The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-11-21
to shake hands with him than to fight

| Nblls Ollt DlltHlul ~ " lilulCi lOI llull II
dozen Russians, eh Well, can see that
he's their match at Dragging, anyhowp
The Russians chuckled at this unex-
pected hit, and one Of them laughed out
right. Kratsch's face flushed purple
with rage, and for a moment he seemed
just about to fly at the speakers throat.
But there was something in the strangers
bearing, and in the calm, steadfast glance
of his keen black eye, which cowed even
the fierce soldier, who drew back with n
sullen growl.
"Well," " said Greencoat, quietly, "we
Russians have saying that corn doesn't
grow by talking. If you are a match, as
you say, for any half dozen of us, let us
see what you can do"
"Can you throw that stone farther
than ! canW asked the Silesian, pointing
to heavy stone at his feet.
81 can better answer that when have
seen you throw it, replied Greencoat, as
coolly as ever.
Michael Kratsch threw off his coat,
and barring an arm as thick as an ordinary
mans knee, hurled the stone seven good
yards away.
The Unknown threw, in his turn, so
carelessly that he seemed hardly to exert
| himself at all, yet the stone fell more
than foot beyond Kratsch's mark.
The Russians raised shout of triumph,
and Michael's face grew black as mid
night.
"Are you as nimble with your feet as
with your hands ?" growled he, through
his set teeth.
"Try," answered Greencoat, simply
Kratsch pointed to a broad ditch a
little behind them, and taking short
run shot through the air like an arrow.
The ditch was fully fifteen feet wide from
bank to bank, yet he alighted several
inches beyond it.
Pretty fair" said the Unknown,
smiling "but l think can match it.
And so he did, for his leap overpassed
Kratsch's by six inches at least. At the
sight of the heavy Russian faces grinning
from ear to ear over his discontinue the
Silesian's eyes flashed fire.
"You haven't done with me yet, - he
roared, "smart though you think your
self. Dare you wrestle q fall with
me2"
Without a word the stranger threw of
his coat and stepped forward.
see the two giants strain their mighty
limbs and seize each other with their
iron arms, both faces growing suddenly
hard and stern as they grappled. Every
man among the lookers-on held his
breath as that great struggle began.
Thrice did the Silesian make ire
mendous effort to throw his enemy with
a strength that seemed able tear up an oak
by the roots. But the Russian, though
shaken, stubbornly kept his feet, until
Kratsch paused, breathless and utterly
spent.
Then the watching eyes all round saw
the strangers arms tighten suddenly, and
Big Michael's huge broad back bend
| slowly in. Furiously he struggled against
the overmastering clutch, but he had no
more chance than an OK in the coils of q
boa. At last the Unknown lifted him
fairly off his feet, and hurled him back
ward with such force that he fell with
dull crash against large stone behind
him, and lay stunned and motionless.
just then was heard a cry of ''There
he is! there he is!' and several richly
dressed men, running up to the spot,
bowed reverently to the green-coated
soldier
1--WE have been looking for your
majesty" said one of them, "to give
you these dispatches which courier has
just brought from Moscow"
At the word majesty" the Russian
recruits all fell on their knees, consider
ably startled to find that this shabby
coated private was no other than the
czar himself, Peter the Great of Russia.
"Up with you, ladsm cried Peter;
"kneel to no one but God. You are
Russian soldiers, and I'm your general;
that's all. ."
Then he turned to Kratsch, who lay
groaning on the ground, with his left
arm broken.
"Pll forgive thee this time, fellow"
said the czar; "but if ever l catch thee
ill-treating a child again, look out! As
for these soldiers of mine at whom you
laugh, within five years they shall be the
wonder of all Europe"
And so they were.-Daoid Ker, in
Young People.