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Show THE SOLUMl'S DOG BY SUTTBH-LAmANN. : ICopyrifht. All rfeSts reserved. CHAPTER I. tag and trying to see. At that moment, by a pale ray of moonlight filtering through a cloud, Bayardet saw, ten steps ahead of him, leaning against a willow, a soldier of the hostile army, who was gently tapping bis feet on' the ground to keep them warm, the night being cold. Bayardet was about to retire, when, beside this soldier, another, who was probably sitting sit-ting or lying down, emerged from the shadow. Bayardet, betrayed by the moon's rays, had just been seen in his turn. "Who's there?" The lieutenant made no answer, but cocked his revolver. "Who is there?" articulated the sentinel senti-nel more distintly. At tbe same moment two shots rang out, with their noisy and reverberating echfics, in the deep silence of the night. It was Bayardet and one of the two sentinels sen-tinels who had just fired at the same time. Almost immediately after them the other fired, too. The lieutenant answered an-swered his fire, and he experienced the delight of seeing a Prussian soldier stretch out as an inert mass. , Orders in German flew in every direction; direc-tion; a noise of marching men arose; s few shots were beard here and there. Bending as low as possible, Bayardet bounded through the fields to rejoin liu troop. With his own skill, added tc Sidi's guidance, he could not make a mistake, mis-take, although the moon had disappeared again and tbe darkness was thicker than ever. He soon regained his companions, I who, for that matter, were running t meet him. "Retreat, and be quick about it!" said Bayardet. "We must leave these fel lows alone for today.'' To tie continued tomorrow. fpflr if he were stuffed, stands SidL "Lieutenant," grunts tha colonel, scarcely concealing a cunning smile under un-der bis heavy gray mustache, "lieutenant, "lieuten-ant, are you going to take your dog?" "If he will not be in the way, my colonel." "As you please." A fortnight later, perhaps less, the regiment was in Alsace. Bayardet, still accompanied by Sidi, witnessed the daily growth of his reputation as an officer of surly humor, but extraordinarily efficient in a campaign. When he commanded the main guard, o when he was intrusted intrust-ed with a reconnoitering expedition, he acquitted himself of his task with a skill and zeal beyond all prui.se. And Sidi, a true soldier's dog, understanding wonderfully won-derfully what was on foot, started ahead as a scout, examined tha ground, went and came warily, diiappeared before any one knew what had become of bim, and returned to find his master, who seemed to understand perfectly what Sidi meant by such or such an attitude. Often in the evening, when the sentinels senti-nels had been stationed, Bayardet said between his teeth: "We may sleep tranquilly to-night. I Sidi saw nothing yonder." Sometimes, too, when he was detached and needed to send some communication, i cither to the colonel or to the commander of the battalion, Bayardet wrote a few lines on a bit of paper, which he carefully care-fully folded and placed between the dog's jaws, saying to him: "Carry it, Sidi; carry it to So-and-sol" And Sidi, who knew by name all the superior officers of the regiment, started off at full speed and delivered his message mes-sage without ever making a mistake. But he had remained an incorrigible thief, and more than one soldier complained com-plained of bis robberies. "What a pity lie is such a marauder!" said the men. In the course of one of those skirmishes that 60 frequently take place between hostile armies at their points of contact, Sidi rendered one of those services that fix in the minds of troopers the memory of n good dog of the regiment whose brilliant deeds they related in the evening even-ing at the mess. Bayardet, with a few platoons, had been ordered to reconnoiter the battalion of the enemy detached as an advance guard. The night was dark, and the zouaves went groping through the fields full of ravines, broken by clumps of trees, quick set hedges, and trenched roads. The lieutenant marched at the head of the detachment, quickening or slackening the pace of his men, guiding them by gesture, for absolute silence was necessary. lie held Sidi by one ear, the dog ha ving no collar in order that be might not be easily taken. From time to time Bayardet let go the animal, who crept ahead with legs ouUtretched and nose in the air. All halted then until the return of the dog, who, manifesting no anxiety, thereby reassured his master. They started again, still noiselessly, until Bayardet Bay-ardet deemed it necessary to call a new halt. The little troop, which bad been maneuvering ma-neuvering on uneven ground affording a chance for concealment, suddenly found itself before a vast and naked plain. They had to redouble their prudence; according to almost certain estimation, they could not be very far from the enemy, and they were in danger of falling fall-ing upon him in their gropings. Some Arab boys hid tied a lUmt to the dog' neck. Sidi's master was Lieut. Bayardet, a poor French officer who had risen from the ranks, and who lived entirely on his pay. Sidi and Bayardet were but one. Whenever you saw the end of the former's for-mer's black nose you were sure to wo, a moment latar, tho latter's scowling face; for Sidi, like the vigilant dog that he was, always trotted fifteen or twenty steps in advance of his master, a habit which he had formed during the campaigns cam-paigns in Algeria-Homely, Algeria-Homely, lean and snarling, Sidi belonged be-longed to no race; but the zouaves, who were good judges, declared that he was a cross between a jackal and a spaniel, lie bad, in fact, tho slender jaws and long, pointed teeth of the one; tbe other he resembled in bis large silken ears, his very curly though very short hair, and his abundantly thick tail. In shrewdness shrewd-ness and cunning ho took after the animal ani-mal that was regarded as his father, while ho had all tbe vivacity of the race to which his mother was said to have belonged. be-longed. Neither dog nor master was loved. The officer, though not looked upon as a mean fellow, was mercilessly strict in the service; ho passed for the model of a soldier, severe, prompt at repression, scrupulous, just. Morever, he was much esteemed for lib bravery. The dog, who also possessed this virtue for there was -jiot one of his fellows that he had not vanquished the dog had against him his love of marauding, of which nothing, noth-ing, not even the severest punishments, had served to cure hint. Many a time ho had been surprised in tbe camp kitchens, scenting the roast and ready to carry it off the moment the cook's back was turned. lie had thus curtailed many portions; but, on the other hand, ho had received some terrible terri-ble ratings. If they did not kill him, it was simply from fear of his master, who would have avenged his death in some fearful manner. Once, Sidi having been caught in tho act, an assistant cook tried to kick him with his wooden shoe. But the dog leaped at the man's throat, and he would have been Btraightway strangled, had it not been for bis comrades, com-rades, and who escaped as it was not without a few savage bites on his arm. The story was noised about. The colonel sharply reprimanded Bayardet, charging him thenceforth to keep a bettor watch over his dog, under penalty of seeing him banged if ho allowed him to run about the camp. That day Sidi received a frightful drubbing. Applying tho principle prin-ciple that "he who lovetii cliasteneth," the lieutenant, armed with a thick bamboo, bam-boo, gave him a cudgeling in the most approved style. But Sidi always began his larcenies afresh, and the men finally final-ly came to laugh at them, so skillfully did ho execute them. Besides, Sidi had a precious gift; he was a marvelous hunter, and brought the game with rare fidelity, without ever damaging it. Feathers or fur, it made no difference to him. If he excelled as a pointer, he also knew how to run down a hare. Now, Bayardet was a great hunter. That is why, affection aside, he set so much store by Sidi. Ou the march, when they reached a halting place, very often they saw tho dog arrive holding in his iron jav.-s tome "prowler of tho uu-dcrbru.sh," uu-dcrbru.sh," with llesh perfumed with the odor of thyme and lavender. And Bayardet, Bay-ardet, who had a kind heart at bottom, sent the ame, after cutting off a bit for biuiBelf, now to one Bipiad, now to another, in order to add a little to tho fare of his louaves. Then Sidi, admired and petted, was willingly forgiven for-given for all his misdeeds. For the rest, ;r. po::;t of intelligence he left far behind him ail the poodles, griffous and spaniels of the regiment. He could rival any dog whatever in parades, exercisesand tricks, fjometimes, when the master was in the humor, he made Sidi perform, and amid a vast circle of admirers the dog went through his evolutions, supplying sport gratis. But, notwithstanding everything, Bayardet Bay-ardet and Sidi did not succeed in winning win-ning love. It was on the seashore in Algeria that Bayardet, then an adjutant in the first battalion, one morning luado the acquaintance ac-quaintance of Sidi, who was only a few weeks old. Some Arab boys hud tied a stone to tbe dog's neck and were getting j ready to drown him, when Bayardet, intervening, in-tervening, saved him by generously distributing dis-tributing among the little wretches a few blows with a swilch and then giving them some coppers to make t hem forget the blows. Bayardet, who had no ties beyond those of simple comradeship in the regiment, and no family save an old aunt, whose shriveled and crabbed face he bad not seen for years, became attached at-tached to the animal, cared for him, brought him up and educated him. Tha dog adored his master; there was a oeep and unalterable friendship between the biped and the quadruped. j Suddenly ht stopped, his hair brxstltng, and uttered a slight, lots growl. "Sergeant," said Bayardet to an old veteran of the African wars, "you will take command until I return. It is impossible im-possible to proceed further the ground is too bare. A troop of men could not pass unnoticed. If I should not return in fifteen or twenty minutes, it will be because I have been captured or killed. Then you will make a detour. But Sidi may get away. At any rate, if you see him come back, look in his mouth for a paper. If you find one, read it, and you will know what you are to do. If not, then you can bo almost sure that my account ac-count has been settled. But if you hear shots, run as f.mt as you can iu the direction direc-tion of them." And he started with his dog. The night was growing darker and darker. Nothing stirred in the plain, which seemed deserted." All that was perceptible was the thousand slight sounds that make the silence seem deeper the beating of the wings of some night bird, the buzzing of insects, the rustling of tha grasR in tho wind, j Crouching down toward the ground, his scabbard tucked in his belt to avoid the clashing, the lieutenant went on, trying to pierce the darkness and stopping every minute to place his ear against the earth. Sidi, three steps ahead of him, with bis nose now iu the air, now close to tlie ground, inhaled tho odors of the night and Bought some scent still vague, Sud denly he stopped, liia hair bristling, and Uttered a slight, low growl. "Sh-h-h-h! be still, Sidi," said Bay ardet in a low voice. And the lieutenant, more slowly than ever and holding hi- breath, continued to advance. The dog did not stop growl-'ng. growl-'ng. In a few miuulw Bayardet. who was literally creeping, straightened up jn his wrists to look about him. He was on the edge of a road, and on the other side of this road be saw, standing stand-ing on the slope of the trench, a dark shadow. It was a sentinel. The shadow did not budge. Bayardet placet! his hand upon the hilt of a short dagger which ho bad slipped, in starting, into a button holo of his tunic. Fury had seized him. He had an enemy before be-fore him! He could kill him, and yet be j must not listen to his hatred. This sentinel sen-tinel certainly was not far from a post. If he should miss his man, the lieutenaut knew that the alarm would be given, wd the simple reconnoitering expedition, expedi-tion, so shrewdly managed up to this point, would bo turned into a bloody souibat, very dangerous for the handful of men under his command, for there was scarcely any hope of aid. He put the dagger back into its improvised heath, and, iu order to find out whether be had to deal with an advance post or an entire line of the main guard, he retired a short distance and traced tho road for two hundred yards to the left. He counted fifteen sentinels. Bayardet retraced re-traced his steps to execute the same maneuver. Then the dog stopped again, refusing to advance and utteriug his low trow L . The lieutenant kept quiet, listen- J CHAPTER IL I There is a great stir in the camp. War) with Germany is on tho eve of breaking J out; the regiment has received its m3rch- I ing orders. The zouaves are falling in, j with their knapsacks on their backs, glad of a chance to do battle with ene- j inies more serious and more formidable than the Arabs. j With drawn sword the colonel pxus along the line. Ho reaches the third company. Bayardet is at his post,, correct cor-rect aad erect, Behind him, as still as |