othing," she said rapidly. "I only rode fast."

The frenzied hurrahs of the men who heard her drowned her words. They
loved her for what she had done; they loved her better still because she
set no count on it.

"The Empire will think otherwise," said the Major of the Zouaves. "Tell
me, my Little One, how did you do this thing?"

Cigarette, balancing herself with a foot on either shoulder of her
supporters, gave the salute, and answered:

"Simply, mon Commandant--very simply. I was alone, riding midway between
you and the main army--three leagues, say, from each. I was all alone;
only Vole-qui-veut flying with me for fun. I met a colon. I knew the
man. For the matter of that, I did him once a service--saved his geese
and his fowls from burning, one winter's day, in their house, while he
wrung his hands and looked on. Well, he was full of terror, and told me
there was fighting yonder--here he meant--so I rode nearer to see.
That was just upon sunrise. I dismounted, and ran up a palm there." And
Cigarette pointed to a far-off slope crowned with the remains of a once
mighty palm forest. "I got up very high. I could see miles round. I saw
how things were with you. For the moment I was coming straight to you.
Then I thought I should do more service if I let the main army know, and
brought you a re-enforcement. I rode fast. Dieu! I rode fast. My horse
dropped under me twice; but I reached them at last, and I went at once
to the General. He guessed at a glance how things were, and I told him
to give me my Spahis and let me go. So he did. I got on the mare of
his own staff, and away we came. It was a near thing. If we had been a
minute later, it had been all up with you."

"True, indeed," muttered the Zouave in his beard. "A superb action, my
Little One. But did you meet no Arab scouts to stop you?"

Cigarette laughed.

"Did I not? Met them by dozens. Some had a shot at me; some had a
shot from me. One fellow nearly winged me; but I got through them all
somehow. Sapristi! I galloped so fast I was very hard to hit flying.
These things only require a little judgment; but some men, pardi! always
are creeping when they should fly, and always are scampering when they
should saunter; and then they wonder when they make fiasco! Bah!"

And Cigarette laughed again. Men were such bunglers--ouf!

"Mademoiselle, if all soldiers were like you," answered the Major of
Zouaves curtly, "to command a battalion would be paradise!"

"Al