Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-05-04

by NJ. lie Capitaine Stack of the
Gendarmerie dHaiti, second
lieutenant, U. S. NJ. c., con-
cerninc lie cheval nOir, un bette fameux
on infame, according to the point of
view, which he did not ride at the
grand review in honor of the f1Otte de
guerre americaine. His language was
a mixture of United States, table-d'h 'hote
French, and Creole, with which last
named dialect ! am less familiar than
could wish, this being my first visit to
Haiti, but it was eloquent with grief,
and moved sympathetic audience al
most to tears.
Some four hundred feet up the side
of mountain to the south and east
of Port au Prince, NJ. le President
Simon, of fragrant memory, had build
ed himself a country house, and had
planted about it citrus fruits, coconuts,
tamarinds, pOmegranates, Oleanders.
roses, ferns, and Towering shrubs and
vines of great and varied beauty; and
on the broad piazza was a merry COM
pany, slipping, since your curiosity must
be completely satisfied, limonade avec
un tick, and admiring the WONDERFUL
sight ifr the fiafber, forsevefv skip-was
blaze Of light, and twO-score of
searchlights were dancing ragtime in
the skies. Capitaine Stack alone was
depressed, and refused TO be comfOrted
by kind words and innocent beverage.
He was a profoundly disappointed
man. He seemed to place the blame
on Louis, his orderly, but on his de-
parture we resolved ourselves into q
committee Of the whole, and absOlved
Louis of all responsibility, holding,
however, that all rope-makers selling
their wares in this island should be
compelled to denaturize their material.
Beguiled by Louis Smiles.
"Je ne comprendre pas" said Capt.
taine Stack, 'why / selected Louis as
my orderly except that he is beau
garcOn, always smiling, and smiles
were at a premium about that time,
while now the rate of exchange is on
a fixed basis like the currency-fve
gourdes to the dollar. One day, while
he was busy pottering about the camp
doing nothing. l called him over and
said: Louis, you my orderly, SAWYER
'Parfaitement, mon Capitaine,' he re-
piled, 'me.ci beaucoup,' and that was
the last saw of him for several days.
| got rather accustomed to doing for
myself out West many years ago, and
/ managed the best could, but rea,.y
intended to speak severely to Louis
when he returned. He came in smil-
ing, and 1 hadn't the heart to do it.
Me go find un fine grOs chien for
watch dog Louis explained, and while
| didn't see what use q watch dog
would be in camp, and there was moth
Ing about the animal to prepossesS
one in his favor, 1 accepted the dog
and the explanation for what they
were worth, and told Louis to rub
down my horse.
"'Ver' NAL cheval,' said Louis next
morning. after chow. .No-s suit mon
Capitaine. Me connais cneval noir,
magnifique bette pour la militaire. Me
go get Fact is, my mount was a
sorry-loOking wretch, although the best
/ could get for the allowance made by
headquarters, and having q little
money ahead, was willing to invest
in something that would look decent
in town. This time Louis was gone
nearly a week, but when he did turn
hn With l.
horse, not broken to the saddle, and
showing too much of his ribs, but I've
seen many good animal built up by
sound food and decent treatment, and
l was willing to take chance. (Non,
madame, Louis didn't have q bill of
sale for the horse, but l didn't think
TO ask him any Questions.) With all |
his faults, Louis is honest. At least |
he has never taken anything Of mine |
without asking, except perhaps tobac-
co, or a handkerchief, or socks, or
like that. And always he |
returned the dry goods, having first |
sent it to the wash. /
Lively Night In the Corral. !
'Revenir q mon mouton-I mean |
my cheval noir-I told Louis to see
that he had enough to eat, to turn
him loose in the corral, and to give him
a good rubbing next morning, and to
gee that he was fattened up bit be-
fore We tried him with the saddle.
That night l couldn't sleep a wink.
Every time l got into q doze there
would be an outbreak Of some kind