Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-06-26

Prussians, and this time think We'll
take that id BOurget away from
them"
There was a burst Of applause, and
the men began to dance and sing, while
some Of them polished up their bayO-
nets. Taking advantage Of this comics
sion, the children escaped
Beyond the trench they struck the
plain, at the end doomed up a long white
wall, broken by loopholes. They made
straight foe the wall, stopping at every
step to look, as though they were pick
ing up potatoes.
t.Let MS go home-dOn't let us 60 on,
young Stenne kept saying. The other
merely shrugged his shoulders 0nd 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
fours. On a level with the ground, and
Just before the wall, a yellow mustache
appeared under a 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
earthen 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
stew over a large fire. 1t smelb SO good
| Of cabbage and lardi what a difference
between that and the sharpshOoters'
camp! Up stairs the officers were play
ing the piano aud 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 a 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 a 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
something of reprOach in his look, as
though he were thinking Of his own son,
! Just about Stenne's age, and were saying
/ to himself:
81 had rather die than have my boy
do such thing D."
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-
! erything 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 a 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: II 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 herer'
And they began to talk among them
selves very quickly in German. The
bigger boy stalked out proud as a 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 a sad tone
of voice; "a pact top: pact jOb
this;' and it brought the tears to his
eyes.
Once out in the plain the boy began tC
run quickly toward home. Their bag
was full Of potatoes, which the Prussianl
had given them, aud SO they passed the
sharpshOOters trench. Here they were
getting ready for night attack. Troops
kept cOmming in silently and forming
behind the walls. The old sergeant was
there looking happy and busily placing
his men. He noticed the children al
they passed, and smiled at them kindly
How that smile hurt young Stenne. Ht
was on the point Of calling out to them
"DOn't go there; we have betrayed
you"
But his companion had warned him
IF you peach, we shall be shot," and 81
fear kept him from saying anything.
At COuneuve they entered AN aban
dOned house to divide up the money. anC
truth Obliges me to own that the division
was fair one, and that when young
Stenne heard the crowns jngling in hil
pockets, and thought of the many
games of "galoche' he should beable t.
play his crime no longer seemed such {
horrible one.
As soon as he was alone, however, he
began to sBffer misery; the big fellow
had left him as soon as they had passed
the gate, and then the crowns in his
pocket began to grow heavier and heavier
and the hand that was clutching his hear
frightened its grasp. Paris seemed chang
ed; the people IN the streets looked a
him disapprOvingly, as If they knew
where he had been, and he kept hearing
the word 'spy' in the noise Of the wheels
and in the rolling of the drUvus the boyl
were practicing on along the canal en-
, banknent. He reached home at last, anC
went to his room at once, thankful tina
! his father had not come home vet: tn,