The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-02-06

! hear the orchestra, Zin-bam-Zim, The
Prussians are playing their Wagner
music for US Here, swallow this. How
| do you feel now?"
Sleepy. Did you say day or two,
doctor?"
Il said a week or two-perhaps
| longer III look in this evening If
I'm not up to my chin in amputations.
Take these every hour if in pain. Go
to sleep, my SON.
AS I lay there on my long, cushioned
chair, burning with that Unsuitable
thirst which, to thoroughly appreciate,
one must be wounded, the door opened
and Turco soldier came into the
room and advanced toward me on tip
toe.
l beckoned him, ard the tall.
bronzed fellow came up, smiling, show
ing his snowy, pointed teeth under
crisp beard
Water, Mustapha." l motioned with
stiffened lips, and the good fellow I'M
slung his blue water-bottle and set 1t
to my burning mouth
you dwell in Paradise with Ali, the
fourth Caliph, the Lion Of Cod"
The Turco stared, muttered the Tex
bir in low voice. hent and kissed
my hands.
Were you once an officer OF our
African battalions 2" he asked, in the
Arab tongue
aly-1s'
said, smiling. And you are Kabyle
mountaineer from Constantine, I see. ="
1T is true as | recite the fatha, "
cried the great fellow, beaming on me.
The music of his long-forgotten
tongue refreshed me; old scenes and
memories of the camp at Oran, the
to-be-forgotten cavalry with the
scarlet cloaks, rushed on me thick and
fast; incidents, trivial matters of the
bazaars, faces OF comrades dead, came
to me in flashes. Ny eyes grew moist,
my throat swelled, | whimpered:
Give me drink, in Gods name!"
Again ne held up the blue water
bottle. After moment | said: lis It
battle or bousculade? But | need
not ask: the cannon tell me enough.
Are they storming the heights, Mus
tapha?"
"Macache comprendir." said the sol
der, dropping into patois. There is
much noise, but we Turcos are here in
Morsbronn, and we have seen nothing
but sparrows."
Are you detailed to look after me?"
He said he was, and I informed him
that / needed nobody; that it was
much more important for everybody
that he should reJoin his battalion in
the street below, where even now /
could hear the Algerian bugies blow
ing q silyery sonnerie-'Garde a
vousi"
Il am Salah Ben-Ahmed. mara
bout of the Third Turcos," he said,
proudly. Have I my inspectors per-
mission to go?"
eco, Salah Ben-Ahmed. the mara
bout" said /, laughing.
The soldier stiffened to attention;
his bronzed hand flew to his scarlet
fez, and, Salute! o my Inspector"
he cried, generously. and was gone at
bound.
I had been lying there motionless
for an hour. my head on my hand,
sniveling, when there came knock
at the door, and I hastily buttoned my
blood-stained shirt to the throat, threw
a tunic over my shoulders, and cried,
Come in!"
A trick Of memory and perhaps of
physical weakness had driven from
my mind all recollection of the Count
ess de Vassart since | had come to my
senses under the surgeons probe. But
at the touch Of her fingers on the
door outside, knew that it could be
nobody but my Countess.
She entered noiselessly, bearing a
bowl of broth and some bread; but
when she saw me sitting there with
eyes and nose all red and swollen from
sniYeling she set the bowl on a table
and hurried to my side.
What is it? Is the pain so dread
ful?" she whispered.
'No-oh no. I'm only a fool, and
quite hungry, madame"
She brought the broth and bread
and a glass of the most exquisite wine
| ever tasted-a wine that seemed to
brighten the whole room with it's
liquid sunshine.
do you know where you are?" she
| asked, gravely.
"Oh yes-in Morsbronn.'
And in whose house, monsieur"
4 don't know" I glanced instinc-
lively at the furnished coronet on the
canopy above the bed. do you know,
Madame la Comtesse?"
: These are eQuipped with wheels and