Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-01-01

parent WdrmGn. Our nOSb SOON
after arrived, and the party being very
shortly completed, we sat down to a
game of vingt-et-un to pass the time
until supper arrived. Now, hating
cards with all my heart, and never
playing except when politeness COM
pels me, I happen always to enjoy Won
derful luck; and accordingly, on this
occasion, when Twas dealing, [ doubled
the stakes at every hand, and won a
considerable sum. Ny greatest oppo-
nent, and consequently the largest
loser, was Count Zintorski; and al
though he tried every maneuvre of
which the game is susceptible, my luck
still stood by me, and [ rose from the
! table, having cleaned him out of his
! last Frjederich dor. He was perfectly
calm, congratulated me on my luck,
and took the foot of the supper table,
opp< cite to Woodbridge, with the air
of nun who felt himself thoroughly
at home.
Reader, were you ever present at a
German students supper party? IF
not, you have no idea of noise, of wild,
mad fun, Of practical jests pushed to
their utmost extent. My experience in
these scenes has not been small, but
never was | present at such scene of
riot as was enacted at Woodbridge's
that night. Englishmen and Germans
tried to outdo each other in noise; song
followed song; the health of each mem
Der of the party was drunk in rapid
succession, and each member of the
party was drunk himself. My ill-health
prevented me from joining to much
extent in the dissipation, and [ sat
looking ON and wondering whether [
had ever found real amusement in such
a pandemonium. At last, while Oscar
don was telling a wonderful story of a
run with the Ballybotherun hounds,
half in English and half in German,
the landlord entered the room and de-
clared that if the noise was per
sisted in he should be com
PEELED to call in the gems d'armes. This
announcement was received with yells !;
he was told to fetch whom he liked.
/ Woodbridge muttered some vague SEN
tence about " Englishn's houses cas-
sic, and the landlord retired amidst a
storm of groans The uproar was re-
newed, but five minutes after, we heard
the heavy tramp of the gems d'armes
ascending the staircase, and all of us
determined to resist the invasion by
force Some seized sticks, some laid
hold of pieces of furniture to hrrl at
the intruders, and [ grasped an empty
champagne bottle by the neck and
slipped it into my coat pocket, keeping
my hand on it the while. The door
was flung open and the chief of the po-
! lice entered, leaving two of his men
outside the door.
Gentlemen" said he, in an author
itative voice, Gin the name of his
Majesty command you to quit this
house at once"
A roar of derision was the reply.
"Suppose we don't intend to go %
said student with red beard, taste
fully decorated with scraps of salad,
shreds of tobacco, etc.
''Then Ishall proceed to execute my
duties and turn you at once into the
street."
A second derisive roar much louder
than the first
"By the holy Malone!" said Oscar
don, rising slowly before the astonished
gen d'arme, and pulling himself up to
his full height, GIVE a mind to fling
you out of this window. And Til do
it too, before you can say knife. He
made two steps forward and seemed
about to execute his threat, when
Zintorski interposed.
Gone minute" he said. "Gen
d'arme, where is your permit?"
The gen d'arme looked astonished,
but did not reply.
"Your permit?" repeated Zintorski.
You are aware that after midnight
no gen d'arme can enter a private
residence withouta special permit from
the burgomaster?"
"Her Graf" suffered the wretched
functionary, edging toward the door,
"I-I regret that
His courage failed him; ne said no
more but rushed down the stairs, fol-
lowed by his men and in minute we
heard the door close behind them.
Immediately upon their departure
fresh wine was brought in, and the
orgies continued until about two
o'clock, when the party broke up I
had secured bed at house where [
had lodged in my student days, and it
so happened that my way lay in a
different direction from that of my
companions [ therefore bade them
good night and started off alone. It
was dull, murky night, with a sharp
sleet driving from the north; the only
light shed upon the wretched streets
was from the oil-lamps swung at inter-
walls across the road. On [ fastened,
wrapping myself up in my large coat,
and meeting no one. Not a sound did
I hear until, just as 1 was reaching the
street where my lodging was situated,
which turned up out OF one of the
principal 0llees of the town. [ thought
[ distinguished the sound of advancing
footsteps. I listened, and was con-
vinced that my surmise was correct;
but thinking nothing of it [ proceeded
up the street. had reached the door,
and was endeavoring to turn the rusty
piece OF German mechanism supposed
to be key and mentally contrasting it
with my own neat Chubb at home,
when two men advanced toward me,
followed at some distance by a third.
This | could just distinguish by the
light of a neighboring lamp. AS the
two men came up to me, one of them
said, " Goodnight" !" Goodnight %
[ replied; cor rather Good-mornlng
for it must be almost that by this
time" The words had scarcely escap-
ed my lips when the foremost man hit
me a tremendous blow between the eyes
which lit up thousand candles before
me and knocked me violently back
ward. AS my back dashed against the
door [ heard something crash. In a
second [ recollected myself; it was the
champagne bottle I had placed in my
pocket when the gems d'arme entered.
In a second [ grasped it by the neck,
withdrew it from my pocket, and
whirling it in the air, brought it down
with my full force on the head of my
assailant. He gave one groan and fell
heavily to the ground, while the blood
spurted from the wound ike fountain.
His companion turned and Asd, while
the third man, who all this time had
remained at a distance, also Immediate
ly made off Ny state of horror can
scarcely be imagined. knelt down
II l., Ii, hos =