Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-09-07
CHAPTER IX.-tContinued.)

vented from becoming serious. L prythee
take the rush-bOttomed chair, and do
van. lack. order the wine. If our com
rade hath spilled the last it is for us to
furnish this. and the best the cellars con-
tain. We have been having a hand at
basset which Mr.. Saxon here playeth as
skillfully as he wields the small-Sword.
II CHANGED that the luck ran against
voung Horsford which doubtless made
him prone to be quick in taking offense.
Your friend, in conversation, when dis
eoursing of his experiences in foreign
countries remarked that the French
household troops We're to his mind
brought to higher state of discipline
than any of our own regiments, on which
Horsford fired up, and, after a hot word
ar two, they found themselves. as YOU
have sene at drawn bilbo. The boy
hath seen no service, and is therefore
over-eager to give proof OF his valor.''
Wherein said the tail officer. 'he
showed Il want of thought toward me-
for had the words been offensive it was
for me- who am Il senior captain and
hrevet-majOr, to take it up, and not for a
slip Of cornet. who scarce knows
enough to put his troop through the ex-
crciSe.'
You say right, Ogilvy," said the 9TH
er, resuming his seat by the table and
wiping the cards which had been
spiashed by the wine. Had the com
parison been made by an officer of Louis
guard for the purpose of cOntumely and
braggadocio, it would then, indeed, have
become us to venture a paSsadO. But
when spoken by an Englishman of ripe
experience il becomes a matter of in
Structive criticism, which should profit
rather than annoy"
True. Ambrose" the other answered.
without such criticism a force would
become stagnant. and could never hope
to keep level with those continental ar
mics which are ever striving among
themselves for increased efficacy"
So pleased was | at these sensible re-
marks on the part of the strangers that
l was right glad to have the opportunity
of making their closer acquaintance over
a flask of excellent wine. My fathers
prejudices had led me to believe that a
kings officer was ever a compound of
the coxcomb and the bully, but | found
on testing it that this idea. like most 9TH
erS which a man takes upon trust. had
very little foundation upon truth. As a
matter of fact, had they been dressed in
less warlike garb and deprived Of their
swords and jack-boots. they would have
passed as particularly mild-mannered
men. for their conversation ran in the
learned channels. and they discussed
BOyleS researches in chemistry and the
p0ndcratiOn of air with much gravity
and show of knowledge. At the same
time. their brisk bearing and manly car
riage showed that in cultivating the
scholar they had not sacrificed the sol
der.
May | ask. sir" said one of them.
addressing Saxon, whether in your wide
experience you have ever met with any
of those sages and philosophers who have
fs111 tTh hnrnp nj fnt,,
France and Germany
My companion looked i'll at ease, as ono
who feels that he has been taken off
his ground. There was. indeed. one
such at Nurnberg," he answered. zone
Gervinus. or Gervanus. who. the folk
said, could turn an ingot of iron into
an ingot of gold as easily as | turn this
tobacco into ashes. Old Pappenheimer
shut him up with n ton of metal. and
threatened to put the thumbikins upon
him unless he changed it into gold pieces.
| can vOuch for it that there was not Il
yellow boy there. for | was captain Of
the guard and searched the whole dun
geOn through. TO my sorrow | say it,
for | had myself added a small iron bra
Zier to the heap. thinking that. if there
should he any such change, it would be
as well that I should have some small
share in the experiment"
Alchemy. tranSmutatiOn of metals.
and the like have been set aside by true
science" remarked the taller officer.
Even old st. Thomas Browne of Nor
witch. who is ever ready to plead the
cause of the ancents, can find nothing to
say in favor of it. From Trismegistus
downwardS through AlbertuS MagnuS,
Aquinas, Raymond Lullius. Basil Nalen-
tine, ParacelSus and the rest, there is
not one who had left more than Il clo::d
Of words behind him."
Nor did the rogue | mention" said
Saxon. There was another. Van Hell
staff, who was a man of learning, and
east horoscopes in consideration of some
small fee or honOrarium. | have never
met so wise Il man, for he would talk
Of the planets and consultations a.
though he kept them all in his own back
yard He made no more of Il comet
than if it were Il moldy China orange,
and he explained their nature to us. say
ing that they were but common stars
which had had Il hole knocked in them.
50 that their insiles or viscera protruded.
lie was indeed philosopher"
And did you ever put his skill to the
tcst?' asked one of the officers with a
smile
Not |, forsooth. for | have ever kept
myself clear Of black magic or diablerie
If the sort. My comrade. Pierce Scot
ton. who was an Obcrst in the imperial
cavalry brigade. did pay him a rose no.
hle to have his future exDoundod. If
remember Alright the stars said that he
was over-fond Of wine and women-hc
mad wicked eye and a nose like car
huncIe. They foretold. also. that he
would attain marShal's baton and die
at ripe age which might well have
come true had he not been endorsed Il
month later at Ober- Graustock and slain
~ the hoofs of his own troop. Neither
me planets nor even the experienced far
t.er Of the regiment could have told that
ne brute would have foundercd so COM
The officers laughed heartily at my
'gmnanion's views. and rose from their
'AalrS, for the bottle was empty and the
33Venng beginning to draw in. We
nave work to do here said the
one addressed as Ogilvy. Besides.
we must find this foolish boy Of ours and
zen Nun that il is no disgrace to he dis
armed by so expert a swordsman. We
ma to prepare the quarters for the regi-
eetht who will be up to join Churchill's
I,Fc"S not later than tonight. Ye are
ourselves bound for the West, | under
We belong to the Duke " Beaufort :
"VISshold, said Saxon.
y indeed. | thought We might belong to