Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-04-11
Strassburg Goose-Game

full Alsatians on the bank, and the knight
of the blue boat, pushed from his balance
by that neat touch upon his breast, throws
up his arms in a frantic effort to recover
himself, and tumbles ingIoriously back
ward into the warm black water
In couple Of seconds he comes uE
spluttering, and when YOU see the style
in which he shakes the water out of his
eyes, swims around for his lance and
climbs laughingly to his platform again
you will understand why people say that
the Alsatians are born web-footed, and
why they call their favorite game the
'goose-game."
Crack. goes the pistol again; and
another pair of boats speed forward
That little fellow in a red shirt seems not
more than half the size of his jaunty
antagonist, but what a pose he has, as he
settles himself upon his narrow, slippery
standing place!
The wind blows his black hair down
over his eyes, and he has barely time tc
dash it back with his right hand before
the other boat is upon him But he
succeeds, and = hallo That was pretty
He caught the tip of his opponents lance
on the tip of his own, seemed to stiffen his
left arm an instant, and the other fellow
went over like ten-pin; while the crowd
rOared with laughter, shouted all sorts OF
congratulations in mongrel French and
StraSsburg German, and Chaffed the dis
comfted combatant SO thoroughly when
he came to the surface again that he looked
as if he would have preferred to stay on
in the Ill bottom for the rest of his days
The twilight comes slowly in StraSSburg
but when the time for the final contest
arrives, and the tall fellow in white and the
stocky youth with the red shirt are tc
close the evenings struggles, it is almost
too late to see clearly. 1t seems that they
represent rival clubs. Their friends
crowd to the waters edge to give advice
making such tumult that the starting
pistol can hardly be heard.
Each man has had three victorious
courses, though the little fellow has been
forced to drop his lance once to save him
self from falling. He grips it very hard
now, crouching lower and lower as the
oars come rafting into the boat
The tall knight of the red boat is Just
upon him, standing very straight, and
relying on his quickness of wrist more than
his sureness Of footing The lance tips
glide together - touch. There is a cry
of disappointment from the shore as the
little man straightens up; he has missed
his cunning thrust upon the tip, for his
foe was TOO quick for him. Up go his
elbows, 1T the other lance seems to Irvine
around his own,- he tries to dodge but
is too late; the unerring lance-tip catches
him under the arm, and he splashe:
heels over head into the I'll with a back
somersault.
His slender opponent stands VIGOROUSLY
erect a moment, but that last thrust ha.
shaken his footing His lance wave.
wildly, but he fails to recover; it drops
from his hand, he Sways over and then
folding his arms, goes down with dignity
like Julius Cesar.
A chorus of shouts rises from boil
factions on the shore, and it is redoubec
when each Of the late combatants pick:
up the others lance and they race side by
side to the landing.
1t is already dusk upon the river. The
warm flush across the tall white house:
along the Fischerstaden has Crept steadily
higher while you were watching the goose
game, and now it IS quite gone, though
the Minister spire is still aglow, its air.
lines grown fraiI against the sky, as if tn,
stone were honeycombed with light.
The Yellow Peril
Gobang-Do you think there is an,
real danger in the yellow peril?