AsIstoodadmiring，thereemergedfromtheyardofalowlyCabaret，theexcellentMaMere，MaMere，withthewords，’Thesoupisserved；’wordswhichsoelatedthesubjectinthecanvassuit，thatwhentheyallranintopartake，hewentlast，dancingwithhishandsstuckangularlyintothepocketsofhiscanvastrousers，afterthePierrotmanner。GlancingdowntheYard，thelastIsawofhimwas，thathelookedinthroughawindowatthesoup，nodoubtononeleg。
Fullofthispleasure，Ishortlyafterwardsdepartedfromthetown，littledreamingofanadditiontomygoodfortune。Butmorewasinreserve。Iwentbyatrainwhichwasheavywiththird-classcarriages，fullofyoungfellowswellguardedwhohaddrawnunluckynumbersinthelastconscription，andwereontheirwaytoafamousFrenchgarrisontownwheremuchoftherawmilitarymaterialisworkedupintosoldiery。Atthestationtheyhadbeensittingabout，intheirthreadbarehomespunbluegarments，withtheirpoorlittlebundlesundertheirarms，coveredwithdustandclay，andthevarioussoilsofFrance；sadenoughatheart，mostofthem，butputtingagoodfaceuponit，andslappingtheirbreastsandsingingchorusesonthesmallestprovocation；thegayestspiritsshoulderinghalfloavesofblackbreadspearedupontheirwalking-sticks。Aswewentalong，theywereaudibleateverystation，chorusingwildlyoutoftune，andfeigningthehighesthilarity。Afterawhile，however，theybegantoleaveoffsinging，andtolaughnaturally，whileatintervalstheremingledwiththeirlaughterthebarkingofadog。Now，Ihadtoalightshortoftheirdestination，and，asthatstoppageofthetrainwasattendedwithaquantityofhornblowing，bellringing，andproclamationofwhatMessieurslesVoyageursweretodo，andwerenottodo，inordertoreachtheirrespectivedestinations，Ihadampleleisuretogoforwardontheplatformtotakeapartinglookatmyrecruits，whoseheadswerealloutatwindow，andwhowerelaughinglikedelightedchildren。ThenIperceivedthatalargepoodlewithapinknose，whohadbeentheirtravellingcompanionandthecauseoftheirmirth，stoodonhishind-legspresentingarmsontheextremevergeoftheplatform，readytosalutethemasthetrainwentoff。
Thispoodleworeamilitaryshakoitisunnecessarytoadd，verymuchononesideoveroneeye，alittlemilitarycoat，andtheregulationwhitegaiters。Hewasarmedwithalittlemusketandalittlesword-bayonet，andhestoodpresentingarmsinperfectattitude，withhisunobscuredeyeonhismasterorsuperiorofficer，whostoodbyhim。Soadmirablewashisdiscipline，that，whenthetrainmoved，andhewasgreetedwiththepartingcheersoftherecruits，andalsowithashowerofcentimes，severalofwhichstruckhisshako，andhadatendencytodiscomposehim，heremainedstaunchonhispost，untilthetrainwasgone。Hethenresignedhisarmstohisofficer，tookoffhisshakobyrubbinghispawoverit，droppedonfourlegs，bringinghisuniformcoatintotheabsurdestrelationswiththeoverarchingskies，andranabouttheplatforminhiswhitegaiters，waginghistailtoanexceedinggreatextent。Itstruckmethattherewasmorewaggerythanthisinthepoodle，andthatheknewthattherecruitswouldneithergetthroughtheirexercises，norgetridoftheiruniforms，aseasilyashe；revolvingwhichinmythoughts，andseekinginmypocketssomesmallmoneytobestowuponhim，Icasuallydirectedmyeyestothefaceofhissuperiorofficer，andinhimbeheldtheFace-Maker！
ThoughitwasnotthewaytoAlgeria，butquitethereverse，themilitarypoodle’sColonelwastheFace-Makerinadarkblouse，withasmallbundledanglingoverhisshoulderattheendofanumbrella，andtakingapipefromhisbreasttosmokeasheandthepoodlewenttheirmysteriousway。
Myvoyagesinpaperboatsamongsavagesoftenyieldmematterforreflectionathome。Itiscurioustotracethesavageinthecivilisedman，andtodetecttheholdofsomesavagecustomsonconditionsofsocietyratherboastfulofbeinghighabovethem。