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"Rire-pour-tout was a croc-mitaine," they said solemnly, with almost a sigh; so tendering by their words the highest funeral oration. "You have much of such sharp service here, I suppose?" asked a voice in very pure French.
I shall get my hand out. For Rire-pour-tout, as the army knows, somehow or other, generally potted his man every day, and he missed it terribly. Well, what did he do? He rode off one morning and found out the Arab camp, and he waved a white flag for a parley. He didn't dismount, but he just faced the Arabs and spoke to their Sheik. 'Things are slow, he said to them.
He looked indolently and wearily up from under the long lashes of his lids, and went on, as though they had not spoken. "I will fight you all, if you like, as that worthy of yours, Rire-pour-tout, did, but I don't think it's worth while," he said carelessly, where he leaned over the marble table. "Brawling's bad style; we don't do it.
The bearded Arabs smoking their long pipes, the little piou-piou drowning his mortification in some curacoa, the idlers reading the "Akbah" or the "Presse," the Chasseurs lounging over their drink, the ecarte players lost in their game, all looked up at the newcomer. They thought he looked a likely wearer of the dead honors of Rire-pour-tout.
When he went out, he always asked his adversary, 'Where will you like it? your lungs, your heart, your brain? It is quite a matter of choice; and whichever they chose, he shot there. Le pauvre Rire-pour-tout! He was always good-natured." "And did he never meet his match?" asked a sous-officier of the line. The speaker looked down on the piou-piou with superb contempt, and twisted his mustaches.
Now the duel was to be with swords; these had been selected; and each Arab was to come against Rire-pour-tout singly, in succession. Our drums rolled the pas de charge, and their cymbals clashed; they shouted 'Fantasia! and the first Arab rode at him.
'I have come for a little amusement. Set aside six of your best warriors, and I'll fight them one after another for the honor of France and a drink of brandy to the conqueror. They demurred; they thought it unfair to him to have six to one. 'Ah! he laughs, 'you have heard of Rire-pour-tout, and you are afraid! That put their blood up: they said they would fight him before all his Chasseurs.
"The General was ill-pleased when he heard it, and half for arresting Rire-pour-tout; but sacre! the thing was done; our honor was involved; he had engaged to fight these men, and engaged for us to let them go in peace afterward; there was no more to be said, unless we had looked like cowards, or traitors, or both.
He thought with the shock to unhorse Rire-pour-tout, and finish him then at his leisure. You could hear the crash as they met, like two huge cymbals smashing together.
"Loo-Loo was in fine voice to-night," said one. "Yes; she took plenty of cognac before she sang; that always clears her voice," said a second. "And I think that did her spirits good, shooting that Kabyl," said a third. "By the way, did he die?" "N'sais pas, Loo-Loo's a good aim." "Sac a papier, yes! Rire-pour-tout taught her." "Ah! There never was a shot like Rire-pour-tout.
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