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diff --git a/old/43730.txt b/old/43730.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 96cbeb6..0000000 --- a/old/43730.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1536 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Thousand Francs Reward, by Emile Gaboriau - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: A Thousand Francs Reward - and, Military Sketches - -Author: Emile Gaboriau - -Translator: Laura E. Kendall - -Release Date: September 15, 2013 [EBook #43730] -Last Updated: June 1, 2915 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A THOUSAND FRANCS REWARD *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - - -A THOUSAND FRANCS REWARD. - -By Emile Gaboriau. - -Translated by Laura E. Kendall. - - - - - -A THOUSAND FRANCS REWARD. - - - - -I. - -It's a very short time ago, yesterday as it were, that one Sunday -afternoon about four o'clock, the whole Quartier du Marais was in an -uproar. - -Rumor asserted that one of the most respectable merchants in the Hue -Boi-de-Sicile had disappeared, and all efforts to find him continued -fruitless. - -The strange event was discussed in all the shops in the neighborhood; -there were groups at the doors of all the fruit-sellers, every moment -some terrified housewife arrived, bringing fresh particulars. - -The grocer on the corner had the best and latest news, the most -reliable, too, for he received his information from the lips of the cook -who lived in the house. - -"So," said he, "yesterday evening, after dinner, our neighbor, Monsieur -Jandidier, went down to his cellar to get a bottle of wine, and was -never seen again. He disappeared, vanished, evaporated!" - -It occasionally happens that mysterious disappearances are mentioned. -The public becomes excited, and prudent people buy sword-canes. - -Policemen hear absurd reports, and shrug their shoulders. They know the -wrong side of the carefully embroidered canvas. They investigate, and -find, instead of artless falsehoods, the truth; instead of romances, -sorrowful stories. Yet, up to a certain point, the grocer of the Rue -Saint Louis told the truth. - -M. Jandidier, manufacturer of imitation jewelry, had not been at home -for the last twenty-four hours. - -M. Theodore Jandidier was a man fifty-eight years old, very stout and -very bald, who had made a large fortune in business. He was supposed -to have a considerable income from stocks and bonds, and his business -brought him annually, on an average, fifty thousand francs. He was -beloved and respected in his neighborhood, and justly so; his honesty -was above suspicion, his morality rigid. Married late in life to a -penniless relative, he had made her perfectly happy. He had an only -daughter, a pretty, graceful girl, named Therese, whom he worshiped. She -had been engaged to the eldest son of Schmidt the banker--member of the -firm Schmidt, Gubenheim & Worb--M. Gustave; but the match was broken -off, nobody knew why, for the young people were desperately in love -with each other. It was said by Jandidier's acquaintances that Schmidt -senior, a perfect skinflint, had demanded a dowry far beyond the -merchant's means. - -Notified by public rumor, which hourly exaggerated the story, the -commissary of police went to the home of the man already called "the -victim," to obtain more exact information. - -He found Mme. and Mlle. Jandidier in such terrible grief that it was -with great difficulty he gleaned the truth. At last he learned the -following details: - -The day before, Saturday, M. Jandidier had dined with his family as -usual, though his appetite was not good, owing, he said, to a violent -headache. - -After dinner he went to his stores, gave some orders, and then entered -his office. - -At half past six he came upstairs again, and told his wife he was going -to walk. - -And he had not been seen since! - -After carefully noting these particulars, the commissary requested Mme. -Jandidier to let him speak with her alone a few minutes. She made a sign -of assent, and Mlle. Therese left the room. - -"Pardon the question I am about to ask, madame," said the police -officer. "Do you know whether your husband--again I beg you to excuse -me--had any ties outside of his own family?" - -Mme. Jandidier started up; anger dried her tears. - -"I have been married twenty-three years, monsieur, and my husband has -never returned home later than ten o'clock." - -"Was your husband in the habit of going to any club or cafe, madame?" -continued the officer. - -"Never; I wouldn't have allowed it." - -"Did he usually carry valuables on his person?" - -"I don't know; I attended to my housekeeping and didn't trouble myself -about business matters." - -It was impossible to get anything more from the haughty wife, who was -fairly bewildered by sorrow. - -Having performed his duty, the commissary thought he ought to give the -poor woman a little commonplace consolation. - -But on withdrawing, after an examination of the house, he felt very -anxious, and began to suspect that a crime had been committed. - -That very evening one of the most skillful members of the detective -force, Retiveau, better known in the Rue de Jerusalem under the name -of Maitre Magloire, was put on M. Jandidier's track, supplied with an -excellent photograph of the merchant. - - - - -II. - -The very day after M. Jandidier's disappearance, Maitre Magloire -appeared at the Palais de justice to report what he had done to the -magistrate in charge of the affair. - -"Ah! there you are, Monsieur Magloire," said the magistrate; "so you've -discovered something?" - -"I am on the trail, monsieur." - -"Speak." - -"To begin with, Monsieur Jandidier did not leave home at half past six -o'clock, but precisely seven." - -"Precisely?" - -"Precisely. I ascertained that from a clock-maker in the Rue Saint -Denis, who is sure of it, because while passing his shop, Monsieur -Jandidier took out his watch to see if it was exactly like the -clock over the door. He held an unlighted cigar in his mouth. Having -discovered this last circumstance, I said to myself, 'I have it! He'll -light his cigar somewhere.' I reasoned correctly; he went into a retail -shop on the Boulevard du Temple, whose mistress knows him very well. The -fact was impressed on the woman's memory because he always smoked sou -cigars, and this time bought London ones." - -"How did he appear?" - -"Absent-minded, the shop-keeper told me. It was from her I found out -that he often went to the Cafe Ture. I entered it, and was told that he -had been there Saturday evening. He took two small glasses of brandy, -and talked with his friends. He seemed dull. 'The gentleman talked all -the time about life insurance policies,' the waiter told me. At half -past eight o'clock our man left the with one of his friends, a merchant -in the neighborhood, Monsieur Blandureau. I instantly went to this -gentleman, who informed me that he walked up the boulevard with Monsieur -Jandidier, who left him at the corner of the Rue Richelieu, pleading a -business engagement. He was not in his usual spirits, and seemed to be -assailed by the gloomiest presentiments." - -"Very well, so far," murmured the magistrate. - -"On leaving Monsieur Blandureau, I went to the Rue Roi-de-Sicile to -ascertain from somebody in the house whether Monsieur Jandidier had any -customers or friends in the Rue Richelieu, but no one lived there except -his tailor. I therefore proceeded hap-hazard to the tailor. He saw our -man Saturday. Monsieur Jandidier called on him after nine o'clock to -order a pair of trousers. While his measure was being taken, he noticed -that one of his vest buttons was nearly off, and asked to have it sewed -on. He was obliged to take off his overcoat while the trifling repair -was made, and as at the same time he removed the contents of the side -pocket, the tailor noticed several hundred-franc bank-bills." - -"Ah!" that's a clew, "He had a considerable sum of money with him?" - -"Considerable, no; but tolerably large. The tailor estimates it at -twelve or fourteen hundred francs." - -"Go on," said the magistrate. - -"While his vest was being repaired, Monsieur Jandidier complained of -sudden indisposition, and sent a little boy for a carriage, saying that -he was obliged to go to one of his workmen, who lived a long distance -off. Unfortunately, the lad had forgotten the number of the carriage. -He only recollected that it had yellow wheels, and was drawn by a large -black horse. The vehicle was found. A circular sent to all who kept -carriages for hire, put me on the track. I learned this morning that -it was No. 6007. The driver, on being questioned, distinctly remembered -having been stopped Saturday evening, about nine o'clock, in the Rue -Richelieu, by a little boy, and waiting ten minutes in front of the -Maison Gouin. The description he gave of his fare exactly suits our -man, and he recognized the photograph among five different ones I showed -him." - -Maitre Magloire stopped. He wanted to enjoy the approval visible in the -magistrate's expression. - -"Monsieur Jandidier," he continued, "ordered the driver to take him to -No. 48 Rue d'Arras-Saint-Victor. In this house lives a workman named -Jules Tarot, employed by Monsieur Jandidier." - -M. Magloire's way of pronouncing this name was intended to rouse the -magistrate's attention, and did so. - -"You have suspicions?" he asked. - -"Not exactly, but this is the story. Monsieur Jandidier dismissed the -carriage at the Rue d'Arras and went to Tarot's about ten o'clock. At -eleven the employer and workman came out together. The latter did not -return until midnight, and here I lose all trace of my man. Of course I -didn't question Tarot, for fear of putting him on his guard." - -"Who is this Jules Tarot?" - -"A workman in mother-of-pearl, a man who polishes shells on a grindstone -to make them perfectly iridescent. He's a skillful fellow, and, assisted -by his wife, to whom he has taught his trade, can make nearly a hundred -francs a week." - -"They are in easy circumstances, then?" - -"Oh! no. They are both young, they have no children, they are Parisians. -Deuce take it, they enjoy themselves. Monday regularly carries away what -the other days bring." - - - - -III. - -Two hours after Maitre Magloire's report, the police went to search -Jules Tarot's house. - -At sight of the officers, the workman and his wife turned deadly pale, -and were seized with a nervous tremor that could not escape Maitre -Magloire's practiced eye, Yet the most thorough investigation failed to -detect anything suspicious, and the policemen were about to withdraw, -when the detective noticed Tarot's wife glance anxiously at a cage hung -in the window. - -This was a ray of light. In less than an instant Magloire had unhooked -and taken down the cage. Between the boards, at the bottom, twelve -hundred-franc bank-bills were found. - -This discovery seemed to crush the workman. As to his wife, she began -to utter piercing shrieks, protesting that both she and her husband were -innocent. They were arrested, conveyed to head-quarters, and questioned -by the magistrate. Their answers were precisely the same. - -They acknowledged having received a visit from their employer Saturday -evening. He seemed so ill that they asked him to take something to -drink, but he refused. He had come, he said, to give a large order, and -proposed that Tarot should undertake it, employing his own workmen. -They replied that they had no means to do so, whereupon their -employer answered: "No matter, I'll supply the money." And laid twelve -hundred-franc bills on the table. - -At eleven o'clock M. Jandidier asked his workman to accompany him; he -was going to the Faubourg Saint Antoine. Tarot went as far as the Place -de la Bastile, crossing the foot-bridge of Constantine, and walking -along the canal. - -The magistrate asked both husband and wife the very natural question: - -"Why did you hide the money?" - -They made the same reply. - -Monday morning, hearing of M. Jandidier's disappearance, they were -seized with terror. Tarot said to his wife: "If it is known that our -employer came here, that I crossed the bridge and followed the edge of -the canal with him, I shall be seriously compromised. If this money were -found in our possession we should be lost." - -The wife then wanted to burn the notes, but Tarot opposed the plan, -intending to return them to the family. - -This explanation was reasonable and plausible, if not probable, but it -was merely an explanation. Tarot and his wife were kept under arrest. - - - - -IV. - -A week after, the magistrate was still greatly perplexed. Three more -examinations had not enabled him to come to any fixed conclusion. - -Were Tarot and his wife innocent? Were they simply marvelously clever in -maintaining a probable story? - -The magistrate knew not what to think, when one morning a strange rumor -spread abroad. The Maison Jandidier had failed. A detective sent to -make inquiries, brought back the most startling news. M. Jandidier, who -people supposed to be so rich, was ruined, utterly ruined, and for three -years had kept up his credit by all sorts of expedients. There was not a -thousand francs in his house, and his notes due at the end of the month -amounted to sixty-seven thousand, five hundred francs. - -The cautious merchant gambled in stocks at the Bouerse, the virtuous -husband was unfaithful. - -The magistrate had just heard these particulars, when Maitre Magloire -appeared, pale and panting for breath. - -"You know, monsieur?" he exclaimed on the threshold. "All!" - -"Tarot is innocent." - -"I think so; and yet, that visit--how do you explain that visit?" - -Magloire shook his head mournfully. - -"I'm a fool," said he, "and Lecoq has just proved it. Monsieur Jandidier -talked about life insurance policies at the Cafe Ture. That was the key -to the whole matter. Jandidier was insured for 200,000 francs, and the -companies, in France, never pay in case of suicide; do you understand?" - - - - -V. - -Thanks to M. Gustave Schmidt, who will marry Mlle. Therese Jandidier -next month, the Maison Jandidier did not fail. - -Tarot and his wife, on being restored to liberty, were set up in -business by the same M. Gustave, and no longer go junketing on Mondays. - -But what has become of M. Jandidier? A thousand francs reward for news -of him! - - - - -MILITARY SKETCHES. - - - - -THE CANTINIERE. - -She may be young or old, dazzlingly pretty or frightfully ugly; in this -case looks make no difference, she is ever and always the same. If there -is much that is evil in her composition there is quite as much that is -good. She is a woman although--or because--she is a cantiniere. This -much is certain--she loves the soldier, and is ever ready to do him a -service. - -It is unnecessary to describe the cantiniere in her glory; that is -to say, at the head of her regiment on review days, arrayed in fall -uniform, her glazed cap perched jauntily over one ear and her little -cask on her back. Every one knows her traditional jacket, coquettish -short skirt, trousers with scarlet stripes, and her fantastic boots. - -It is certainly a pretty sight to see her when the drum beats, leading -the way, and keeping time to the step of the soldiers. - -But the drum is not always beating, fortunately! glory and noise do -not suffice to fill the stomach, so on her return to the quarters, the -cantiniere lays aside her gorgeous apparel, and resumes her civilian -costume, that is, a skirt and drees, and bestows her attention upon the -thousand details connected with her establishment. - -The cantine is not what the civilian generally supposes; it is at once -a restaurant, wine-shop, cafe, beer-shop, and boarding-house. It is here -that the soldier--and sometimes the officer--takes his morning dram; -the volunteer spends here a portion of the money sent him by his family; -hussars afflicted with a hearty appetite find here a cheap supplement to -the mess-room; troopers under arrest can here enjoy a demi-tasse without -leaving the quarters, and here all the non-commissioned officers take -their meals. - -They pay forty-five centimes a day and furnish their bread: in exchange -for this amount, they are entitled to two meals a day, each composed -of two dishes and a dessert, besides a bowl of soup or porridge in the -evening. - -The charges are not high, as you see; so cantinieres do not accumulate -fortunes as rapidly as the restaurant-keepers on the boulevards. - -But moderation in price does not prevent the articles from being good, -for some cantinieres are veritable _cor-dons bleus_, competent to -prepare a dish originated by Dr. Veron. - -In the generality of cases the cantiniere is the wife of a drummer in -the infantry, of a trumpeter in the cavalry; her husband is sometimes -the fencing-master, or even a common soldier; but his position or rank -is not of the slightest importance. In the cantine, the husband is a -nonentity. His existence is scarcely recognized; and he is visible only -on great occasions, when there is a crowd, or when it is necessary to -quell disorder, which is seldom the case. - -The husband of the cantiniere, when his duties are over for the day, -smokes his pipe behind the door, and drinks brandy--or beer if he is a -German; almost all the cantinierea are Alsatians. Their children are -sent to the regimental school; some become officers, the majority become -excellent trumpeters. - -So the cantiniere reigns supreme in her domain, which does not prevent -her from serving others. She is generally assisted by a young woman, and -by a good-natured soldier, who becomes her soldier, her right arm, in -consideration of a small salary. If any disorder arises she quells it, -putting the offender out-of-doors herself if necessary. - -She does not like to give credit; but she is so kind-hearted that she -can not bear to see a man suffer, and it is impossible for her to refuse -a drop to a really thirsty soldier. Though she censures herself for her -weakness, she does not know how to resist an entreaty; but we must -admit that she is generally paid, and that she does not lose much by her -liberality. - -And what woman would not do the same? How could any one refuse to comply -with a request of this kind: - -"My good Madame Bajot,--I have been in the lock-. up for four days. -I have not a penny nor even a morsel of tobacco to put in my pipe. -I entreat you to send me six sous' worth of tobacco--and a quart of -brandy--for I am very thirsty--through my comrade, and in a little -bottle on account of the corporal. By so doing you will save my life, -and I will settle your bill next pay-day. Let the tobacco be very dry -and of the best quality. - -"Be assured of my eternal gratitude, - -"Brulard, - -"Of the 1st Division, 3d Squadron." - -The excellent woman shudders on contemplating the prisoner's privations, -and sends him the tobacco and brandy. - -Moreover, if a trooper be sick or wounded, though not sufficiently to -be sent to the hospital, she nurses him, dresses his wound, and prepares -the _tisane_, for which she will never accept any pay. - -If the cantiniere is ugly, no one thinks of criticising her. - -It is her right, and no one even perceives it; but if she is pretty, it -is a very different matter. She makes havoc in the regiment, and all the -young conscripts are speedily subjugated by her conquering charms. - -It is an old trooper's axiom, that the goodness of the wine is in an -inverse ratio to the beauty of the cantiniere. - -She has a little wagon drawn by one or two horses. It is in this -equipage that she follows the troops, and appears upon the parade -ground, where she dispenses tobacco and liquors to the officers and men -in the intervals of rest during the drill. - -During a campaign she devotes herself to her regiment. More than once in -the thickest of the fight she has been seen going from rank to rank -to carry a drop to the soldiers, and braving the canister and grape in -order to give a little water to the wounded. She keeps no accounts at -such times; she does not sell, she gives. - -Several cantinieres have been decorated, and the exploits of one of -their number have been related throughout Europe. They have formed -the plot of a drama which delineates all the characteristics of "the -soldier's mother," under the title of "The Vivandiere of the Grand -Army." - - - - -THE BARBER OF THE SQUADRON. - -As a general thing, it is upon the cheeks of his brother soldiers that -he serves his apprenticeship--a severe apprenticeship for the cheeks! -Heaven preserve you from ever falling into his clutches and testing -his dexterity. In former years, before entering the service, he was a -carpenter, a mechanic, or a stone-cutter;--his good conduct elevated him -to the important position of barber, and since that time he has plied in -turn the scissors and razor with more zeal than discretion. - -This office of barber is one of the most popular in the regiment; and -the person who holds it is not a little proud of the honor. First of -all, he has a right to exact a small monthly payment from each soldier; -he also enjoys perfect freedom after ten o'clock; in short, he is -excused from all drudgery, and most of the exercises. And yet his -position is no sinecure. - -The barber is responsible for the heads of the entire company. If the -beards are too long, or the hair transgresses the limits prescribed by -ordinance, he is the one upon whom the blame will fall. The -regulation is there; he must follow it to the letter, and shave his -companions-in-arms as closely as possible, and not unfrequently against -their will; for there are troopers who cling to their hair-- -the natural ornament of man. The military gallant would love to wear -long hair, probably so a loving hand could caress his curls; but the -regulations are pitiless. - -"As soon as the hair can be seized with the hand, it must positively be -cut," says the corporal. - -All sorts of means are vainly employed by the foppish trooper to -preserve his hair. He wets it every day, or pastes it down with the aid -of _cosmetique_, then hides it carefully under his cap. - -'Wasted efforts! the officers are acquainted with all these tricks; they -pull off the caps, rumple up the hair, and then the delinquent and the -barber, who is held responsible, are almost sure of two, or even four -days in the guard house. - -Those sly foxes--the old troopers--do not resort to such hackneyed -expedients; they feign some affection of the eyes or ears, and thus -obtain from the sergeant-major permission to wear their hair long. - -The days of grand reviews are trying ordeals for the barber. In less -than two hours he must shave one hundred and fifty or two hundred -beards, to say nothing of the hair-cutting. - -You should see him then, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and -armed with a terrible razor which he has not even time to sharpen. The -soldiers--I should say, the patients--perhaps martyrs would be still -better--lather themselves in advance, and come one after another to -take their place in the seat of torture. The work is accomplished in the -twinkling of an eye; the most obstinate beards do not resist; hairs that -refuse to be cut are torn out; the cheek bleeds a little, but that is -nothing. What is a scratch to a French soldier? Moreover, the barber is -a conscientious man, and if he occasionally happens to slice off an -ear, he always takes the greatest possible pains to restore it to its -rightful owner. - -The troopers dread the razor, but they jeer at the barber; they call him -the butcher, in whispers be it understood--for if he overhears them, it -is in his power to avenge himself summarily. - -Barbers are the heroes of a host of army legends; there is, first, the -story of Barber Plumepate, who belonged to a cavalry regiment. - -This barber, who was very skillful in his profession, had an exceedingly -vindictive disposition. Very severely punished one day by his captain, -he swore vengeance, and openly declared he would kill the man who had so -wronged him. - -The barber's threats coming to the ears of the captain, he immediately -summoned Plumepate. - -"You have sworn that you would kill me," he said to him; "that is mere -boasting on your part; you would never dare to do it. Wait a moment; I -will try you. Prepare your implements and shave me." - -The terrible Plumepate was completely disconcerted. He set to work, but -he dared not carry out his threats. Never, on the contrary, did he do a -neater job. - -On another occasion, during a campaign, a barber in one of the regiments -of the line was summoned to shave the commander-in-chief. He was badly -frightened, and he could but think of the possible consequences should -his hand tremble. It did tremble so much that the general's face was -covered with blood when the operation was concluded. The unfortunate -barber, terrified by what he had done, shook in every limb, and -stammered a thousand excuses. - -"Hold," said the general; "here is a louis! If your hand had not trembled -in shaving your general, you would not be a true trooper." - -During a campaign, a barber becomes a soldier like the others, for then -both hair and beard are neglected. - -"When one finds water in Africa one drinks it; one does not amuse one's -self in making soap-suds." - -It sometimes happens that the barber of a regiment is a genuine barber, -who knows his trade, and who practiced it with honor before he became a -soldier. Then there is joy in the squadron; and the troopers flock to -be shaved by this artist, who does not mutilate them, and whose -well-sharpened razor is scarcely felt. The more foppish, in -consideration of a small fee, have their hair dressed and oiled. - -The lower officers, not only of the squadron, but of the entire -regiment, give him their patronage; he becomes their favorite, their -factotum, they treat him affably, almost courteously, and even permit a -certain degree of familiarity. - -Louis XI. made a prime minister of his barber. - - - - -THE VAGUEMESTRE. - -He is always busy, very busy, exceedingly busy; that is his specialty. -Do not attempt to speak to him, he can not answer you; do not try to -stop him, he will march you straight to the guard-house. He does not -walk, he runs; he has not an hour to spare, not a moment, not a second. - -This morning before the odious reveille had driven the soldiers from -their narrow couches he was up and dressed, ready to start. - -Should you succeed in questioning him, this will be his response: - -"What a life! what a profession! Look, sir, it is not yet nine o'clock, -and I have already made thirty trips. I had scarcely time to take my -dram this morning, and in my haste I almost choked myself. How do I know -I shall have time to swallow my absinthe? Shall I even get my breakfast? -That is doubtful. As you see, I invariably reach the cantine an hour -after the others. Everything is eaten, there is nothing left, or -if there is, it is something no one would eat, and consequently -intolerable. Then they bring me an egg. An egg!" (with a bitter laugh), -"an egg! for a man who has been running about all the morning. Never -adopt my profession, sir; my existence is insupportable--a dog's life! -To-morrow, you may rest assured, I shall tender my resignation and take -my place in the ranks, like the others. But what am I doing? Here I have -lost ten minutes in talking; clear oat, d--n you! I should have had time -to drink my absinthe." - -It must be admitted that the life of the vaguemestre is not a path of -roses. - -He is the Mercury of that company of deities known as the staff of a -regiment, and like that mythological courier, he must have wings on his -feet. He is also the superintendent of the regimental post-office; all -letters that come and go pass through his hands; he must know the hours -for the arrival and departure of the mails, carry the letters, and go -after them. If soldiers receive money through the post, they can not -draw it themselves; they carry their order to him, and he draws it -and pays it over to them; so I assure you this officer's time is fully -occupied. And yet something more than agility is needed, for he must -think of everything. The slightest oversight or the least delay might -produce serious consequences, for forgetfulness and want of punctuality -are severely punished. - -In the morning he hastens to the post-office, then to the colonel's -house to obtain the order of the day; then he rushes back to the -barracks in company with the messenger. - -He then hastily sorts the letters, making a separate pile for each -squadron; these he gives to the sergeants, who give them to the -corporals on duty for the week, who distribute them among the soldiers. - -But the hour for the report arrives; he hastens after it; then he starts -off again. The report must be submitted to the superior officers. The -lieutenant-colonel is waiting for it; the major is waiting for it, -so the vaguemestre hurries away. On returning, he must stop to see a -captain who has sent for him; besides, the colonel has intrusted him -with a letter to be delivered to a lieutenant who lives at the very end -of the town. What a nuisance! He rushes to the place, but does not find -the lieutenant. The letter is important; the lieutenant must be at the -_cafe_--lieutenants are always at the _cafe_--at least, when they are -not at breakfast. The vaguemestre visits the _cafe_, no lieutenant; at -last, he finds him at his boarding-house and delivers the letter. - -He heaves a mighty sigh of relief. Now he can breakfast; he hurries -on with all the fleetness of which his tired limbs are capable; hunger -lends him wings. He reaches the barracks. Alas! the adjutant-major -who has just left the table, stops him in the passage; he has a few -suggestions to make--adjutant-majors always have suggestions to make. - -At last he breakfasts in turn; he is the last of all. But it is useless -to describe the experience of the entire day. - -The vaguemestre is gifted with an extraordinary memory. Every week, when -he distributes the money received by the soldiers, he knows the exact -condition of each man's account; he must know if those who are entitled -to money are in disgrace or ill. Every week the sergeant on duty in each -squadron must furnish him with a report embodying this information; but -it would take too much time to consult these documents. He prefers to -remember. - -So, Sunday morning the trumpeter sounds the vaguemestre's call, that is -to say, executes a sort of flourish that signifies: - -"All who have received money-orders through the post must come and find -the vaguemestre if they desire what is due them." - -This call is so well understood that the soldiers respond promptly, and -without hesitation, whereupon colloquies of this kind ensue: - -THE VAGUEMESTRE. Private Demanet, you have received twelve francs. - -PRIVATE DEMANET. Yes, lieutenant Vaguemestre. Private Demanet, your -outfit is not yet paid for; you are credited with only eleven francs, -which is a deplorable state of things. You must devote your twelve -francs to this purpose. - -PRIVATE DEMARET. I entreat you, lieutenant--Vaguemestre. Well, then, -here are a hundred sous. I will keep back only seven francs. Make out a -receipt. - -EXAMPLE SECOND. - -VAGUEMESTRE. Private Castagnol, you have received fifty francs. - -PRIVATE CASTAGNOL. Yes, lieutenant Vaguemestre. Your parents seem to -have more money than they know what to do with. - -PRIVATE CASTAGNOL. Lieutenant, my family-- - -VAGUEMESTRE. Ah! I remember, you are a volunteer. Very well, you may go. - -PRIVATE CASTAGNOL. But my money? - -VAGUEMESTRE. You have eight days in the guard-house to make. Next -Sunday, if you are not punished in the meantime, you shall have your -money. - -PRIVATE CASTAGNOL. But-- - -VAGUEMESTRE. No remarks. - -PRIVATE CASTAGNOL (_turning angrily away_). I shall tell my friends to -send bank-notes next time. - -The vaguemestre being usually an adjutant, the soldiers address him as -lieutenant. - - - - -THE ZOUAVE. - - -Many have talked of the zouave: few know him. - -Everybody has seen him lazily squatting at the gates of the Tuileries, -like a granite sphinx on the threshold of the Assyrian palaces. He is -on guard. He performs his duty with a profoundly melancholy air, smoking -his pipe with feverish impatience, or, rather, watching with feverish -impatience all the while he is smoking his pipe, some ray of our -Parisian sunlight, which seems like moonlight when compared with that -fierce African sunshine, which pours down upon the head like molten -lead. - -A scrap of green or white calico, twisted around a red fez; a blue -jacket, trimmed with red or yellow braid, and which leaves the throat -entirely bare; full scarlet trousers, cut in the Oriental fashion; white -gaiters buttoning above the ankle; this is his costume. - -How can one describe the man? - -Short, spare, compactly built and muscular, with broad shoulders, square -fists, closely shaven head, keen eyes, a mocking smile, and a bold and -decided bearing--such is the zouave, the best soldier in the world for -bold ventures, skirmishes with outposts, impossible ambuscades, and -rapid marches. - -Accustomed to the pursuit of the Arab, his constant enemy, the zouave is -thoroughly conversant with all the stratagems of desert warfare. He has -learned to outwit his savage foes, so he will always surprise the armies -of Europe. - -"The Arab is very cunning, but the zouave is more cunning still." - -He knows how to conceal himself in a little clump of shrubbery, and -steal imperceptibly upon the sentinel whom he wishes to capture; he -can advance without a sound, remain motionless for hours together, hide -behind the slightest irregularity in the ground, crawl, leap, bound, -disappear in the undergrowth that surrounds him, follow a track, and -shun all the traps that are set for him. - -As a sharp-shooter, he has no equal. - -If a position is to be taken, he dashes forward, with head down, -overturning everything in his passage. It is no longer a man; it is a -bullet. Once started on his course, he reaches the goal or dies. - -The zouave cordially detests large cities, and regards garrisons with -abhorrence. - -In garrison life, the discipline becomes too irksome; he must polish his -cartridge-box, whiten his shoulder-belt, wash his clothes, mount guard -at regular hours, appear at parade--all wearisome enough to the average -trooper, but insupportable to the zouave. - -The zouave needs the freedom of camp life, the free range of an enemy's -country, a _ragout_ improvised under a tent. It matters not if his -canteen is only three-quarters full, and if the supply of coffee is -running short, so he has but a morsel of no matter what to appease his -hunger, he sings, he is gay, he is happy, he is himself. - -It is true that when he is not happy, he is equally gay, and sings even -more loudly. - -The zouave owes his fondness for adventure and his almost nomadic habits -to the African war. In constantly pursuing the Arabs through deserts and -over mountains, he has formed habits of living very like those of these -wandering tribes. - -Like the philosopher Bias, the zouave carries all his possessions about -with him, which proves, perhaps, that he is something of a philosopher. - -But you should see a zouave's knapsack when he is starting on an -expedition. It is monstrous; one wonders if he will not sink beneath his -burden, and be compelled to cast it aside. He would rather die. Besides, -it seems to be the universal belief that he does not feel the weight of -it. - -Usually, on taking the field, the infantry lighten their load as much as -possible; the officers not only permit this, but require it. - -It is not so with the zouave. This seems to be the very time that his -burden must be heaviest He reduces his effects to the smallest possible -compass, rolls them, squeezes them, and then crowds them, and crowds -them, until the straps become too short and the distended knapsack -threatens to burst. - -There is a little of everything in the zouave's load. An enumeration -of its contents would sound like the inventory of three distinct -establishments;--a drug, a haberdashery, and a grocery store. - -He has thread, needles, buttons, soap, wax, tallow, a thimble, a fork, -one or two spoons, and several knives, to say nothing of the condiments -indispensable in the concoction of a savory _ragout_. - -For the zouave is a gourmand. It is to satisfy his fastidious tastes -in this direction that, having no servant at his command, he has made -himself the best cook in Europe. - -His _ragouts_ might not make his fortune in Paris; but in Africa, in the -desert, how many generals have smacked their lips over them! - -Any one can make a savory dish of stewed rabbit _with_ a rabbit; but to -make it _without_ a rabbit, that is a difficult task, quite worthy of a -zouave. - -His fertile imagination never shines as brilliantly as when the -larder is empty; then, he employs all his wits; he searches, he invents. -On such days, he dines admirably; but how many strange animals are made -to turn from their usual path to take the road to the saucepan. - -"I do not ask my zouaves for strawberries," said Marshal, then Colonel -Canrobert, one frightfully hot day, in the middle of the desert; "but if -I really desired some, they are quite capable of discovering them in the -sand." - -To-day the zouave is the most popular of all our soldiers; his _chachia_ -threatens to pass down to posterity with the towering bear-skin cap worn -by the grenadiers of the First Empire. - -It is to the zouave that we owe the words of the celebrated march known -as the "Casquette." This is the origin of it: - -One night the French camp was surprised by Arabs. A murderous fire so -astonished our soldiers, that they almost wavered at first; but Marshal -Bugeaud rushed from his tent, and his presence inspiring our troops with -their wonted enthusiasm, the enemy was repulsed. - -When the conflict was ended, the marshal noticed that every one smiled -on looking at him. He raised his hands to his head. In his haste, he had -left his tent adorned with the anything but heroic head-gear of the King -of Yvetot; in short, a night-cap. - -The next day, when the trumpets gave the signal for the troops to resume -their march, the zouaves, in memory of that original coifiure, sung in -deafening chorus: - - "As-tu vu - La casquette - La casquette, - As-tu vu - La casquette, - Du Pere Bugeaud?" - -Two or three days afterward, the marshal, on giving the order for -departure, said to the trumpeters: "Boys, sound _la casquette_." - -So this name still clings to the order. To how many victories it has -led, and will lead the zouaves! - -Father Bugeaud's _casquette_, by insuring the success of "Duc Job," -yielded eighty thousand francs to the Theatre Francais, and sixty -thousand francs to M. Leon Laya. - -It is a night-cap well worth the having. - - - - -THE FANTASSIN, OR FOOT-SOLDIER. - -The fantassin, _par excellence_, is a soldier of the regular infantry. -The cavalry pretend that the foot-soldier wears spurs on his elbows, -but this is only a stale joke perpetrated before the bayonet came into -general use. - -The regular infantry is really the French army. It has shed its blood -upon every battle-field, and has come off victorious again and again. -It is the infantry that has carried the standards of France through -conquered Europe. It is the regular infantry which, without shoes, -provisions, or artillery, swept down from the Alps upon Italy. It is -the infantry that fought at the Pyramids, at Eylau and at Moscow. The -infantry is the queen of battles; with her one can go in any direction -and always maintain one's position. - -There is nothing brilliant about the infantry uniform, and yet when -seen in masses it produces an excellent effect. It is also the most -comfortable and the best adapted to all the needs of a soldier in the -field. - -At reviews, upon the parade ground, and on the boulevards there are, -perhaps, regiments that attract more attention; but such is not the case -if it is seen in line of battle. One should see it maneuvering under -fire with the same precision as on the Champs de Mars. Each regiment has -become a corps, with its officers at its head. A cannon-ball cuts down -an entire file. "Close up the ranks!" The ranks are closed; the void is -filled without haste, disorder, or confusion. - -Nothing could be more beautiful, nothing could be more magnificent than -a regiment of the line advancing for a bayonet charge upon the enemy. -Search the ranks; examine one by one these soldiers blackened with -powder, try to find the foot-soldier you have seen lounging about the -shop windows in large cities, with his shako on the back of his head. -The lounger of yesterday is the hero of to-day. Now, danger illumines -every face; courage, like an aureole, shines resplendent on every brow. -All honor to the regulars! upon their banners is written our glorious -history! - -The foot-soldier in garrison bears no resemblance whatever to the -hero of the battle-field. He does not even remember his exploits of -yesterday; he little suspects the great deeds he will perform to-morrow -should France have need of his devotion and courage. - -The foot-soldier in garrison is the best and most inoffensive of men, -always trying to make himself useful, ever ready to do a favor. His -tastes are simple, and his desires modest; boisterous amusements have no -attractions for him, and he rarely indulges in the bottle. - -The foot-soldier, like all the members of his profession, is generally -in straitened circumstances. - - "For in France as in Austria - The soldier is not rich, - Every one knows that." - -It is true that one can not indulge in much extravagance on five -centimes a day. Fortunately there are ways to increase this meager -income. In many regiments, the soldiers are allowed to find occupation -in the city, provided, of course, that discipline does not suffer -thereby. Those who have a trade devote all their leisure time to it; -those who have only their two hands and their good-will--and they are -by far the largest number--nevertheless find a way to make themselves -useful. In some _bourgeoisie_ households they hire a soldier to take -care of the garden and scrub the floors. - -There is also another source of revenue which, though not the most -honorable, is certainly the most in vogue; this is playing a trick on -one's family. - -The fraud is generally suggested by some old grumbler who is an adept in -the art of deception. A mischievously inclined volunteer, who is a good -penman, generally writes the letter. Illness is the usual pretext. It is -the simplest of all, and seldom fails to produce the desired effect. -How can you suppose that parents will refuse to forward a few francs on -receiving from their child a letter beginning thus: - -"Dear Mother,--The object of this letter is to inform you that I am in -the hospital." - -The family send money. A letter arrives, inclosing a post-office order. -The vaguemestre quickly changes it into shining coin. But alas! this -money vanishes like a dream. And how could it be otherwise? So many -friends must have a share of this windfall. First, there is the -bedfellow, then the inventor of the trick, then the writer, then two -or three comrades, fellow-countrymen--then a corporal who has been -obliging, and many others. Besides, it is not considered seemly for a -trooper to spend his money alone. - -A soldier who goes out alone, and who drinks alone, is disgraced in the -eyes of his comrades. - -When he has finished his daily task at the barracks, polished his -weapons, and answered to his name at roll-call, the foot-soldier is at -liberty, provided he is not on duty, or on guard, or on the _corvee_, -or undergoing punishment, and he can leave the barracks if he -chooses. Generally he is eager to improve the opportunity. There must be -something of importance to detain him if he does not go out; a letter to -write, some little job to do, a pipe of unusual length to color for -an officer who is making a collection. But such instances are rare. He -loves long walks. If he is stationed in a small town, you can always -meet him in the shady paths in the suburbs. He is generally cutting -little switches to beat his clothing. - -If he is in a large city, he has a variety of amusements. He delights -in gazing into the shop-windows; he haunts the promenades and the public -gardens; mountebanks always find in him a patient and appreciative -patron, ever ready to laugh at their stale jokes. The mountebank and -the fantassin have had a mutual understanding for a long time. "Walk in. -Walk in, gentlemen and ladies. Admission is ten centimes; two sous. The -military only half-price." - -But there is no place like Paris for the soldier. Wine is a trifle dear; -but how many diversions there are. This is a city! one can stroll about -five hours without danger of seeing the same objects. Moreover, Paris -contains the Jardin des Plantes, and the Jardin des Plantes is, as every -one knows, the soldier's earthly Paradise. - -There, he can spend his hours of liberty most delightfully. He visits, -in succession, all the cabinets of natural history. He almost splits -his sides laughing as he stands before the monkey's palace, watching the -pranks of its occupants; he goes into ecstasies over the wild animals, -and shudders while contemplating the reptiles. But his favorites are the -bear and the elephant. He never leaves the Jardin des Plantes until he -has seen Martin climb the tree, and given the elephant a crust of bread, -held in reserve in his cap--for want of pantaloon pockets. - -But the foot-soldier would be a body without a soul, if he had no -countrywoman. The payse, as he styles her, has been created for the -fantassin, as the fantassin has been created for the payse. They love -and understand each other. He accompanies the payse, who is usually a -child's nurse, in her walks; he assists her in watching the children, -when he does not prevent her from watching them; on the promenade, the -fantassin seats himself near the payse and pours sweet nothings into her -ears, while the children play on the gravel-walk. "Honi soit qui mal y -pense!" - -In spite of the fatigue that results from it, the foot-soldier loves -a change of garrison. He goes cheerfully from one end of France to the -other, singing as he plods along. Every day, before two o'clock, his -legs fail him, which does not prevent him from strolling around to see -the curiosities of the neighborhood as soon as he reaches the town where -he is to spend the night. - -The _billet_ troubles the soldier a little. It is like a ticket in -a lottery. Some are very good, some are bad. As a general thing, the -soldier is cordially received; though the contrary happens sometimes. So -far as the fantassin is concerned, he hardly ever abuses the hospitality -accorded him. The _billet_ is considered very good when the people of -the house invite the soldier to share their dinner. It is a saving of -time and of money for him. The fantassin is overjoyed, and to repay his -entertainers, he tells them his history. - -When his term of service expires and he returns to his fireside, the -soldier does not presume upon his superiority. He talks freely but -not boastingly of his travels and campaigns. He always finds attentive -auditors, for we all love and respect the old defenders of France. - -Some accuse the fantassin of being too unsophisticated; there are -occasions when simplicity of speech is the height of eloquence. - -"What were you doing at Solferino?" some one once asked a soldier. - -"I?--I was doing like the rest--killing and being killed," he replied -modestly. - -Sublimely artless speech in which is summed up all the philosophy of -war. - - - - -THE SOLDIER OF THE LIGHT INFANTRY; - -OR, THE CHASSEUR. - -He does not walk; he runs; he is truly the soldier of his age--an age of -steam. He comes from Vincennes to Paris in thirty-five minutes; it takes -a first class _fiacre_ just twice as long. - -The light infantry has given abundant proofs of courage. It was in -Africa, in 1842, that it received the baptism of fire, a glorious -baptism. - -From the very first the chasseurs inspired the Arabs with unconquerable -terror. It is true that everything combines to give them a frightful -appearance in battle; their somber costume, their strange evolutions, -the shrill sound of their trumpets, make them resemble, seen in the -midst of the smoke, a legion of unchained devils. - -When the Arabs saw them advancing on the run they took flight. - -The chasseurs have a terrible weapon. Their rifles, which are loaded -with oblong balls, pierce a board fifty millimeters in thickness at a -distance of more than a quarter of a mile; and as all the chasseurs are -excellent marksmen, they make frightful havoc in the enemy's ranks. - -It is amusing to see the profound astonishment of the Arabs wounded at -such a distance. They believe there is some witchcraft about it. - -At Sebastopol, the corps of volunteer sharp-shooters was recruited from -the ranks of the chasseurs. Creeping along, hiding in the slightest -furrow of ground, they generally succeed in approaching within range -of the battery, and then woe to its defenders! The cannons were soon -reduced to silence. - -It is impossible for any one who has not witnessed the maneuvers of -the light infantry to have any conception of the marvels resulting from -discipline and daily practice. - -Their ordinary gait is a rapid walk, their accelerated pace is the speed -of a race-horse. At a blast from the trumpet they disperse in every -direction, disappearing, kneeling, lying flat on their bellies or -on their backs, loading their rifles, aiming and firing in every -conceivable posture. Another signal is heard; instantly they are in the -ranks, crowded close together, bayonets glittering, ready to charge. - -And an impetuous charge by the chasseurs of Vincennes is irresistible. -Dense as the mass may be upon which they precipitate themselves, they -cut their way through it with their broad saber-bayonets, leaving a -bloody trail behind them. - -"They are demons!" Prince Mentchikoff exclaimed at Sebastopol. - -The chasseurs are very proud of their reputation for swiftness. Once -when an order of the day was read to them beginning thus: - -"Soldiers: we are about to march upon the enemy."--they cried: "Oh, no, -that does not suit us, we wish to run." - -When off duty the chasseur preserves his rapid pace, and his ferocious, -almost tigerish manner. His hat is always cocked defiantly on one side -of his head, and his belt is always inordinately tight. - -Quick and supple in every movement, he adores dancing. It is his -_forte_, and in it he wins a success that the Parisian fireman alone can -dispute with him. Naturally, the belles adore this perfect dancer; but -they should not trust him--the chasseur is even more inconstant than -that heartless butterfly, the voltigeur. - -In Paris he haunts the shades of Vincennes and Saint Maude. Monday, -Thursday, and Sunday he can always be found at the public balls, near -the Barriere du Trone, happy if permission to be absent until midnight -enables him to remain until the close of the festivities. He invariably -finds a brother chasseur who is also absent on leave, and who shares -several bottles of sour wine with him. - -******* - -But it would be unjust not to say a word concerning the trumpeter of the -chasseurs. - -How the chasseur, laden with his knapsack, rations, weapons, ammunition, -and accouterments can run without losing his breath completely, it is -difficult to comprehend. - -But how does the trumpeter, as he runs with the others, find breath to -blow his trumpet? - -That is something one can not comprehend. - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's A Thousand Francs Reward, by Emile Gaboriau - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A THOUSAND FRANCS REWARD *** - -***** This file should be named 43730.txt or 43730.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/7/3/43730/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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