Volume I Part 43 (1/2)
”What is your pleasure, madame?”
”Dear friend,” was the kind reply of Monte-Cristo, ”madame has called you, because I intend to ask you a few questions; I know you love your captain, and therefore--”
”Well, I do love him,” replied Coucou, enthusiastically ”I am ready to be cut in pieces for him”
”With that we need not”You believe then that Captain Joliette is still alive?”
”Yes, colonel”
”I aeneral?”
”That is unnecessary--I am in no way a soldier”
”But that is hardly possible,” cried Coucou, disappointed; ”such a nice brave gentleman, and not a soldier?”
”I cannot help you; but now tell me plainly whether you can renderthe captain?”
”A thousand times, marshal, or as otherwise your title may be You see, sir, I am a man of feords, but if you demand my heart's blood, it is at your service--the Jackal Coucou always keeps his word”
Monte-Cristo smiled--the man suited him
”Sit down here next to me,” he said, in a friendly manner, ”and tell me all you know”
”To seat myself--no, that would be disrespectful; I shall re; and now question me”
”Just as you like Since when has the captain disappeared, and what do you know concerning him?”
”Accurately I cannot point out the time On the last day of December, Abd-el-Kader, of whom so much is said, and who, I must here remark, ly said the count, bowing
”For Abd-el-Kader,” interrupted Coucou, promptly ”Well, then, after Abd-el-Kader laid down his arht the as ended; but God forbid, it had coiers you will never hear of its end That the Jackals at the affair played their game well is too well known; it was they who checked Abd-el-Kader
”Well, on one occasion, we undertook a trifling skirmish, in order to send out some scouts; we had about twenty men, and Captain Joliette led us 'Comrades,' he said, 'before we start, let us finally take care that the cursed Africans leave us at peace in future!' and then he called my name--you must know he had always a little order for me to execute--”
”I conclude therefrom, that you found an opportunity to render him a service once,” interrupted the count, in a friendly manner
”H'eant, proudly; ”it was, in fact, but a trifle--a brown devil brandished his yataghan at the captain, and I cut off his hand to prevent the execution of his plan
Now, the captain also called:
”'Sergeant Coucou!'
”'Here,' said I