But what capped the climax of the popular gladness was to see afancifully shaped animal, covered with foam and dust, appear behind thehero, and stumble down the station stairs.
Tarascon for an instant believed that its dragon was come again.
Tartarin set his fellow-citizens at ease.
"This is my camel," he said.
Already feeling the influence of the splendid sun of Tarascon, whichmakes people tell "bouncers" unwittingly, he added, as he fondled thecamel's hump:
"It is a noble beast! It saw me kill all my lions!"
Whereupon he familiarly took the arm of the commandant, who was redwith pleasure; and followed by his camel, surrounded by the cap-hunters,acclaimed by all the population, he placidly proceeded towards theBaobab Villa; and, on the march, thus commenced the account of hismighty hunting:
"Once upon an evening, you are to imagine that, out in the depths of theSahara"--
APPENDIX
Obituary of Alphonse Daudet.
17th December 1897 DEATH OF A FRENCH NOVELIST. ALPHONSE DAUDET.
M. Alphonse Daudet, the eminent French novelist and playwright, diedsuddenly yesterday evening while at dinner The cause of death wassyncope due to failure of the heart.
Alphonse Daudet was born of poor parents at Nimes in 1840. He studied inthe Lyons Lyceum, and then became usher in a school at Alais. Goingto Paris to seek his fortune in literature in 1858, he succeeded inpublishing a book of verses entitled Les Amoreuses, which led to hisemployment by several newspapers. He published many novels and tales,and about half a dozen plays. His most popular work is "Les Morticoles."His son, Leon Daudet, is a litterateur of promise.
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