Percival Christopher Wren

“ On either side of the gates were guard-house and prison.
A small door was opened beside the gates, and we filed through.
The guard, seated on a long bench outside the guard-house, observed us without enthusiasm. The Sergeant of the Guard emerged and looked us over, and then closed his eyes, while he slowly shook his head.
A knot of men, clad in white uniform with wide blue sashes round their waists, gathered and regarded us.
"Mon Dieu!" said one, "there's that blackguard Boldini back again. As big a fool as he is a knave, evidently!" ”

“ How much more attractive and romantic than the familiar British uniform that seemed to suggest Hyde Park and nurse-maids, rather than palms, oases, Moorish cities, and desert warfare.
So is the unknown always better than the known, and the thing we have not, better than that we have. ...
At the Gare du Nord I experienced, in an intensified form, that sense of loneliness and utter insignificance that had assailed me at Waterloo; and I went out into the bright uproar of gay Paris, feeling anything but bright, uproarious, or gay myself. ”

“ Our two "fours" and a couple of Germans filled one compartment, and we whiled away the time by questioning Boldini concerning life in the Legion, and by listening to his innumerable stories.
It seemed somewhat dream-like to me, to be sitting in a tiny bare third-class railway-carriage, somnolently rolling across Africa in company with my brothers, two Americans, an ex-officer of a continental army, an Anglo-Indian Italian, a Swiss courier, and a pair of German workmen, listening to tales of a life as far removed from that of Europe as are the Arabian Nights. ”

“ After breakfast—soupe and bread again—Buddy requested Boldini to ask the cook to step outside.
"What for?" asked the cook contemptuously.
Buddy requested that the man should be informed that he was a coyote, a skunk, a low-lifer, a way down ornery bindle-stiff, a plate-licking dime-pinching hobo, a dodgasted greaser, a gol-durned sneak-thief, and a gosh-dinged slush-slinging poke-out-pinching piker.
Boldini merely said:
"The little man calls you a mean lying thief and a cowardly mangy cur. ... He spits on you and he wants to fight you. He is a very little man, chef." ”

“ We got books from the library, engaged a half-caste clerk, who worked in the Bureau Arabe, to meet us for an hour, four evenings a week, for conversation; and took to haunting Arab cafés instead of French ones.
We distinctly liked the dignified and courteous men with whom we talked over the wonderful coffee.
We made rapid progress and, after a time, made a point of talking Arabic to each other. It is an easy language to learn, especially in a country where it is spoken.
And still Boldini haunted us like our shadow, Corporal Dupré waited for a chance to report us, and Lejaune bided his time. ”

“ The cook retreated into the galley, one hand to his throat.
"Look out for a knife," called Boldini.
But the cook was cowed, and reappeared with a wooden bucket containing three or four quarts of wine. This he handed to Hank, with a wish that it might choke him first and corrode his interior after.
He then requested Boldini to inform us that we were a cowardly gang of apaches and wolves, who were brave enough in a band, and slinking curs individually. He would fight and destroy every one of us—except the big one—and glad of the chance. ”

“ I told them the details of my evasion; of how I had declined an interview with Aunt Patricia; of how the shock of somebody's disgraceful behaviour had been too much for the Chaplain's health; of the respective attitudes of Augustus, Claudia, and Isobel.
"It is rough on Claudia," said Michael, "and, in a different way, on the poor old Chaplain."
"And in a different way, again, on Aunt Patricia," I observed.
"Thirty thousand pounds," mused Digby. "What price dear Uncle Hector, when she breaks it to him? He'll go mad and bite her." ”

“ Boldini did so.
"I'm the smallest," remarked Buddy, and left it at that, while he finished his bread and wine.
I am a law-abiding person by nature and by training (or I was at that time) , and regretted all this unseemliness. But what a loathsome blackguard a man must be to swindle hungry bewildered men (whose pay was a halfpenny a day and who had joined the army to get it!) , to rob them of their meagre allowance of food in order that he might sell it to them for their last coppers, when they could hold out no longer. ”

“ There was a babel of noise and a confusing turmoil as these leave-men rushed about in search of pay-corporals, fourrier-sergents, kit, papers, food, and the canteen. The place was evidently the clearing-house and military hotel for all soldiers coming from, or returning to, the army of Africa. ”

“ I gave him three francs, and a roll each to Hank and Buddy.
"You have a great soul, Boldini," I remarked, on purchasing the bread, and was distressed at the unkindly guffaw emitted by Buddy at my words. An hour or so later, all signs of activity having ceased to render the cook-house attractive, it seemed but too true that food was not for us. The mob of recruits grumbled, complained, and cursed in half a dozen languages. Darkness fell, and Hank arose. ”

“ If we are scattered, two of us must be innocent. There is a doubt on each of us, but not a stain on any particular one of us. ... Why write at all, in fact? We are just runaway criminals. They don't write home. ..."
"My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is puah," bleated Digby.
"My strength will be as the strength of eleven if you don't shut up," warned Michael.
"I don't see the point really, Beau," I objected. "We prove nothing at all by being scattered. We might still all be criminals. ”

“ It was not until we were approaching our destination that sand-hills and desert encroached and a note of wildness and savagery prevailed.
Negro and Arab boys and men brought fruit to our window at every station, and very fine grapes, oranges, melons, and figs could be bought extremely cheaply.
"This is all right," remarked Digby, who was always very fond of fruit, "if one can get fruit at this price in Sidi-bel-Abbès."
"Yes," said Boldini drily, "if you devote your entire income entirely to fruit, you'll be able to get a little every day of your life." ”

“ While we three and the Americans were gathered in a group, putting the last touches to our kit and extracting information and advice from Boldini, he came into the room, undressed and went to bed.
As he lay down he bawled:
"Silence! If any man makes a sound, between now and sunrise, he'll make the next sound in hospital," and fell asleep.
We got into our beds in a silence that could be felt.
I remained awake, because I was anxious to go to sleep; and lay thinking of Isobel, of what was happening at Brandon Abbas, of our strange position, and of the "Blue Water." ”

“ We had been long enough in the Legion to know its queer code of morals, and on the subject of theft the law was very peculiar, very strict, and very savage.
One might steal any article of uniform, and be no thief. It was a case of "robbery no stealing." To take another man's uniform or kit was merely "to decorate oneself," and decorating oneself was a blameless pastime, regarded universally as profitable, amusing, and honourable. Public opinion was not in the slightest degree against the time-honoured practice, and the act was concealed from none save the owner of the sequestrated property. ”

“ Michael and Digby were not among these men, and I was sensible of a deep feeling of bitter disappointment as I realised the fact.
All these recruits looked at me, but though conscious of their regard, I was much more conscious of the poisonous foulness of the atmosphere of the room. It was horrible.
Every window was tightly shut, and every man (and the charcoal stove) was smoking, so far as I could determine with a rapid glance round the reeking place. ”

“ When the bloodshot eye of Colour-Sergeant Lejaune fell upon Boldini, it halted, and a long look passed between the two men. Neither spoke.
Upon us three Gestes he looked with disfavour.
"Runaway pimps," he said. "Show me your hands."
We held them out.
"Going to tell our fortunes. ... Beware of a dark ugly man," whispered Digby to me.
The Colour-Sergeant regarded our decently kept hands and snorted:
"I'll harden those for you, by God. ... Never done a stroke of work in your lives. ... I'll manicure you before you die. ... I'll make you wish you had gone to gaol instead."
He looked Hank over. ”

“ Squad—dismiss."
"Rompez!" shouted Boldini, and then made all clear to the cook.
At eleven, Hank's sergeant-like crisp bawl, "Recruits—fall in," could be heard all over the ship; Buddy appointed himself bugler and whistled an obvious dinner-call, and Boldini roared, "Rangez-vous, légionnaires!"
The way in which the order was obeyed, made it clear to me that I was about the only recruit who was not an old soldier. There was nothing to be surprised at in this, however, since most continental armies are conscript, and every man is a soldier. Certainly Hank and Buddy had been in the army. ”

“ We lay on the deck propped against the hatch far into the glorious night, Hank and Buddy rolling cigarettes with my tobacco, and leaves from my pocket-book, while I enjoyed my dear old briar, as we listened to Boldini's wonderful tales of the Legion. ...
The moon rose and flooded the sea with silver light. ...
By this time to-morrow, I might be with Michael and Digby. ... I began to nod, fell asleep, woke cold and stiff, and retired to a very unpleasant hole in the fo'c'sle, where there were tiers of bunks and many sorrows. ”

“ An income of a halfpenny a day is one that will stand a good deal of augmenting.
Turning to see if I could do anything for Michael or Digby, I found that Boldini and Colonna were before me, each earning in a few minutes, as a valet, what it took them two days to earn as a soldier. ”

“ Boldini assured the cook that Hank would tear him limb from limb, and the angry crowd of recruits would see that nobody rescued him either.
The fellow ceased to struggle, and Hank hurled him into the galley.
A sort of ship's quartermaster, followed by a sailor, came up, and I feared trouble. Visions of us all in irons, awaiting a court-martial at Oran, floated before my eyes.
"Assaulting the cook?" quoth the man in uniform. "Good! Kill the thrice-accursed thieving food-spoiler, and may le bon Dieu assist you." ”

“ At the end of that time we found ourselves in the selected draft under orders for the south, and our chance had come of winning that distinction, decoration, and promotion which was to be our first step on the Path of Glory—which was to lead not to the grave but to fame and fortune. ”

“ Thérèse at Oran now," was the reply. "And may go on to Saida or Sidi-bel-Abbès to-morrow or the next day. Sidi, probably, if he is a strong fellow."
"Say, you're a walking encyclopedestrian," remarked Buddy, eyeing the man speculatively, and perhaps with more criticism than approval.
"I can tell you anything about the Legion," replied the man in his excellent refined English—about which there was no accent such as that of a Londoner, north-countryman, or yokel, but only a slight foreign suggestion—"I am an old légionnaire, rejoining after five years' service and my discharge." ”

“ So, with the conscientious fears of the ignorant novice, at least one recruit endeavoured to have everything right and ready before he went to bed, and secretly determined to wake himself at half-past four next morning, to make a good beginning.
Michael's bed was in the corner by the huge window, Boldini's was next, Digby's next, and then that of an Italian calling himself Colonna. Mine came next, then Brandt's, then Buddy's, then Haff's, and then Hank's—always an old légionnaire next to a recruit, and so on throughout the room. ”

“ Here again, a few francs procured an incredible quantity of wine and all was harmony, noise, and hectic gaiety of the kind induced by alcohol. Returning to our barrack-room at the call of the "Lights out" bugle, we completed our preparations for the morrow by the meagre light of the caserne night-lamp.
We gathered that we should be aroused by the garde-chambre at five-fifteen in the morning, and should have to be on recruit-parade at five-thirty in white uniform and sash, with knapsack, rifle, belts, and bayonet, and that everything must be immaculate and shining. ”

“ It struck me that community of habits, tastes, customs, and outlook form a stronger bond of sympathy than community of race; and that men of the same social caste and different nationality were much more attracted to each other than men of the same nationality and different caste. ...
When the canteen closed, Beau proposed that we should shorten the night as much as possible, and spend the minimum of time in that loathsome cell, lying packed like sardines on the bare boards of the guard-bed shelf, with a score of men and a million insects. ”

“ Here it was my privilege to entertain the whole band from the barrack-room, and I was interested to discover that both the German, whose name proved to be Glock, and the unpleasing Vogué, were both charmed to accept my hospitality, and to drown resentment, with everything else, in wine.
It is quite easy to be lavishly hospitable with wine at about a penny a pint.
Fun grew fast and furious, and I soon found that I was entertaining a considerable section of the French army, as well as the Legion's recruits. ”

“ Hank and Buddy never held official rank in the muster-roll of the Legion, but they held high rank in the hearts of the légionnaires who knew them. That recruit-squad would certainly have followed them anywhere, and have obeyed them blindly. ”