The Lemmon herald. (Lemmon, Perkins County, S.D.) 1912-1917, 1915-10-27
cHAPT Err XII.
A Sacred Trust.

Ills eyes nao grown accustomed 10
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 if
l were not alone
Pitchoune barked He had not
grown accustomed to the desert. He
hated 1t. 1t slipped away FROM under
his little feet; he could not run on it
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. l don't mean you. mon vieux.
You are a great deal, but you really
don't count. you know"
Before his eyes the sands were as
pink as countless rose leaves To
Sabron they were as fragrant as flow
that hovers above the desert when the
sun declines was to him the most de-
hcious thing he had ever inhaled All
the west was as red as fire. The day
had been hot and there came up the
cool breeze that would give them q de-
| licious night Overhead. one by one,
| he watched the blossoming out of the
| great stars; each one hung above his
| lonely tent like a bridal flower In a
| veil of blue. On all sides, like 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 a little distance in order TO be
| alone with the absolute stiffness.
This he often did and took bis
thoughts with him and came back to
| his tent more conscious of his solitude
every night of his life.
There had been much lcoting of car
| ayans 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
| eve 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 a native soldier one OF the
desert tribes, black as ink. and scarce
| " more childlike than Brunei and pre-
| sumably as devoted.
"Mustapha." Sabron ordered, fetch
me out a 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 a
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
dred yards of the encampment.
The sentinels and the soldiers began
to gather and Sabron saw single
footman making his way toward the
camp.
Co" he said to Mustapha, and see
what message the fellow brings to the
regiment"
Mustapha went. and after little re-
turned, followed by the man himself, q
black bearded, half-naked Bedouin.
swathed in dust-colored burnoose and
carrying a bag.
He bowed to Captain de Sabron and
extended the leather bag On the out
side OF the lesther there was ticket
pasted. which yead:
The Post for the - Squadron Of
Cavalry"
Sabron added mentally:
wherever it may happen to be-"
He ordered hakshish given to the
man and sent him OF. Then he opened
the French mail. He was not more
than three hundred miles from Algiers.
It had taken him a long time to wotk
down to Dirbal, however. and they had
had some hardships. He felt million
miles away. The look of the primitive
nail bag and the knowledge Of how
iar it had travelled to find the people
b whom these letters were addressed
made his hands reverent as he un-
fastened the sealed labels. He looked
The letters through, returned the bag
to Mustapha and sent him on to dis
tribute the post.
Then, for the light was bad, bril-
fant thourh the night might be, he
'ent into his tent with his own mail.
his dressing table was = small IL
,fnatfon conaistinx of 4 fat candle