The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-22

party of nine American boys who are
touring Europe on bicycles, making ex-
penses as they go by writing OF their trip.
Future stories by these boys will be a
feature Of this newspaper.
Gasthaus, Eur Some.
Appenweier, Baden,
Sept. looming into Strassburg, George
met with his second accident. He was
riding a little footpath at the right side
at the road ahead and at the spire of
the still distant cathedral, when a sol
der came into view, riding rapidly along
the same path.
Georges attention was soon drawn by
the Germans brightly flashing helmet.
but, thinking that the other would pres
entity turn out, resumed his interested
examination of the cathedral spire A
few minutes passed, and George looked
up to find the German almost upon him.
The speed of both had been steadily
increasing, and to us the affair presented
the appearance of a medieval tourna-
ment.
They swerved to the other side of the
road at the same moment and met in the
ditch with a tremendous crash. By a
miracle the German retained his seat
but George was completely endorsed and
plunged headlong into the muddy bottom.
Climbing out covered with mud from
the German the benefit of his ideas.
Unfortunately, the worst insult that
Georges German admitted of-and. in
deed. the only one-was GUNNER esal,
or stupid ass, so that his TRADE was re-
markable neither for quantity nor quail
ity. Yet such as 1t was, 1t was unmis-
taxable. and the German felt instinc-
lively that it was directed against him.
"Wie?" he asked, in evident bewilder-
ment when George had told him for the
twentieth time that he was a stupid ass.
VIE? Ich bin Elm hummer esaL"
'Ja!" roared George, fercely. ''Du bist
Elm drummer esaL''
Whereupon the soldier, without expos
tulation or denial OF any sort, contentedly
resumed the footpath and proceeded on
his way with shrug of his shoulders,
that plainly said. Il never heard II be-
fore, but l suppose that you must be
right
The collision had, however been too
much for Georges made-over machine,
and as he was not likely to find a COM
petent repair shop before reaching
Strassburg. he took his wheel to that
city by rail and rejoined US at the main
post-office three-quarters of an hour
later.
Go to Appenweier.
A brief ramble about town soon salts
fed us with sightseeing, the supreme
for more mediocre wonders They had
told George al the repair shop that il
would take several days TO repair his
wheel, and after a prolonged debate we
decided 10 spend the intervening time at
APpenweier a little hamlet about half
way between Strassburg and the Black
Forest.
We found our stay at Appenweier a
pleasant little respite after our continu-
Gus ride from Brussels. Our host seemed
TO be the village magnate, and as he
owns the only steam thrasher in the
neighborhood. the farmers for several
miles around bring their grain to be
thrashed on his machine.
Triberg. Black Forest
Sept. 5.-Meal time at Appenweier was
always a good deal of an occasion. Our
hostess. a buNom little woman. invari-
ably provided us with rations for an
army, and while were Vainly try
ing to do them justice she would sit
near by and watch our efforts with
beaming interest and an occasional word
of encouragement.
A rather picturesque habitue of the
inn was a retired. middle-aged soldier.
who had admittedly played no small part
In the Boer war, the Boxer rebellion,
and divers other affairs of lesser impor-
tance. He was also. by his own admis-
sions. an accomplished linguist, for not
only had his military life called him to
China and South Africa. but he had be-
sides made several voyages on a Dutch
trading ship. visiting England. Mexico.
and a few points on the Indian Ocean.
In this conn ection. he gave one piece Of
news that startled considerably
namely. that he could speak English but
not American. It was an obvious con-
Clusion that had we been English he
would have been poor at that language
but a master of American.
The ''Gesthaus Eur Some" as it calls
itself in large letters, is the cheapest
inn at which we have vet put up. With
all our efforts it was quite impossible to
spend more than 80 or 70 cents day,
and the heartiest eater and drinker in
Baden could not nave spent more than
2 dollar
We entered the Black Forest along
with a bad rainy spell, that cut our fifty
and sixty mile days down to ten-Inile
stretches between showers. We had
counted six days between Appenweier
and Munich, but the fourth day finds us
at Triberg. a bare third of the way. 1t
would be impossible, however, to pick a
prettier spot to be rparoomed in, and we
are half hoping that the rain will keep
UP.
The first afternoon from Appenweier
we inaugurated our ten-mile stretches
by riding 10 Oppenau. a little town just
on the edge Of the forest. The next day
we were lucky to make another ten
miles of continuous uphill in the morn
ing and get dip in an ice-cold noun
tain stream, but were cooped up in the
afternoon.
This time our refuge was at the fine. |
modern hotel at Allerheiligen. a lovely
spot, which has borrowed its name from
the ruins of an ancient monastery. We
had been well drenched, however, before
reaching cover. and the proprietor's sug-
ri
ments for dry ones. supplied by the
establishment, was accepted with thanks
and alacrity. The shoes and trousers
that they brought US were a sight for
the gods. and though the proprietor as |