Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-06-19
wrinkles he looked somewhat like Father

wrinkles he looked somewhat like Father
Stenne.
"Come, come, boys, don't stand there
crying" he said to the children; '.they'Il
let you through after your potatoes; but
just come in here and get warm. That
youngster looks frozen"
Alas! Young Stenne was trembling
all over, not with cold, but with shame
and fear. Inside they found few SOL
diers couched around dying fre-a real
widows fire, as they say-in the flame
of which they were trying to thaw some
biscuits on the point end of their bayo-
nets. They moved up close to make
room for the children, and gave them a
little coffee and a drop of brandy.
While they were drinking an officer
called out to the sergeant from the door,
said few words to him and hurried off.
The sergeant returned in high glee.
"Boysv' he said, "grog all round to-
night; we have got the password of the
Prussians, and this time I think We'll
take that id Bourget away from
them"
There was burst of applause, and
the men began to dance and sing, while
some of them polished up their bayo-
nets. Taking advantage of this confes-
sion, the children escaped.
Beyond the trench they struck the
plain, at the end doomed up long white
wall, broken by loopholes. They made
straight for the wall, stopping at every
step to look, as though they were pick
ing up potatoes.
'Let lis go home-don't let us go OF"
young Stenne kept saying. The other
merely shrugged his shoulders and kept
on advancing. Suddenly they heard the
clicking of a gun being cooked.
''Lie DOWN. cried the elder, throwing
himself on the ground.
As he lay there he whistled-and an
other whistle answered over the snow.
They advanced, slowly creeping on all
tours. On level with the ground, and
just before the wall, yellow mustache
appeared under greasy cap. The big
boy jumped into the ditch by the side Of
the Prussian.
''That is my brother" he said, point
ing to his companion.
The boy Stenne was so small that the
Prussian began to laugh as he looked
at him, and seized him in his arms to
lift him up to the break in the wall, on
the other side of which rose heavy
ear+hen entertainments, cut tree trunks,
and black holes in the snow, in each of
which you just saw the same greasy cap
and the same yellow mustache that
laughed as the boys passed.
In the corner stood the gardeners
house with tree trunks for easements
The lower floor was full of soldiers play
ing cards, while some were cooking a
stew over large fire. 1t smelt SO good
of cabbage and lard; what difference
between that and the sharpshooters'
camp! Up stairs the officers were play
ing the piano and uncorking champagne,
and gave a joyful cheer as the boys en-
tered. They gave them their papers and
men began to give them wine and to
make them talk. Most of the officers
looked like proud fierce men, but the big
fellows slang and his caddish, monkey
ish manners seemed to amuse them
vastly. They laughingly repeated the
words after him, taking curious delight
in wallowing in the mud which he
brought them from Paris.
Young Stenne would have liked to said
something, too, SO as to show them that
he was no fool either; but something en-
barrassed him. A little to one side, and
facing him, sat Prussian older than the
rest, and more serious looking. He was
reading, or pretended to read, for he
never took his eyes off the boy, and
there was something Of tenderness and
of reproach in his look, as
though he were thinking of his own son,
just about Stenne's age, an l we're saying
to himself:
II had rather die than have my boy
do such thing"
And young Stenne felt as though a
hand was placed upon his heart and
kept it from beating. To forget this
feeling he began to drink, until soon ev-
around him was turning around.
He could hear indistinctly how his COM
rade was laughing at the national guard
and at their awkward drill, much to the
amusement of the listeners, or how he
initiated false alarm, the turning out
at night and the rush for the ramparts.
After awhile the big fellow lowered his
voice, and the faces of the officers grew
more serious as they drew nearer. The
wretch was warning them against the at
tack of the sharp shooters. This time
young Stenne could not stand it, and
suddenly sobered he cried out: ~ won't
have that, now; none of that"
But the big fellow only laughed and
went on; before he was through all the
officers had drawn around him. One of
them, pointing to the door, said to the
boys:
Get out of herey'
And they began to talk among them
selves very quickly in German. The
bigger boy stalked out proud as king,
and ratified his money. Stenne passed,
hanging his head, and as he passed the
Prussian whose gaze had embarrassed
him SO, he heard him say in sad tone
of voice; "a pact top: pact tob,
this. and it brought the tears to his
eyes.
Once out in the plain the boy began to
run quickly toward home. Their bag
was full of potatoes, which the Prussians
had given them, aud SO they passed the
sharpshooters trench. Here they were