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006 - Chapter 4 Part 1 The Difficulties Of Obtaining Military Intelligence Native spies etc · 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 one, The difficulties of obtaining military intelligence, Native spies
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  Speaker 1: and buscades Life at Nonam deuteaut de Lipte, a tropical storm,
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  Speaker 1: the capture of len Niais Monsieur de la Naissant, French
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  Speaker 1: colonial administration. Owing to the fact that the majority of
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  Speaker 1: the population of the Yinte were partisans of the Denam,
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  Speaker 1: and also to the terror which this chief had inspired
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  Speaker 1: the remainder, it was with the greatest difficulty that any
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  Speaker 1: information could be obtained concerning the organization and movement of
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  Speaker 1: the rebels. Notwithstanding the proverbial cupidity of the natives, and
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  Speaker 1: that all intelligence was well paid for, a special secret
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  Speaker 1: service fund being devoted to this purpose, the military authorities
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  Speaker 1: found it almost impossible to learn what was going on
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  Speaker 1: or what might be expected to happen. It was not
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  Speaker 1: until a regular system of espionage was instituted in April
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  Speaker 1: eighteen ninety one that any useful knowledge could be obtained.
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  Speaker 1: A score or so of men from the native regiments
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  Speaker 1: who had furnished some proofs of courage were chosen, and these,
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  Speaker 1: disguised as traveling musicians, beggars or pedlars, wandered from village
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  Speaker 1: to village, gleaning in the meantime all the information it
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  Speaker 1: was possible to obtain. This they would communicate to the
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  Speaker 1: officers commanding the forts at Nanam and Bojac or to
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  Speaker 1: the intelligence department of the Brigade at Bachnin. These spies
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  Speaker 1: were instructed in certain signs and passwords, which they used
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  Speaker 1: as a proof of their identity when they came to
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  Speaker 1: any of the centers with news, and their arrival at
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  Speaker 1: and departure from these places were always effected secretly and
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  Speaker 1: at night. By these means, it became possible to the
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  Speaker 1: French officers to have some idea of what was going
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  Speaker 1: on in the lower Yente, but the knowledge obtained concerning
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  Speaker 1: the strength and situation of the rebel's fortified positions in
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  Speaker 1: the north was extremely vague. Several of the spies had
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  Speaker 1: made attempts to penetrate into the region north of Autoin.
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  Speaker 1: Some were turned back, Others, who had probably excited suspicion,
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  Speaker 1: were tortured and decapitated, but none of them succeeded in
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  Speaker 1: obtaining a glimpse of the strongholds or in gaining any
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  Speaker 1: certitude concerning the paths which led to them. However, thanks
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  Speaker 1: to these spies, it became known that important convoys of
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  Speaker 1: grain and foodstuffs coming from the villages near back Nin
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  Speaker 1: were sent northwards twice a week by paths which passed
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  Speaker 1: a little to the west of our position and were
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  Speaker 1: not visible for from it. The usual time for the
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  Speaker 1: passage of these supplies near Nanam was from one to
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  Speaker 1: three in the afternoon, at which hour, owing to the heat,
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  Speaker 1: the troops were under cover. Acting on orders received from
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  Speaker 1: General Voyone, who had just taken over the command of
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  Speaker 1: the second Brigade at back Men, small parties were sent
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  Speaker 1: out on several occasions in hopes of surprising the convoy.
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  Speaker 1: They were concealed in one of the deserted villages along
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  Speaker 1: the paths supposed to be frequented to buy the rebels,
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  Speaker 1: and at points from which a good view of the
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  Speaker 1: tract for some distance could be obtained. I took part
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  Speaker 1: several times in these small expeditions. One of them is
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  Speaker 1: perhaps worthy of mention, since it provided some excitement for
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  Speaker 1: all those who assisted in it. Our detachment on this
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  Speaker 1: occasion consisted of eight legionaries and as many tiree is.
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  Speaker 1: Under the order of a corporal of our regiment, we
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  Speaker 1: proceeded due south about three miles along the high road
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  Speaker 1: to Kautoong, to a fine pagoda, the wall of which
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  Speaker 1: skirted the highway, just facing the entrance to the building
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  Speaker 1: and at right angles to the main road which it joined,
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  Speaker 1: was a small path that ran across the fields to
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  Speaker 1: the west and was visible for about four hundred yards afterwards,
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  Speaker 1: turning off sharp to the left behind a range of
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  Speaker 1: small hillocks covered with long grass. At the apex of
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  Speaker 1: the angle formed by the junction of this path and
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  Speaker 1: the main road was a big banyan tree with a
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  Speaker 1: clump of bushes at its base. It was here that
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  Speaker 1: our ambuscade was placed. After a scouting party had gone
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  Speaker 1: through a big empty village situated just behind the pagoda,
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  Speaker 1: and it was certain that there existed no sign of
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  Speaker 1: occupation or trace of a recent passage of the enemy.
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  Speaker 1: Six legionaries, two natives and the corporal remained behind the
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  Speaker 1: pagoda wall, and through the open brick work in the
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  Speaker 1: top part of it they could see across the fields.
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  Speaker 1: Together with four tires I was posted on the opposite
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  Speaker 1: side of the road. We were a little to the
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  Speaker 1: right of the others, our backs towards them behind the
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  Speaker 1: clump of bushes at the foot of the banyon. Perched
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  Speaker 1: up on one of the branches of this tree and
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  Speaker 1: concealed by its dense foliage, was a legionary, who, from
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  Speaker 1: the position he occupied, obtained a fine view to the
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  Speaker 1: south and west, these being the only directions from which
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  Speaker 1: our position could be approached, since the bamboo hedge of
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  Speaker 1: the village behind us skirted the road to the east
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  Speaker 1: for at least five hundred yards, and nothing could come
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  Speaker 1: from the north without being seen by our sentries at Nanam,
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  Speaker 1: who had received orders to keep a sharp lookout. It
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  Speaker 1: was ten in the morning before we had settled down.
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  Speaker 1: Our instructions were to reserve our fire and if possible,
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  Speaker 1: capture one of the enemy alive. The heat was terrible.
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  Speaker 1: This was the second week in June and the reins
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  Speaker 1: had not broken, and although thanks to the shade from
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  Speaker 1: the tree above me, I could adoff my helmet and
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  Speaker 1: profit by the occasional light puffs of breeze just sufficient
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  Speaker 1: to move the airy foliage of the bamboo, it required
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  Speaker 1: all my energy to fight against the invading drowsiness. From
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  Speaker 1: time to time I would to question the man in
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  Speaker 1: the tree in the hope that he would announce the
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  Speaker 1: advent of a troop, but he disappointed me each time
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  Speaker 1: with a reply in the negative. My attention was soon
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  Speaker 1: drawn to the four natives beside me, for I perceived
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  Speaker 1: that they were fast asleep. The natives possess a faculty
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  Speaker 1: of dropping into a sound slumber without respect to time
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  Speaker 1: or position, and these, though seated, their bodies bolt upright
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  Speaker 1: and their legs crossed before them, were snoring. The Tonkinese,
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  Speaker 1: like the Arabs, have a proverb which says a man
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  Speaker 1: is better sitting than standing, better asleep than sitting, and
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  Speaker 1: better dead than asleep. However, this was no time to
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  Speaker 1: ponder on the ethics of Oriental philosophy, so I applied
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  Speaker 1: myself to awakening these weary ones, and after a good
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  Speaker 1: deal of vigorous shaking, succeeded in doing so. The corporal,
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  Speaker 1: who from his hiding place had taken in the situation,
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  Speaker 1: adjured me in low but energetic tones to make use
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  Speaker 1: of the butt of my rifle to infuse enthusiasm into
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  Speaker 1: the unfortunate here I is. Then all was quiet again,
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  Speaker 1: and our weary watching was resumed. The time seemed to
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  Speaker 1: drag along with painful slowness, and the glare and the
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  Speaker 1: heat increased in intensity. Hardly a sound disturbed the drowsy tranquility,
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  Speaker 1: And had it not been for the chirping song of
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  Speaker 1: the cicadas and the far away whistle of a kite
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  Speaker 1: which soared above us, and whose shadow flitted occasionally across
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  Speaker 1: the open ground in front, one could have imagined that
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  Speaker 1: there was nothing living for miles around. The sun began
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  Speaker 1: to move westwards, and its rays struck the white wall
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  Speaker 1: behind me, only to be reflected with such force that
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  Speaker 1: I was obliged to put on my helmet to protect
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  Speaker 1: the back of my head. It was nearly two in
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  Speaker 1: the afternoon when we were startled by a short exclamation
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  Speaker 1: from the sentry perched above us. What is it, someone inquired,
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  Speaker 1: There is something moving, he replied, A long way off,
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  Speaker 1: two kilometers perhaps two men. Ah, there are some who
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  Speaker 1: carry baskets, knakis, peasants going to market, I suppose. Then,
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  Speaker 1: with growing excitement in his tone, he continued, I see
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  Speaker 1: a glitter got for deck. He was Belgian. The two
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  Speaker 1: men in front carry rifles. They are the point, Yes, yes,
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  Speaker 1: the point. Further back there are more coolies with baskets
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  Speaker 1: and more men with rifles. Now two men on ponies.
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  Speaker 1: Where are they? Tried to speak quietly, but could have
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  Speaker 1: shouted with excitement. On the path which runs behind the hillocks,
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  Speaker 1: the path which turns in here. They come from the
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  Speaker 1: south and walk very quickly. Who he whistled, There are
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  Speaker 1: quite sixty coolies and as many men with guns. They
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  Speaker 1: have a rear guard. The first will be on the
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  Speaker 1: path before us in ten minutes. Prevene vite le cooparol
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  Speaker 1: nousalon RIrA. I ran across the road behind us, through
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  Speaker 1: the gateway into the pagoda yard and informed our noncom.
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  Speaker 1: Though he was only half awake when I began, for
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  Speaker 1: the heat had been too much for him, he was
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  Speaker 1: quite alive to the situation before I had said many words,
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  Speaker 1: and almost shook hands with me in his joy at
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  Speaker 1: the news. Don't shoot, he said, unless they are alarmed
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  Speaker 1: and run, then shoot straight. Let them come up on
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  Speaker 1: the road here and we can call a one. May
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  Speaker 1: poor la mour la diu keep an eye on your demoiselles.
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  Speaker 1: I have no faith in them. I went back to
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  Speaker 1: my hiding place HELENX. The man in the tree said
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  Speaker 1: to me, hurry up. The two first will be around
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  Speaker 1: the corner in a minute or so. I glanced at
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  Speaker 1: the tirise. They were kneeling now and throwing eager glances
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  Speaker 1: through the foliage. In a low voice, I told them
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  Speaker 1: to fix bayonets and load, and noticed that the man
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  Speaker 1: next to me trembled like a leaf as he did so. Excitement,
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  Speaker 1: I thought, or was it fear from a deep bronze.
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  Speaker 1: His skin had changed to a dirty yellow. I should
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  Speaker 1: have known and taken away his weapon, but this was
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  Speaker 1: my first experience mechanically. I slipped my right hand into
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  Speaker 1: the pouch of my belt, took out a cartridge, and,
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  Speaker 1: after wetting the bullet with my tongue, slipped it into
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  Speaker 1: the open breach of my rifle and closed it. Now
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  Speaker 1: nothing moved, and the only sounds that struck the ear
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  Speaker 1: with the song of the cicalas, the whistle of the kite,
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  Speaker 1: and the gentle rustle of the bamboos in the breeze. Suddenly,
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  Speaker 1: round the corner of the last hillock came a man,
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  Speaker 1: then a yard or so behind another. Though expected, their
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  Speaker 1: actual appearance produced an impression of surprise, perhaps because we
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  Speaker 1: had waited so long. Both wore a kind of uniform
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  Speaker 1: of green cotton cloth and putties of the same color.
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  Speaker 1: Their long hair was rolled in a silken turban of
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  Speaker 1: similar hue, hanging on his shoulders, suspended by a string
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  Speaker 1: which passed round the front of his neck. Each man
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  Speaker 1: had a big palm leaf hat. The sun glittered on
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  Speaker 1: their brass cartridges fixed on a belt round the waist,
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  Speaker 1: and on the winchesters, which they carried on the shoulder
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  Speaker 1: as a gardener carries his spade, the end of the
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  Speaker 1: muzzle in the hand, the butt behind them on They
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  Speaker 1: came at a sort of jog trot, and we could
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  Speaker 1: hear the pad pad pad of their naked feet on
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  Speaker 1: the hot path. Now they were within a hundred yards
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  Speaker 1: of us, and I fancied I could perceive a look
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  Speaker 1: of relief on the ugly flot features of the first
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  Speaker 1: as he glanced towards the pagoda. The first of the
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  Speaker 1: long string of bearers with their bamboo and baskets, were
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  Speaker 1: now visible, coming along at a jerky run. I felt
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  Speaker 1: something touch my left elbow and glanced around to find
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  Speaker 1: that Ellins had come down from his perch and was
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  Speaker 1: kneeling beside me. The two armed men were quite near now.
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  Speaker 1: We could see a bead of perspiration on the face
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  Speaker 1: of the first, as it came from his hair and
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  Speaker 1: trickled down his forehead. We could hear the regular short
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  Speaker 1: pant of his hard breathing, note his half open mouth,
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  Speaker 1: and distinguish his black lacquered teeth, pad pad pad. A
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  Speaker 1: soft puff of breeze brought to my nostrils the acrid
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  Speaker 1: odor of the perspiring native. Another few seconds, and by
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  Speaker 1: thrusting my rifle through the leaves, I could have touched
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  Speaker 1: his breast with the muzzle. These two will surely be ours.
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  Speaker 1: Nothing can save them. Unable to control himself master by
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  Speaker 1: excitement or fear. The terier on my right suddenly sprang
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  Speaker 1: to his feet and shouted in the vernacular twa stop,
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  Speaker 1: a d'Hote, where go you? From the pagoda behind us.
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  Speaker 1: I heard an angry murmur and could distinguish the corporal's voice.
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  Speaker 1: Kill the swine, Oh, kill him HELLNX cursed and groaned
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  Speaker 1: like a man struck with fever. I felt that I
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  Speaker 1: had stopped sweating, and a big lump rose from my
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  Speaker 1: chest into my throat and seemed to choke me. I
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  Speaker 1: gave a great sob of disappointment and surprise. The next
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  Speaker 1: instant we were on our feet for HELENX rose with me,
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  Speaker 1: and as he shouted, we can yet catch one. I
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  Speaker 1: knew that he had a similar thought to mine. But
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  Speaker 1: we had hardly taken the first step forward prior to
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  Speaker 1: forcing our way through the bushes and jumping down into
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  Speaker 1: the paddy field. Then we were blinded for a second
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  Speaker 1: by two bright flashes from a few feet in front
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  Speaker 1: of us, and half deafened by the close rip of
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  Speaker 1: the rebels Winchesters. The linen native soldier, the cause of
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  Speaker 1: all the racket, pitched head foremost into the foliage. There
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  Speaker 1: was no time to lose, so both of us rushed
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  Speaker 1: through the little cloud of smoke through the bushes, and
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  Speaker 1: the next instant we were down in the field fifteen
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  Speaker 1: perhaps twenty yards away. I saw the backs of the
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  Speaker 1: two green clad natives who were running for dear life.
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  Speaker 1: They were side by side in the field, for the
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  Speaker 1: path was littered with the baskets and bamboos of the
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  Speaker 1: coolies who had disappeared as if by magic. Too late.
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  Speaker 1: I shouted, hellns jerked up his rifle and covered the
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: natives on the left. The next instant, acting on his example,
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  Speaker 1: I was peeping along my sights and bringing them in
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: line onto the middle of the palm leaf hat, which
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  Speaker 1: bumped as it hung on the receding back of the
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  Speaker 1: man to the right. Before I could press the trigger,
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  Speaker 1: Hellns had fired, and a cloud of smoke floated across
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  Speaker 1: my line. A vision. It was gone in a second,
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  Speaker 1: and I got my chance, threw the white puff from
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  Speaker 1: my rifle. I saw a dark figure spring into the
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: air with the pose of a marionette, of which all
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  Speaker 1: the strings have been jerked together. And as I brought
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  Speaker 1: down my weapon, jerked out the empty cartridge and reloaded,
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  Speaker 1: I saw a dark mass lying motionless on the damp
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  Speaker 1: ground amongst the bright green stalks of young rice. Vita, vita,
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  Speaker 1: you fool, Mine is winged and will escape if you
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  Speaker 1: do not hurry, cried my comrade, as he started off
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  Speaker 1: at the double on. We ran for about thirty yards,
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  Speaker 1: then Helling stopped and, pointing to the ground, jerked out
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  Speaker 1: I told you so. And I saw a small blotch
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  Speaker 1: the size of a man's hand, which, as the bright
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  Speaker 1: sunshine played upon it glittered red like a splendid dark ruby.
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  Speaker 1: These fellows have as many lives as a cat, he
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: continued hurriedly. He was down and up again. In a
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: second limped away across the path into that tall grass
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  Speaker 1: on the right, pointing in the direction come. We may
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  Speaker 1: yet have him on. We went a few more yards
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  Speaker 1: when the Belgian came a cropper, having tripped over the
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: foot of the thing, spread eagled in the rice field.
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  Speaker 1: In his hurry he had passed too close. I had
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  Speaker 1: given it a wide berth. I came back to help
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  Speaker 1: him up and had to look at it. There was
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: a small round hole in the back of the neck,
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: just below the base of the skull. HELENX scrambled up,
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  Speaker 1: panting how he cursed, what are you staring at? Man?
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  Speaker 1: Take his gun quick? Bending down, I picked up the winchester.
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: In doing so I almost touched the body, and with
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: difficulty suppressed a murmured, I beg your pardon, because I
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: was dominated by a sentiment of awesome respect for the
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: thing that had been and was no more. I wished
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: to walk softly on tiptoe, and felt so thankful that
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: he had fallen face downwards. All this had passed in
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: the space of a few seconds. Come back, come back.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: It was the corporal shouting to us, and there was
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: a note of warning in his voice. Before turning to go,
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  Speaker 1: I glanced up and saw a puff of white smoke arise,
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: float for a second over the top of the hillock ahead,
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: and I heard a report. Something struck the wet ground
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: a little in front, and to my right a speck
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: of mud hit me on the chin. Then along a
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: distance of fifty yards or so, the crest was covered
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: with smoke, and there was a rattle of musketry as
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: we ran the ground, and the air seemed to me
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  Speaker 1: to be alive, and I could not go quickly enough
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: to please myself. Hellington said between pants, we forgot the cartridges.
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  Speaker 1: Oh damn, the cartridges, I replied, and it was as
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  Speaker 1: if some one else had said it. How far it
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: seemed there were not more than forty yards. How hot
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  Speaker 1: the sun was. I believe I was terribly afraid during
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: the few seconds it took us to get back to
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: shelter again. How we got back, I don't remember. I
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: only know that I felt quite surprised to find myself
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: standing somewhat blown behind the big tree, telling my NomCom
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  Speaker 1: what had happened, and feeling very anxious not to appear flustered.
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: Hellings lay panting and laughing on the grass beside the
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: other men, three legionaries who were making caustic remarks concerning
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  Speaker 1: our running powers, and five tires. The latter were either
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: kneeling sheltered by the tree or extended flat on the road,
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: their rifles ready to reply to the enemy's fire, which
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: was increasing in intensity. To my explanation, the corporal replied, won't, won't.
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  Speaker 1: It was the fault of that dog of a native.
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  Speaker 1: Pity he was not hi killed. They shot off his suculo,
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  Speaker 1: and he fainted. Three of our fellows and two tiris
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  Speaker 1: are behind the pagoda wall to the right. They can
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: see the enemy's position from there. Go and take command
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  Speaker 1: of them. I was at a lev caparral I e
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  Speaker 1: lance corporal at this time, and follow up each volley
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: we fire from here by another distance three hundred yards.
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  Speaker 1: I went over to my little command, my nerves steadied
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  Speaker 1: by the thought of the responsibility which was now mine.
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  Speaker 1: I lined the men up each before an aperture in
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  Speaker 1: the open brickwork of the wall, and recommended them to
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  Speaker 1: aim carefully and wait for the word of command before firing.
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: Half sitting, half lying with his head against the wall
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: was a Derieu who had been the cause of our
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: abortive ambuscade. The upper half of his face was scorched
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: and blackened, and a little red stream trickled down from
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: forehead to chin. He looked dazed and stupid, and his
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: eyes were half closed. From his lips came a continual moan,
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: which he interrupted every few seconds to murmur yet yet
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: dead dead. My attention was called from him by the
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: crash of a volley from the corporal's party. As soon
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: as the smoke had risen, the smart rattle of our
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: volley rang out three times. I gave the same commands,
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: and each detonation seemed an echo to the one from
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: the rifles of our comrades. Then there was a pause.
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: The enemy's fire had slackened considerably, and the noise of
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: the projectiles as they struck the wall and roof of
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: the pagoda, sang overhead, or clattered through the branches of
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: the banion, was hardly noticeable when compared to the racket
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: they had kept up a few minutes before from the
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: hillocks before us. Only occasional puffs of smoke arose, followed
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: by isolated reports from their rifles. At his call, I
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: went out to our noncom, who said they seemed to
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: be sick of it, and certainly show no disposition to
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: rush us. I wish they would try. Secondly, the ground
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: is too open for them. If we could depend on
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: the lens, but we can't, we might make a dash
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: for the convoy without them. The odds are too great,
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: so I have decided to withdraw. I will start off
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: with this lot when we have got away, give them
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: a volley to keep them still, and if they show
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: any signs of moving a little independent firing. Don't be extravagant,
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: though you understand, yes, I answered, but you must take
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: the wounded linn. He would hamper me. Of course, he replied,
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: Sacher bump, Dieu, I had forgotten the coward. Can he stand?
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: I don't think so. Thereupon he told two men off
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: to fetch the poor beggar, and I felt sorry for
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: him when he appeared tottering, though supported by the two legionaries,
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: has already explained the banyan tree and the bushes masked
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: the pagoda gateway, so that these movements could not be
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: seen by the enemy. He'll do, said the corporal. You
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: two men on to him and help him to keep up.
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: Hear you this to another tyria. Tell him to run
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: his best when we go. This was explained, and he nodded, mumbled,
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: and would have started off alone if he had not
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: been held. He seemed in a hurry to get away,
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: and we all laughed. Now, said our chief, the brigade
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: will retire by echelons. Then, with a grin and a
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: bow to me, you, monsieur, will cover our withdrawal with
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: your battalion. When you hear a volley from us, double
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: out and rejoin with your party. Good luck to you, bonchance,
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: I replied, and went back to my men. A couple
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: of sharp orders, and the others clattered by on the double.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: The next minute, the enemy's fire broke out with renewed vigor.
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: They probably thought that everybody had left, for no bullets
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: came our way. Crash went our volley at them, but
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: they still kept it up. The running white men were
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: too tempting a target. I waited half a minute and
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: ordered independent firing of four cartridges per man, and joined
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: in the fun. This calmed them a little, and I
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: got my men outside, sheltered behind the friendly banion, ready
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: for the run, as it was probable that the others
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: would soon halt. The road went off slightly to the
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: right and was hidden from view by the corner of
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: the wall. We had not long to wait for In
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: a few seconds, the rattle of the rifles told me
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: it was time to start, so away we went in
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: single file. At the run we found the first detachment
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: sheltered behind a ridge between two fields, from whence they
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: had fired two volleys to cover our withdrawal. No one
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: had been hit, the only damage done being to the
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: stock of a rifle belonging to a man who had
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: retreated with me, which had been smashed by a rifle bullet.
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: There can be no doubt that the rebels were very
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: poor shots at anything over a hundred yards, and it
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: is doubtful if any of them knew how to hit
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: a running object. It was not for us to grumble
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: at this. However, their fires ceased completely as soon as
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: we had joined forces. This was due probably to the
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: fact that, owing to the continued sound of firing, the
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: piquet from Nanam had been sent out to meet us,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: though we were unaware of this, as a slight rise
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: of the ground hid the fort from us. We moved
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: off cautiously and very soon met the relief. This detachment,
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: about fifty strong, went on in hope of engaging the enemy,
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: but were disappointed, for although they occupied the hillocks from
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: which we had been fired upon, the rebels had not
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: waited for them, but retreated together with a convoy, leaving
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: behind them but a few baskets of rice. So terminated
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: my first experience under fire from a visible enemy. That night,
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: we were awakened and remained under arms for an hour,
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: for the enemy amused themselves by treating us to a
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: long range fire. It was a waste of ammunition, for
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: nobody was heard and we did not reply. Some of
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: my comrades suggested that this was a reprisal for our
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: ambuscade of the afternoon. Personally, I am inclined to believe
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: that it was a fainted attack on our position, designed
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: to engage our attention and ensure the passage of the
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: belated convoy which had escaped us. The weather grew hotter
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: every day. In several cases of heat apoplexy and fever occurred.
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: In our little garrison. It is probable that the fever
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: was due to the digging which had taken place during
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: the construction of our fortifications. This was inevitable, of course,
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: but it is always very dangerous to break new soil
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: in these districts, since the surface to the depth of
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: three or four feet is mainly composed of decayed vegetation,
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: in which the malaria microbe is abundant. All the newcomers were,
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: of course victims to prickly heat, in addition to which
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: many of us were afflicted with small boils. These would
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: not come one or two at a time, but sufferers
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: were literally covered with them. I was one of the
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: first to pay toll to this extremely painful malady. In
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: addition to these unavoidable inconveniences, the whole company suffered from
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: another discomfort, which was a cause of deep complaint on
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: the part of the men, since it was due to
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: the neglect of our commissariat department. Because some trifling formality
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: had not been executed. Mosquito nets were not served out
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: to us till late in July, and the lack of
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: them caused many hours of sleepless agony during the hot nights.
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: A surprising amount of red tapism still remained in the
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: Commissariat Department of France's colonial Army, and though this branch
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: was remodeled in the beginning of nineteen o one, it
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: is generally acknowledged that the authorities responsible for the new
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: order of things have obtained little or no improvement in
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: this respect. In July, the heat became tremendous the afternoons,
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: which were the hottest part of the day, averaging one
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: hundred and ten degrees in the shade. The men were
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: kept indoors from nine in the morning until three in
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: the afternoon, and operations were restricted to short reconnaissances, which
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: took place either in the early morning or in the evening.
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: These excursions were always made to the south east or west,
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: but not northwards, as orders had been received from the
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: brigade to abstain from penetrating into the enemy's country until
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: the summer months had passed. In consequence, the Garrison of
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: Nanam disposed of a good deal of leisure time, which
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: the men made use of according to their varied tastes.
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: Making cloth belts embroidered with flags and other warlike devices
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: was a favorite pastime, with many books and newspapers were
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: in great demand, and a fortnightly convoy from fulangtoig which
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: brought the European mail, was an incident of importance to all.
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: A rifle range had been built about five hundred yards
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: to the west of our position, and each morning saw
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: some unit of the garrison at practice. Close to the
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: fort on the southwest side was a small village inhabited
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: by the camp followers, wives and children of some of
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: the native troops. It contained one small store kept by
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: a chinaman, at which the troops could obtain tobacco, tinned goods,
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: and strong drinks. The sale of intoxicants was, however, subjected
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: to strict regulation, any infringement of which would have entailed
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: the peremptory closing of the storekeeper's establishment. The men not
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: on duty were allowed to go into the village from
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: five to seven p m. Only, so that would be
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: topers had small facilities for over indulgence, and cases of
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: drunkenness were few and far between. Thirsty souls could obtain
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: good wine from the government stores in the fort at
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: a very reasonable price, though this supply was with reason
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: restricted to half a liter a little more than a
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: pint a day. Per man our diet was good for
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: the natives from some of the surrounding villages brought in
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: a plentiful supply of eggs, poultry, pork, fruit, and yams,
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: which were readily purchased as the troops received a mess
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: grant in addition to their daily ration of bread, fresh meat, coffee, sugar,
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: rice and salt. During the period of comparative inaction and
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: profiting by the leisure at my disposal, I made an
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: attempt at learning the enemy's language. Progress was very slow,
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: for the vernacular, like Chinese, is composed of a multitude
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: of sounds, many of which are so similar to each
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: other that only a well trained ear can distinguish the difference. Also,
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: there exists neither alphabet nor grammar to aid the student,
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: and success depends entirely on the possession of a good
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: memory and inexhaustible patients. In writing this language, the natives
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: use the Chinese characters, each representing a sound, and the
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: extent of knowledge of their literate class is gauged by
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: the number of these each individual has succeeded in retaining. Thus,
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: a native who has passed examinations which prove that he
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: possesses five thousand characters is said to be clever, and
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: one who has shown that he can make use of
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: double back quantity is considered to have reached a very
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: high standard of education. Indeed, as in the Chinese and
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: Japanese languages, many words possess an honorific as well as
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: a common form. Thus, an official in speaking to an
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: inferior will refer to himself by using the word tao i,
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: but in conversing with a superior, this form of pronoun
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: in the first person becomes toi I. It is needless
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: to state that this peculiarity adds considerably to the difficulties
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: the student has to reckon with. During my search for
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: an insight into the native town, I came in contact
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: with one of the native sergeants known as Doi to
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: Doi sergeant and to a mountaineer. This non commissioned officer
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: belonged to the hardy and brave mountain tribes of northern Donkin,
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: mention of which has already been made. He had distinguished
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: himself on several occasions, and especially so during the operations
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: Agantu Toe in December and January. In appearance and in
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: his love of danger, he bore a strong resemblance to
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: a gurkha. And the following account of an incident which
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: took place during one of the attacks on the rebel stronghold,
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: related to me by a legionary who was present, will
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: give the reader some insight into the character of this
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: plucky little soldier, and indeed into that of his fellow
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: tribesmen of whom he was a good example. During one
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: of the first engagements, a section of the native regiment,
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: under the orders of a lieutenant, succeeded in reaching the
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: first palisade from behind the trees or lying flat on
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: the ground. The men opened a smart fire on the
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: rebel position, which was returned with vigor and punctuated by
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: oriental abuse composed of rude remarks concerning the individual family
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: of each terieu and the graves of his ancestors. Touteaux,
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: maddened by these insults, stood up in full view of
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: the enemy and poured forth upon them a torrent of
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: curses and invective. In their admiration of his daring and
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: their surprise at the volubility scope of his abuse, most
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: of the combatants forgot to fire, and a momentary lull
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: took place in the engagement. It lasted a few seconds,
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: only for lashed to fury by the stinging retorts of
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: the speaker. Every rifle on that side of the rampart
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: was turned upon him. His saccolo and cartridge cases were
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: shot away, and his clothes riddled with bullet holes, and
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: it is probable that his body would have resembled a
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: sieve had not his lieutenant sprung forward and dragged the
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: howling mountaineer into safety behind a big tree. After this,
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: the rebels fire slackened, and they shouted friendly invitations to
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: the native troops to kill their officers and join them,
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: saying that Denams would treat them well and would give
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: one hundred dollars for every head of a French officer
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: they would bring in Tow replied with renewed invective from
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: behind the tree, where he had been ordered to remain,
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: and each pause made through want of breath, he punctuated
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: with a shot from his rifle. When the engagement was
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: over and the troops were retiring to Nannam, the lieutenant
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: aforementioned asked the little sergeant if he thought the promises
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: of the rebels were bona fide ones. The nearest translation
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: of d'htto's reply in bad French was something after the following,
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: hum they belong big liars. Suppose I bring your head
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: mont Lieutenant. Perhaps I get ten dollars only. He and
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: I soon became fast friends, and of an evening before
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: the door of the fort was closed. I would sometimes
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: go for an hour to his Kanya native hut and
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: sit and talk with him whilst his wife prepared his
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: evening meal of rice, dried fish, prawns, and native salad.
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: While we discussed the topics of the day. His sons,
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: two sturdy pot bellied brats, aged respectively five and seven,
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: naked as they were born, would squat down on the
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: floor of beaten clay and stare open mouthed at me.
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: His meal dispatched, the little sergeant would stretch himself out
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: on a clean rice straw mat placed on a platform
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: like bed made of split bamboo, which covered half the room.
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: His wife would then bring in a hard wood tray,
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: whereupon was a diminutive lamp, a bamboo opium pipe with
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: a blue clay bowl, some little skewer like implements of silver,
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: and a tiny box of the same metal containing the
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: daily ration of this seductive drug tow would lie on
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: his right side, a hollow block of green enameled earthenware
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: serving as a pillow. Beneath his head. His wife would
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: stretch out opposite two and facing him. Between them was
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: placed the tray with its little implements, and the lamp
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: was lit. This was the solemn moment of the day.
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: End of Chapter four, Part one,