p, in this forest magnificent,
on these ancient mountains," orated the colonel floridly. "I am most
pleased of all to have Huron Indians as my guides, because between
Hurons and me there are memories." The men were listening spell-bound.
"But yes. I had Huron soldiers serving in my regiment, just now at the
western front, of whom I thought highly. They were all that there is,
those Hurons of mine, of most fearless, most skilful. One among them was
pre-eminent. Some of you may have known him. I regret to say that I
never knew his real name, but among his comrades he went by the name of
l'Hirondelle. From that name one guesses his qualities--swift as a
swallow, untamable, gay, brave to foolishness, moving in dashes not to
be followed--such was my Hirondelle. And yet this swift bird was in the
end shot down."

At this point in the colonel's speech. I happened to look at Rafael,
back in the shadows of the half-lighted big room. His eyes glittered out
of the dimness like disks of fire, his face was strained, and his figure
bent forward. "He must have known this chap, the Swallow," I thought to
myself. "Just possibly a son or brother or nephew of his." The colonel
was going on, telling in fluent, beautiful French the story of how
Hirondelle, wrapped in a sheet, had rescued him. The men drank it in.
"When those guides are old, old fellows, they'll talk about this night
and the colonel's speech to their great-grandchildren," I considered,
and again the colonel went on.

"Have I m'sieur's permission to _raconter_ a short story of the most
amusing which was the last escapade of my Hirondelle before he was
killed?"

M'sieur gave permission eagerly, and the low murmur of the voices of the
hypnotized guides, standing in a group before the colonel, added to its
force and set him smiling.

"It was like this," he stated. "My Hirondelle was out in No Man's Land
of a night, strictly charged to behave in a manner _comme il faut_, for
he was of a rashness, and we did not wish to lose him. He was valuable
to us, and beyond that the regiment had an affection for him. For such
reasons his captain tried--but, yes--to keep him within bounds. As I
say, on this night he had received particular orders to be _sage_. So
that the first thing the fellow does is to lose his comrades, for which
he had a _penchant_, one knows. After that he crawls over that accursed
country, in and out of shellholes, rifle in his teeth likely--the good
God knows whe