The Winslow mail., 1900-10-11

TT ERMAN HATELL was Swiss boy
whose father held a humble but
important position in the service OF
the republic. He was stationed in {
small hut among the mountains that
form a part of the boundary line be-
tween France and Switzerland, and il
was his duty to look out for SNUG
glers, who were practicing all sorts OF
tricks to get their goods across the
frontier.
For some time a great deal of fine
French lace had been entering Swift
zerland without duty, and the frontier
guards, one and all, had received
strict orders to watch for the lace
smugglers.
Sergt. Hatell and his boy occupied
what had come to be called the ''lace
trail" on account of the large amount
of the contraband article which had
succeeded in crossing the frontier at
that point.
1t was a lonely enough place to
live, and the Hatells were in constant
danger, for the smugglers had threat
ened them with mysterious letters
But this did not dampen the old SER
geant's ardor, nor keep Herman one
whit less on the alert
At odd intervals little old French
man, a veteran of Napoleon's wars,
and as shrewd as a Frenchman can
be, would drop in upon the Hatells
and pass several hours in their COM
pany.
Nearly every time he was accom-
panied by large yellow dog of the
St. Bernard species. The animal had
a thick coat of hair, and when he
stood on his hind feet he was a head
taller than his master.
Whenever these two friends called
at the mountain hut, the boy Herman
was sure of some excellent stories
about the retreat from Moscow or the
battle of Waterloo. During the re-
cital, Bruno, the dog, would lie quiet
ly at his masters feet, watching him
with a shrewd eye, and ready to
spring up and vanish at the lifting of
finger.
IN. Moscow" as Herman had nick
named their visitor, professed to be
the French agent of Swiss watch
factory. For once. at least, he told
the truth; but the officials thought
that he was also engaged in SNUG
Cling articles across the boundary
The orders: "Watch NJ. Moscow and
his dog" had been anticipated by the
sergeant, but, be as shrewd as he
could, he utterly failed TO detect any
thing wrong with either.
II don't see why we are to watch
the dog" said Herman to his father
one day when they had been talking
about the pair. Bruno is friendly
enough with me, and I have fondled
him so often that | don't think he
could carry any diamonds among his
hair"
eve are to look out for the laces
my boy" was the reply.
"How could a dog carry such over
the frontier?'
Sergt. Hatell smiled and answered
that somehow or other the laces con.
tinued to cross, and he intimated that
unless he discovered tie smugglers
soon. he would lose his place.
1t happened that one night the old
guardsman was called away, and Her
man was left on duty. 1t had not been
the first time, and when darkness
closed in around the rough landscape
he took his gun and went down into
the pass.
Hardly had he reached his favorite
sentry station ere the wind rose, and
for the next half-hour the boy guard
listened to the roaring of a terrible
mountain storm. He got the best
shelter he could find, and while he
held his post, he thought more than
once of M. Moscow and his cam
paigns.
''If Bruno were here. we could have
a good time" said Herman to him
self. Il would like to know why the
custom house people want us to watch
the big yellow dog. His master may
be a hard old nut to crack. but Bru-
no is SO jolly, that I can't think of
him being a smuggler."
Then Herman thought of the singu-
lar reports he had heard about the
dog during the past few weeks.
Some of the mountain guards said
that they had caught glimpses of a
large dog crossing the frontier alone,
and they all agreed that it looked like
Bruno, M. Moscow's" companion.
No one had seen a man with the ami
NAL on any of these occasions, and
few had seen him long enough to say
that he was really Bruno.
All at once Herman Hatell was
touched softly by something, and the
next moment he felt two large paws
on his shoulders!
In an instant he dropped his gun
and was calling Bruno, Bruno!" in re-
sp@cse TO the caresses of huge dog,