Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-24

S AAAO VI ~
thing finer" And that suflced them FL,
comprehending and esteeming each other.
Toward the end of an autumn dav. when
Sne SKY all e~nsanguined by sunset, would be
Ringing upon the water shapes of scarlet
cloud, would be purpling the whole river,
setting fire to the heavens, reddening the
faces OF the two friends and gliding the al
ready faded foliage as it trembled with the
first shivers of winter-then M. Morisso,
would look at M. Savage with a smile and
say: "What a sightl" And M. Savage. de.
lighted, would answer, without taking hi.
eyes off his float: "This is better than the
boulevard, chi"
The moment they recognized each other
they shook hands theoretically, quite affected
to find themselves together under such q
changed condition of affairs. M. Savage
murmured with a sigh:
"Here's a nice state of things!" Morissot,
very gloomy, groaned cut: "And such
weather.! to-day is the first fine day of the
year."
The sky was, in fact, quite blue, and full Of
light.
They began to walk along, side by side,
sad and dreamy. Morissot spoke again:
"And the fishing, eh?-what a fine time w
had them"
M. Savage asked:
"When shall we ever have such another?"
They entered a little cafe and took an
absinthe together; they then went out to
walk about the boulevards again.
Morissot suddenly stopped: "Let's take an
other-eh?" M. Savage consented. "Just
as you like" And they went into another
drinking resort. .
They felt quite dizzy when they came out,
and trembled, as people do who lave swal.
lowed plenty of alcohol upon an empty
stomach. It was pleasant outside. A mild
breeze caressed their faces.
M. Salvage, made quite tipsy by the warm
air, stopped and said:
Suppose we 60, anyhoww
"Go where?"
"Why, to fish, of course"
"But where's"
"Why, to our old place-the island. The
French outposts are at Colonies. I know
Col. Dumoulin, he'll pass us through all
right"
Morissot trembled with desire. "Good"
he cried; "Ill go!" And they went off to
get their fishing tackle.
An hour later they were walking along
the high road side by side. Then they reached
the villa where the colonel was. He smiled
at their whim, and gave his consent at once.
They walked on. provided with a written
permit.
In a short time they passed beyond the
outposts, traversed deserted Colonies, and
found themselves at the edge of the little
VINEYARDS which slope down to the Seine. 1t
was about II o'clock.
The village of Argenteuil in front of them
seemed dead. The heights OF Orgemont and
Sannois dominated the landscape. The
great plain which reaches to Nanterre was
empty-perfectly bare with its naked
cherry trees and gray fields.
NJ. Savage, pointing to the heights, said;
1.-THE Prussians are there!" And a sense OF
uneasiness almost paralyzed the W friends
as they gazed upon the deserted country.
"The Prussians!" They had never seer
them; but they felt them there, as they bad
felt their presence for two long months
around Paris running France, pillaging,
massacring, starving out the p~eople-invisi.
BILE and omnipotent enemies. And a sort OF
s,,perstitious terror blended itself with Their
hatred of those unknown and victorious peo'
pie.
Morissot stammered: "Say! suppose-sup.
nose we'd meet some of them"
M. Savage replied, with that peculiar
Partisan gouaillerie, that spirit of Jest which
will crop out under any possible circum'
stances: "Why, we'd just offer them some
nice broiled fish"
Nevertheless, they hesitated to 60 further
on, feeling intimidated by the silence OF tle
whole horizon. .
At last NJ. Savage decided: "Come, lei
us 90 on, but prudently." And they De
scended a vineyard slope, bending down
crouching on all tours, taking advantage Of
every lush to screen themselves as they I'd
vanced, straining their ears, n looking
~anxiously around.
A narrow strip of bare land remained K
cross in order to reach the river bank
Thew started at a run, and as o as they
pot to the shore they crouched down among
the reeds. :,
Morissot put his ear to the ground II
order to find out if somebody was not walk
ing about in the neighborhood. he couie
not hear ANYTHING. They were all alone
quite by themselves.
They took courage and began to fish.
In front of them Pile Marante, now de
so,ted concealed them from ~observatloI
from the further bank. The little restaurant
NO. closod-looked as If it had been closet
for years and years. n
NJ Sanyage caught the first gudgeon; M
Mor;ssot the second; and then, moment o1
moment. they kept on lifting their lines
a.oh time with some little silver creature
o,,;yor;no at the end of them-a really maj
velous catch. .s
They carefully dropped the fish into q fsn
ipS bag of strong close network, wnlcn "a.
in the shallow water at their 1eet. Anu
delicious joy penetrated them-s!cna 70!
as YOU feel on once more obtaining som
loved Measure of which you had been ION
Tha kind sun poured down his warm1
h.t,veen their shoulders; they ceased to hea
anvtbing: they thought of nothing more
thew ignored the rest Of the world; tne
R n suddenly a deep sound that seemed t
rise out of the ground made everytnln
| shake. The cannon were at WORK again.
Mor;ssot turned his head, and above To
s,ona he saw, high on the right, the grea
s;1ho,,otte of Mont Valerien, bearing on II
brow a white plume, a putt OF po"oe
smoke. .,o+bor iii
"What idiots to be killing one ano'No' -
that!" said M. Morissot:
NJ. Savage answered:
"Worse than brutes." o..,a
And Morissot, who had just hooked
vh;tehait. exclaimed: "Just to think IL WI
s,wovs be like that as long as there are go
NJ Savage interrupted him:
aThe republic would not have oe''A@
N Morissot interrupted in ms our
aT;tb kings there is foreign war; WIFI
And very calmly. they proceeded 10 ~
c,ss %nolitics, unraveling great Ploo ~
cdss tbe healthy reasoning of gentle al
v,o;n,v educated men, both agreeing on o.
pn;nt that humanity would never Dc IRE
, ID Mont Valerien Numbered OF witnous ",
,aause' demolishing French houses with s0l