Some people go equipped for this kind of expedition with a hundred regulars, and even cannon.  I am for the tradition of Douls and Rene Callie, I go alone.

I was at that perfect moment when only one thin thread still held me to the civilized world when an official cable arrived at Wargla.

“Lieutenant de Saint-Avit,” it said briefly, “will delay his departure until the arrival of Captain Morhange, who will accompany him on his expedition of exploration.”

I was more than disappointed.  I alone had had the idea of this expedition.  I had had all the difficulty that you can imagine to make the authorities agree to it.  And now when I was rejoicing at the idea of the long hours I would spend alone with myself in the heart of the desert, they sent me a stranger, and, to make matters worse, a superior.

The condolences of my comrades aggravated my bad humor.

The Yearly Report, consulted on the spot, had given them the following information: 

“Morhange (Jean-Marie-Francois), class of 1881.  Breveted.  Captain, unassigned. (Topographical Service of the Army.)”

“There is the explanation for you,” said one.  “They are sending one of their creatures to pull the chestnuts out of the fire, after you have had all the trouble of making it.  Breveted!  That’s a great way.  The theories of Ardant du Picq or else nothing about here.”

“I don’t altogether agree with you,” said the Major.  “They knew in Parliament, for some one is always indiscreet, the real aim of Saint-Avit’s mission:  to force their hand for the occupation of Touat.  And this Morhange must be a man serving the interests of the Army Commission.  All these people, secretaries, members of Parliament, governors, keep a close watch on each other.  Some one will write an amusing paradoxical history some day, of the French Colonial Expansion, which is made without the knowledge of the powers in office, when it is not actually in spite of them.”

“Whatever the reason, the result will be the same,” I said bitterly; “we will be two Frenchmen to spy on each other night and day, along the roads to the south.  An amiable prospect when one has none too much time to foil all the tricks of the natives.  When does he arrive?”

“Day after tomorrow, probably.  I have news of a convoy coming from Ghardaia.  It is likely that he will avail himself of it.  The indications are that he doesn’t know very much about traveling alone.”

Captain Morhange did arrive in fact two days later by means of the convoy from Ghardaia.  I was the first person for whom he asked.

When he came to my room, whither I had withdrawn in dignity as soon as the convoy was sighted, I was disagreeably surprised to foresee that I would have great difficulty in preserving my prejudice against him.

He was tall, his face full and ruddy, with laughing blue eyes, a small black moustache, and hair that was already white.