The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-07-27
OLD ROTTW|Tz.
From the German of Richard Rathans,

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No, sir, you mustn't think the shooting
has always been 50 lively here. We do
have bit OF sport. now that the young
masters IN possession, but in the old
masters time 1t was very different !
mean him no disrespect, sir. He was q
good man, was the old master, God bless
him! But he was no huntsman- He was
too good, too soft hearted. He couldn't
bear to see q beast die, just as il we
don't all have to 60 sooner or later. Well.
here's my regards, sir! And yet, do you
know, he really was q sportsman at
heart. 1t was in the blood, you see.
Even the game protection society that he
belonged to couldn't take it all out Of him.
So he had his sport. but he took it in q
funny way.
For instance, he would 60 out ON our
little lake here and fish all day. No,
there isn't any fishing to speak of, but
still one can get bite now and then.
Well the master would take his boat
and rod and line like anybody else, but
never a hook. He would put q piece Of
bread on the end Of the line, drop 1t
over and wait until he felt nibble.
"There's a fine fellow" he would say,
and then he'd pull up the line and put 4
fresh piece Of bread on it.
So he simply fed the fish and called It
angling.
But the hunting-that was worse yet.
1t was so queer in fact that Pm afraid
you'll hardly believe me.
Hans" he would say, well see IL we
can't knock over n stag today" So I'd
get my gun and take my seat beside him
in the little hunting cart. He never took
a gun, but he always had with him q big
old fashioned walking stick. with hand
somely carved ivory handle. 1t hangs up
in the blue room now over the fireplace.
No doubt you've noticed it.. sir. The deer
weren't so wild in those days as now,
and we saw plenty of them They knew
they were safe, the cunning creatures.
There's a fine stag, Herr Baron" I'd
warn him.
used to be mad clear through because
I couldn't take q shot myself. The stag
would generally stand staring at us AZ
tame as a COW. The old man'd pick up
his stick, press the handle tight to his
shoulder, take q long, careful aim and
then Puff" he'd say.
Then he'd turn to me and say
Hes done for. took him right be-
tween the eyes. Now we will 90 home.
One IS enough To-Day.
Yes, said you wouldn't believe 1t. but
it's fact all the same. And he kept up
this nonsense year In and year out.
He thought it a sin to kill Gods crea-
lures, but the old Adam In him had to
have some vent. Once this hunting farce
had an ending that he didn't like a bit.
The deuce! But she was a pretty girl, and
have to laugh even yet whenever !
fh,pl- nP ho cha rs,n;chad hn old
man for his sentimental folly.
But. by you leave. sir. before tell the
story Katie must fetch me another half
liter. A man must keep his strength up.
eh. sir?
There was one particular sort of game.
sir, that the old master was fonder Of
stalking than any Other-I mean the kind
that wears petticoats.
He fed them just as he did the fish,
only it cost more. But he WIS rich. and
it was nobody's business anyway, for he
had been widower for years. And he
wanted this sort not only to rise to the
bait, but to swallow the hook and be
caught. They did it all right, too. for he
was a very handsome man in spite of his
years, and liberal-yes, too liberal by
half. For fish when they are once caught
need no more bait. But with women the
troubles only just beginning when you
think you've got them.
However, that's neither here nor there,
for the little one I'm speaking Of would
not be caught ut all. She had black hair
and big black eyes and a long neck-l
don't mean foot long. you know. but
what people call Swanlike neck; some
thing like a Spaniard. I should say. ]
never saw a real Spanish woman. but /
always imagined them looking like that
In one word, she was q beauty, and no
mistake.
Who she was or what she was
couldn't find out exactly. but I rather
think she was a singer. She was sing
ing all the time, and after heard her I
never cared to hear any one else sing.
not even in church. God forgive me. One
day the baron called me up and said that
we were going to have some visitors
two ladies'. who desired to see the woods
and the deer. He was quite worked up
over II and ordered n big dinner. with
everything Of the best-and nothing SEEM
ed good enough. / remember-and cham
payne enough to float ship.
He ordered the big carriage for 5
o'clock.
III. kWU kdulee, thiuAs " NY
self. 1T can't be the old Feltzien and
her dauyhter:in-law. They wouldn't get
the old man so ratified. Besides, they
know all about the woods and see deer
every day. (The Feltzien estate is only
q few miles from Rottwitz.) Then who
the deuce can it beT As was thinking
about it 1 saw the baron get into the car
rage and heard him tell the coachman to
drive to the railway station.
$780," thought; 1.-TWO ladies from Ber-
lin" For the baron himself had return
ed from Berlin only two days before.
When the carriage came back and saw
the beautiful Spanish lady and the lover
| like way the master looked and acted,
knew at once what was in the wind.
II 1t would come to a marriage, l
couldn't be sure, for the old lady, whom
the little one called mamma" didn't
seem like q baron's mother-in-law exact
ly. She didn't hold her head high
enough, you know; there wasn't enough
Of that sort of "look-at-me-I' m-the-whole-
show" air about her. On the contrary,
she acted rs IL she thought she ought to
apologize for being here at all.
But suppose there are plenty Of tame
| things like that, only they're not common
around here, and wasn't used to them.
soon heard from old auntie-that was
the old maid. Bieseke. who kept the vii
lage inn. but everybody called her auntie
| that her best rooms had been engaged
Il L.