The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-02-10
HOW VOSS' BRAVERY WAS TESTED.

HOW VOSS' BRAVERY WAS TESTED.
Agroup of young men were standing
one morning last April on the banks OF
the River Aar, which flows by the
quaint old Swiss town of Berne. There
was Johann Leid, the bakers son, and
Fritz Bund, the wood-carver, and half
dozen others with their sisters and
sweethearts.
Bund, as usual, was loud mouthed
and voluble. He talked with one eye
on the girls to see the effect.
"What do YOU say to race, boys?
There is Johann Leid with his big
muscles. l can outrun or throw you in
five minutes, Leid."
Leid nodded, threw off his coat, and
was beaten in both race and wrestle.
He was big, sheepish-looking fellow,
and grew red with anger.
eff you want to look well in jean
nette's eyes," he muttered, sit is Mich
olas Voss you should throw, not me-
She thinks more of his finger than of
your whole braggart body
Bund was enraged. Everybody saw
that plainly. He looked at Jeanette,
standing with the other girls, like a
modest little rose among Haunting
dahlias. Nicholas Voss was playing
with his dog on the other side of the
field. He was quiet, understood fell
low, the son of the schoolmaster.
Throw Voss! I could do it with
one hand. No credit in that. The fell
low has no more strength than a girl.
porting over his books. I'll put him to
q test that'll shame him. Jeanette
shall see the stuff the baby is made of.
Hey, Vossr' he shouted.
Nicholas came over, smiling, but col
oring little as he passed the girls. He
was a diffident, awkward lad, and felt
his arms and legs heavy and in the way
whenever woman looked at him.
"Come, girls!' cried Bund. The
girls drew nearer, shy, but curious.
Here's a question of courage to be
settled. Leid wants me to try throw
with Voss, but it wouldn't be fair, for
could fling him with one finger, and
blow him over for that matter"
Voss changed color; he played nerv-
ously with the dogs collar. He knew
it was true that he could not compete
with Bund in a trial of strength, but it
was hard to be told it; before little jean
nette, too.
''But there's something Voss can do
as we'll as l."
'.What is it?" said Nicholas, eagerly.
''You can swim. Come, jump into
river yonder with me, and see which
of us can reach the other shorer'
was swollen with the spring floods, and
filled with great Jumps Of ice which
crunched and tore each other as they
went rushing by.
''Ah, that would be brave deedr'
they said, looking admiringly at Bund.
Jeanette looked, and turned away with
a shudder.
"Well done, Bundr' said the other
lads. There's no cowardice in Bund,
that's certain!'
Bund tore off his wooden Jacket and
boots. Strengthening himself and clap
ping his hand. He was not sorry that
the girls should see his broad chest and
embroidered braces.
Come. little one, off with your coat!
You re.a famous swimmer-and Jean
nette is looking" under his breath, with
an angry flash in his eye.
Nicholas looked at the lads waiting;
and at the excited, silly girls, and then
at the icy river. He did not trust him
self to look at Jeanette. In summer
he had often swan the Aar at this very
point. But his lungs were weak. He
could not bear the slightest exposure:
no inf 10 4 L
tain illness-perhaps death. And for
no purpose but to crafty the pride of a
vaporing, idle fellow.
Come, GOMEZ cried Bund. "Afraidp''
The lads and girls looked at Voss;
even Jeanette's eyes were fixed curious
ly on him.
:. am not going to swim,'' he said.
II he had bluffed it out in "a strident,
jocular voice, he might have carried the
day. But he was painfully conscious
that they all thought him coward. He
was sensitive lad, and it cut him to
the quick.
Afraid! afraidr' laughed Bund, in
solently. ''Well, Voss, 1 wanted to do
you a good turn, and let the girls see
that you had the making of man in
you. But no matter" turning away
contemptuously. "A pity he could not
wear gowns and bonnet,' he said to
Jeanette, loud enough for Voss to hear.
Voss turned away and went hastily
down the road. He was bitter and an
CRY, and would not 90 home to his old
father in that mood. He went to the
bear-pits. Now everybody knows that
bears are sort of sacred animal to the
Bernese, and Nicholas, like his neigh
bors, took keen delight in watching
the great sluggish beasts in their pits.
But he had no pride in them now; in
fact, though he leaned over the barrier
and looked with the crowd, he did not
see them at all.
There were many strangers there that
day, principally English travellers and
Americans. Their children were climb
ing about the edge of the pit, as no
Bernese child would dare to do.
Take care, youngstersr' cried a