the country doctor-第43章

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ter　another；　and　taken　the　conceit　out　of　four　Austrian　generals；　one　of　them；　an　old　man　who　had　white　hair；　had　been　roasted　like　a　rat　in　the　straw　before　Mantua。　The　kings　were　suing　for　mercy　on　their　knees。　Peace　had　been　won。　Could　a　mere　mortal　have　done　that？　No。　God　helped　him；　that　is　certain。　He　distributed　himself　about　like　the　five　loaves　in　the　Gospel；　commanded　on　the　battlefield　all　day；　and　drew　up　his　plans　at　night。　The　sentries　always　saw　him　coming；　he　neither　ate　nor　slept。　Therefore；　recognizing　these　prodigies；　the　soldier　adopts　him　for　his　father。　But；　forward！

〃The　other　folk　there　in　Paris；　seeing　all　this；　say　among　themselves：

〃　'Here　is　a　pilgrim　who　appears　to　take　his　instructions　from　Heaven　above；　he　is　uncommonly　likely　to　lay　a　hand　on　France。　We　must　let　him　loose　on　Asia　or　America；　and　that；　perhaps；　will　keep　him　quiet。

〃The　same　thing　was　decreed　for　him　as　for　Jesus　Christ；　for；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　they　give　him　orders　to　go　on　duty　down　in　Egypt。　See　his　resemblance　to　the　Son　of　God！　That　is　not　all；　though。　He　calls　all　his　fire…eaters　about　him；　all　those　into　whom　he　had　more　particularly　put　the　devil；　and　talks　to　them　in　this　way：

〃　'My　friends；　for　the　time　being　they　are　giving　us　Egypt　to　stop　our　mouths。　But　we　will　swallow　down　Egypt　in　a　brace　of　shakes；　just　as　we　swallowed　Italy；　and　private　soldiers　shall　be　princes；　and　shall　have　broad　lands　of　their　own。　Forward！'

〃　'Forward；　lads！'　cry　the　sergeants。

〃So　we　come　to　Toulon　on　the　way　to　Egypt。　Whereupon　the　English　put　to　sea　with　all　their　fleet。　But　when　we　are　on　board；　Napoleon　says　to　us：

〃　'They　will　not　see　us：　and　it　is　right　and　proper　that　you　should　know　henceforward　that　your　general　has　a　star　in　the　sky　that　guides　us　and　watches　over　us！'

〃So　said；　so　done。　As　we　sailed　over　the　sea　we　took　Malta；　by　way　of　an　orange　to　quench　his　thirst　for　victory；　for　he　was　a　man　who　must　always　be　doing　something。　There　we　are　in　Egypt。　Well　and　good。　Different　orders。　The　Egyptians；　look　you；　are　men　who；　ever　since　the　world　has　been　the　world；　have　been　in　the　habit　of　having　giants　to　reign　over　them；　and　armies　like　swarms　of　ants；　because　it　is　a　country　full　of　genii　and　crocodiles；　where　they　have　built　up　pyramids　as　big　as　our　mountains；　the　fancy　took　them　to　stow　their　kings　under　the　pyramids；　so　as　to　keep　them　fresh；　a　thing　which　mightily　pleases　them　all　round　out　there。　Whereupon；　as　we　landed；　the　Little　Corporal　said　to　us：

〃　'My　children；　the　country　which　you　are　about　to　conquer　worships　a　lot　of　idols　which　you　must　respect；　because　the　Frenchman　ought　to　be　on　good　terms　with　all　the　world；　and　fight　people　without　giving　annoyance。　Get　it　well　into　your　heads　to　let　everything　alone　at　first；　for　we　shall　have　it　all　by　and　by！　and　forward！'

〃So　far　so　good。　But　all　those　people　had　heard　a　prophecy　of　Napoleon；　under　the　name　of　Kebir　Bonaberdis；　a　word　which　in　our　lingo　means；　'The　Sultan　fires　a　shot；'　and　they　feared　him　like　the　devil。　So　the　Grand　Turk；　Asia；　and　Africa　have　recourse　to　magic；　and　they　send　a　demon　against　us；　named　the　Mahdi；　who　it　was　thought　had　come　down　from　heaven　on　a　white　charger　which；　like　its　master　was　bullet…proof；　and　the　pair　of　them　lived　on　the　air　of　that　part　of　the　world。　There　are　people　who　have　seen　them；　but　for　my　part　I　cannot　give　you　any　certain　informations　about　them。　They　were　the　divinities　of　Arabia　and　of　the　Mamelukes　who　wished　their　troopers　to　believe　that　the　Mahdi　had　the　power　of　preventing　them　from　dying　in　battle。　They　gave　out　that　he　was　an　angel　sent　down　to　wage　war　on　Napoleon；　and　to　get　back　Solomon's　seal；　part　of　their　paraphernalia　which　they　pretended　our　general　had　stolen。　You　will　readily　understand　that　we　made　them　cry　peccavi　all　the　same。

〃Ah；　just　tell　me　now　how　they　came　to　know　about　that　compact　of　Napoleon's？　Was　that　natural？

〃They　took　it　into　their　heads　for　certain　that　he　commanded　the　genii；　and　that　he　went　from　place　to　place　like　a　bird　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　and　it　is　a　fact　that　he　was　everywhere。　At　length　it　came　about　that　he　carried　off　a　queen　of　theirs。　She　was　the　private　property　of　a　Mameluke；　who；　although　he　had　several　more　of　them；　flatly　refused　to　strike　a　bargain；　though　'the　other'　offered　all　his　treasures　for　her　and　diamonds　as　big　as　pigeon's　eggs。　When　things　had　come　to　that　pass；　they　could　not　well　be　settled　without　a　good　deal　of　fighting；　and　there　was　fighting　enough　for　everybody　and　no　mistake　about　it。

〃Then　we　are　drawn　up　before　Alexandria；　and　again　at　Gizeh；　and　before　the　Pyramids。　We　had　to　march　over　the　sands　and　in　the　sun；　people　whose　eyes　dazzled　used　to　see　water　that　they　could　not　drink　and　shade　that　made　them　fume。　But　we　made　short　work　of　the　Mamelukes　as　usual；　and　everything　goes　down　before　the　voice　of　Napoleon；　who　seizes　Upper　and　Lower　Egypt　and　Arabia；　far　and　wide；　till　we　came　to　the　capitals　of　kingdoms　which　no　longer　existed；　where　there　were　thousands　and　thousands　of　statues　of　all　the　devils　in　creation；　all　done　to　the　life；　and　another　curious　thing　too；　any　quantity　of　lizards。　A　confounded　country　where　any　one　could　have　as　many　acres　of　land　as　he　wished　for　as　little　as　he　pleased。

〃While　he　was　busy　inland；　where　he　meant　to　carry　out　some　wonderful　ideas　of　his；　the　English　burn　his　fleet　for　him　in　Aboukir　Bay；　for　they　never　could　do　enough　to　annoy　us。　But　Napoleon；　who　was　respected　East　and　West；　and　called　'My　Son'　by　the　Pope；　and　'My　dear　Father'　by　Mahomet's　cousin；　makes　up　his　mind　to　have　his　revenge　on　England；　and　to　take　India　in　exchange　for　his　fleet。　He　set　out　to　lead　us　into　Asia；　by　way　of　the　Red　Sea；　through　a　country　where　there　were　palaces　for　halting…places；　and　nothing　but　gold　and　diamonds　to　pay　the　troops　with；　when　the　Mahdi　comes　to　an　understanding　with　the　Plague；　and　sends　it　among　us　to　make　a　break　in　our　victories。　Halt！　Then　every　man　files　off　to　that　parade　from　which　no　one　comes　back　on　his　two　feet。　The　dying　soldier　cannot　take　Acre；　into　which　he　forces　an　entrance　three　times　with　a　warrior's　impetuous　enthusiasm；　the　Plague　was　too　strong　for　us；　there　was　not　even　time　to　say　'Your　servant；　sir！'　to　the　Plague。　Every　man　was　down　with　it。　Napoleon　alone　was　as　fresh　as　a　rose；　the　whole　army　saw　him　drinking　in　the　Plague　without　it　doing　him　any　harm　whatever。

〃There　now；　my　friends；　was　that　natural；　do　you　think？

〃The　Mamelukes；　knowing　that　we　were　all　on　the　sick…list；　want　to　stop　our　road；　but　it　was　no　use　trying　that　nonsense　with　Napoleon。　So　he　spoke　to　his　familiars；　who　had　tougher　skins　than　the　rest：

〃　'Go　and　clear　the　road　for　me。'

〃Junot；　who　was　his　devoted　friend；　and　a　first…class　fighter；　only　takes　a　thousand　men；　and　makes　a　clean　sweep　of　the　Pasha's　army；　which　had　the　impudence　to　bar　our　way。　Thereupon　back　we　came　to　Cairo；　our　headquarters；　and　now　for　another　story。

〃Napoleon　being　out　of　the　country；　France　allowed　the　people　in　Paris　to　worry　the　life　out　of　her。　They　kept　back　the　soldiers'　pay　and　all　their　linen　and　clothing；　left　them　to　starve；　and　expected　them　to　lay　down　law　to　the　universe；　without　taking　any　further　trouble　in　the　matter。　They　were　idiots　of　the　kind　that　amuse　themselves　with　chattering　instead　of　setting　themselves　to　knead　the　dough。　So　our　armies　were　defeated；　France　could　not　keep　her　frontiers；　The　Man　was　not　there。　I　say　The　Man；　look　you；　because　that　was　how　they　called　him；　but　it　was　stuff　and　nonsense；　for　he　had　a　star　of　his　own　and　all　his　other　peculiarities；　it　was　the　rest　of　us　that　were　mere　men。　He　hears　this　history　of　France　after　his　famous　battle　of　Aboukir；　where　with　a　single　division　he　routed　the　grand　army　of　the　Turks；　twenty…five　thousand　strong；　and　jostled　more　than　half　of　them　into　the　sea；　rrrah！　without　losing　more　than　three　hundred　of　his　own　men。　That　was　his　last　thunder…clap　in　Egypt。　He　said　to　himself；　seeing　that　all　was　lost　down　there；　'I　know　that　I　am　the　saviour　of　France；　and　to　France　I　must　go。'

〃But　you　must　clearly　understand　that　the　army　did　not　know　of　his　departure；　for　if　they　had