wounded. The _goumiers_ plundered everything that was portable, but the villagers had prudently sent away all their herds to the mountains a day or two before. General De Gislin carried out simultaneously a _razzia_ on a second village, which yielded, after first returning the French fire. The following day the flying column marched back to Gafsa. The next morning the main body was reinforced by the arrival of Colonel Jacob and his column from Négrin. On the 3d of December it was announced that the occupation of Gafsa was finally decided upon. The following troops were left behind to form its garrison—viz., four battalions of infantry, one squadron of the 4th Hussars, one squadron of the 3d Spahis, and a battery of mountain guns. The town will as soon as possible be properly fortified. On the 4th of December the return march into Algeria commenced. Rain fell without ceasing for two days, and the troops suffered immensely, and so did a large convoy of invalids which accompanied the column. The cold was intense, and each day forty camels and mules were left to die on the line of march. Passing successively Bir Mukeder, Bir Sidi Aich, and Oued-el-Haguel, the division arrived, on the 7th of December, at Feriana, a large village built among some remarkable Roman ruins. At Feriana the Négrin column left the main body, and the sick were sent on by forced marches towards Tebessa. The column pushed on to Kesserine. Here the Frechich brought in 2000 very dilapidated guns, which were at once destroyed. From Kesserine, amid heavy rain, a forced march was made to Oued-el-Hattab, and on the 14th of December, the army finally reached Tebessa, by way of Frouget, where the column Forgemol was broken up. CHAPTER XLII. TUNIS BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL DE LA SEINE.