The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-11-19


paper writers say.
aOh, YOU never can calculate on countries
lover here" returned, as wiped the perspl'
ration from my forehead. III s'pose the En-
perors got mad with France again, and they're
gong TO kill of several thousand poor chaps,
who don't feel mad bit to fix matters. Those
are Germans over there can tell by the uni
forms, so Of course the French must be ON Our
side. Now" But at that instant the firing
began again worse than ever.
+ The smoke filled the little valley IN clouds,
so we couldn't see how many men fell ana
when il blew away, there was nobody lying on
the ground, so we concluded they must have
Iclesred the field of the killed and wounded
under its protection.
Sometimes In the pauses of the shooting we
could hear the captains and the generals shout
ing, and the drums beating, and see the flash.
ing bayonets, and the flags flying proudly.
perhaps they won't find us, after all SAID
Thad during one Of these peaceful lulls; and
indeed had begun to indulge myself IN the
same hope, when what should the Germans 90
but rush down the opposite bank, and prepare
to charge night for our tree
On they came, plunging over stones and
bitches. swords waving, bayonets flashing, fury
cleaning from their eyes.
Don't cry, Thad," whispered, when there
was only few feet left between us and the
advancing army. "Come, let's stand out IN
front of them, so they won't trample on us,
any way" and summoning all my courage, l
took my brother by the hand, and stepped out
from behind the tree, facing the whole battle
front 8-G
AS soon as the colonel or captain, whichever
1t was, caught sight of us, he shouted out at
the top of his voice; but of course neither
rhad nor ! understood word, although |
supposed he was calling on US to surrender.
| Thinking this much more comfortable way
of enulng matters than by being put to the
sword. screamed out, as bold as could
'If you please sir, we're Americans, and |
hope that you'll whip the Frenchmen all to
pieces"
| l didn't expect he'd understand all | said, Of
course, although was pretty certain OF Ameri.
cas- being nearly the same in German as in
English.
But what do you think the man did? He
said something to the soldiers; then turning to
me, he pointed to an opening IN the ranks he
had caused to be made Just IN front of us, and
at opce understanding what he meant, Thad
and ran for II, never stopping until we had
left the soldiers far behind us, when thought
it would be as we'll TO call halt, and consider
as TO the quickest way of getting back to the
hotel, for 1t was by this time long after the
lulUucT
However, we managed to find the road after
awhile, and then we made for the town as fast
as ever we could. OF course we got scold.
| ing for having staid out so late; but when the
story Of the exciting adventure we had passed
through was told, felt sure we'd both be look
ed upon with more respect.
Vel, father and mother listened breathless
| ly, and when had finished asked father If
be had heard anything about the invasion OF
the French army AT that he broke out into
the most frightful fit of laughter, and really
for minute thought that my account of the
danger Thad and had been in had made HIM
kind of hysterical Il always used to think it
ought to be herterlcal, as men don't often get
that way, until he caught his breath long
enough to say: "Oh, Max, Max! there wasn't
any French army there. The whole affair was
merely sham battle between two of the Ger
man regiments for practice, and the only rea
son you didn't get hit was because the guns
happened to be only loaded with POWDER
Ha.lpers Young People,