they that you recognize? Where does the author indicate that he is about
to begin a story? Does the author win your sympathy for the cats? How?
In what does the humor of the story lie? What is the climax of the
story? What do you think of the priest and his comment? Does the whole
sketch interest you because it describes a strange scene, or because it
raises the question of the humanity of keeping alive one hundred and
three cats?]




AN ADVENTURE


During the expedition to Upper Egypt under General Desaix, a Provencal
[Footnote: Provencal. Provence was an ancient government of southeastern
France. It became part of the crown lands in 1481 under Louis XI. The
term Provencals is used loosely to include dwellers in the south of
France.] soldier, who had fallen into the clutches of the Maugrabins,
was marched by these marauders, these tireless Arabs, into the deserts
lying beyond the cataracts of the Nile.

So as to put a sufficient distance between themselves and the French
army, to insure their greater safety, the Maugrabins [Footnote:
Maugrabins: a savage tribe of northern Africa.] made forced marches and
rested only during the night. They then encamped around a well shaded by
palm-trees, under which they had previously concealed a store of
provisions. Never dreaming that their prisoner would think of escaping,
they satisfied themselves by merely tying his hands, then lay down to
sleep, after having regaled themselves with a few dates and given