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008 - Chapter 5 Part 1 An execution A Rebel Chieftan etc · An Englishman in the French Foreign Legion

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Speaker 1: Chapter five of A Soldier of the Legion by George Mannington.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter five,
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Speaker 1: Part one, an execution, a rebel chieftain, A bid for liberty,
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Speaker 1: Denam's mistake, Linnie speaks, a new road to Tayian in
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Speaker 1: the enemy's country. A sharp encounter Chotrang the fever fiend
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Speaker 1: in the hospital Quangyen, the five prisoners captured with Linnyi
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Speaker 1: were executed the first week in August. They had been
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Speaker 1: tried and condemned by the native mandarins entrusted with the
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Speaker 1: administration of justice. These functionaries had come over on purpose
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Speaker 1: from Bacnin in the Great State, and the execution took
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Speaker 1: place in an open space in front of our fort.
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Speaker 1: We supplied a guard and piquet for the occasion. None
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Speaker 1: of the rebels had given any information, although it was
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Speaker 1: whispered that the native judges had submitted them to torture
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Speaker 1: during their interrogation. We had no means of controlling these rumors.
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Speaker 1: For each morning the prisoners were handed over to the
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Speaker 1: native police, and they were returned at night. And although
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Speaker 1: they slept in the fort, it was forbidden to communicate
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Speaker 1: with them From their appearance an evident exhaustion, I should
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Speaker 1: be inclined to think they had suffered maltreatment. There would
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Speaker 1: be nothing very surprising in this, for according to the
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Speaker 1: Native code of justice, such methods were not only recommended,
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Speaker 1: but were actually indicated. It is certain that the rebels
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Speaker 1: showed no mercy to the loyal natives or French soldiers
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Speaker 1: they captured alive. Fortunately, it was rarely indeed that any
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Speaker 1: of the latter fell into their hands, and subsequently it
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Speaker 1: was destined that I should witness shocking proofs of the
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Speaker 1: terrible cruelty they were capable of employing. It is therefore
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Speaker 1: probable that the Native judges made use of all the
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Speaker 1: powers afforded them by the law of the land, and
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Speaker 1: did not employ European methods, for which most likely they
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Speaker 1: possessed supreme contempt. The execution was carried out in a
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Speaker 1: very simple and expeditious manner. When a rectangular space had
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Speaker 1: been cleared and lined by the troops. The two mandarins,
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Speaker 1: dressed in robes of embroidered silk, of which the dominant
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Speaker 1: colors were red and gold. Their long hair neatly rolled
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Speaker 1: in a new krepon turban took up a position in
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Speaker 1: the middle of one side of the square and facing
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Speaker 1: the center. Behind them were masked their retainers. Bannermen carried
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Speaker 1: tattered triangular flags and coolies bore aloft enormous umbrellas, two
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Speaker 1: to each official, whereon were painted in bright colors a
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Speaker 1: quaint design of dragons and griffins. Each Mandarin was also
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Speaker 1: accompanied by a sword bearer, a pipe bearer, and a domestic,
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Speaker 1: to whose care was confided a black lacquered box containing
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Speaker 1: the areca nut and beetle leaf of his master. They
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Speaker 1: formed a dirty motley crowd without order or cohesion, clad
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Speaker 1: in shabby, tattered scarlet uniforms, and they laughed, chatted, or
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Speaker 1: squabbled one with the other, like a pack of old fishwives.
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Speaker 1: They subsided into comparative silence. However, on the appearance of
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Speaker 1: Captain Placier, our commander, who occupied the place of honor
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Speaker 1: a little in advance of the two judges, the prisoners
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Speaker 1: were now brought into the enclosure under the escort of
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Speaker 1: a few Lindee soldiers of the Mandarin Guard, whose dirty
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Speaker 1: green uniforms and still dirtier rifles and accouterments were certain
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Speaker 1: proofs of their slovenly and undisciplined habits. Behind the little
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Speaker 1: procession formed by the condemned men stalked the executioner, a
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Speaker 1: tall native dressed in a red embroidered vest and black
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Speaker 1: silk pantaloons upon his shoulder. He carried a heavy curved
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Speaker 1: sword about three feet long, and a good deal broader
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Speaker 1: at the end than near the handle. The five rebels,
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Speaker 1: their hands tied behind them, walked to their death without
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Speaker 1: any tremor or hesitation. Chatting together merrily. They threw curious
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Speaker 1: glances at their surroundings, and expectorated, from time to time
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Speaker 1: with evident unconcern the red juice of the beetle leaf
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Speaker 1: they were chewing. They were lined up, separated about four paces,
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Speaker 1: one from the other, on the opposite side of the
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Speaker 1: square occupied by the authorities, and facing them. As each
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Speaker 1: of the prisoners reached the place assigned to him, a
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Speaker 1: Native soldier unbuttoned and turned back the collar of the
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Speaker 1: rebel's vest. Then, one after the other, they knelt upon
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Speaker 1: the grass, taking every care that their position should be
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Speaker 1: as comfortable as the circumstances would allow. The sentence having
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Speaker 1: been read aloud to the assembled natives, the executioner, after
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Speaker 1: thrusting his finger into his mouth, traced a wet line
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Speaker 1: of red beetle juice across the back of the neck
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Speaker 1: of the first of his victims, about half an inch
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Speaker 1: above the last big vertebra. Stepping back apace, he swung
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Speaker 1: aloft his heavy sword with both hands. It poised a
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Speaker 1: second in the air. There was a glitter in the
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Speaker 1: bright sunlight as it descended, then a swishing sound and
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Speaker 1: a dull thud. The head of the first rebel detached
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Speaker 1: with a single blow, fell on the ground and rolled
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Speaker 1: once over. From the severed neck, a rich red stream
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Speaker 1: shot out quite six feet over the grass. The body
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Speaker 1: rocked once and subsided gently. Bending over it. The executioner
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Speaker 1: touched the open arteries and smeared a little of the
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Speaker 1: warm blood over his own lips as a charm against
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Speaker 1: any evil influence from the spirit of the departed. The
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Speaker 1: other prisoners, who had watched the execution of their comrade
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Speaker 1: with evident interest, made flattering remarks concerning the skill of
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Speaker 1: the swordsman. The next to die smiled and prepared himself calmly,
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Speaker 1: stretching his neck as far forward as it was possible
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Speaker 1: for him to do without losing his balance. I felt
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Speaker 1: deadly sick and could not bring myself to watch the
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Speaker 1: succeeding decapitations, which were carried out with similar skill and expedition.
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Speaker 1: The bodies of the condemned were handed over to their families,
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Speaker 1: but their heads, attached to the top of a tall
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Speaker 1: bambooed pole, were exposed at the entrance of the fort
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Speaker 1: as an example to all rebels. The authorities had decided
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Speaker 1: not to hurry on the trial of Lynie in the
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Speaker 1: hope that they would eventually succeed in obtaining information from him.
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Speaker 1: He was interrogated during several days by the two mandarins,
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Speaker 1: who failed, however, to extract the slightest indication of dad,
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Speaker 1: the strength of the enemy, or the whereabouts of their positions.
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Speaker 1: After the departure of these functionaries, our commander made several attempts,
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Speaker 1: with the aid of tow as an interpreter, to break
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Speaker 1: through the reserve of the chieftain, but without success. The
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Speaker 1: treatment accorded him was a humane one. His diet was unstented,
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Speaker 1: and his parents, an aged white haired couple, were allowed
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Speaker 1: to visit him as often as they chose during the daytime.
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Speaker 1: His wife, for so the woman whom we had found
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Speaker 1: with him, proved to be remained constantly by him, and
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Speaker 1: attended to all his wants. To one privation only was
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Speaker 1: he submitted, and that was the want of opium. On
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Speaker 1: this point our captain was obdurate, and though Lennie, who
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Speaker 1: was well supplied with money, offered to purchase the drug
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Speaker 1: his craving, was not allowed. Satisfaction to all his entreaties.
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Speaker 1: The same reply was given, speak tell us what we
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Speaker 1: ask of you, and you shall have opium the very best,
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Speaker 1: at our expense. Only those who have witnessed the powerful
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Speaker 1: hold the subtle drug takes on its votaries can imagine
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Speaker 1: the torture endured by this native during the hours at
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Speaker 1: which he had accustomed himself to indulge in his fashion.
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Speaker 1: These agonies, occurring shortly after the noon and evening meals,
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Speaker 1: would commence by protracted yawnings and develop into spasmodic nervous
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Speaker 1: contractions of the body and limbs, which broke into profuse perspiration.
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Speaker 1: Unable to stand the strain, the unhappy victim of the
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Speaker 1: brilliant ewed but treacherous flower, or rather its seed, would
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Speaker 1: entreat his guards to supply him with the smallest particle
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Speaker 1: at no matter what price. Then, finding that his supplications
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Speaker 1: were without avail, he would break into a torrent of
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Speaker 1: invective and malediction, which grew in intensity and filthiness as
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Speaker 1: his increasing and impotent rage neared his climax. Then, speechless
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Speaker 1: and foaming at the mouth, he would fall back on
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Speaker 1: the hard, beaten clay floor of the verandah, with mouth
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Speaker 1: agape and black eyes fixed staring at the roof above
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Speaker 1: his face, pale yellow framed in the thick, tangled mass
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Speaker 1: of long black hair escape from his fallen turbane. His
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Speaker 1: chest would heave and crack under the short, sharp pants,
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Speaker 1: which brought the air through the larynx with a whistling
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Speaker 1: his Thus would he continue for perhaps an hour, until
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Speaker 1: exhausted by the struggle, he would fall into a sound sleep,
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Speaker 1: from which he would awake, refreshed and smiling, to laugh
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Speaker 1: and chat with his guards, his wife, or parents if
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Speaker 1: they happened to be present. Had there been any danger
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Speaker 1: to Linye during these attacks, I believe that opium or
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Speaker 1: some anesthetic would have been administered to him by our
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Speaker 1: surgeon Monsieur Jolie, who on several occasions was present during
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Speaker 1: these crises on the twenty second August, our prisoner made
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Speaker 1: a daring bid for liberty. During the night, he had
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Speaker 1: succeeded in picking the lock which secured the two heavy
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Speaker 1: beams forming the stalks wherein his ankles were imprisoned. At
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Speaker 1: four in the morning, profiting by the fact that the
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Speaker 1: native sentry was slumbering, though the soldier denied this and
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Speaker 1: attributed the chieftain's escaped to the miraculous Linie, made a
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Speaker 1: dash for the palisade and was astrided when a native sergeant,
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Speaker 1: who had heard the rattling of the bamboo, ran to
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Speaker 1: the spot from whence the sound came, and succeeded in
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Speaker 1: grasping a leg of the escaping rebel, to which he clung,
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Speaker 1: shouting the while for help. A few seconds later, the
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Speaker 1: prisoner was brought back and secured, and the doctor attended
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Speaker 1: to his wounds, for he had been almost impaled during
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Speaker 1: his struggle by the pointed bamboo poles of the palisade.
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Speaker 1: Shortly after this incident, a terrible tragedy occurred which brought
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Speaker 1: about a complete change in the attitude of our prisoner
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Speaker 1: and eventually made him a devoted partisan of the French cause.
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Speaker 1: Lennie had enemies in the rebel camp, and one of these,
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Speaker 1: desirous of taking over his honors and command, informed Dename
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Speaker 1: that the captive Limbian had succumbed to pressure and had
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Speaker 1: given information to the French. He also provided evidence which
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Speaker 1: was false to substantiate his declaration. Enraged at the apparent
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Speaker 1: weakness of one of his most trusted lieutenants, the rebel
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Speaker 1: chief decided to make an example, and he gave orders
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Speaker 1: for the immediate seizure and execution of Lygnier's aged parents.
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Speaker 1: The details of this drama, which I obtained from Chaux,
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Speaker 1: were confirmed by documents captured later from the rebels. I
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Speaker 1: had an opportunity of perusing them whilst serving on the
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Speaker 1: staff of the first Brigade. Some months later, at daylight
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Speaker 1: on the morning of the twenty eighth August, the European
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Speaker 1: sentry at the gate of Nanam found a basket which
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Speaker 1: had been deposited outside during the night. On being opened,
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Speaker 1: it was found to contain two heads and a letter
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Speaker 1: addressed to our prisoner. It is unnecessary to give further
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Speaker 1: explanation or to describe in morbid details the reception of
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Speaker 1: this strange parcel by the unfortunate lin Nie, certain it
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Speaker 1: is that its effect was immediate. For that very evening
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Speaker 1: I saw our sie devant Rebel, who had just returned
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Speaker 1: from a long interview with our commander under the Verandah,
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Speaker 1: his former prison, where he was squatting side by side
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Speaker 1: with Tow, with whom he was engaged in a most
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Speaker 1: friendly conversation, whilst with some damp clay and split bamboo
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Speaker 1: he was constructing with nimble fingers, neat little models of
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Speaker 1: the different fortified positions belonging to his chief of yesterday.
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Speaker 1: From that time forward he was allowed all the opium
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Speaker 1: he cared to smoke, and though for his own safety
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Speaker 1: he preferred to remain in the fort during several weeks
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Speaker 1: he was liberated and lodgings were assigned to his wife
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Speaker 1: in the native soldier's village. Len Ye now became a
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Speaker 1: scout and guide to the French columns, and as such
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Speaker 1: he rendered immense services to the authorities, concerning which more
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Speaker 1: will be mentioned hereafter. Eventually he was made a Mandarin
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Speaker 1: and is now a local prefect of a district formerly
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Speaker 1: overrun by rebellion. He and Toe became fast friends, and
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Speaker 1: from their evening talks, when the Black smoke un thick.
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Speaker 1: Under the that I was able to derive much amusement
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Speaker 1: and some knowledge. Owing to information furnished by Nie, the
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Speaker 1: authorities decided to reconnoiter a road which had not been
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Speaker 1: visited by French troops since eighteen eighty six, when a
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Speaker 1: column under Major du Gain went by it from Tendao,
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Speaker 1: the old name for Nanam, to Tai Nuen, an important
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Speaker 1: town situated on the Sungkow River, about twenty miles as
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Speaker 1: the crow flies, to the northwest of Nanam. This road
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Speaker 1: had probably been constructed several centuries before, but owing to
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Speaker 1: the depopulation of the districts through which it passed, and
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Speaker 1: also to its proximity to the forest covered mountainous region
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Speaker 1: to the south, it was now but a path which
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Speaker 1: in some places completely disappeared in the ever advancing jungle.
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Speaker 1: From a military point of view, the reconnaissance of this
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Speaker 1: route was of the greatest importance, since, should it be
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Speaker 1: found practicable to infantry, it would be possible to make
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Speaker 1: use of it when the time served as the means
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Speaker 1: of advance for a column destined to attack the enemy's
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Speaker 1: position on the rightf flank. At Taiyuen, there was a garrison,
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Speaker 1: consisting of two companies of the foreign legion, one of
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Speaker 1: native infantry, a section of mountain artillery, and a detachment
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Speaker 1: of militia. My squad formed part of the small column
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Speaker 1: which left Nanam on the fourth of September at five
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Speaker 1: in the morning to explore this road. Though it had
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Speaker 1: been supposed that the distance to be covered would not
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Speaker 1: exceed twenty five miles, we actually marched close upon thirty
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Speaker 1: five before reaching our destination. At intervals we were obliged
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Speaker 1: to cut our way through the vegetation which had invaded
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Speaker 1: the track, and it was only by using the utmost
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Speaker 1: care that our little party succeeded in keeping in the
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Speaker 1: right direction. On several occasions we disturbed big herds of deer,
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Speaker 1: which scampered away on our approaching them. The tracks of
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Speaker 1: tigers were frequently visible, and once the advance guard, consisting
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Speaker 1: of half a dozen tirelliers, were considerably startled by the
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Speaker 1: presence of a fine python, which lay basking in the
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Speaker 1: sun close by the track. It was only after several
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Speaker 1: stones had been thrown at it, that the big snake
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Speaker 1: decided on withdrawing into the long grass. Owing to the
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Speaker 1: advisability of concealing our movements from the enemy. It was
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Speaker 1: deemed necessary not to make use of firearms on this occasion.
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Speaker 1: The men suffered much owing to the extreme heat. The
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Speaker 1: path was in the worst of conditions, and we were
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Speaker 1: obliged to twice ford a river, which, though not very deep,
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Speaker 1: was exceedingly rapid, so that our expedition proved to be
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Speaker 1: a very arduous one to all who took part in it.
16:43
Speaker 1: It was nearly eight p m. And quite dark when
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Speaker 1: we reached our destination, and several of the men fell
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Speaker 1: exhausted whilst waiting in the ranks for a hut to
16:53
Speaker 1: be prepared for us to pass the night. In Tai
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Speaker 1: Nuhin possessed a fine citadel of the Voba Hostile, which
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Speaker 1: was built in seventeen ninety eight, and it was in
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Speaker 1: this that the garrison dwelt. The town and its neighborhood
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Speaker 1: was at this time infested by tigers, which prowled about
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Speaker 1: the streets after dark, so that it was imprudent for
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Speaker 1: the inhabitants to go out without a torch or a
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Speaker 1: light of some kind. So great was the voracity and
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Speaker 1: daring of these animals that on several occasions they had
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Speaker 1: penetrated into the citadel and carried off dogs and goats
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Speaker 1: belonging to the garrison. Indeed, the doctor, by an extraordinary
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Speaker 1: stroke of good luck, killed one with a revolver shot,
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Speaker 1: as it was groping under his bed in search of
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Speaker 1: a favorite pointer, which had taken refuge there. Report had
17:46
Speaker 1: it that the lucky slayer of this greedy feline was
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Speaker 1: so excited by his good fortune that he was found
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Speaker 1: more dead than alive by the guard who ran to
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Speaker 1: the hut on hearing the report of the weapon. He
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Speaker 1: lost his dog, however, for the poor animal was found
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Speaker 1: to be quite dead, its skull crushed beneath the powerful
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Speaker 1: paw of its enemy. Our column, having proved that the
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Speaker 1: road explored could, if necessary, serve as a means of
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Speaker 1: penetration into the enemy's country, left Tan Yuin on its
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Speaker 1: return journey the next day at four pm. Plipte had
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Speaker 1: been in charge of the topographical work during our exploration,
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Speaker 1: and his sketch of the route so pleased Major Barrard,
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Speaker 1: who commanded our battalion and was also in charge of
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Speaker 1: the military zone, that my chum was detained at Tai
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Speaker 1: Nuin and attached to the staff there. I was very
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Speaker 1: sorry to lose him, but for his sake was glad
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Speaker 1: of this change in his prospects, as his new position
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Speaker 1: brought with it a greater chance of promotion. Our party
18:51
Speaker 1: did not return to Nanam by the same route it
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Speaker 1: had come, but took a better known and more frequented track,
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Speaker 1: passing more to the south through a district more populated
19:02
Speaker 1: and consequently better cultivated. On our way back, we slept
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Speaker 1: one night at Cassan Tuang, a small fort garrisoned by
19:11
Speaker 1: a detachment of militia, under the orders of a European officer.
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Speaker 1: We continued our journey the following morning and reached Nanam
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Speaker 1: at six p m. Owing to the fact that the
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Speaker 1: military authorities were now in possession of reliable information concerning
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Speaker 1: the rebel strength and positions, orders were issued by the
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Speaker 1: brigade for reconnaissances to be made from time to time
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Speaker 1: into the district north of our fort, with a view
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Speaker 1: to exploring the region and obtaining topographical sketches of the country,
19:43
Speaker 1: to be used in the production of a reliable map
19:46
Speaker 1: for the use of the officers who were to assist
19:48
Speaker 1: in the Big Column which the government had decided to
19:52
Speaker 1: put in the field during the winter months. I took
19:55
Speaker 1: part in the first of these little expeditions on the
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Speaker 1: twelfth September, the the object of which was to determine
20:02
Speaker 1: whether the tracks to long Tuang, a rebel village which
20:05
Speaker 1: had not been visited since January, was still accessible to infantry,
20:10
Speaker 1: and also to see if the hamlet was inhabited and fortified.
20:14
Speaker 1: We started out from Nanam at three in the afternoon,
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Speaker 1: as it was not intended to make any attack on
20:21
Speaker 1: the enemy should they be in force. Our detachment was
20:24
Speaker 1: a weak one, composed only of thirty legionaries and as
20:28
Speaker 1: many tiri is. In order to make things easy for
20:32
Speaker 1: the Europeans, for the heat was very oppressive, we were
20:35
Speaker 1: instructed to take with us only the six packets of
20:39
Speaker 1: ammunition contained in our belt pouches, thirty six rounds. Fortunately
20:44
Speaker 1: for us, all the Tiris who accompanied us started with
20:48
Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty rounds per man. We arrived within
20:52
Speaker 1: a quarter of a mile of our destination, which was
20:55
Speaker 1: about a league and a half to the north of
20:57
Speaker 1: our position, without incidents. Were well cultivated and the rice
21:03
Speaker 1: was being harvested. But on our approach the reapers all
21:06
Speaker 1: women fled with loud cries towards the hamlet. It is
21:11
Speaker 1: probable that the suspicions of Captain Placier were aroused, for
21:15
Speaker 1: by his order we left the path extended and advanced
21:19
Speaker 1: towards the village across the cultivated ground, a small reserve
21:24
Speaker 1: remaining upon the track, under the orders of Lieutenant Bennett.
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Speaker 1: When about two hundred yards from the position, we were
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Speaker 1: received by a hot fire from a strong party of
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Speaker 1: the enemy occupying the hamlet. Our line halted and took
21:39
Speaker 1: cover by kneeling behind the little embankments which separated one
21:43
Speaker 1: field from the other. From here we replied to the rebels,
21:48
Speaker 1: but a few minutes later were exposed to a severe
21:51
Speaker 1: cross fire coming from the left flank, and in less
21:54
Speaker 1: time than it takes to describe Ettyrieu was killed and
21:58
Speaker 1: two others and one legionary were wounded. The enemy who
22:02
Speaker 1: took part in this flanking movement were some of Denam's regulars,
22:06
Speaker 1: who came from their entrenched positions in the forest, having
22:10
Speaker 1: been summoned to assist by their friends in the village,
22:13
Speaker 1: who for this purpose made use of long copper speaking trumpets,
22:17
Speaker 1: the weird bellowings of which we could hear above the
22:21
Speaker 1: reports of the rifles and the repeated words of command.
22:25
Speaker 1: Our reserve had extended on our left at right angles
22:28
Speaker 1: to our line, but its fire failed to keep the
22:31
Speaker 1: enemy in check, and very soon we could distinguish their
22:34
Speaker 1: skirmishers as they advanced in line at regular intervals, dropping
22:39
Speaker 1: now and again on one knee to discharge their rifles
22:42
Speaker 1: at us. The situation was getting too warm to be pleasant,
22:47
Speaker 1: and most of the legionaries having expended their slender stock
22:50
Speaker 1: of ammunition, it was found necessary to distribute among us
22:54
Speaker 1: the cartridges of the men who had been placed o'er
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Speaker 1: de combin, and also to take few packets from each
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Speaker 1: of the native infantrymen. Thanks to the wall like ridges
23:05
Speaker 1: behind which we lay, we suffered no further casualties, but
23:09
Speaker 1: our cartridges were getting scarcer each minute, and we felt
23:13
Speaker 1: that should any of the enemy succeed in getting out
23:15
Speaker 1: of the village by an exit which might possibly exist
23:19
Speaker 1: other than the door before us, there would be a
23:22
Speaker 1: possibility of an attack on our right flank, and consequently
23:26
Speaker 1: a danger of the road to Nanam being closed to us.
23:30
Speaker 1: It was very soon found necessary to restrict the efforts
23:33
Speaker 1: of the native troops to volley firing, for notwithstanding the
23:37
Speaker 1: repeated efforts of their French sergeants, they expended their ammunition
23:41
Speaker 1: with reckless extravagance when acting independently, the majority of them,
23:47
Speaker 1: not waiting to select a suitable target or to aim carefully,
23:51
Speaker 1: just loosed off into space, happy so long as the
23:55
Speaker 1: excitement created by the report of their rifle and the
23:58
Speaker 1: smell of their burning pack stayed their rising fears. This
24:03
Speaker 1: was the first time I had seen our captain under fire,
24:06
Speaker 1: and it was a supreme satisfaction to me to note
24:10
Speaker 1: that his attitude came up in every respect to the
24:13
Speaker 1: descriptions given me by my comrades senior to myself in
24:18
Speaker 1: the service. Calm and collected, he had an eye for
24:22
Speaker 1: every detail and seemed to foresee each new development in
24:26
Speaker 1: the situation. He was never a man of many words,
24:29
Speaker 1: and now he spoke only to give some short crisp
24:33
Speaker 1: order to the bugler or to a non commissioned officer.
24:37
Speaker 1: Though he happened that day to be dressed in a
24:39
Speaker 1: suit of white drill, he was the only one among
24:42
Speaker 1: us who took no cover, and was, in consequence the
24:45
Speaker 1: target for many a rebel rifle. As he walked coolly
24:49
Speaker 1: up and down behind the line of our crouching figures,
24:52
Speaker 1: his helmet cocked over his right ear, a cigarette between
24:56
Speaker 1: his lips, flicking his leggings every now and again, which
25:00
Speaker 1: the cane he carried, he seemed to defy death itself.
25:04
Speaker 1: This attitude inspired his men with enthusiastic confidence, and every
25:09
Speaker 1: legionary present would have hailed with joy and order from
25:13
Speaker 1: him to fix bayonets and charge right at the enemy.
25:17
Speaker 1: The action had lasted but a few minutes when the
25:20
Speaker 1: order to retreat by echelons was given. The object of
25:24
Speaker 1: the reconnaissance had been accomplished, for it was clear that
25:27
Speaker 1: the tract followed was accessible, and also that the village
25:31
Speaker 1: was occupied in force as an outpost, and under the circumstances,
25:35
Speaker 1: it would have been a culpable breach of the art
25:37
Speaker 1: of war, a wanton invitation to disaster to have continued
25:42
Speaker 1: the engagement. Our retirement was not effected without some difficulty,
25:47
Speaker 1: for the enemy showed considerable daring and initiative in harassing
25:52
Speaker 1: our retreat, and our progress was slow because we were
25:56
Speaker 1: embarrassed by our dead and wounded. Some difficulty was also
26:00
Speaker 1: experienced by the French sergeants in keeping their tiriers in hand,
26:05
Speaker 1: and it was undoubtedly due to their efforts, and also
26:08
Speaker 1: to the example of cool steadiness displayed by the legionaries,
26:13
Speaker 1: that our withdrawal was saved from degenerating into a total
26:17
Speaker 1: sauviki peur. It was found necessary to tell off men
26:22
Speaker 1: of my corps to bear away our comrades who were
26:25
Speaker 1: aue de combas, for the native troops were too plainly
26:29
Speaker 1: victims to shattered nerves to bear the strain of this
26:33
Speaker 1: task under fire. This somewhat reduced the strength of our
26:37
Speaker 1: little firing line, which however received some assistance from Lieutenant Bennett,
26:42
Speaker 1: who picked up a rifle and downed several of our
26:45
Speaker 1: eager pursuers, for he was a first class marksman. The
26:50
Speaker 1: enemy abandoned their attack when we were about a mile
26:53
Speaker 1: from Nanam, but it was a band of tired and
26:56
Speaker 1: thirsty men that reached the shelter of our position that
26:59
Speaker 1: evening at seven, Warned by our captain, who had galloped
27:03
Speaker 1: on ahead of us. As soon as all danger had ceased,
27:07
Speaker 1: the guard turned out and rendered the usual honors to
27:10
Speaker 1: the dead and wounded as they were born through the
27:13
Speaker 1: gate of the fort. The wounded were at once attended
27:16
Speaker 1: to in the infirmary, and were transferred under escort the
27:20
Speaker 1: next morning to the hospital at fou Lainctois. On the
27:25
Speaker 1: day following our engagement, the whole garrison turned out under
27:28
Speaker 1: arms to assist at the funeral of the Deirieur who
27:31
Speaker 1: had been killed. He was buried in the small, well
27:34
Speaker 1: kept cemetery situated just below the slope to the northwest
27:39
Speaker 1: of our position. The French people have had at all
27:42
Speaker 1: times a great respect for their dead, and their soldiers,
27:45
Speaker 1: who lauded has been to lay down their life ou
27:48
Speaker 1: champ d'onneur, as they so eloquently express it, have always
27:53
Speaker 1: received their full share of the respect paid to the departed.
27:57
Speaker 1: In France there exists a fun known as as Leeves Deston,
28:01
Speaker 1: subscribed to by thousands of the charitable public, and the
28:06
Speaker 1: money thus obtained is expended on the hundreds of far
28:09
Speaker 1: away colonial graveyards, which are kept in excellent order and
28:13
Speaker 1: in erecting an iron cross bearing the name and core
28:17
Speaker 1: of the deceased over the last resting place of each
28:21
Speaker 1: soldier of the Republic who falls in fight or dies
28:24
Speaker 1: of disease. This is done without restriction of race or religion.
28:30
Speaker 1: I went to see told that evening and found Lynnie
28:33
Speaker 1: with him. They both amused me by their evident regret
28:36
Speaker 1: at not having assisted in the engagement of the previous day.
28:41
Speaker 1: The little Sergeant's complaints were based on plain unsatisfied bloodthirstiness.
28:46
Speaker 1: Those of my ex rebel friend clearly originated in that
28:50
Speaker 1: spirit of unslakable vengeance which only an Asiatic can acquire.
28:56
Speaker 1: It was instructive to note how they, after each pipe
28:59
Speaker 1: of opium, built fresh plans and devised new methods for
29:03
Speaker 1: the merciless slaughter of their enemies. From them, I learned
29:07
Speaker 1: that a spy had come in during the day with
29:10
Speaker 1: information that De Tom, the most capable of all the
29:13
Speaker 1: rebel military leaders, had been in command of the troops
29:17
Speaker 1: that had attacked us, and that this famous captain, for
29:20
Speaker 1: whom they evidently cherished much hate and a good deal
29:24
Speaker 1: of reluctant admiration, had been severely wounded towards the end
29:28
Speaker 1: of the fight, his left arm having been shattered by
29:31
Speaker 1: a bullet just below the shoulder. This proved to be
29:35
Speaker 1: a fact. I met the famous chieftain in eighteen ninety seven,
29:39
Speaker 1: when he was a patizan of the French and the
29:42
Speaker 1: crippled state of his limb, due no doubt to the
29:45
Speaker 1: elementary treatment of the wound by the native medicine man,
29:49
Speaker 1: was an evident proof of it. I passed many pleasant
29:52
Speaker 1: evenings with Tow and Nie, who would favor me with
29:56
Speaker 1: stories of war and love, legends of ancient o Ordas
30:00
Speaker 1: origin in which the actors were demigods, dragons and genie,
30:04
Speaker 1: and strange fables full of local color, replete with quaint
30:08
Speaker 1: proverbs and philosophical axioms, dear to the disciples of Confucius. Unfortunately,
30:15
Speaker 1: I was soon to be deprived of the real pleasure
30:17
Speaker 1: obtained from these four gatherings, for my section received orders
30:21
Speaker 1: to proceed to cho Trang, and I was thus immediately
30:25
Speaker 1: separated from my two friends. It was not without some
30:29
Speaker 1: regret that I accepted this hazard of a soldier's life,
30:32
Speaker 1: against which one should not murmur, and I was really
30:36
Speaker 1: sorry that the opportunity afforded me for the study of
30:39
Speaker 1: the complex characteristics of Toau and Ye should have been
30:43
Speaker 1: such a brief one end of Chapter five, Part one