pressions.

we

After a 37 days' campaign, or rather an incessant hunt, our horses were thin and lean-ribbed, but their eyes were still lively and full of fire; not one was saddle-galled. We men were bronzed by the sun, our hair was long, our crossbelts were dirty and our waistcoats were worn to threads; we all presented that appearance of indifference to danger and hardship which characterizes the true soldier.

What general would not have chosen our light cavalry for a battle-charge, rather than the smartest of squadrons all decked out in new clothes?

Since morning I had thought of all the little pleasures that awaited me.

Now I should sleep in my iron bedstead, after having slept for 37 nights on a square of oilcloth. I should sit on my chair and take my dinner, and should have as much soft bread and salt as I liked. Next I wondered to myself whether Mademoiselle Coucha would wear a pomegranate flower or jessamine in her hair, and if she had kept the vows which she made when I left; but, faithful or inconsistent, I knew she could reckon on the depth of tenderness that a man brings home from the wilds. There was no one in our squadron who had not made plans for the evening.

The Colonel received us in the most fatherly manner, and even told us he was satisfied with us. Then he took our commanding officer aside, and in a low tone for five minutes communicated to him some not very agreeable intelligence,

We noticed the movement of the Colonel's whiskers, which rose up to his eyebrows, while those of the Commandant fell piteously out of curl, almost on his breast. A young trooper whom I pretended not to hear maintained that the Commandant's nose stretched as far as one could see; but very soon ours lengthened too, for the Commandant came to tell us to "Go and feed your horses, and be ready to set out after sunset! The officers will dine with the Colonel at five o'clock, in the open. The horses must be mounted after the coffee. Is it possible that you are not pleased at this, gentlemen ?"

It did not suit us, and we saluted in silence, inwardly sending him and the Colonel to all the places we could think of.

We had very little time in which to make our small preparations. I hurried to change my clothes, and when I had done this I was wise enough not to sit in my easy-chair for fear I should fall asleep.

At five o'clock I went to the Colonel's He lived in a large Moorish house. I found the open court filled with French and natives, all crowding around a band of pilgrims or mountebanks who had. come from the South.

An old man conducted the performance. He was as ugly as a monkey and half-naked under his burnous, which was full of holes. His skin was the color of chocolate made of water; he was tattooed all over with scars. His hair was frizzly and so matted that from a distance one might have thought he had. a bear-skin cap on his head; his beard

was white and bristly. He was reputed to be a great saint and an accomplished wizard.

In front of him an orchestra composed of two flutes and three tambourines made an infernal din, worthy of the performance that was about to begin. He said that he had received complete sway over demons and wild beasts from a famous Mohammedan priest; and, after some compliments addressed to the Colonel and the elite audience, he went off into a sort of prayer or incantation, accompanied by his orchestra, while the actors danced to his command, turned on

to give us a good appetite for our dinner. As for myself, I turned my eyes away from these beasts, who disgusted me, and amused myself by staring at a pretty girl of 13 or 14 years of age, who had threaded through the crowd to get nearer to the performance.

She had the most beautiful eyes imaginable, and her hair fell on her shoulders in fine tresses; these ended in small pieces of silver which made a tinkling sound as she moved her head gracefully about. She was dressed with more taste than most of the girls of that country. She had a kerchief of silk and gold

"THERE IS BUT A SINGLE POINT

one foot and struck their breasts heavy blows with their fists. Meanwhile the tambourines and flutes increased their din and played faster and faster.

When exhaustion and giddiness had made these people lose what few brains they possessed, the chief sorcerer drew several scorpions and serpents from some baskets around him; and after showing that they were full of life, he threw them to his jesters, who fell upon them like dogs upon a bone and tore them to pieces-with their teeth, if you please!

We looked down upon this extraordinary spectacle from a high gallery. No doubt the Colonel treated us to it in order

WHERE HORSES CAN FORD IT."

on her head; a bodice of embroidered velvet, and short pantaloons of blue satin showing her bare legs encircled with silver anklets. There was not a vestige of a veil over her face. Was she a Jewess or a heathen? Or did she, perhaps, belong to those wandering tribes of unknown origin who never trouble themselves with religious prejudice?

As I followed her every movement with a great deal of interest, she had arrived at the first row of the circle, where the fanatics carried on their exercises.

While she was trying to get still nearer, she knocked over a narrow-bot