Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-22

tGuy de Maupassant, lS5o-lSS3, rrencn
writer has often been called the greatest
master of the short story. His Writings are
certainly diverse. ranging all the way from
lightest comedy to drearlest tragedy
| love hunting passionately, ana
toward the end of the Summer and
Autumn that year the Winter cola
came on suddenly. l was asked by
Karl a cousin of mine, TO hunt WHO
ducks with him in the marshes at
davhreak. 1t was almost evening
when I reached Karfs house ana II
was by then freezing hard enough 10
crack the very stones.
While we ate my cousin told me Oh
the arrangements that had been Ilaue
for our sport on the morrow. we were
in a large room where the shelVes ana
walls and ceiling were entirely coVereo
with all sorts of specimens OF Dlros-
some with wings extended ana some
on -sparrow-hawks, herohs'
owls. buzzards, falcons, vultures;
5t was planned that we should start
in the morning at about hall-pasl
. In the place where we were TO
await orr prey a hut had been bullt OF
blocks of solid ice. to shelter US some
What from the terribly cold winds tfat
would be sure to blow across 'he
frozen marsh. That wind, knew.
would be laden with frost that "ouiu
tear the flesh like jagged saw anu
cut into the body like the sharp piaue
Of a knife. That WIND would stap IKE
q poisoned needle, twist the llesn as III
pincers, and burn like the hotteSt nls
NV cousin. however. was pleased
and rubbed his hands in anticipation.
II have never seen such fine frost
he said. "At this rate, it ought to be
- below zero by o'clock tonight.
After supper / slept little on the
bed before a roaring fire in the fire-
place. When they called me at
o'clock I leaped up, donned huge
sheepskin coat and found my cousin
already wrapped in bear furs. we
swallowed two cups of steaming col
fee apiece followed by two fiery glasses
of cban,pagne. Then we started, ac-
companied by a guard and our hunt
ing dogs.
No sooner had I stepped outside
than I felt myself frozen to the mar
row Of my bones. 1t was night
when the earth seemed dead with the
cold. The frozen air seemed to resist
progress through it. No breath could
agitate that air on such s. nlght-lt
was fixed. and it bit and pierced, dried
-,
scots. The moon was in it's cold last
quarter, sidewise and very pale, SEEM
ing to be dying in the midst of frozen
snoce In fact, l famed that it was
because the moon was so feeble that
II hung there in the sky, unable to go
Karl and 7 were plodding along
side by side, our shoulders sagglng,
our hands in our pockets and our
ouns properly under our arms. We
had our boots wrapped in wooden
leggings to prevent slipping on the icy
ground. so we made no noise. found
myself stupidity watching the white
smoke that came from the nostrlls
of our faithful dogs.
FINALLY we arrived at the edge of
the morass or swamp, and started
through an alley of dry reeds. Push
ing aside the long leaves. we made a
slight noise that crinkled and crump-
led behind us in the cold. 1 felt
myself a victim of a strange emotion
it seemed to me that the marsh
was dead, frozen with the cold-and
that we two were marching in upon
il. through it's silent population of
withered dead rushes.
Then. at a turn in the alley of reeds,
7 saw the ice hut that was to provide
some shelter for us. 1 went inside.
for il would still be about an hour
before the wild birds would awaken.
| got under a blanket in search OF
| warmth, but the terrific cold seeped in
ana bit at me so terribly that begap
| to cough.
whether we kill anything or not
| today" Karl said, Il don't want you
to catch cold. Well have a fire here"
And a fire was built. in the middle