Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-07-22

experienced as I was, I could tell what
that meant. Two bullets had pierced
his chest-onea had passed through 1t,
and the other had remained inside.
But suddenly he staggered up to his
feet, and pulled HIS shirt to. with a
quick, suspicious glance at us.
"What have I been doing y he asked.
"Tve been off my head. Take no no.
tice of anything I may have said.
Have I been s%hOutingT
"You shouted just before you fell"
"what did I shout7'
I told him, though 1t bore little
meaning to my mind. He looked sharp.
~ at us, and then he shrugged his
shoulders.
TITS the words Of a song" said he.
swell, the question is, what am I to
do now? I didn't thought I was so
weak. Where did you get the wa
teri"
I pointed towards the burn, and he
staggered off to the bank. There he
lay down upon his face, and he drank
until I thought he would never have
done. At last he got up, with a long
sigh, and wiped his mustache with his
sleeve.
"That's BETTER" said he. "Have you
any food"
I had crammed two bits of oatcake
into my pocket when I left home, and
these he crushed into his mouth and
swallowed. Then he squared his Shout
ders, pulled out his chest, and patted
his ribs with the flat Of his hands.
II am sure. that owe you exceed
ingly WE'LL" said he. "You have been
very kind to q stranger. But I see
that you have had occasion to open
my bag?"
1--WE hoped that we might find wine
OF brandy there when you tainted"
"Oh, I have nothing there but just
my little-how do you say it?-my
savings. They are not much, but l
must live quietly upon. them until /
find something to do. Now, m could
live very quietly here, I should say. I
could not have come upon a more
peaceful place, without, perhaps, sc
much as a gendarme nearer than that
town."
"YOu haven't told us vet who you
are, where you come from, o what
you have been," said Jim bluntsy.
The stranger looked him up and
down with a critical eye. my word!
but you would make a grenadier for a
flank company" said he. GAS to what
you ask, L might take offense at it
from other lips, but you have a right
to know, since you have received me
with so great courtesy. My name is
B%onaventure de Lapp. I am d soldier
and a wanderer by trade, and I have
come from Dunkirk, as you may see
printed upon the boat"
II thought that you had been ship
wreckedY" said 1.
But he looked at me with the
straight gaze Of an honest man.
'That is right" said he. But the
ship went from unkirk, and this is
one of her boats. The crew got away
in the long boat, and she went down
so quickly that I had no time to put
anything into her. That was on Mon
day."
"And today's Thursday. You have
been three days without bite or sup"
1T is too long," said he. 'Twice
before 1 have been for two days, but
W quite so long as this. Well, 1
shall leave my boat here, and see
yyhnfhor r oon, pof In 1uir, pc ia n nF
these little gray houses up on the
hillsides. Why is that great fire burn
ing over yonder?'
"It is one of our neighbors who has
served against the French. He is re-
joicing because peace has been de-
clared."
"Oh! you have a neighbor who has
served, then? l am glad, for /, too,
have seen a little soldering here and
there" He did not look glad, but he
drew his brows down over his keen
eyes.
"You are French, are you not?" /
asked, as we all walked up the hill to-
gether, he with his black bag in his
hand, and his long blue cloak slung
over his shoulder.
well, I am of Alsace," said he.
"And you know they are more Ger
man than French. For myself, Ihave
been in so many lands that I feel at
home in all. I have been a great trav-
eler. And where do you think that I
might find a lodging?'
I a scarcely tell now, on looking
back with the great gap of ive-and-
thirty years between what impression
this singular man had made upon me.
Jim Horscroft was a fine man, and
Maj. Elliott was a brave one, but they
both lacked something that this wan
derer had. 1t was the quick, alert
look, the flash Of the eye, the name
less distinction which is SO hard to
fix. And then, we had saved him
when he lay gasping on the single,
and ones heart always softens to-
ward what n has once helped.
'Tf you will come with me-" said /,
81 have little doubt that I can find
you a bed for a night or two, and by
that time Won will he hetfnr able fo