets in the
ear of Kabyle and marabout, men who
had fought under the noble colors OF
the day of Mazagran or had cherished
or emulated its traditions, men who
had the salient features of all the va
ried species that make up the soldiers
of Africa.
And every now and then her bright
Eyes would fash over the ring of IA
miliar faces and glance from them
with an impatient disappointment as
she danced. Her big babies were not
enough for her. She wanted a chas-
seur with white hands and a grave
smile to be among them, and she shook
back her curls and flushed angrily as
she noted his absence and went on
with the pirouettes, the circling fights.
the wild, resistless abandonment of
her inspirations, till she was like a des-
ert hawk that Is intoxicated with the
scent Of prey borne down upon the
wind and wheeling like d mad thing In
the transparent ether and the hot sun
glow.
He was in the house; she knew 1t.
Had she seen him drinking with some
others. or rather paying for all, but
taking little himself, just as she en-
tered? He was in the house. this mys-
terious Bel-a-faire-peur. and was not
here to see her dancel
He was leaning over the little wood
en- ledge of a narrow window In an In
ner room. from which n by n some
SpdulS hHu sOult lOOpSio vi hio W
squadron. with whom he had just been
drinking such burgundies and brandies
as the place could give. had sloped
away one by one under the irresistible
attraction of the vivandiere.
A whirlwind Of laughter. SO loud that
It drowned the music OF the shrill yio-
Inns and laundering drums, echoed
through the rooms and shook him from
his reverie.
Amid the shouts, the crash, the tu-
multi, the gay, ringing voice of Cigarette
rose distinct She had apparently
paused in her dancing to exchange one
of those passes Of arms which were
her speciality.
sYou call him a misanthrope, and
you have been drinking at his expense.
you ~rascalr' she cried d~isdainfully.
The grumbled assent of the accused
was inaudible.
"fngrateT" pursued the scornful. tri-
umphant voice of Cigarette. You
would pawn your mothers grave
clothes. You would eat your children
In a fricassee! You would sell your
fathers bones for a draft of brandyT"
The scream of mirth redoubled.
Cigarettes style of whitening eloqueuce
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