The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-03-21
CHAPTER 10 BOMBELLI OR LANGEAC?

Sergeant Major Vittorelli him self thereafter entertained the messenger, who seemed deeply in terested in the men and ways oi the post, and, after sunset, lantern in hand, escorted him to the gate and saw him out into the nIght. As the Moor swung down the hillside to where his camels were tethered, a mile or so from the fort, he frowned in deep thought.
 Tt might be a genuine coup, he unused. Ut might. And ther again. if I know my Riccoli, my budding Napoleon . :? We shall sec"
 With a ragged tough-looging man, clad in goat-hair cloak whom he addressed as Pierrepont but who appeared to be but dirty Arab camel-driver, ne discpssea matter at some length, and in the French tongue, as they drank cof- fee together.
 Wonder if Langeac will have any difficulty in joining us to- night?" unused the dirty camel driver, changing the subject.
 Not he, my dear Pierrepont. Or if he has any difficulty, hell overcome it."
 Both men laughed.
 He saw you all right today?"
 He did"
 Quite. We fairly exchanged glances = after I'd made the sign
 Yes . Langeac will be with us by-and-by," he continued, "and then we'll get off as soon as pos sible."
 "Langeac's the clever one . smiled the dirty camel-man.
 Clever as the devil" agreed the other.
 The two slipped their coffee in silence for a while. s-
 What are you laughing at?1 inquired the camel-driyer.
 Thinking of Riccoli's face when confront him with Langeac."
 May be there to see,' breathed the camelman fervently.
 
 Sensation ;. Nine days wonder.
 An interest in life at iast-an absolute tonic and a marvellous cure of incipient sun madness. Bombelli had not lived in vain for he had deserted in the night and given les legionnaires some thing to talk about. l At least, he was missing from his post, and he could hardly have vanished into thin air, been spir- tied away, kidnapped.
 What fool!' said les legion naires as one man.
 Where on earth did he think he could get to, from there? How long did he think he was going to live in that desert with out water?
 The silly lunatic knew what a terrible business it had been for the properly equipped section to reach the spot where they had built the post.
 And how long did he suppose he was going to escape the attention, and attentions, of the Arabs-Bed- ouin, Touareg, Hoggar raiders, Moorish mountaineers? What did he suppose they'd do to him when they caught him, as most assuredly they would?
 The poor pitiable silly fool. What worse spot could he have chosen in all Africa, from which to attempt to desert.
 And what a queer thing, too, that man who obviously stood high in the favor of the Sergeant- Major should desertl A man who was never flor it." never in cells. never in trouble of any sort-a ' man moreover, with good pickings as an officers servant.
 Well, well-if they'd been told that one of the Section was going to desert, the very last man they would have expected to do so would have been Major Riccoli's orderly.
 Nor, it transpired was that the queerest thing about this queer business, for it soon became known that Bombelli had deserted un- armed Absolutely unarmed; for. before going over the wall, he had leant his rifle and fixed bayonet against 1t. and there they were when the sergeant of the guard came to re- lieve him. Actually, Bombelli,s rifle and bayonet, and no BombeTli Could you beat it?
 Mad, of courSe-a clear case of madness.
 And yet, who in the whole post had seemed less likely subject for an attack of the desert-mad- ness?
 That there should have been any other sort of attack was unthink- able.