Evening star., 1927-04-24

~ X-NO. 32SGT. soldat premiere
classe, shuffied out of the mair
gate Of the barracks of the 1st
l. Battalion Of La Legion Etran
gsrs at Sidi-beI-Abbes for the
last time, and without a farewell
glance at that hideous yellow build
Ing.
lie had once been Geoffry Brabazon-
Howard, esq. Of st. James street and
the United Service Club. but no one
would have thought it of the stoop-
ing decrepit creature in the ill-ftting
blue suit Of ready-Tnade tand very
badly made) mufti, the tam-o' -shanter
cap. and blue scarf.
He looked more like a Basque bear.
leader whose bear has been impound-
ed. or an Italian organ-grinder who
has had to pawn his 0rgan-Save that
the rather vacant eye in the leathern
face was gray and the hair, beneath
the beret, Of a Northern fairness. a
careful observer tsuch as mother
or wife, had he had one to observe
himl would have noticed that his
hands shook like those Of an old man,
that his ewes were heavy and blood
shot. as though from sleeplessnesS,
and that his legs did not appear to
be nlpletelv under control. A casual
passer.by might have supposed him
to be slightly drunk. or recovering
from a drunken bout
He had pust received his discharge
from the Legion his bonus as holder
Of the rnedaille and croix, his papers
and travelling warrant to any place in
France the blessing of his captain
and the cherry assurance of the doc
tor that he was suffering from cerehro-
spinal sclerosis, and would gradually
~, {r,fl ~ l1~rrr rod
lunatic,
Certainly he felt very i'll. although
ne was in no great pain. But there
seemed TO be q semi-opaque veil he
tween himself and the rest of the
world He lived quite alone and un-
approa chable in a curious cloud, and
although he slept but little, he lived
in a dream.
He was also much distressed by the
feeling that his hands were as large
and thick as boxing gloves, that his
feet had soles of thick felt. He would
gladly have exchanged the terrible
feeling of weakness and imminent
collapse in the small of his back for
any kind of pain. And, above all
things. he wanted rest. Not sleep
Heaven forbid. Sleep was torment
unnamable and unimaginable. The
worst of it was that insomnia led to
the very same thing. and one lived
on the horns of dilemma. If one
did things TO keep oneself awake, they
either lost their efficacy and one slept
and fell into torment. or one got in
somnia and crawled there with rack
ing, bursting head and eyes that burnt
the brain.
Rest! That was it. Well-he had
done his five years in the Legion and
got his discharge Why shouldn't he
rest? He would rest forthwith, before
be set out upon his Quest, the last
undertaking of his life.
He lay down in the shade. In five
ea,onds he was asleep. Later, two
aans d'armes passed. One turned
6eck and kicked him. Get out Of
Shis," said he tersely.
EX-NO. 32867 of the Premiere Legion
IL Etrangere staggered to his feet,
with what speed he might.
II beg your pardon, said he, in
English. II am afraid" and then
Re realized who and what and where
he was.
Mechanically, he walked back to
barracks and made to enter the main
gate. The sentry stopped him, and the
eargeant of the guard came up.
by no means" quoth Sergt, Legros.
s7s this a doss-house for every dirty
tramp that chooses to enter and de-
file it?" And he ordered the sentry
to fling the thing out. But that a
French bayonet must not be used as
b. stable-fork, l would he began
egain, but Ex-No. S2S67 perceived that