The Washington herald., 1912-09-29
STUDENTS LOSE ROUTE
ON HIGHWAY TO MUNICH
American Boys Touring Europe on Bicycles Are Sep
arated and Incident Is Followed by Con-
fusion for Three Days

The following is the eighth of q series
of letters from a crowd of American stu
dents who are touring Europe on bicy-
cles and who are paying their expenses
as they go:
Munich, Aug. II. =
At Triberg We determined on a change
of route. Our original intention had been
to strike directly east for Munich. but
as this would entail missing sight OF
Lake Constance We unanimously voted
TO take more southerly course.
We all had a hand in the preparation
OF the route, but took no notes to aid our
memories, relying altogether on the map
Of which Jack was the official CUSTODIAN.
We made a late start Sunday morning.
and after pushing our machines up TIE
mountainside along the Triberg water.
fall to the summit and the town OF
Schoenwald. felt entirely ready for some
lunch All the restaurants we saw, how
ever, We're either too sporty or too dirty.
SO we decided to hurry on TO Hesseloerg,
the next town on our route.
On the way Jack and / stopped to
take a picture Of two hunters carrying
n, deer, while Mac and George rode on.
The huntsmen. were very particular
about striking a correct pose, and when
they finally allowed the picture to be
taken made the unusual request Tor
prints Consequently considerable
length of time elapsed before we set out
after the others.
Five minutes hard riding brought us
to the crossroads. but Hesselberg was
mentioned on none of the sign posts
One sign read st. Georgen 4km- when
gen 1sKm." and the other "Voehrenbach
I7Kn." AS the latter town was on our
Route We concluded that this was the
road that the others had taken We
reached Voehrenbach shortly before
O'Clock, still hoping that George ana
Mac were ahead of us, but our inquiries
elected no information in regard to them.
IT'S. clear TO me-" Jack remarked at
last. with a humorous glance at the
gasping crowd around us, that II
George and Mac had passed through
here there'd be no scarcity of witnesses.
It's a ten to one shot that they took the
road to Villengen."
Another seance with the map oiscloseu
the fact that the road from Villengen 10
Iudwigshafen Joined with ours at
Geisengen, thirty-five kfometers turther
on.
Post Card Search.
',On to Geisengen" was our conciu-
sion. but before leaving VoerhenDach
we dropped a card to the lost ones
telling them our plans and addressing
it TO ''postlagern" Cor general delivery
Voerhenbach, in case they should De
following on our track. In addition 10
that we interested most Of the inhaoi-
tants in the afrair-no difficult job that
described George and Mac mfnuteiy.
explained that they wore clothes like
ours and had packs on their bicycles
like our own: In short, when we lett
the town there was a guard posted on
every corner, and we felt quite assured
that if George and Mac were to go
through Voerhenbach unchallenged
a 70 a 60 q
man bed hour. II is Jacks pet belief
that the inhabitants stayed up an hour
later than usual that night just to
watch.
We made the eighteen kilometers to
Donaneschingen in something less than
an hour and a quarter and caught 4
glimpse of the Danube. about teen feet
wide at this point, and hurried on to
Geisengen. arriving there shortly before
g. We were sure that the others had
not arrived before US. so we picked out
an inn on the highroad and kept a
faithful watch till dark, when We went
10 bed.
It was 9 o'clock when We awoke the
next morning and resumed our journey
ON the hfghroad; but as it had been
raining all night we felt certain that
the others had not passed. Jack, how
ever, became possessed OF the idea that
George and Mac might have arrived In
Geisengen the night before, after we
had retired: and so. breakfast over, We
went the round of the "gasthauses"
with repeated inquiries after two Ameri-
can cyclists resembling ourselves.
Our search was finally rewarded by
the news that two such individuals had
arrived the preceding night and taken
rooms at the "Gasthaus sum Schwar-
gen Adler"
Toward noon We left for Ludwigs-
hafen, after posting guards, and pass
ing through Engen CHANGED a few more
fruitless inquiries, which made US
doubly more certain that the others
were not ahead. Their inexplicable de-
lay was now beginning to alarm us. and
when Ludwigshafen was reached we de-
termined to enlist the aid of the local
authorities If no news arrived in the
morning.
Jack spent the next morning in post
ing the children of the town as guards
on all the roads leading into Ludwigs-
hafen, paying each sentry 10 pfennigs
in advance and the promise of % more
on the delivery of the goods. However,
this was of no avail either, and after
dinner we made our way to the village
'Rasthaus' and knocked on the village
burgermeister's door.
''Hinein," came the answer and We en-
tered.
The burgermeister conducted us to an
adjacent bakery and a long wait ensued
while the proprietor changed his white
apron for embroidered robes of Office
and his humble capacity of baker for
the exalted functions of wachtmeister.
CARRIED in state, he finally made an ap-
pearance and listened with judicial air
to the burgermeister's recital of our
troubles Then he fell into deep thought,
and we all waited in silence for the
pearls of wisdom which his lips were
forming to utter.
The best thing for you to do" he
finally began, while Jack and l drew
closer. and the burgermeister eyed his
colleague with civic pride, is to wait a
couple OF days and see If anything turns
up
Bursomeister Helps.
At this juncture our friend. the burger
neister, took what proved later to be a
heroic resolution and offered to tele-
phone. We accepted eagerly and follow
ed him to the little room which serves