Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-21
In PERIL in SAHARA
BY Julius Neumann.

| Abbes and the treatment an Austrian
receives in the ranks of the Frencf
Foreign Legion are not such as TO IN
spire him with the wish to stay ther'
forever.
So at the first opportunity l decided
to make my escape. L was orderly t'
lInsuector General Cherente, and one
| day l secured a couple of days leave
and with it 1 took my final departure
for 1 determined never TO return
again.
Sidi Bel Abbes is the headquarters
of the Foreign Legion in Algeria, ant
is about $50 miles from Oran. My OBJ
iective was Tunis, where. if fortune
favored me, 1 might be able to embark
for my native, or some other natives
land
From Sidi Bel Abbes I fled by train
to Mascara, but after that 1 had tc
walk. From Mascara l walked to Pc
rigauy. and the distance didn't seem
short.
From Perigaux l trudged on the
way to Orleansville, keeping as near
to the railway as 1 dared, for as you
know there are pickets and Legion de-
tectives posted all along the lines OF
comfortable retreat, keeping a keen
lookout for deserters such as myself.
1t was on the road to Orleansville
that 1 fell in with two other deserters,
an Austrian and a Russian, but they
regarded me with such suspicion that
for a long time the latter kept me al
a respectful distance with a siX-shoot-
er. They thought 1 might be a gov
ernment spy, out to betray or arrest
them.
After some little parley 1 managed
to convince them that l, too, was gen.
uine refugee like themselves and they
agreed to give me the opportunity of
proving the exception to the rule OF
"two's company"
l discovered that the Austrian was
deserter from the 7th regiment OF
the Foreign Legion, stationed at Sal
da: 1 don't know where the Russian
came from, but the poor fellow turned
out to be friend in need and a COM
panion worth meeting.
1t was near Merida that we met,
and we had to take a very wide cir
cult to Orleansville in order to avoid
coming in contact with the nomads or
Arabs, who would either kill or betray
us.
Whenever we purchased food from
the nomads we always made them
taste it themselves first, then if they
didn't die sudden deaths or swoon
away into sublime Inconsistencies we
would know that we had paid them
more than the government.
When we took our departure we
would leave in a different direction to
that we really wanted to go, in order
to put them off the track, and revert
to the road that led to our destination
when we were we'll away.
After four days travel, during which
we practically starved, we arrived in
an utterly filthy, miserable condition
at the outskirts of Orleansville.
OF course we could not at any time
show ourselves, for we naturally still
wore various portions Of the Legion
uniform, and deserters are prey for
every one.
We hid in an old church, which was
in ruins, until night time, when the
Russian decided TO go to nobleman
of his country he knew in the town.
who would most likely give US help OF
some sort. The Russians are not fond
of the French Foreign Legion, and
will generally do something to help de-
serters.
Our friend seemed to be in touch
with an enthusiast of his sort, for
presently he returned laden with good
things, food clothes and bottles of
water.
1t appeared also that our friend had
bravely refused the nObleman's offer
TO escape with him-if he had gone,
his escape would have been comforta-
BILE and assured; but we had all pre-
viously made a solemn vow under no
circumstances ever to part, and the
Russian kept his word, saying he had
two friends outside the city, and ask
ed for assistance for the three, were
the present result mentioned.
On the road from Orleansville to
Constantine our real troubles began
Long before we had reached Boghari
the Russian fell sick.
The greatest danger arose when we
discovered detachments Of the French
Legion at maneuvers. We had to wade
into the shadows of the River Larba
so that the water came up to our
necks. The weeds hid our heads. and
l should say we made about 81 miles
day wading and hiding in that filthy
river
We eventually reached Boghari, aft
er wide detour via the Sahara, but
all the time we were continually being
driven into hiding by the sight of a
picket or band of nomads.
1t was somewhere near ThaZa that
the Russian died. He knew that he
was doomed, and asked us to leave
him. but we would not.
We made the poor fellow as COM
Portable as we could, but we ourselves
were in as pitiable Il state as mortals
could be, clad in the very shreds of
clothes, no food, no water, hungry
foOtsore and miserable.
Il ANAL gone!" he muttered. We
almost cursed heaven, so helpless
were we in our necessarily crude min
istrations. Without emotion we hearc
this poor thinker babble of his
unbeliefs-it was with his physical
pain we were concerned, and we did
our miserable all to alleviate it. The
unbeliever gasped his last words:
"Oh, Lord, save my soul"
\ small stream of blood spurteG
from his mouth, gushing over his face
and neck, and life left his tormentet
body.
We covered his face with a thatcf
of grass, and carried his body to the