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007 - Chapter 4 Part 2 · An Englishman in the French Foreign Legion

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Speaker 1: Chapter four of A Soldier of the Legion by George Mannington.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter four,
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Speaker 1: Part two. Toe reached out his skinny, little brown hand
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Speaker 1: and picked up his pipe, fondling it an instant prior
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Speaker 1: to warming the bowl in the flames, his keen black
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Speaker 1: eyes glancing over his favorite with the fond look of
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Speaker 1: satisfaction and gratitude one sees on the face of a
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Speaker 1: man who greets a well beloved wife. This pipe, if
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Speaker 1: such it can be called for, neither in bowl nor
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Speaker 1: stem did it resemble the instrument we give that name too,
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Speaker 1: was of similar form to that used by all Orientals
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Speaker 1: who inhale opium fumes. It consisted of a stem about
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Speaker 1: two feet long of polished bamboo about one and a
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Speaker 1: half inches in diameter, the lower end being closed by
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Speaker 1: an ivory cap, while the other extremity was covered by
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Speaker 1: a disk of silver with a small round hole in
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Speaker 1: the center of it. To this the lips were placed.
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Speaker 1: When the fumes were inhaled. About six inches from the
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Speaker 1: lower end of the stem, the bamboo was pierced to
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Speaker 1: receive the neck of the bowl, shaped like a hollow,
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Speaker 1: flat bulb. The top had a diameter of about three inches,
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Speaker 1: and was well polished and slightly convex. In the middle
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Speaker 1: was a tiny hole about as big as a pin's head.
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Speaker 1: It is perhaps as well to explain that no opium
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Speaker 1: gets into the bowl, for it is consumed over the
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Speaker 1: hole in the smooth convex surface on the top, owing
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Speaker 1: to the air in the bulb having been inhaled, and
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Speaker 1: the consequent creation of a temporary vacuum. Thus, only the
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Speaker 1: fumes passed through the little orifice, up the stem and
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Speaker 1: into the lungs of the smoker. Now Toe was warming
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Speaker 1: his pipe over the flame of the lamp, withdrawing it
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Speaker 1: now and then to gently polish the surface of the
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Speaker 1: bulb upon the sleeve of his khaki jacket. His better
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Speaker 1: half dipped one of the little silver skewers into the
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Speaker 1: tiny pot, and, after turning it round, drew it out,
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Speaker 1: covered with a coating of the rich brown drug, which
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Speaker 1: looked like thick treacle. This she held over the flame
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Speaker 1: for a second. It frizzled and gained inconsistency. She withdrew
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Speaker 1: it and dipped it again into the drug, and it
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Speaker 1: increased in volume three or four times. This operation was
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Speaker 1: repeated until there was sufficient opium in the skewer to
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Speaker 1: make a good pipe. The dob now held his pipe
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Speaker 1: in his mouth, and the tip of the flame licked
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Speaker 1: the smooth, warm surface of the bowl on which his
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Speaker 1: spouse began to roll the opium, holding the other end
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Speaker 1: of the pipe in her left hand to steady it.
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Speaker 1: Her dexterity was marvelous. In a few seconds, the drug
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Speaker 1: was detached from the skewer and was rolled into a
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Speaker 1: little ball about the size of a pea. She threw
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Speaker 1: a glance at tow which meant are you ready? He
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Speaker 1: nodded and started drawing at the bamboo a gentle movement,
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Speaker 1: and the skewer pushed the ball of opium onto the
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Speaker 1: tiny hole, and it was held just over the lamp.
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Speaker 1: There was a frizzle as the drugs began to burn,
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Speaker 1: continuing under the steady, prolonged suction of the smoker. There
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Speaker 1: was no smoke, for it was all going up the
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Speaker 1: pipe into the little brown man's lungs. His eyes were
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Speaker 1: half closed and his features expressed a gentle beatitude, but
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Speaker 1: his chest was swelling swelling. Soon he could not continue
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Speaker 1: the steady suction, and he drew at the bamboo with
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Speaker 1: a succession of small quick pants. His wife in the
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Speaker 1: meanwhile held the bowl well over the flame and pushed
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Speaker 1: up to the orifice, the tiny particles of the drug
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Speaker 1: still adhering to the convex surface. Presently all was consumed. I,
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Speaker 1: on seeing this for the first time, sighed with relief
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Speaker 1: as one who had escaped from witnessing a catoe aastrophe.
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Speaker 1: When the smoker opened his mouth and allowed the black
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Speaker 1: smoke to escape slowly from between his lacquered teeth, which
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Speaker 1: shone like ebony in the dim light of the tiny
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Speaker 1: lamp toe, watched the opaque column as it climbed slowly
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Speaker 1: upwards to the bamboo cross poles of his hut, and,
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Speaker 1: forming into a little cloud, clung to the thatch of
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Speaker 1: the roof. Yet good, he exclaimed, and then prepared for another.
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Speaker 1: The air in the tiny room was now heavy with
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Speaker 1: the odor of the drug, which at first seemed acrid
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Speaker 1: and unpleasant, but it improved on acquaintance and soon became
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Speaker 1: soothing and enjoyable. The dove liked to smoke his opium
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Speaker 1: in peace, and knowing this, I sat waiting until he
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Speaker 1: should see fit to break the silence outside the day
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Speaker 1: was fast drawing to a close, and the short eastern
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Speaker 1: sunset would in a few minutes be changed into night.
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Speaker 1: From the Chinaman shanty a few paces of came the
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Speaker 1: sound of a rollicking ditty sung by some of my
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Speaker 1: comrades over a pint of wine or a glass of absent.
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Speaker 1: The noise seemed to wake all the sechelles in the neighborhood,
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Speaker 1: for they started at once a concert of chirping whistles.
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Speaker 1: In the half dried up pools outside the village, thousands
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Speaker 1: of noisy members of the Petrachian tribe broke into an
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Speaker 1: endless chorus of complaint at the unwonted dryness of the season,
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Speaker 1: while from time to time their big uncles, the bullfrogs,
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Speaker 1: added a booming croak of approval. The matting hanging before
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Speaker 1: the doorway of the hut swung back a little, moved
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Speaker 1: by a hot breeze, which brought to the nostrils a
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Speaker 1: whiff of flowers and vegetation in decay, and I could
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Speaker 1: see the fireflies already circling down the little street or
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Speaker 1: about the thatch covered kanyes. The heat was terrific and seemed,
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Speaker 1: if possible, less supportable now than it had done during
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Speaker 1: the hours of black, binding, scorching sunshine. All the earth
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Speaker 1: seemed to radiate the caloric it had been stoking up
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Speaker 1: during the day. When would the rains break? Those rains
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Speaker 1: the other men who knew had told me of rains
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Speaker 1: that chilled you to the bone and made your teeth chatter.
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Speaker 1: The thought that in the past, it seemed years ago,
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Speaker 1: I had somewhere shivered with the cold made me laugh aloud.
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Speaker 1: As After throwing off my light cotton jacket and rolling
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Speaker 1: up my shirt sleeves, I sat mopping the perspiration from
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Speaker 1: my forehead. The veins of my neck seemed to swell,
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Speaker 1: and my breath came in gasps. Thinking that it might
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Speaker 1: be somewhat cooler there, I stepped into the street, and,
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Speaker 1: taking out my pouch, tried to roll a cigarette. Three times.
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Speaker 1: The thin paper broke in my sticky, perspiring fingers before
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Speaker 1: I succeeded in obtaining a damp and flabby apology for smoke.
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Speaker 1: This slight exertion had caused me to perspect fire from
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Speaker 1: every pore, and it seemed hotter outside than within. My
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Speaker 1: light clothes clung to my limbs like those of a
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Speaker 1: man pulled out of a pond. Disgusted, I returned and
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Speaker 1: sat down again on the edge of the bed, and
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Speaker 1: after endless difficulty, succeeded in lighting my damp cigarette with
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Speaker 1: a still damper match. The tiny twinkle of the opium
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Speaker 1: lamp deepened the darkness outside the small circle of its
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Speaker 1: light toes. Brownish yellow features on which it shone. Reminded
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Speaker 1: me of a quaint and clever old Japanese ivory I
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Speaker 1: had once seen, and the dark background of the night
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Speaker 1: was like the black velvet lined case which had contained it.
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Speaker 1: From where I sat, I could see the arm of
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Speaker 1: the sergeant's wife bare from the elbow, and I watched
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Speaker 1: with a kind of sleepy fascination her small and nimble
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Speaker 1: fingers as they manipulated the drug. The soft light gave
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Speaker 1: to her skin a rich gold tent, and made the
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Speaker 1: arm an end hand, look graceful and comely. The Rembrandt
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Speaker 1: like effect of the picture gripped me, and for the
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Speaker 1: moment the heat was forgotten. Toe's voice brought me from
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Speaker 1: a waking dream, when, after laying down his pipe, he said, patience, comrade,
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Speaker 1: it will come when the bullfrogs join in the song.
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Speaker 1: The great waters are not far off. Were you on
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Speaker 1: sentry to night, you would hear the dreary note of
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Speaker 1: the rain bird. For I'd stake a week's page. She
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Speaker 1: will be out bah. His wife tells me it sang
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Speaker 1: to day before sunrise. But women were ever dreamers. The
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Speaker 1: little woman looked up from her task of cleaning the
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Speaker 1: silver skewer, and retorted, dreamers, Oh, great slaughterer of men,
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Speaker 1: and dost thou give me time to dream? Is not
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Speaker 1: my life as full of work as our mountain rise
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Speaker 1: is full of fat? Am I not still at toe
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Speaker 1: from the dam toe a group of mountains to the
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Speaker 1: west of time yen? Are not my teeth white? Though
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Speaker 1: I have a husband who has blackened his and become
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Speaker 1: a plainsman. As she smiled at her own wit, I
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Speaker 1: caught a flash of ivory between her red lips, and
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Speaker 1: noticed for the first time the regularity of her small
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Speaker 1: features the dough. I smiled good naturedly and replied, oh,
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Speaker 1: thou silly one. Thou art pretty as an angry parakeet,
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Speaker 1: and talkest faster than to me. Had I not laquered
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Speaker 1: my poor teeth, Though my ancestors know the grief I
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Speaker 1: suffered from it, how could I have gone dressed like
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Speaker 1: a peddler to spy in the villages for the government.
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Speaker 1: Had I tried so to do that, dename would have
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Speaker 1: eaten my liver long since, as it is, some day
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Speaker 1: I shall probably eat his bah. Get ready another pipe
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Speaker 1: for me? Nay, nay, she answered, as she lit a
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Speaker 1: small kerosene lamp of German make and placed it on
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Speaker 1: the bed. Thou hast eaten ten times of the drug,
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Speaker 1: and it is thy just ration. She blew out the
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Speaker 1: small light and carried away the tray, saying to me
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Speaker 1: as she did so, were I to listen to this man,
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Speaker 1: he would turn all the government dollars he gets into
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Speaker 1: black smoke, and I and my sons would have to
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Speaker 1: go in shame to my father and begged for food.
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Speaker 1: It was very evident that Madame Bo ruled the roost,
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Speaker 1: and it was probably better. So tow growled a little
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Speaker 1: and protested to me, was ever man burdened with such
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Speaker 1: a wife? She has no respect for me? The senior
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Speaker 1: sergeant in the company, now had I married here? He
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Speaker 1: was interrupted by the first notes of the bugle, calling
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Speaker 1: us back to the fort, and we rose together and
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Speaker 1: hurried out of the hut. It was quite dark outside.
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Speaker 1: Tow did not speak until we had nearly reached the gate,
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Speaker 1: and then he said, come Arad when the time comes,
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Speaker 1: I hope you will find for yourself a white woman
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Speaker 1: with a heart like Boz bon Nui, and he ran
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Speaker 1: off to his section. Lying on my bed that night,
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Speaker 1: I communicated to my neighbor Lipti, a Hungarian, the incidents
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Speaker 1: of the evening, and together we laughed over the recital
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Speaker 1: of little toast domestic worries. This roommate of mine had
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Speaker 1: come out with our detachment on the Benoit. On our
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Speaker 1: arrival at Nanam, we had been given beds next to
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Speaker 1: each other, and our acquaintance was fast ripening into a
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Speaker 1: close friendship. Littee had joined in April of the preceding year.
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Speaker 1: Shortly before this, he held a commission in the Austrian Army,
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Speaker 1: which he had resigned. A braver, more loyal and upright
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Speaker 1: nature I have never met. I have never learnt the
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Speaker 1: reason which brought him into the legion, but am convinced
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Speaker 1: they were honorable. For during the four years we were
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Speaker 1: almost continually together, his speech and conduct were always those
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Speaker 1: of a gentleman in the truest sense. Of the word.
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Speaker 1: He was an adept at military topography, and to while
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Speaker 1: away the time would give me further lessons in this
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Speaker 1: useful art of which I had already some slight knowledge.
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Speaker 1: This having reached the ears of our captain, we accompanied
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Speaker 1: in turns the occasional reconnoitering parties, and made topos of
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Speaker 1: the route taken. His work was of the first quality,
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Speaker 1: and his draftsmanship of a very high order. The following
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Speaker 1: morning I came across Tow, who was conducting the sick
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Speaker 1: men of his detachment to the doctor. He halted an
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Speaker 1: instant to ask me if I was coming to see
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Speaker 1: him that evening, and I told him I should be
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Speaker 1: deprived of that pleasure as my section was on piquet
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Speaker 1: duty at five p m. At this he grinned and said, well,
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Speaker 1: then we shall meet later, for there will be some
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Speaker 1: fun tonight. He then left me and trotted off to
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Speaker 1: rejoin his men. I know it was no good trying
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Speaker 1: to obtain further information from him, for the doy was
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Speaker 1: like the majority of Orientals from whom torture will not
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Speaker 1: ring a secret they have decided to keep. So I
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Speaker 1: did not attempt to see him again that day. However,
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Speaker 1: as I knew that he served as interpreter to our
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Speaker 1: commander when spies were interrogated, I inferred from the hint
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Speaker 1: he had given me that some movement was to be
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Speaker 1: made that night. My section assembled and were inspected with
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Speaker 1: the guard that evening, and afterwards we were dismissed, but
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Speaker 1: had to remain dressed and armed in our room in
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Speaker 1: the event of our services being required. I took Lipte
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Speaker 1: into my confidence and told him of the tip I
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Speaker 1: had received. I induced him to do as I did
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Speaker 1: and fill his water bottle with cold coffee in case
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Speaker 1: of necessity. Fully dressed with our belt and cartridge cases on,
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Speaker 1: we lay down on our cots to snatch a few
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Speaker 1: hours rest. At one a m our squad corporal shook
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Speaker 1: us out of our slumbers, and together with the other
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Speaker 1: men of our section, we snatched up our rifles and
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Speaker 1: assembled outside as quietly as possible. Here we found a
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Speaker 1: half section of native troops under the orders of Tow,
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Speaker 1: who nodded to me and grinned as I stepped up
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Speaker 1: and took my place in the ranks. Two hard boiled
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Speaker 1: eggs and a slice of bread were served out to
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Speaker 1: each man, which we were told to put in our
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Speaker 1: wallet for future use. A few minutes later, Captain Plecier
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Speaker 1: came upon the scene, and, noticing that he was not mounted,
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Speaker 1: I surmised that our coming peregrinations were to take place
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Speaker 1: over difficult ground. So indeed it proved, for after the
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Speaker 1: gate had been opened by the sentry, our little column
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Speaker 1: went out in silence, like a troop of ghosts in
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Speaker 1: Indian file, turned to the right and proceeded to the
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Speaker 1: southwest across the paddy fields by the narrow ridges which
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Speaker 1: served as paths. The night was stifling and pitch dark,
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Speaker 1: so dark indeed that each man had to hold on
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Speaker 1: to the wallet of his comrade in front so as
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Speaker 1: not to lose his way. Thus progress was very slow.
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Speaker 1: When we had been walking about an hour and had
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Speaker 1: covered perhaps a mile and a half, the blackness of
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Speaker 1: the night was of a sudden lit up by a
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Speaker 1: brilliant flash of lightning, which illuminated for the fraction of
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Speaker 1: a second the surrounding country. The weird aspect of it,
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Speaker 1: with the tall outlines of the palms and bamboo silhouetted
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Speaker 1: against the sky, remained with a strange vividness, as if
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Speaker 1: photographed upon the retina for several minutes. This was succeeded
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Speaker 1: by a peal of thunders so deafening that it seemed
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Speaker 1: to split the ear drums and shake the ground beneath us,
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Speaker 1: and the rain came down, as it only can do
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Speaker 1: in the tropics. For a few seconds. Our little troop
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Speaker 1: was thrown into confusion, and some of the men, temporarily
15:47
Speaker 1: blinded by the sudden light, stepped into the fields, where
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Speaker 1: they floundered about with water and mud almost up to
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Speaker 1: their knees. After this interruption, we proceeded on our way,
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Speaker 1: very slowly, though, for the lightning continued flash following flash
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Speaker 1: in quick succession for an hour, and our ears were
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Speaker 1: weary with the crashing of the thunder. The track, which
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Speaker 1: was of clay, was sodden and slippery. We were all
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Speaker 1: wet through to the skin, and our boots, full of water,
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Speaker 1: emitted a curious squashing sound at each step. Fortunately, the
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Speaker 1: din of the thunder and the continued thresh of the
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Speaker 1: rain more than covered the noisy advance of our column.
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Speaker 1: Ten minutes before, wet through with perspiration, I had mentally
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Speaker 1: cursed the heat. Now my teeth were chattering and my
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Speaker 1: fingers were numbed with the cold, I felt a strange joy,
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Speaker 1: added smile to myself at the evident truth of Toe's
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Speaker 1: recent prophecy anent the great waters, and thought how appropriate
16:52
Speaker 1: was his term for the downpour? For two hours we
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Speaker 1: continued on our slippery way, and were then halted on
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Speaker 1: a patch of grass covered with little mounds a village graveyard.
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Speaker 1: Here our expedition was broken up in two little parties,
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Speaker 1: the one to which I belonged being composed of ten
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Speaker 1: legionaries and a sergeant, and as many tyria is with
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Speaker 1: tow at their head. We proceeded a short distance and
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Speaker 1: were ordered to be down in some long grass behind
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Speaker 1: a clump of cactus and hibiscus drubs. As we did so,
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Speaker 1: I heard the doors say to our sergeant, when it
17:29
Speaker 1: will be light, we shall see the door of the
17:31
Speaker 1: village from here. The path to it is a little
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Speaker 1: to our left. From this, and the movements I could
17:38
Speaker 1: here on our right and left, I gathered that the
17:41
Speaker 1: remainder of the column was surrounding a village which lay
17:44
Speaker 1: before us, But owing to the darkness and the rain,
17:47
Speaker 1: I could distinguish nothing ahead of me. We had been
17:50
Speaker 1: lying on the ground some minutes, and notwithstanding the chill dampness,
17:55
Speaker 1: I was almost falling into a doze, for the walk
17:58
Speaker 1: had tired me, when from from the surrounding darkness a
18:01
Speaker 1: figure came noiselessly and crouched beside me. The next instant,
18:05
Speaker 1: Toe's voice whispered in my ear. I told you so,
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Speaker 1: it has come. Yes, I shivered, and I think I
18:13
Speaker 1: have had enough of it. Nay, say not so. A
18:16
Speaker 1: few more hours and you will grumble at the heat
18:19
Speaker 1: once more. Comraad tis a fool who ever complains our
18:23
Speaker 1: land had sore need of the rain. The crops will
18:26
Speaker 1: drink this as the mandarin does is unan tea. When
18:30
Speaker 1: the sun rises, all the earth will rejoice. The voice
18:33
Speaker 1: of the tempest has shut the ears of our enemy
18:36
Speaker 1: to the noisy approach of the Linabnakza European soldier. This
18:41
Speaker 1: time we shall surely surprise the brigands. Therefore we should
18:45
Speaker 1: thank our Lord Bhuddha for his great mercy. What village
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Speaker 1: is before us? Friend? In true, he answered, and inid
18:54
Speaker 1: is a linbin sergeant of the dNaM with twenty men.
18:59
Speaker 1: They are electing the taxes, and we're to have left
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Speaker 1: it this morning. But they will never leave it, he
19:05
Speaker 1: added with a low chuckle. Yesterday the spies came and
19:08
Speaker 1: told the Captain I was there last night. They surely feasted,
19:13
Speaker 1: drank much chumjum rice alcohol, and smoked many pipes. For
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Speaker 1: the headman is a great traitor and in secret a
19:21
Speaker 1: partisan of Hamni. We shall have much trouble to enter,
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Speaker 1: I ventured, for we have not brought axes. To chuckled again,
19:30
Speaker 1: and said, let not that trouble thee I have devised
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Speaker 1: the own gwamba the captain literally lord of three stripes,
19:38
Speaker 1: and these fools will open the door themselves. Even as
19:41
Speaker 1: I said to him, I turned to chide him for
19:45
Speaker 1: his presumption, but he had glided away silently into the night.
19:49
Speaker 1: The rain had ceased now, almost as suddenly as it
19:53
Speaker 1: had commenced, and the smell of the damp earth and
19:55
Speaker 1: vegetation reeked in the nostrils. Turning, I glanced behind behind
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Speaker 1: me and saw that towards the east the sky was gray.
20:04
Speaker 1: In a few minutes the forms of my comrades near
20:06
Speaker 1: by could be dimly distinguished. The nearest, he was barely
20:10
Speaker 1: a yard away, was a boy of twenty an Alsatian.
20:14
Speaker 1: He was fast asleep, his head pillowed on his arm,
20:18
Speaker 1: and dreaming pleasantly. For on his lips, which bore no
20:21
Speaker 1: trace of a mustache, I could discern a smile. Fearing
20:26
Speaker 1: lest the sergeant should find him, thus I awoke him,
20:29
Speaker 1: and he thanked me. It was now so light that
20:32
Speaker 1: a few paces away to the left I recognized our
20:35
Speaker 1: captain seated on the ground. He was chewing the end
20:39
Speaker 1: of an unlit cigar in a low voice. He called
20:42
Speaker 1: the sergeant and talked for some moments to him. Then
20:46
Speaker 1: our noncom came from one to the other of us
20:49
Speaker 1: and communicated the instructions he had just received. These were
20:55
Speaker 1: lowed and fixed bayonets as quietly as possible. Lie still
20:59
Speaker 1: until the signal is given by the captain with his swhistle.
21:03
Speaker 1: Then rise at once and rush for the village gateway
21:06
Speaker 1: and on into the houses beyond. Weapons not to be
21:10
Speaker 1: used until resistance is offered, and every effort must be
21:14
Speaker 1: made to capture an enemy alive. By looking through the
21:18
Speaker 1: foliage before us, we could now see, in the yet
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Speaker 1: dim light, that we were close to a pond or
21:23
Speaker 1: moat covered with ranked duckweed and lotus plants. On the
21:27
Speaker 1: other side of this was a big village, surrounded by
21:30
Speaker 1: the usual embankment and bamboo hedge. Presently we could hear
21:35
Speaker 1: the crowing of cocks, barking of dogs, and other sounds
21:39
Speaker 1: of awakening life. The pond was crossed by a dike
21:43
Speaker 1: about six feet wide, forming a path leading to the
21:46
Speaker 1: heavy gateway of the hamlet. This was yet closed by
21:50
Speaker 1: this time. The eastern sky was a bright red violet,
21:54
Speaker 1: and against it the great leaves of the plantains, the
21:57
Speaker 1: spiky foliage of the macaw palms, and the delicate leafage
22:01
Speaker 1: of the bamboo seemed to be cut out of tinfoil,
22:04
Speaker 1: reminding me of a tropical scene from a drama stage
22:08
Speaker 1: in one of our large London theaters. The birds were out.
22:12
Speaker 1: Troops of white breasted jays scurried from tree to tree
22:16
Speaker 1: with an uncouth cry. Sparrows darted about with an endless twittering,
22:22
Speaker 1: and several carrion crows started a concert among the areca
22:26
Speaker 1: palms inside the village. Suddenly, on the horizon there was
22:30
Speaker 1: a glitter, and a convex curve of fire appeared. The
22:34
Speaker 1: mighty ball of the blinding sun rose inch by inch
22:38
Speaker 1: from the rice fields, the wet surface reflecting its light
22:42
Speaker 1: with dazzling vividness. It was already hot, and our sodden
22:46
Speaker 1: linen grew stiffer and drier each instant. All attention was
22:52
Speaker 1: now turned to the village, and behind the gate came
22:54
Speaker 1: the noise of withdrawal of bolts and bars. The heavy
22:58
Speaker 1: ironwood portals swung open, and out stepped a water buffalo,
23:02
Speaker 1: on whose back straddled a naked youngster, Gripping tightly a
23:06
Speaker 1: cord attached to the iron ring in the animal's nostrils.
23:10
Speaker 1: Just outside, the unwieldy beast halted its big head, and,
23:14
Speaker 1: throwing its great horns right back, sniffed the air. Its
23:19
Speaker 1: eyes seemed turned towards our hiding place, But there were
23:22
Speaker 1: others behind who were impatient to get out, and a
23:25
Speaker 1: native woman darted forward and beat the beast buttocks with
23:29
Speaker 1: a hoe. The boy on his back, unconscious of the
23:32
Speaker 1: danger in front, drummed his little heels on the black
23:36
Speaker 1: hairless sides, and the animal moved slowly and reluctantly forward. One, two,
23:42
Speaker 1: three of the beasts stepped out. A fourth was already
23:46
Speaker 1: in the doorway when suddenly came the shrill order from
23:49
Speaker 1: the whistle. In an instant, we were up and racing
23:53
Speaker 1: like madmen for the causeway. Almost before the natives with
23:56
Speaker 1: their cattle had realized what had happened. Lipped Day was
24:00
Speaker 1: in front, leading me by six feet. We had been
24:03
Speaker 1: lying nearest to the path. Toe was panting along at
24:06
Speaker 1: my side. My hungarian chum was now on the dike,
24:10
Speaker 1: but he slipped on the wet clay and came down
24:13
Speaker 1: with a crash. Both of us jumped clear of him
24:16
Speaker 1: and went sliding along for several paces on the slippery surface.
24:20
Speaker 1: Soon we were up to the first buffalo, which was
24:23
Speaker 1: trying to turn. Tow leaned forward and drove his bayonet
24:27
Speaker 1: into its hind quarters with a roar. It leaped off
24:30
Speaker 1: the path and fell with a mighty splash into the pond,
24:33
Speaker 1: the boy still clinging to its back. I heard a
24:36
Speaker 1: peal of laughter somewhere behind me. On we went again,
24:41
Speaker 1: and the next instant were at the door in which
24:43
Speaker 1: two of the beasts were wedged again. The doi steel
24:47
Speaker 1: darted out and one of the animals, with a bellow
24:50
Speaker 1: of pain, was forced through like a cork pushed into
24:54
Speaker 1: a bottle. In our ears rang the yells of the
24:58
Speaker 1: natives beseeching each other, too closed the way. The next
25:02
Speaker 1: instant we were through, and I saw a native heroically
25:05
Speaker 1: striving to pull away a bamboo pole so as to
25:08
Speaker 1: let fall an inner gate. But before he could do so,
25:13
Speaker 1: the rearmost buffalo, which was lumbering along and headlong flight,
25:18
Speaker 1: cannoned against him and he was knocked sprawling. Toe had
25:22
Speaker 1: slipped in front, for we were now running in a
25:25
Speaker 1: narrow lane where only one could pass at a time.
25:29
Speaker 1: The sides were walls of thick sun dried clay, in which,
25:33
Speaker 1: at irregular intervals were little round loopholes. No one fired
25:38
Speaker 1: from them, though a few seconds had passed since the
25:40
Speaker 1: first alarm was given. Behind us came the clatter of
25:44
Speaker 1: nailed boots, and I turned to see that Lipta, his
25:48
Speaker 1: khaki and accouterment caked with mud, had caught up with us.
25:52
Speaker 1: He laughed and puffed as my eye caught his. Every
25:56
Speaker 1: few yards, the narrow weight twisted and turned. We saw nothing,
26:00
Speaker 1: but could hear the cries of alarm of the natives
26:02
Speaker 1: and the thumping gallop of the terrified buffaloes just ahead.
26:06
Speaker 1: Suddenly the doid turned off to the left through a
26:10
Speaker 1: door in the wall, and the next instant we were
26:13
Speaker 1: in a kind of courtyard covered with red tiles. In
26:16
Speaker 1: the middle was a guava tree in full bloom, and
26:19
Speaker 1: facing us a thatch covered native house with green blinds
26:23
Speaker 1: of split bamboo hanging from the roof. As we advanced,
26:28
Speaker 1: one of these was lifted, and a tall, lank native,
26:31
Speaker 1: holding a winchester at the ready, confronted us. His hair
26:35
Speaker 1: was long and hung over his shoulders. His eyes, still
26:38
Speaker 1: full of sleep, had a fierce wild glare in them.
26:42
Speaker 1: We spread out and advanced towards him. The Lutoine headman Opium, drunk,
26:48
Speaker 1: said toe surrender to us. The natives spat at him,
26:52
Speaker 1: jerked up his weapon, fired at the door and missed him.
26:57
Speaker 1: Already he had pulled back the lever, preparing to shoot
27:00
Speaker 1: again when Liptay's rifle spoke. His weapon fell with a
27:04
Speaker 1: clang to the tiles, and his two hands clasped to
27:07
Speaker 1: his breast. He staggered back against the screen, which gave way,
27:11
Speaker 1: and fell doubled up under the verandah with his back
27:15
Speaker 1: against the wall of the house. He watched us as
27:18
Speaker 1: we came to the door. His mouth opened and he
27:21
Speaker 1: tried to curse de deo. Then he coughed, and a
27:25
Speaker 1: rush of blood choked his words. He toppled over on
27:29
Speaker 1: his side as our three rifle butts descended on its surface,
27:33
Speaker 1: splintering the wooden door of his abode. He had done
27:37
Speaker 1: his best to defend his guest. The scene inside was
27:41
Speaker 1: a strange one. We had expected resistance, but found none,
27:45
Speaker 1: and were perhaps disappointed in consequence. On a big wooden couch,
27:50
Speaker 1: and inside a green mosquito curtain, lay a man dressed
27:54
Speaker 1: in cream colored silk. Beside him was a tray, on
27:57
Speaker 1: which I saw the little silver box, the skewers, and
28:00
Speaker 1: the lamp. The latter was burning, and the brilliant stream
28:04
Speaker 1: of sunshine pouring through the broken door seemed to drown
28:08
Speaker 1: its flicker. The man's face was long and emaciated, and
28:13
Speaker 1: as the light struck it, I noticed that his skin
28:16
Speaker 1: was very fair for a native, that he wore a
28:18
Speaker 1: green silk turban, and that his hair was carefully rolled.
28:22
Speaker 1: The finger nails of his left hand, which held the
28:25
Speaker 1: pipe over the flame, were very long, that of the
28:29
Speaker 1: little finger being at least four inches. On The index
28:33
Speaker 1: finger of the same hand was a massive gold ring.
28:37
Speaker 1: Beside him lay a woman who was tending the opium.
28:40
Speaker 1: Even as I had seen bob Do a few hours earlier.
28:44
Speaker 1: She was dressed in a long stool like garment of
28:47
Speaker 1: bright green. Neither of the pair moved or looked towards us,
28:51
Speaker 1: and for a few seconds their indifference to our presence
28:55
Speaker 1: seemed complete and contemptuous. When he had finished the pipe
29:00
Speaker 1: he had been smoking, he sat up and nodded to Tow,
29:03
Speaker 1: who saluted him in the vernacular, saying, as he did so, Linbin,
29:08
Speaker 1: you must surrender and come with us. Fools but not
29:12
Speaker 1: grave men, resist the inevitable. There was a tremor in
29:16
Speaker 1: his voice, and a gleam in the little sergeant's eye
29:20
Speaker 1: that said only too plainly, how gladly he would have
29:23
Speaker 1: slain the rebel. Then and there I noticed a glitter
29:27
Speaker 1: on the floor near the bed, bent down and picked
29:29
Speaker 1: up a spencer, carbine, and a beltful of cartridges. Attached
29:34
Speaker 1: to it was a hunting knife in a leather sheath,
29:37
Speaker 1: and a holster containing a revolver of an American pattern.
29:41
Speaker 1: The Linbin slid off the couch and stood before us.
29:44
Speaker 1: Cannot I die now? He said to Tow No, No,
29:48
Speaker 1: we are to take you alive. Such are the orders
29:51
Speaker 1: which must be obeyed. Then to me, comrade, you who
29:55
Speaker 1: are as strong as an ox, will you hold his
29:58
Speaker 1: arms behind his back? One little moment I did as
30:02
Speaker 1: he requested, and the doy took the green turban from
30:05
Speaker 1: the head of our prisoner and tied his elbows together,
30:09
Speaker 1: leaving about a yard of the silk loose, the end
30:12
Speaker 1: of which he wound round his own wrist. Then we
30:15
Speaker 1: left the hut with our captive. As we passed under
30:18
Speaker 1: the Verandah, I saw that the Luton was lying on
30:22
Speaker 1: his side and seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He was
30:26
Speaker 1: quite dead. Liptey picked up the Winchester and walked with
30:30
Speaker 1: me behind Toe, before whom was the prisoner. We noticed
30:34
Speaker 1: that they were talking together in quite a friendly manner.
30:37
Speaker 1: The woman was following us, and I could hear the
30:40
Speaker 1: low sobbing complaint which she kept up as she trotted behind.
30:44
Speaker 1: We could hear much shouting and the explosion of firearms
30:48
Speaker 1: in the village not far from us, and it was
30:50
Speaker 1: evident that the rebels were offering as stubborn but tardy resistance.
30:55
Speaker 1: Guessing the importance of our capture and fearing a rescue,
31:00
Speaker 1: Fliptay and myself shouted to Toe to hurry on. And
31:03
Speaker 1: we all started off at a trot. Outside we found
31:07
Speaker 1: the captain, attended by a bugler. Our commanding officer was
31:10
Speaker 1: seated on a mound, watching the gateway and smoking his cigar.
31:15
Speaker 1: When we got up to him, he said, what have
31:17
Speaker 1: we here? A rebel Mont capitain answered liptay delenbin montcapitin,
31:24
Speaker 1: I replied, then yee Mont capitan, replied toe who had
31:29
Speaker 1: learnt the name of the prisoner, and two rifles and
31:32
Speaker 1: a pretty girl, added the officer with a laugh. Then
31:35
Speaker 1: he continued, leave all here in charge of calvit the bugler.
31:40
Speaker 1: You doi go back to your section. You two men
31:43
Speaker 1: rejoin Sergeant Beavn in the village and tell him to
31:46
Speaker 1: get his detachment together and rejoin me here. When we
31:51
Speaker 1: reached the sergeant, all resistance had terminated and the men
31:54
Speaker 1: were foraging in the huts or securing the prisoners. We
31:58
Speaker 1: communicated the orders. The little column assembled outside again, and
32:03
Speaker 1: we learned that two of our men had been slightly wounded,
32:06
Speaker 1: we had captured six prisoners, taken nine rifles, and five
32:10
Speaker 1: of the enemy had been killed. The surprise had been complete,
32:14
Speaker 1: Although few, if any, of us realized the importance of
32:17
Speaker 1: the capture we had made. It will presently be seen
32:21
Speaker 1: that our morning's work produced results which eventually aided not
32:25
Speaker 1: a little towards the success of the operations on a
32:28
Speaker 1: large scale undertaken against the rebels at the beginning of
32:31
Speaker 1: the following year. We reached Nanam at eleven that morning,
32:36
Speaker 1: and an extra ration of wine was served out to
32:38
Speaker 1: us as a compensation for the drenching we had received.
32:43
Speaker 1: Our prisoners were lodged under the veranda of the house
32:46
Speaker 1: occupied by the native troops, where there was a bad
32:50
Speaker 1: assisee heavy iron wood stocks, in which the right leg
32:54
Speaker 1: of each of the captives was secured. A guard furnishing
32:58
Speaker 1: two centuries was placed over them. They were well fed
33:02
Speaker 1: and suffered no cruelty or insult, but having been captured
33:05
Speaker 1: in armed rebellion, there existed no doubt as to what
33:08
Speaker 1: their ultimate fate would be. It is now necessary to
33:12
Speaker 1: give some details concerning the important changes which were taking
33:16
Speaker 1: place at this time in the administration of the country.
33:20
Speaker 1: The government in Paris, influenced no doubt by the growth
33:23
Speaker 1: of rebellion and rapine in the colony, had decided upon
33:27
Speaker 1: the appointment of a governor general armed with greater power
33:30
Speaker 1: than his predecessors. For this purpose, a degree dated twentieth
33:35
Speaker 1: April eighteen ninety one was issued by the French Cabinet
33:38
Speaker 1: which accorded that functionary great freedom of action. According to
33:43
Speaker 1: the new order of things, the governor was a vested
33:46
Speaker 1: with absolute power in the colony, and both the civil
33:49
Speaker 1: and military authorities therein were entirely under his control. All
33:54
Speaker 1: appeals or reports made by the heads of departments in
33:58
Speaker 1: Indo China to the Minister in the metropolis were to
34:01
Speaker 1: pass through his hands. At this time, Monsieur Piquet, the Governor,
34:06
Speaker 1: was just returning to France, and the ministry appointed Monsieur
34:10
Speaker 1: de la Nissan, a radical deputy who had already given
34:14
Speaker 1: proofs of superior ability in parliamentary circles, and who was
34:18
Speaker 1: acknowledged to be a man possessing great initiative energy and activity.
34:24
Speaker 1: The new Governor General arrived in the East in May,
34:27
Speaker 1: and although his enemies have reproached him, and not without
34:31
Speaker 1: some cause, with want of tact and conciliation towards the
34:35
Speaker 1: military authorities, there can be no doubt that from his
34:39
Speaker 1: administration dates the era of commercial progress which still continues
34:44
Speaker 1: in Indo China. He was the first to insist on
34:48
Speaker 1: the necessity of constructing railways and good roads in the colony,
34:52
Speaker 1: and much as he did in this respect for the
34:55
Speaker 1: first railway to Langson Owes its origin to him, he
34:59
Speaker 1: would undoubt have done more had he not been hampered
35:02
Speaker 1: by the restricted finances at his disposal. As it was,
35:07
Speaker 1: by his vehement insistence on the subject, he caused the
35:10
Speaker 1: investing public of France to realize the latent wealth existing
35:14
Speaker 1: in tong Qin, for the development of which it was
35:17
Speaker 1: absolutely necessary to construct good means of communication. He thus
35:22
Speaker 1: paved the way for his successors, Messieurs Rousseau and Dumey,
35:27
Speaker 1: who thanks to his propaganda, eventually secured large loans guaranteed
35:32
Speaker 1: by the government, enabling them to construct a system of
35:36
Speaker 1: railways now almost terminated, traversing the whole of France's Eastern
35:41
Speaker 1: Empire and penetrating into two of China's wealthiest provinces, quang
35:46
Speaker 1: Si and Yunan. The first care of Monsieur de la
35:50
Speaker 1: Nissan was to put an end to the intrigues existing
35:53
Speaker 1: at the Court of Wei, having for their object the
35:56
Speaker 1: dethronement of the young King Dante and the rest of
36:00
Speaker 1: duration of the exiled Homni to power. Also, he took
36:04
Speaker 1: urgent measures to restore order in Tonkin. To obtain these results,
36:09
Speaker 1: he inquired into the grievances of the natives and adopted
36:12
Speaker 1: pacific methods when possible, but when these were of no avail,
36:17
Speaker 1: he did not hesitate to employ rigorous and repressive measures.
36:21
Speaker 1: He undoubtedly possessed the necessary qualities for an administrator and organizer,
36:26
Speaker 1: and a few months after his arrival, the residents of
36:29
Speaker 1: local mandarins abided with each other in stamping out, with
36:32
Speaker 1: the aid of the native militia, the seeds of revolt
36:36
Speaker 1: and discord sown in the Delta, so that he was
36:39
Speaker 1: able to turn his attention to the central, northern, and
36:42
Speaker 1: eastern districts of the colony, where rebellion and piracy existed
36:47
Speaker 1: in an armed and rampant state. To ensure success in
36:51
Speaker 1: this work of pacification, Monsieur de Lasson made every effort
36:56
Speaker 1: to do away with the rivalry among the regular troops
36:59
Speaker 1: and the native mind militia, the latter being controlled by
37:02
Speaker 1: the civil residents. To obtain this result, he created in
37:06
Speaker 1: the unsettled provinces military zones districts wholly administered by officers
37:11
Speaker 1: in the army, so that the powers and responsibilities of
37:15
Speaker 1: the different authorities were clearly divided and defined. The all
37:19
Speaker 1: powerful military authorities were alone responsible for all that went
37:23
Speaker 1: on in the region, committed to their care and to
37:26
Speaker 1: the civil authorities was entrusted the administration of the Delta provinces.
37:31
Speaker 1: This system proved such an excellent one that it has
37:34
Speaker 1: been maintained to this day with few modifications, and at
37:38
Speaker 1: the beginning of nineteen o three there were in Tongkin
37:42
Speaker 1: four military zones, divided up into nine districts, with a
37:46
Speaker 1: total population of about two million and a superficial area
37:50
Speaker 1: of twenty thousand square miles. Thanks to the system introduced
37:55
Speaker 1: by Monsieur de le Nissan, organized rebellion no longer exists
37:59
Speaker 1: in the colony, and although the provinces bordering on kwang
38:03
Speaker 1: Si and quang Tung are occasionally ravaged by the Chinese
38:07
Speaker 1: bands which cross the frontier, the pacification of the country
38:11
Speaker 1: may be said to be complete. That the commercial progress
38:14
Speaker 1: of the colony was a slow one at this period,
38:17
Speaker 1: there can be no doubt, but it was owing principally
38:20
Speaker 1: to the want of means of communication with the interior,
38:24
Speaker 1: and also to the prohibitive customs, tariff and exorbitant transit
38:28
Speaker 1: rates on goods passing through to China, which had been
38:31
Speaker 1: adopted by the French government. Today things have considerably improved
38:36
Speaker 1: thanks to the railways already built, and they will go
38:40
Speaker 1: on improving when all the lines are completed. But unless
38:43
Speaker 1: the authorities adopt a broader policy with regard to transit
38:47
Speaker 1: duties on foreign goods imported into Yunnan through tong Qin,
38:51
Speaker 1: reduce the railway freights and modify the existing scale of duties,
38:56
Speaker 1: the realization of the full value of the country as
38:59
Speaker 1: a speedy in scene a route to the central Chinese
39:02
Speaker 1: markets with a consequent prosperity which would result will be
39:06
Speaker 1: lost to France and private enterprise, which as yet has
39:10
Speaker 1: developed but slowly, notwithstanding the undisputed agricultural and mineral wealth
39:16
Speaker 1: of the Tonkin, will be brought to a standstill. End
39:20
Speaker 1: of Chapter four, Part two