Corporal Jacques of the Foreign Legion
The longest route march ends ere long,
The hottest sun to the west must go,
The Legion marches a thousand strong,
On the wind of the desert the bugles blow,
The wild notes die as the stars out-shiver,
But the wind of the desert it blows for ever.
By H. de Vere Stacpoole,
Author of
"The Pearl Fishers," "The Reef of Stars," &c.
LONDON: HUTCHINSON & CO.
PATERNOSTER ROW
LETTER OF A LÉGIONNAIRE RECEIVED BY THEAUTHOR FROM THE EDITOR OF "THE POPULARMAGAZINE," NEW YORK, U.S.A.
July 27, 1916.
SIR,
Reading an article in The Popular Magazine,I thought I would write to you. In number May20, 1916, is an article, "Stories of the Legion" byH. de Vere Stacpoole. He states nobody escapedfrom the Legion. Well, I have done so, though itinvolved me becoming a Mohammedan and joininga wandering band of Touaregs and took two years toaccomplish. I finally wandered across the Sahara,helped in the looting of caravans, and sailed fromCape Tuby with the assistance of Baba Hamid of theWad Lagin Hameva Tribe, on the western Saharaseaboard below Morocco on a Spanish fishing boatto Teneriffe, Canary Islands. I am longing for thedesert, the smell of the camel dung fire, and thefreedom of the everlasting sand ever since. Thehardship, adventures and escapes I went throughare incredible. This took place ten years ago, sincethen I have been elephant hunter in Central Africa,in the army of Emperor Menelik of Abyssinia, pearlfishing off North Australia, diamond digging at theCape, and in a revolution in Central Americanrepublic, not to mention fighting with MuleyMohamad El Hiba, the son of Sheik Ma-el-deinne ofSouth Morocco when he tried for the throne ofMorocco against Muley Hafid, the Ex-Sultan ofMorocco. If Mr. Stacpoole would be interested inmy story, a letter will find me care of GeneralDelivery, New Orleans, in the period of the nextthirty days, when I leave for Honduras.
Yours faithfully,
***** *****
CONTENTS
CORPORAL JACQUES
I
The first rays of the morning sun werestealing up the palm-bordered roadstowards Sidi-bel-Abbès, above whose rampartsthe minaret of the great mosque blazed whitein the sky. Eighty miles from Oran on thecoast, and the headquarters of the ForeignLegion, Sidi-bel-Abbès is surely one of thestrangest cities on earth.
It was built by the Foreign Legion, it isswept and garnished by the Foreign Legion,it is held against the Arabs by the ForeignLegion. At night the electric lights roundthe bandstand of the Foreign Legion on thePlace Sadi Carnot blaze against the Algerianstars, whilst th