Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-17

eral, which he described as a vi,t.;no,,
compound Of vinegar and grease. vbich.
when mixed with the sesr wine Of the coup.
Try, causes sort of bubble-and- squeak con-
test In the stomach; and consequently IL WIS
with feelings Of gratitude that he, after sstis.
Tying his appetite, proceeded 10 inspect the
bones OF the mysterious animal that was in a
stuation TO bring such an amount Of delicious
nutriment into our Kitchens
what was my horror" continued our Ca
tSr when 1 began leisurely to run over
canine fangs that looked maryeIIouslv lie .
cats. linen there was an odd shaped foreies.
a most singular backbone. and erotrsons H.
quarters, 1t would have pu,sied Cuyier him.
sell 70 tell what animal they belonged TO All
'nis ume Ihe poor ourgomaster Was watching
manner, that he felt that the honor ~ Znn,
Brannen Hirsch was at stake SO I tpraised
Der igel, and finding that il Attempted IN
reach ny quarters that should have = iour-
ney OF about three hours to perform. over
| .oaos snicn In England are 90 very properly
| termed cross, L prudently, therefore, or
dered another schoppen of vine and a cigar.
| until 1t was time to 60 to bed, and 30 start
home In the morning. But don't know how
II was, couldn't help fancying that the din
| stomach
eSe, Seiu W tne ourgVmaSter, In
cs n dear nsa up doubts sis this animal
How largep'' replied mine host: "vbv.
about as big as a fairish- sized cat
The deuce" said I. "Of course il has
"T9 be sure" replied the bursOmaster.
Has 1t long snout !''
Yah, a long snout."
Perhaps it's fox, muttered I to myself,
coming 70 close quarters now. Zone uues-
tlon more, more, and my dinners safe. Long
Ears? Let me see." replied the hos,
with inconceivable stupidity "Ears?, He
did not think Der Igel had any ears-he had
never seen any.
Good heavens :" said I, 81 on what lave +
dined? Has it long, a very long tail !''
Nc, no-decidedly not. Der Igel has
neither ears nor tail
How odd, said 1, completely bafied, and
l flung myself back in my chair, and fell NV
self as sick as a dog
How long should have remained. chew
ing not the 'cud of sweet and bitter fancy.'
but the amber mouth-piece of nv cigar-tube.
cant pretend to say" continued our cater
er, "but was aroused out of INV reyerie by n
group of Prussian officers; and as they came
up stairs, their long cavalry swords dangling
| on their heels, made as much noise as n
somebody had flung down a dozen sets of fire.
irons
Il,
ty OF this troublesome Der Igel,'' for / know
that most German officers are well educated
men; but alas! not one Of them knew the
English name of this vexing animal / soon
found that matters had progressed from bad I'D
worse, for had inoculated the officers with
my desire to know on what had dined, and
their frenlied efforts to enlighten me brought
| on such elamorous jargon in German gutter
ais, mixed up with jagged, spluttering conso-
| nants that soon began TO have a bapeful iafu-
ence upon that undigested portion of Der Igel
L so recently had swallowed. One said he
sqaeaked; another declared he grunted;
punchy little hurzar thought il might be a
hare.
"Psha "a hare! Does hare bark Der
lgel barks, though very family"
der Igel barks, does he Well that shows
now much you know about the matter He
whines, if you like"
This last remark brought forth host of
pshas. chuts. chiktzs, and other interiec-
tlons, every one Of which was sent Kissing out
OF their mouths with force enough to blow their
front teeth out.
"Come, come" said I, interrupting them:
habits ?''
He prowls only at night" said one.
other
Some described him as preferring the land,
some the woods, and some the water. One rash
young cornet, needless Of the consequences,
suggested that I" Der Igel might possibly be-
amphibious.' Poor fellow his meddIing OBJ
servation brought down upon him such a
shower OF harsh, grating epithets, bristline
with Jagged German consonants, as would
have split the drum of any ear, except a Ger
man s, into infnitesimal splinters.
Matters had arrived at this pass, when an
ofhcer said that he had just remembered a
characteristic Of Der Igel that had escaped Us
all.
what is it,"
"Der Igel burrows"
$50 does fox, rabbit, and a marmot,
but none OF these are like Der Igeli'
What does he eat ?" demanded some one.
Roots vociferated the young cornet
"Game," shouted another
Garbage, - chimed in the landlord.
. At this last observation q sickening sem
sation crept over me, said our Caterer az
began to suspect that the oily looking bureo-
master, for the sake of the miserable forms.
my 1Inner came to, had allowed me to cram
myself with a polecat, an otter, or a gigantic
sloat or weazle. My head began to swim, nv
dinner rose and fell in my stomach, like the
piston of steam engine; for what with my
anxiety to discover what / had eaten, toge-
ther with the noise, sour wine and the smoke.
l was beginning to suffer all the miseries of a
fit Of indigestion,
Luckily at this moment, Captain Her Fon
knoblesdorf Che ought to be immortalized for
seVting Ine matter,l SAID might easily guess
on what had dined, when he said that every
hair on Der Igel's back was stiff enough to
make toOthpick. PuIIling as this remark
was, 1t nevertheless proved to be a step in the
right direction, for the muddlc- beaded burgo-
master now recollected, for the first time while
We were discussing the nature Of Der Igers
coat, that he had preserved his skin and ho
abused himself almost as much as / did for not
thinking of il before.
Bravo" Cup with it," Nov you'll
see who's right and similar phrases few
about in all directions, for by this time the
officers, as well as myself, were gasping With
excitement, when in the midst Of the hubbub.
the burgomaster entered the room, produced
the skin, and 10, il was
What /" exclaimed the "mess," as ono
man.
"Guess," said our Caterer