Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-11-01

yelled as loud as anyone; what trleo
to say I never knew. nor could ever
find anyone who did. The speech
must have been a success, Judging
from the numerous bouquets OF rags
and paper that were shOwered upon
me, and the humidity of the atmos'
phere was assured by the passage
through the air of sponges well-illed
with water; being an American ball
player the first of these missiles that
came my way caught. This move
was a gigantic success, and was re-
ceived with uproarious applause.
NV fame as vocalist will always be
confined to the Atelier Andre, where,
on this occasion l warbled Little
Brown jug" so successfully that it was
Immediately translated into the vo-
cabulary OF the atelier, and sung at
frequent intervals during my stay with
great gusto.
Outside of this episode 1 had little or
no hazing attempted. In justice to
my French comrades, must say that
they are more considerate in this re-
spect to foreigners than they are to
their own countrymen.
Well do remember the unfortunate
nouvcau who was the next to enter the
atelier after myself. think his name
was Bastien-a short, btbad-shoul-
dered. and powerfully built young fell
low, about twenty years of age. He
showed fight from the commencement,
but was finally forced upon the plat
form, and the usual speech and song
were demanded. These were refused
point-blank, and he attempted to de-
scend from his lofty perch; he was
met by a shower of missiles of all
kinds and a deluge of blows from clubs
and canes; he was forced to retire to
the furthest corner of the platform,
where he sulked. The reserve powers
of the atelier were now brought into
play, in order to force this refractory
nOlUeau into submission. All books
and papers were removed from the
shelves of the bookcase on which he
was standing. the stools were turned
bottom upward and placed in the cluster
around it, rendering it impossible to
jump without receiving severe bodily
injuries. Tables were then moved up
to a convenient distance, on which
were stationed men with pals of water
and dippers, and, at a given signal.
the sulking Bastien was deluged with
cold water for five or ten minutes,
when another demand for a speech
was made; he still refused, the water
was again applied, and this was kept
up hour after hour, until late in the
evening, when, as both sides were
nearly exhausted, a compromise was
made, by which, after a short speech.
the drenched and chilled student was
permitted to 60 home, but was in
formed that he would be expected to
comply with all demands made upon
him thereafter, or he would fare still
worse.
Bastien did not appear at the school
for week or ten days after this, but
his absence only seemed to have
whetted the appetites of his torment
ors. No sooner did he appear, one
pleasant afternoon, when he was given
a note. reading something like: "Do
as you please with bearer, or send the
fool farther!'' and box, containing a
ninety-pound dumb-bell, which he was
told to carry to an adjoining atelier.
Under this room was a perfectly dark
cellar, whose only entrance was through
= trap-door. 1t was nearly filled with
old drawing boards, broken tables and
chairs and other refuse-the accumu-
lation of years. Into this dismal hole
it was decided that Bastien should take
the box. No sooner was his head be-
low the level of the floor than the door
was slammed down and securely fast
ened. In the midst of the wild hilarity
occasioned by this successful maneuver,
monsieur lie Patron" or the profess
sor, entered. In an instant silence
rcigned. Where minute before there
had been a perfect cyclone of merri-
ment, there now appeared a studiOus
calm. ludicrOus to behold.
One thing that particularly struck me
was the reverence-almost awe-with
which the French student regards the
Patron. The moment he appears every
hat is removed and every pipe and
cigarette is extinguished. Every man
speaks in whispers, walks on tip-toe,
and is a model of politeness and decor
UNI: this lasts just as long as the pro-
lessor remains-not an instant longer
for the moment he is out of sight the
racket breaks out again, and continues
with hardly an intermission until he
again appears.
Bastien, in his dismal hole, must
have instinctively known who was
present, for he uttered no Outcry, nor
in any way attempted to make it
known that he was confined beneath
the floor. The Patron evidently knew
that something unusual had happened,
for. in spite of all efforts at conceal