Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1915-07-23
CHAPTER xl.
A Sacred Trust.

CHAPTER xI.
A Sacred Trust.
His eyes had grown accustomed to
the glare of the beautiful sands, but
his sense Of beauty was never satisfied
with looking at the desert picture and
drinking in the glory and the lowell
ness Of the melancholy waste. Stand
ing in the door of his tent in fatigue
uniform, he said to Pitchoune:
Il could be perfectly happy here II
were not alone"
Pitchoune barked. He had not
grown accustomed to the desert. He
hated It. 1t slipped away from under
his little feet; he could not run on 1t
with any comfort. He spent his days
idly in his masters tent or royalty
perched on camel, crouching close
to Sabron's man servant when they
went on caravan explorations.
Yes" said Sabron, IF were not
alone. I don't mean you, mon vieux.
You are a great deal, but you really
don't count, you know"
pink as countless rose leaves. To
6abron they were as fragrant as flow
srs. The peculiar incenselike odor
that hovers above the desert when the
sun declines was to him the most de-
Iicious thing he had ever inhaled All
the west was as red as fire. The day
had been hot and there came up the
~ 10
licious night. Overhead, one by one,
he watched the poisoning out Of the
great stars; each one hung above his
lonely tent like bridal flower in a
veil of blue On all sides, hike white
petals on the desert face, were the
tents of his men and his officers, and
from the encampment came the hum
Of military life, yet the silence to him
was profound. He had only to order
his stallion saddled and to ride away
for little distance In order to be
alone with the absolute stiffness.
This he often did and took his
thoughts with him and came back to
his tent more conscious of his solitude
every night Of his life.
There had been much looting of car.
avans in the region by brigands, and
his business was that of sentinel for
the commerce of the plains. Thieving
and rapacious tribes were under his
eye and his care Tonight, as he stood
looking toward the west into the glow,
shading his eyes with his hand. he saw
coming toward them what he knew to
be a caravan from Algiers. His ordon-
nance was native soldier, one Of the
desert tribes. black as ink, and scarce
ly more childlike than Brunei and pre-
sumably as devoted.
"Mustapha." Sabron ordered, fetch
me out lounge chair" He spoke In
French and pointed, for the man un'
derstood imperfectly and Sabron did
not yet speak Arabic.
He threw himself down. lighted q
fresh cigarette, dragged Pitchoune by
the nape of his neck up to his lap, and
the two sat watching the caravan
slowly grow into individuals of camels
and riders and finally mass itself In
shadow within some four or five hun
Ared yards Of the encampment.
The sentinels and the soldiers begaI
to gather and Sabron saw a single
footman making his way toward thu
camp.
Go" he said to Mustapha, and Sc,
what message the fellow brings to thu
regiment"
Mustapha went, and after a little re
turned. followed by the man himself,
black-bearded, half-naked Bedouin
swathed In dust-colored burnoose an,
carrying a bag.
He bowed to Captain de Sabron an
extended the leather bag. On the out
side Of the leather there was a tickle
pasted, which read:
"The Post for the - Squadron Q
Cavalry"
Sabron added mentally:
wherever 1t may happen to be!
He ordered bakshish given to tn
man and sent him OF. Then he opene
the French mail. He was not NOR
than three hundred miles from Algier
1t had taken him long time to wor
down to Dirbal, however. and they ha
had some hardships He felt a millio
miles away. The look of the primitiy
mail bag and the knowledge of no
far It had travelled to find the poop
to whom these letters were addresse
made his hands reverent as he u
fastened the sealed labels. He locke
the letters through. returned the ba
to Mustnpha and sent him off to di
tribute the post.
Then, for the light was bad, br
hant though the night might be,
went into his tent with his own ma
On his dressing table was small
Illumination consisting of fat cand
AT An claaa case Thu mnSnuifn