The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-03-23
CHAPTER 12. THE LEGION MARCHES

marched to the gate and again sounded the assembly" outside the post. They then marched right round the walls, sounding their strident urgent call to each Of the other three points of the compass.
 DO put on a noo record. That ones gettin' wore out" observed Sailor Harris as he stuffed a small kit into his sack.
 Wore out!" grunted William Bossum, rolling spare boots in his blanket and tent-canvas that he proceeded to strap to his knap- sack. T reckon it's broke. They broke it. Yus. . they broke the record" he chuckled. "Playin' ii five times round five square yards to five men and boy"
 "Bli'mel A joke!" observed Sai- Tor Harris in an annoying manner
 You break the record for speed I my lad, or you'll be in for it." urg- ed Joe Mummery, as he spun round and round, winding twelve feet oi broad woolen belt about his mid dle. ,
 Tn the cook house soup is being hastily prepared and loaves of bread laid out for distribution.
 The tightly packed sacks, and the rifles are brought out, by each man. laid in the place where he will fall in.
 Once again the bugles sound, and almost immediately everybody is in his place, and the roll is called Cartridges are distributed, the quartermaster and his orderlies is sue reserve rations to each man two tins, pound of corned beef and a pound of biscuits. Each man also receives a little bag of coffee lone of salt and one of sugar.
 Major Riccoli mounts his horse
 The men stand silent and steady as rock, buglers ten paces to, the right.
 The SengaleSe come to attention Their guard present arms.
 F'orwardl March!
 The buglers strike up the March of the Legion and once more the Legion marches.
 Always the Legoin marches.
 Some feel that Major Napoleon Riccoli is being a little excessive They have every intention of marching-when on the way to billets in a real town, and the joys thereof.
 If all his men would not follow him to the Gates of Hell and on through them, as he is fond of boasting, they will certainly follow him to the Gates of Mekazzen and through them.
 But it is a weary march across the burning waterless desert that is one of the chief factors in the impregnability of Mekazzen; most powerful of the defences that had kept the country inviolate since the days when the great Shereefian warrior ancestor of the Kaid con- quered and colonized it, centuries before his descendants conquered and colonized Spain.
 A weary march, needing no hu- man enemies Gin alliance with those of heat, thirst and sand storms) to render it almost im- possible.
 How long ago it seemed to the over strained, heat-stricken men, since the detachment of Senegalese infantry arrived at the post and took over charge; how long since their own bugles blew the assem- ply.
 AS usual, it was the aged and alcoholic Tant de Soif who could find breath for song and conver- sation.
 Do you know whsre We are?' he asked, as the column halted and flung itself down for its ten min utes' rest, at the sound of Major Riccolis whistle.
 I Sailor Harris'es reply is better unrecorded.
 Speak for yourself" rebuked Tant de Soif. T will tell vou what we areas distinguished from yourself. We are sheep, I sav-A and I don't like it,
 We are being absolutely shep- herded along. There are at least four scouts in touch with Us I don't like it. I say have lived for France and desire to go on living for France. I have no wish to die for her. And when I have to do so, l prefer to die discretely-and , in the newspapers, if you know ! what I mean-like the heroic of Camarron.
 Die in the newspapers?" grum- bled Pere Poussin. Personally I'd prefer to die in the canteen." Live there, you mean" ~'
 Whats this about being shep-