Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1916-07-14
CHAPTER v.
Colonel Destinn of the Legion.

Colonel Destinn or the Legion.
A thin-voiced chime from some
tower in Sidi-bel-Abbes announced the
hour-four o'clock.
Colonel Destinn looked up. From
where he sat he could see the barrack-
yard, and, beyond, the great stretch of
ocher plain rolling to the horizon.
little to the right an Arab mosque lift
ed its white minarets against the sky,
which hung oppressively over the pant
ing, lifeless country.
In the narrow, meanly furnished
room the atmosphere was sitting.
Colonel Destinn's guest drew back into
the thin patch of shadow. Colonel
Destinn himself smiled, and the thin
lips under the iron-gray mustache be-
came indescribably ruthless.
Eyes, you are quite right, Mr.. Love-"
he was saying in his suave French. 81
have something to sell-something
quite valuable, in fact. But l do not
choose to sell 1t to you, that is all"
Stephen Lowe glanced up. His de-
formity was very obvious at that mo-
ment. He looked old, and physical ex
haustion had stamped out the last
trace Of beauty from his thin features.
"Why not?" he asked.
SIS not that my AFFAIR.""
Colonel Destinn brushed speck of
eyes flashed. He rose, and Lowe had
no choice but to rise also.
81 have made you an indefinite offer,
Colonel Destinn," he said. zone day
i may come with something different
and perhaps then you will reconsider
what you have said. No life can be
bound up definitely anywhere, not even
in a desert. Colonel Destinn."
The officer did not answer, appeared
even to have forgotten his guests ex-
istence. Stephen Lowe went out, clos
ing the door softly behind him.
Someone tapped at Colonel Destinn's
door.
IF you please, my colonel, yester-
days batch from Oran."
Colonel Destinn lifted his head.
at is well. You will accompany
me. corporal. How many?"
Fifty"
eve shall need them.'
He picked UP his kept and led the
way down the passage, the corporal
following close beside him, his features
composed in military indifference.
In the center of the yard a line Of
men had been drawn up. Neither the
violent abuse of the sergeant nor the
comments of a pale-faced lieutenant,
much less the uniforms, had been able
to transform them into soldiers. Only
one thing was common to them all
misfortune. 1t was written in every
haggard face in every language of de-
spair. from reckless defiance to sullen
resentment and stole resignation.
Colonel Destinn read the language with
the rapidity of custom. Before each
recruit he stopped an instant his hard
eyes picking out the broken refinement
OF the prodigal from the brutality of
fugitive crime. And at each he jerked
out an imperative question.
'Your nameT
"Johann Harding, my colonel"
"ProfessionY
Doctor"
Sergeant, keep an eye on him. He
will sham like the devil, or poison you
And this mann" There was a slight
scarcely perceptible change in the in
Election of his voice, a note of some
thing that might have been surpris,
or even more than that-uneasiness
The man whom he confronted hel(
himself with cool, undisturbed dig
nifty.
Richard"
"Have you no surnameT
mo"
Destinn glanced at the lieutenant
who, after a hurried glance to his note
book, shrugged his shoulders.
mo. 4005-calls himself Richar'
Nameless, my colonel"
"a nom de guerre, presume. You
last professionT