Chapter I: Preface

Sitting at the terrace of a well-known _café_, on the main boulevard of the French capital, some time ago, I happened to glance down the columns of a Parisian newspaper, and was struck by a realistic account of the recent combat at El-Moungar.

After describing this action,--a long, arduous, but successful defence of a convoy of arms and ammunition by a handful of men from the Foreign Legion against the repeated attacks of more than a thousand fanatical Moorish horsemen,--the journalist expressed his admiration for the courage and disinterested devotion of which this corps has so often given proof.

The final phrase of his article can well serve as an excuse for, and introduction to, the present volume:--_Si quelque philosophe ouvrait un jour une chaire pour enseigner l'heroïsme et le dévouement, son cours pourrait se tenir tout entier dans la lecture des citations obtenues par la Légion Étrangère._

G.M.

HONG-KONG.

EDITORS' NOTE

The restless spirit of adventure which prompted the author, Mr George Manington, to enlist in the French Foreign Legion, at a later date called him post haste from London, and thus caused us, his friends, to promise to see the manuscript of "A Soldier of the Legion" through the press.

Though well under forty years of age, he had been a student in France and Germany, a prospective doctor in Paris, a soldier in Algeria and Tonquin, a man of commerce in Indo-China, an interpreter, traveller, and journalist in South China, besides a participator in more fleeting occupations in many lands, including Japan and the Philippines.

It was in the restful periods between these various enterprises that this book was written. Malaria and kindred ailments, contracted during his military service in Tonquin, hampered him from time to time, and while he was recuperating in England from an attack, "A Soldier of the Legion" made most progress. Presently a journalistic offer came from Hong-Kong, and the prospect it afforded of more adventurous missions in the remoter regions of the Far East proved irresistible. He accepted by cable, called upon us to deal with the manuscript, and within a few days was mailing further sections of the book from ports "somewhere east of Suez."

We have dealt as lightly as possible with the manuscript, for it is permeated with the brave and cheery spirit of the author, and, beyond giving an eye to the connection of the narrative as the various sections came to hand, our duties have been light.

An educated gentleman, Mr Manington has given an insight into the unusual experiences of an Englishman in the French Foreign Legion, such as no ordinary "mercenary" could have done. Most of the narrative deals with Tonquin, and the fighting there against the rebels in their forest fastnesses. Incidentally, in giving an account of his friendship for the native sergeant, Doy-Tho, the author has been able to impart to the pages of the book an Oriental atmosphere that we think will prove attractive to the reader.

Acknowledgment is due to his friend, M. Cézard, who is fully acquainted with the ground covered, both as a public servant of France and as an accomplished artist, for the illustrations which appear in this volume; also to General Frey and Messrs Hachette, the author and publishers of a military work on Tonquin, for permission to reproduce the map and plans of forts, in relation to the events spoken of in the description of the author's service under the Tricolor. The map was prepared by the officers of the topographical section of the French army in Tonquin, and gives a detailed outline of the country in which most of the experiences described by "A Soldier of the Legion" took place.

W.B.S.
A.J.S.

LONDON, _June 1907_.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGE

The _Ministère de la Guerre_--The recruiting office--Would-be
warriors--The Commandant--A repulse--Enlisted--Something
about the Legion--Marseilles--The _Abd-el-Kader_--Oran--Sidi-bel-Abbes
--In camp--Snow in Africa--Another Briton--Instruction of recruits--An
American--The 3rd Battalion--Barrack-room pranks--Route-marching 1-42

CHAPTER II

General inspection--The band of the Legion--The _caporal
sapeur_--Off to the manoeuvres--A near thing--Convalescence--Arzew
--Amateur theatricals--Bel-Abbes again--Volunteers for Tonquin--Oran
again--A good send-off--The troop-ship _Bien-Hoa_, life on
board--The Padre--Saigon--Along Bay 43-68

CHAPTER III

Some information concerning Tonquin--Haïphong--Phulang-Thuong--The
2nd Battalion--The Yen-Thé Rebellion--General Godin's column--A
surprise at Cao-Thuong--Colonel Frey's column--Nha-Nam--The
building of a fort--Reconnaissance--Night attacks--Native troops 69-134

CHAPTER IV

The difficulties of obtaining military intelligence--Native
spies--Ambuscades--Life at Nha-Nam--Doy-Tho--De
Lipthay--A tropical storm--The capture of Linh-Nghi--Monsieur
de Lanessan--French colonial administration 135-197

CHAPTER V

An execution--A rebel chieftain--A bid for liberty--De-Nam's
mistake--Linh-Nghi speaks--A new road to Thaï-Nguyen--In
the enemy's country--A sharp encounter--Cho-Trang--The fever-fiend--In
the hospital--Quang-Yen 198-247

CHAPTER VI

La Soeur Agnes--Exeat--Nha-Nam again--Picking up the
threads--Bo-Ha--Preparations for the campaign--With
General Voyron's column--An error in the art of war--A
big butcher's bill--Collapse of the rebellion--Stamping
out the embers 248-301

CHAPTER VII

The last struggles of a rebellion--Departure of Captain
Plessier--Our new commander--Man-hunting--A friend
in need--A false alarm--An unexpected rise in life--On
the Brigade Staff 302-338