The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-24
A Daily Story Real Life

dawn. and fire and sword and tor ture are brought to play.
 This time however. the men IT. the besieged post were up again.' something worse than a comDin ation of all three Thirst!
 "It was maddening," related Papa Pierre. Many were dying of thirst, or of the merciful bull let's of the unmerciful snipers. was dying of both. rolled and pitched about with a gaping wound in my chest, as tfnrsty as any nv ing man ever can be.
 MY ONLY CHANGE LAY IN GETTING WATER My only chaRc, of life lay IL getting a drink Of water Was ready to give pint of blood just for a few drops of ic. But there was no way of getting #. It meant certain death for any :nan who even attempted to. "In that hour of great need. Raoul did not fail m. Unb.dden' he braved deat tn oivgeme he braved death to give me life. III the dead of night he stole out of the fort and made a dash for the oasis. It was indeed a miracle now h got past the Arab sentries. But he performed the miracle ana came back alive-together with gourd of water, This he divided equally among the men, and he who had risked hsi life for it, took no more than was his shares! And what do you suppose he did with that?' cried Papa Pierre. Raising his voice to bar inter- ruption, he beloved excitedly. "I'll tell you what he did. He de- voted his own meager ration or water to me and my wound: And when Corporal Haldez attempted to stop him - Raold, quiet gentle Raolu, had threatened to shoot him."
 the ring of silent legionnaire> These hardened, unemotional sol diers were softened, stirred to the depths of their emotion. "Yes," spoke on the Srizzled vet eran of Tonkin and Dahomey, as | he gazed at some imaginary point out in the desert, that = ana great deal more - he did for me. "Yet how did I serve him? ne | asked in a husky voice. ! breast. he continued. l "It was during the Riff cam | paign that I repaid Raoul. It was at Iskraten, where we were sent to demonstrate, that l repaid the dept I could never forget - or fully re- l nav. Oh, yes, 1 know the meaning of gratitude. vhor h. 1 was out on reconnaissance. Hls 1 patrol failed to return so we went searching--fearing them lost we 1 didn't look far. We found them 1 few miles away-but lost to us | forever.
 "They had become victims of the
 bestial savagery of the Touareg band that had surprised and taken l them. ,.
 Tt was a dark and dismal day for me as 1 gaZed upon the deiiieu l remains of Raoul and those other brave legionnaires who had been tortured beyond belief or descrip- l ton. with knives-red-hot irons
 "He was still incredibly, alive | but I sadly realized there was noth- | ing that could be done for him. "There he was,' said Papa Pierre in a voice thick with emotion,
 "-bleeding -suffering-in agony -. And there I was-watching
 him bleed suffer - this friend whom loved as son. This splen- did, noble. 1ion-hearted friend.
 "He had saved my life once.
 Now it was my turn. must do something for him - to show my gratitude.
 "T PUT A BULLET
 THROUGH HIS BRAIN
 T put bullet through his brain
 Silence; deep. ominous, trance
 like.
 The legionnaires looked at one another blankly and regarded Papa
 Pierre with wide eyes.
 What a strange last service for
 one with whom one has soldiered, worked, suffered, and face death.
 What fashion in which to re-
 pay debt, yet-in those circum-
 stances-the only way.
 What an ironical situation. To
 this friend who had once given
 him Life-he must give Death
 The Lights Out" bugle cruelty
 broke the spell. The legionnaires
 were awakened from their reverie
 by the fatherly voice of Sergeant
 Wehrtzenburger advising them
 to go- to bed immediately. or, by
 God, he'd put them to sleep for-
 ever.
 This being no satisfactory i'm
 ducement, they go to bed immedi-
 ately.
 Que voulez-vous Cest la Le
 zion!
 ; ,r