Atlantida

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-François), 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When he came to my room, whither I had withdrawn in dignity as soon as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.