Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

To be honest, perhaps it's time to end the tour, despite the careful planning of the tour by the Algerian Railways.A good beginning doesn't necessarily mean a good end, at least for the Dadagt tour group. Leaving Tlemcen, the team was cut in half.Many tourists wish to stay a few more days in this charming town.The representative of the company, De Livas, and other tourists stayed in Tlemcen, and Mr. Dardent and his companions, guided by the guide Moktani, headed towards Sidi Bir al-Abes.It was dawn on May 21st. It should also be explained that Mr. Oriandal also set off with the team, eager to get back to Oran.Mr. Dardento and others were not surprised that his reason was to write a scholarly report on the trip.Because he only observed the position of the starry sky with a long telescope, while other instruments were pressed under the box and never used.

The convoy consisted of only two carriages.In the first there were three ladies and M. Deslander, in the second M. Oleandal, Acatoc who was tired of riding his mules, two natives who served the convoy, and luggage and provisions.Lunch on the way from Tlemcen, and arrive at the campsite - the village of La Mocières when it gets dark.Depart from here on the second day, take a lunch break at noon and arrive at the destination at 8:00 pm - Sidi Bir Abes.This concludes the horse-drawn carriage tour before returning to Oran by train. It goes without saying that Monsieur Dardento and Moctani, the guide, still rode camels, their mounts were excellent and beyond reproach, and the two Parisians had no complaints about their horses.

There is a national road between Tlemcen and Sidi Bir Abbes, which joins another Oran-Algiers road at Tirélat.The distance from Tlemcen to Sidi Bir Abbes is 92 kilometers, which can be reached easily in about two days. The area the convoy was traveling in looked even more different than the South Oran area from Said to Cybertu.There are fewer forests, but there are vast arable lands.French immigration area, and criss-crossing rivers.These rivers all flow into the Tuli and Issel.Among them, the Iser River is one of the longest rivers in Algeria and is also a river of great economic significance. The river is 200 kilometers long and finally flows into the sea.There is a grand canyon where the river passes. Relying on the drainage and irrigation system of the plateau area and the abyssal plain, the cotton industry here is very prosperous.

From Oran by train, from Saida by horse-drawn carriage, the tour group that has always been united and harmonious has changed a lot, and the relationship between people is very cold.The Deslanders and Madame Elisani talked privately in their carriage, and Louise seldom heard anything that pleased her.Marcel Ronan and Jean Tagonne, abandoning their sad thoughts, followed the Perpignan man, and seldom spoke to him, even when M. d'Artent stopped to wait for them. . How unfortunate Dardento!Everyone seems to be unhappy with him now: the Deslanders are unhappy because he failed to persuade Louise to agree to the marriage with Akatok; Lady Elisani is unhappy because he is trying For a long time failed to make her daughter decide on marriage; Marcel Ronan was unhappy because Dardente did not think about the people he rescued; Jean Tagona was unhappy because Dardente Saved him, not he saved Dardento's life.After all, Clovis Dardento was a scapegoat on a camel.At his side was only the faithful Patrice.And the latter seems to say:

"Look, that's what happened! Your servant was right." But Patrice didn't think so.He regarded his master as unliterary, but with Dardente-like courage.He is Darden, and Darden is him. Clovis Dardento will finally be free of all worries. "Come to think of it, Clovis, Mr. Dardento thought, do you owe these fellows anything? . Is it your fault? His parents see him as a phoenix, but Louise will see what it is in the end. Marcel loves this girl, I'm beginning to see! But sit on a camel , I can't shout to them such words: children, you two come here, I bless you! And that happy Jean, who threw all his cheerfulness and enthusiasm into the Saar River, maybe he wants to throw me Saved from the river! I'm sure they were both moaning and complaining!"

Patrice got down from the carriage and wanted to speak to his master: "I'm afraid, sir, it's going to rain. It'd be better if..." "No bad weather is better than anything else!" "What does this mean? May you enlighten me, sir." Patrice was confused by this strange talk. "What the hell!" Patrice, terrified by the street-kid swearing, got into the car faster than he could get out. The whole morning was covered with heavy clouds, and soon it began to rain hot and loudly.People rushed 12 kilometers to Ayinfeisa.After the rain stopped, the convoy stopped in a tree-lined canyon, and the waterfall not far away sent bursts of coolness.People start having lunch.The atmosphere of the lunch was far from intimate, but calm nonetheless.It is said that guests who eat a meal in a restaurant ignore each other before the meal, and they still ignore each other after the meal.Under the watchful eyes of the Deslander family, Marcel Ronan avoided seeing Louise Elisani, and Jean Tagona no longer looked forward to the opportunities on the road.This is a national highway with a good road surface and a military zone on the side of the road.The stones are lined up on the road, and the road maintenance workers are working.He cursed the administration which made the country civilized but which was unfit for him.

In order to excite everyone and restore the old relationship, he tried to laugh a few times.But his hard work is like the shower just now, and it remains the same afterwards. "They're going to bore me to death!" he whispered. At about 11 o'clock, the convoy was on the road again.The convoy traversed a tributary of the Iser River, a bridge over the Tuli River, passed through a small forest, a quarry, and the ruins of Hajjarum without incident, and reached Ramossi at 6:00 p.m. The village of Hyères. Because the stay in Tlemcen was too short, everyone had to reluctantly stay in this small village with only 200 residents.The latter is named after the famous general Ramosier.The village is known for its cool climate and fertile land in the canyon.But there was nothing comfortable in the only inn in the village.Those eggs in their shells seemed to have been cooked over a fire.Fortunately, the company representative Derivans was not present, avoiding the accusations of everyone.However, tourists at this small inn heard the songs sung by the locals.At first everyone didn't want to enjoy the concert, but under Mr. Darden's insistence—the crowd didn't want to annoy him—they had to reluctantly agree.

The party is held in the lobby of the inn, and the program of the party is still worth watching. This is a song played with only three Arabic musical instruments: "Derber" is a big drum, with two small wooden sticks striking on both sides of the drum; "Rayita" is a flute with a part made of metal , whose sound is similar to that of bagpipes; "Nuwara" is a musical instrument that uses two halves of gourds, the outside of which is tied tightly with leather.Usually this kind of music is accompanied by dancing, but tonight's festival did not. The short evening was over, and Mr. Dardento said in a stiff tone:

"Very happy, I am very happy!" No one dared to express a different opinion.Mr. Dardent, through his guide Moktani, gave each local musician a satisfactory tip. Is our Perpignan man satisfied with the evening?this is a problem.All in all, there was a very satisfied audience at this evening.At the concert, one of the two brothers - you can guess who - sat next to Mademoiselle Elisani.People don't know if he said the three words that are unforgettable and make the young girl fall in love? Early the next morning, the tourists who were in a hurry set off.It is about 10 kilometers from Ramosiere to Aintrut, and it is also a planned railway line.The road of travel turned northeast and crossed the railway being laid a few kilometers from Sidi Bir Abbes to the south of Oran.

The convoy first passes through expansive alfalfa thatch plantations and endless farmland; wells can be seen at any time along the way.At this time, the water volume of the Musen River and Zeina River is very abundant.Vehicles and horses cover the 45 kilometers during the day as fast as possible.There is no time for laughs, no fancy roadside views to admire, no ancient Roman or Berber remains to visit. The temperature is very high.Fortunately, a cloud blocked the scorching sun, which was unbearably hot in this treeless area.There was not a tree in the field, not a shade in the plain.Until the lunch break, this is the scene along the way.

At 11 o'clock, following Moktani's gesture, the convoy stopped.A few kilometers away on the left side of the road is the Forest of Ouldmeil, which would have provided a more comfortable place for the convoy, but it was not suitable for the return trip. The crowd took the food out of the baskets and sat in small groups by the side of the road.One was the Deslanders and the Elisanis, and Louise had to be with them.The other group was Jean Tagona and Marcel Ronan.The latter, unable to find an opportunity to approach the young girl, had to show helpless caution.The two young men may have traveled more than the convoy had traveled since their departure from Ramosier, but the destination was not necessarily Sidi Bir Abbes. The last group is Mr. Dardento and—with and without—Mr. Oriandal, if Mr. Dardento agrees with that statement. They're sitting together talking, what are they talking about? ... All talk... The trip that is coming to an end was safe and sound; no delays, no serious accidents; every visitor is in good health, but a little tired, especially the ladies; there are five or six hours to go. It's Sidi Bir al-Abbes, and there won't be a chance of first class and so on until Oran. "Are you satisfied, Monsieur Oriandal?" asked Clovis Darantot. "Very satisfied, Monsieur Dardento," replied the Montélimar native. "The tour was very well organized and the food was very satisfying. Even in a small nondescript village." "It seems to me that the issue of food is very high on your mind, isn't it?" "Very important. Because I'm going to try all the food I've never seen." "I think, Monsieur Oriandal, that it is a matter of belly." "Duh!" Patrice snorted. "In my opinion, it's the opposite. Food is the number one issue of survival," Oriandal said. "My dear sir, allow me to say frankly that we do not count on your cooking skills, but your astronomy." "Astronomy?" asked Mr. Oriandal. "Yes. For example, if our guide gets lost, we can rely on you to measure the altitude of the sun if we need to look at the stars to find our way." "Shall I measure the height of the sun?" "Of course, you know exactly where the stars are, whether it's day or night." "What direction? Is it square ham?" "Ha-ha, ha-ha, you're so cute!" laughed Mr. Dardento. Mr. Dardento's laughter elicited no reaction from the others. "In any case, what I meant to say," he went on, "is that you can use your instruments, such as the sextant, which is in your case, to observe the sky like a sailor." "I have a sextant? In my case?" "Perhaps use your long telescope, the one that's good for the view, to observe the sun at the meridian, won't you?" "I don't understand." "Aren't you the president of the Montmeritre Astronomical Society?" "The Gastronomic Society, my dear sir, is the Gastronomic Society!" Mr. Oriandal replied firmly.This answer brought to light all that had hitherto been impossible to say, and made Jean Tagona very happy. "Patrice, the fool, he told us aboard the Ajilai." "Why, sir is not an astronomer?" asked the faithful servant. "No, I'm a gourmet, I tell you I'm a gourmet!" I misheard the foreman's words and misunderstood everyone. "Well, I thought," said our Perpignan man, "that I had taken Monsieur Oriendal for a... but he was a... really! It's hilarious. ! Patrice, get your shoe uppers, shoe baskets, and get out of here with your abscesses!" Patrice walked away.Contempt mingled in his heart, and he walked away with more humiliation.He was treated unjustly and vulgarly.But for the first time, and perhaps the last time, his master uttered a good remark, "belief laughing." In the future, Patrice will leave his job as a servant and go to the French Academy to get a fellowship and deliberate on language. work.Of course not with Monsieur Zola..., but in case... Jean Tagona stepped forward and said: "I beg your pardon, Mr. Patrice Dardento." "why?" "Because it's all right to make a mistake, except to make a gourmet an astronomer." Mr. Darden laughed at this unappetizing explanation. "Haha, these Parisians are amazing! They can talk!" he exclaimed. "But in Perpignan, people don't see it that way. Perpignan people are not stupid, absolutely not." "Of course, but they are too talented in saving lives." Jean Tagona said to himself. The vehicles and horses were on the road again. After the immigration area passed, it was the alpha grass planting area. At about 2:00, the convoy arrived at the small town of Ranthal without stopping. Junction of the Sidi Bir Abbes National Highway. At 3 o'clock the convoy reached the Moossen Bridge, where the Moossen Seasonal River joins one of its tributaries, and at 4 o'clock the convoy reached the confluence of the two aforementioned routes.The confluence is below Sidi Clared, a few kilometers away from Sidi Larsen.Afterwards, the convoy crossed the Mekra River in the Sigh region. Sidi Larsen is just a five-star community with 600 residents, most of whom are Germans and locals, and the team does not rest here. At about 4:30, the guide who was walking in front was suddenly caught by the camels behind him. No matter how loudly they ate and drank, the animals did not move forward, but rushed backwards. At the same moment the horses on which the two young men rode also snorted, raised their forelegs, neighed horribly, and in spite of spurs and whips galloped to the rear of the convoy, while the whole convoy screamed. Scary screams. "What happened"?asked Mr. Dardento. His mount also snorted, as if smelling some kind of smell in the distance, it squatted down all of a sudden. He was answered by two roars of wild beasts.The problem is already clear.It was the roar from the pine forest a hundred paces away. "It's a lion!" cried the guide. It is conceivable what kind of panic the entire convoy fell into.In broad daylight, near the road, wild beasts appeared and would pounce on them at any moment. Madame Elisani, Madame Deslander, and Louise all jumped out of the cart in terror, and the mule pulling the cart tried to break loose and escape. For the two ladies, for Mr. Deslander and his son, for Mr. Eustash and Mr. Oriandal, the instinct first thought was to go back to the way they came, and take refuge in a village a few kilometers away. . "Don't run!" cried Mr. Dardento, in a voice so majestic that the crowd obeyed. Mrs. Deslander suddenly lost consciousness.Drivers and natives skillfully caged the animals to keep them from running out into the fields. Marcel Ronan hurried to the second carriage, and with the help of Patrice, he took out his weapons, a shotgun and a pistol and both were loaded. Monsieur Dardente and Marcel Ronan, with their shotguns, Jean Tagona and Moctani with their pistols, were all assembled on the left side of the road, under the tulip tree. The roaring sounded again, and at about the same moment a pair of beasts appeared on the edge of the wood. This is a lion and a lioness, with a burly body and light yellow fur, which are particularly eye-catching in the Alep pine forest. The two beasts looked at the convoy with sparkling eyes. Could they pounce?Or are you worried about the large number of people in the convoy and plan to return to the forest to make way? They took a few steps forward unhurriedly, and let out a deep roar. "Don't move anyone!" said Dardento, "Let me deal with it." Marcel Ronan glanced at the young girl, Louise was pale and nervous, but tried to keep calm and tried to comfort her mother.Marcel Ronan and Jean Tagonne approached Clovis, Dardento, and Moctani, who were about ten paces from the grove in front of them. A minute later, when the two lions approached each other, the first shot was heard, and it was the Perpignan who shot at the lioness, but Mr. Dardente, who was astute in the past, did it badly this time. Scratching a little skin in fright, he jumped up suddenly and let out a hoarse roar.At the same moment, the lion also pounced, and Marcel Ronan raised his shotgun and pulled the trigger. "How stupid I am!" Mr. Dardento scolded himself for the useless shot just now. Marcel Ronan doesn't deserve the credit either.Because the male lion was only slightly injured on the shoulder, the thick mane on the lion's body slowed down the speed of the bullet and saved it from a fatal shot. The beast became more furious and ran wildly on the road, even The three bullets fired by Jean Tagona failed to stop them. All this was only a few seconds before the two shotguns had time to reload, and at that moment the two lions rushed back to the side of the bush. Marcel Ronan and Jean Tagona were overturned by the lioness, and the lion's claws were stretched out in front of them. At this moment, Moctani fired a shot, causing the lion to turn around suddenly, but it was Turning around abruptly, he rushed towards the two young men who fell to the ground. Mr. Dardent fired a second shot, which passed through the breast of the lioness, but missed the heart, and had it not been for the quickness of the two young men, they would not have escaped safely. Although the lioness was seriously injured, she still opened her teeth and claws, and the male lion rushed over, and together with her, she rushed towards the panic-stricken horses and crowd. Moctani was caught by the lioness and dragged a dozen steps away, covered in blood, Jean Tagona held the pistol, Marcel Ronan reloaded the shotgun, and rushed to the side of the road together, shooting The two bullets hit the vitals almost simultaneously, and ended the life of the lioness, who convulsed and fell motionless to the ground. With the last of his strength, the male lion leaped 20 steps away and knocked Mr. Dadent to the ground. The latter had no time to shoot. Mr. Dadent rolled on the ground and was almost crushed by the heavy body of the beast. Marcel Ronan ran three paces away from the lion - at this moment he certainly did not expect that the adoption conditions stipulated by the civil law would pull the trigger, but the gun jammed. At this time, the horses and other livestock panicked to the extreme. They broke free from the reins and ran to the field. Moktani, who could no longer use weapons, crawled to the side of the road. Mr. Deslander, Mr. Oriandal and Aka Tork stood in front of the ladies. Clovis Dadanto couldn't get up, the lion's claws were on his chest, when a shot rang out... The beast was struck on the head, and fell backward beside the Perpignan. It was Louise Elisani who picked up Moktani's pistol and hit the lion with a single blow. "She saved me...she saved me!"...Mr. Dardento cheered loudly, "This is not a sheep, nor a toy, but a real lion!" He jumped up with such agility that even the beast lying on the ground could not but admire it. What Jean Tagona and Marcel Ronan failed to do, the young girl did, and suddenly she felt so weak and exhausted that she nearly fell to the ground, and Marcel Ronan held her back , and handed her over to her mother. All dangers past, what was the first word of M. Dardento's heart to say to the feat of Louise Elisani? With the help of the locals, our Perpignan man and Patellis retrieved the escaped mules and horses. It did not take long, because after the death of the beast, the animals returned to calm, and we went back to the village. Back on the road again. Moktani's waist and palms were seriously injured. He was placed on the carriage, and Patrice took his place between the two humps. He looked more like a pure-blooded Arab than a athletes. Marcel Ronan and Jean Tagona remounted, the latter of whom said first: "Look! This Eastern Pyrenees rescue dog saved us both at once, and you can't do anything with someone like that." "Nothing is done," echoed Marcel Ronan. The convoy went back on the road and arrived at Sidi Larsen half an hour later. At 7:00, it had already landed in one of the best restaurants in Sidi Bir al-Abes.

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