“That was the whole mystery. My rascals drank from the grape itself. Then, when they were so tight that they could not move, they went to sleep where they were.
“As for Timbuktu, his love of the vine passed all belief and measure. He lived among them like the thrushes, which, by the way, he hated with the hatred of a jealous rival. He repeated constantly:
“ ‘Th’ushes eat all the g’apes, d’unkards!’
“One evening I was sent for. Something was seen approaching us across the plain. I had not brought my spyglass, and could make out very little. It was like a great serpent uncoiling, a convoy, I don’t know what.
“I sent some men forward to meet this strange caravan, which soon made its triumphal entry. Timbuktu and nine of his comrades were carrying, upon a kind of altar made of rustic chairs, eight severed heads, bleeding and grimacing. The tenth Turco was leading a horse, to whose tail a second was attached, and six more animals followed, secured in the same fashion.
“This is what I learned. Setting off to the vineyards, my Africans had suddenly noticed a Prussian detachment drawing near to a village. Instead of fleeing, they hid; then, when the officers had dismounted in front of an inn, in search of refreshments, the gallant eleven charged, put to flight the Uhlans, who thought they were seriously attacked, and killed the two sentries, in addition to the colonel and the five officers with him.
“That day I embraced Timbuktu. But I noticed that he found difficulty in walking. I thought he was wounded; he burst out laughing, and told me:
“ ‘Me, p’ovisions for count’y.’
“For Timbuktu had no idea of going to war for glory; he did it for profit. Everything he found, everything which appeared to him to have any value, everything, especially, which sparkled, he thrust into his pocket. And what a pocket! It was a gulf which began at his hip and ended at his ankle. He had picked up a piece of army slang, and called it his ‘deep,’ and deep it was, in very truth!
“He had consequently stripped off the gilt from the Prussian uniforms, the brass from their helmets, the buttons, etc., and thrown the whole collection into his ‘deep,’ which was full to overflowing.
“Every day he cast into it every shining object which caught his eye, pieces of tin or silver coins; the outline of his figure became remarkably quaint.
“He was determined to carry it all back to the land of ostriches, whose brother this king’s son seemed to be in his devouring passion for acquiring glittering articles. If he had not had his ‘deep,’ what would he have done? Doubtless he would have swallowed them.
“Every morning his pocket was empty. He must have had a central dump where his riches were heaped together. But where was it? I was never able to find out.
“The general, informed of Timbuktu’s great feat, ordered the bodies which had been left in the neighbouring village to be buried at once, so that it might not be discovered that they had been decapitated. The Prussians returned thither the next day. The mayor and seven prominent residents were shot on the spot by way of reprisals, for having given away the presence of the Germans.
“Winter had come. We were worn out and desperate. We fought now every day. The famished men could no longer march. Only the eight Turcos (three had been killed) remained fat and glossy, vigorous and always ready for a fight.
“Timbuktu was positively growing fatter. One day he said to me:
“ ‘You, much hung’y, me good meat.’
“And, as a matter of fact, he did bring me an excellent steak. But of what? We had no more cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, or pigs. It was impossible to get horseflesh. I thought of all this after I had eaten the meat. It was then that a horrible thought came to me. These Negroes had been born very near the district where men are eaten! And every day so many soldiers were slain in the town. I questioned Timbuktu. He refused to answer. I did not insist, but from that time onward I refused his presents.
“He adored me. One night we were caught in a snowstorm out at the advanced pickets. We were sitting on the ground. I cast looks of pity on the poor Negroes shivering under the white, frozen dust. As I was very cold myself, I began to cough. I instantly felt something fall on me, like a large, warm covering. It was Timbuktu’s coat which he was throwing over my shoulders.
“I rose and, giving him back his garment, said:
“ ‘Keep that, my lad; you need it more than I do.’
“ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘for you, Lieutenant; me not need, me warm, warm.’
“And he looked at me with entreaty in his eyes.
“ ‘Come now, obey me,’ I went on. ‘Keep your coat; I wish you to.’
“Thereupon the Negro rose, drew his sabre, which he knew how to make as sharp as a scythe, and holding in his other hand the wide cloak which I would not take, declared:
“ ‘If you not keep coat, me cut; nobody have coat.’
“He would have done it. I gave in.
“Eight days later we had capitulated. Some of us had been able to escape. The rest were about to march out of the town and surrender to the victors.
“I directed my steps towards the Place d’Armes, where we were to muster, when I stopped, bewildered with amazement, in front of a gigantic Negro clad in white duck, and wearing a straw hat. It was Timbuktu. He looked radiant, and was walking to and fro with his hands in his pockets, in front of a small shop in whose window were displayed two plates and two glasses.
“ ‘What are you doing?’ I said to him.
“ ‘Me not gone,’ he replied. ‘Me good cook, me make eat colonel, Alge’ia; me eat P’ussians, steal much, much.’
“There were ten degrees of frost. I shivered at sight of this duck-clad Negro.
