The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-04-02

It Ia bitter work to obey the Black
Hawk. aud II you give the signal OF
revolt three parts Of your comrades
will Join you. Now, what will that end
In, ehT'
Tell mc-you are q soldier yourself,
you say.
Eyes. I nm o soldier!s said Cigarette
between her tight set teeth, "and will
tell you one thing | have seen. have
seen soldiers mutiny, a squadron Of
them, because they hated their chief
ard loyec two Of their noncommis-
stoned officers. and | have seen the
end Of It ala few hundred men. blind
and drunk with despair. at bay against
as many thousands. and walled In
with four lines Of steel and artillery
and fred on from a score Of cannon
mouths-volley on volley, like the thun-
der-till not one living man was left.
and there was only a shapeless. heav-
ing, moaning mass, with the black
smoke over al. That IL what have
seen. You will not make me see II
again? They would rise ut your bid
ding and they would be moved down
ike corn. You will noty
"Never! I give you my word"
The promise was from his heart. He
would have endured any indignity, any
outrage. rather than have drawn into
ruin. through him, the fiery, fearless,
untutored lives of the men who
marched, and slept. and rode, and
fought. and lay In the light st the
picket fires. and swept down through
the hot sandstorms On to the desert
foe by his side. Cigarette stretched
out her hand to him-stretched 1t out
with q frank. winning. childlike, SOL
dierlike grace.
"That's right You are a true sol.
der"
He bent over the hand she held out
to his in the courtesy natural with him
to all her sex and touched 1t lightly
with his lips.
"Thank you, my little comrade." he
said simply, with the grayer thought
still on him that her relation and her
entreaty had evoked. "You have given
me a lesson that l shall not be quick to
forget"
Cigarette colored holly at the grave.
graceful. distant salute. Sc cold and SO
courteous. which was offered her In
lieu Of the rude and b~olsterous famil-
iarities to which she vas accustomed
and drew her hand away with what
was to the shame Of her soldierly hard
ihood and her barrack tutelage ve'y
nearly akin to an impulse Of shynesa-
STUFF! Don't humbug me! an not
a court ladyv' she cried hastily. almost
p%etulantly. to cover the unwonted and
unwelcome weakness. while, to make
good the declaration and revlndicate
her military renown. she balanced her
self lightly on the stone ledge and
sprang with a young wildcats easy.
vaultlng leap over his head and over
the heads Of the people beneath on to
the ledge OF the house opposite. n low
built wIneshop. whose upper story near
~ touched the leaning walls OF the old
Moorish buildings In which She had
been pprched The crowd In the street
below looked rp amazed and aghnst ut
that bound from easement 30 easement
as she few over their heads like a blue
and scarlet winged bird Of Oran. but
they laughed rs they saw who IT was.
ut is Cigarette" growled a Turcc
indlgene. "Ah. la. the devil for n cer-
tainly mist have been her father"
Czech loohed after her with u certain
touch OF pity for her In him.
"Vhat Il gallant boy is spoiled in that
little arlazong' he thought. The quick
flush OF ter face. the quick withdrawal
Of her hand. he had no noticed She
had moi much interest for him - scarce
ly any. Indeed save that liz snw she
was pretty, with a mischievors face
that all the sun tar of Africa and all
the wild life OF the t'aserne could not
harden or deiiase. But he was sorry a
child so bright and SO brave should I've
turned into three parts n trooper. as she
was. should have been tossed up on the
scum and filth Of the lowest larrack
life and should be doomed In n few
years time to become the yellow. bat.
tered. foul mouthed. vulture eyed camp
follow : that premature old age would
sure'7 reuJer the darling of the tricol.
or. III. pythoness Of the AS du Pique.
"Hah.' said Cigarette between her
little teeth.
She stocd in the gllttering Algerine
night. brilliant with n million stars and
balmy with q million flowers. before
the bronze trellised gate of the villa on
the Sabrl. where Chateauroy, when be
not ON active service. indemniHed
himself with the magniicence that his
private fortune enabled him to enjoy.
for the unsparing exertions and the
rugged privations that be always shar
I'd willingly with the lowest OF his sol
dlers. Tonight the windows of the
pretty. low. now white. far stretching
building were lighted and open. and
through the wilderness OF cactus. my-
tie. orange. citron. fuchsia and a thau
sand flowers that almost buried 1t un
der their weight of leaf and blossom q
myriad OF lamps Were cleaning like SO
many glowworms beneath the foliage.
while from a cedar grove the melodies
and 0vertures OF the best military
bands In Algiers came mellowed by tie
distance and the fall of the bubblins