The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-11-19
MAX RANDER's WAR STORY

IL WIS u year hpO lhli. Wbo ohiJ CiCVCu
then and we were all travelling over IN Europe
father, mother, Thad, and l.
Well, we had been TO London, with its jolly
cabs and to Paris with its funny sewers, and
were on our way back from little Switzerland,
with Its big mountains, when father took 1t
into his head to stop tor week In poky old
town somewhere in Germany. &@
Here we staid at dreadfully quiet hotel on
a narrow street. which Thad called an alley;
but father liked 1t because it was right OppO-
site house where he used to board IN pro
fessor's family when he was boy. A.--"-..-9 q
We had been in this dismal place for three
or four days, when one morning mother woke
up with one of her nervous SPELLS 80 instead
of our all going off for long walk IN the
country, father staid home with mother, and
sent Thad and me to take stroll through the
streets near the hotel, where there was not any
danger of our getting lost. 49, s--S-iS
Well, we started out, and walk cd twice round
the marketplace, stood gazing tor i've MIN.
utes at some dusty cakes and candy IN the
confectoner's window, and spent ten minutes
more IN watching the German boys play their
stupid games during recess at the Gymnasium,
which is not a gymnasium at all, but gram
mar school. Then when they all went back
to their books again, we were left out In the
roughly paved street with no sidewalks,
nobody IN 1t to look at, and no horse-cars to
ride on. >-'
"Oh, how these stones hurt my feet" ex-
claimed Thad when we had stumbled along
IN In aimless sort Of way for block or SO.
Lets 20 out In the country" And into the
country we went keeping on In the same
street until II changed from a street into a
road on which we had never been before, with
tall trees in n straight line on each side OF 1t,
and nice green grass all along the edge.
| was pretty positive, to be sure, that father
would not have approved of our gong outside
the town, but what else could we do to amuse
ourselves? VI. ..- e.. .a.f ..''
"lts better than bothering mother, any way"
finally decided and so we walked ana ran,
played tag and counted trees, until we grew
tired, when, spying nice shady spot under
the brow OF hill, told Thad that we had
better rest there awhile before starting back
again for dinner.
It's valley, isn't 1t, Max Y' observed my
brother, as we stretched ourselves out beneath
large tree He had just begun the study OF
geography, and feeling that | should never
neglect an opportunity of training his young
mind IN useful knowledge, at once began to
point out all the geographical divisions within
view, and was much encouraged by the re-
specifu attention Thad appeared TO pay, until
suddenly discovered that he was asleep.
poor little chap" muttered; 81 wonder
If | oughtn'tto wake HIM up;' and while
was trying TO guess whether we had come one
mile or three, in order to reckon how long 1t
would take us to return to town, well, l
must have fallen asleep too, for the blue sky,
and the green grass, and the yellow sun finally
got so mixed up IN my mind that wasn't sure
of any one of them, and then all was blank,
as authors say IN books, a3Rt-
N.I La, tlnr hot ne hn1 M
place in the bank, with the tree In front OF
me, and Thad at my side, for an hour or two,
| | guess. F-
| or course don't know what went on about
me during that time, so | shan't attempt to
tell all know is that when l had the natural
use of my senses oRce more, heard such a
horrible noise right over my head as nearly
made me lose them again. 1 ~
Bang, bang, bang, and boom, bry-r, baug!
What on earth could 1t all means Il rubbed
my eyes and felt of my ears to make sure they
were in good working order, and then ventur-
ed to peak out around the tree which 1 have
said stood directly In front OF the little hollow
IN the side of the hill which had chosen for
resting place.
Goodness didn't my heart beat like sixty
when saw what 1t was that made the racket
Soldiers!
There they were, whole regiments Of them,
standing ON the edge of the field opposite,
just who're itslpped down to form the valley
Thad had sppk en about.
dc he'd lbeenswaked up too by this time. and
when he saw the troops over there blazing
away right for the spot almost where We were
croaching, he looked pretty well scared, can
tell you" kH
aWhat are they doing, Max" he asked
grabbing hold OF my jacket and squeezing
up closer TO me.
| 81 guess they're fighting" replied.
"Who are they fghtinc withr But just
then another bang, bang, banging over ouI
heads answered the question, and revealed tc
us the terrible tact that We were between two
! fires % H-tt
won't pretend TO say that l wasn't fright
ened, for was, and I'll put 1t TO any o,heI
fellow Of eleven IL he would not feel sort Of
1 trembly about the knees TO wake up from 9
nap and suddenly find himself between two
srmies firing away at one another for deal
II n, - Al. harx