Year: 1877

Embraced an Old Wallachian- Mis-.
placed Confidence.


Correspondence Ne,o York |t~uhl.


OLTENITzA, July /, 1877.


Tho forced quiet of this little town
is at times oppressive. When q
whole day has passed without sin
gle shot from either line of the bat
tcries frowning at each other alon g
the river bank tho conversation in
The little cafe gets dull and spas
modic, and at last tickers and COOS
out like burned up candle, simply
for want of omething to feed it. 1t
was, then, with al approach to ex-
citcment that we, who had no other
occupation all the forenoon than
shifting our chairs around the cor.
ner Of the cafe as the shadow moved
with tho advancing sun, sawa crowd
OF infantrymen gather at the door of
the little shop opposite, and heard
the noise of dispute within grow
louder and louder. Discussions
between tho soldiers and the natives
are not by any means infrequcnt,
and if there had been any other
diversion [ should not have paid tl,o
least attention to tho one of which
1 speak. However, when the
mayor Of the town-a short, thick
set, active little body, who now finds
no other field for the exercise of his
authority except the ever recurring
differences between the citizen
and soldier-went across the street
through the blazing sunlight and
mingled his high.keycd voice with
the chorus I thought it time to in
vestigate tho affair myself. The
situation was too ludicrous. There
stood tho sharp featured shopman,
his dark eyes fairly flashing with
rage, tiourishing o. lage sausage al q
mild-loolling infantryman, who on
his side had piece of the same kind
Of sausage, but only about third as
long. L thought could see q hint
OF smile under the soldiers white
moustache and n twinkle in his grey
eyes, but until the mayor had sum
moned the colonel from his quarters
opposite, and the shopman was paid
and the crowd dispersed 7 had no
idea Of the cause of the dispute,
beng totally unable to seize enough
words of the jargon of Russian
and Roumanian that was flying
about to make one complete phrase


BADLY CUT UP.


1t turned out that tho soldier
went into tho shop with couple Of
comrades to buy sausage. He
made his bargain, put tho sausage
under his left arm and took out his
purse to pay for it. Before he put
the money down he asked the price
Sgain. "Four francs," says the
shopkceper. "Four francs for this
piece of bad sausage" yells the
soldier, holding out to theastonished
native piece only about one-t third
OF tha whole sausage ho had that
moment slowed under his arm.
"'Take your ID old sausage, you
thieving native" and he started to
overtake his comrades who were by
that time half way up tho street.
BUT the native was too quick for him
and held him until the crowd gath
cred and the affair terminated rs I
have described. The trick was
shrewd one, but q little "too thin"
to deceive even Wallachian. The
two comrades had, in accordance
with previous agreement, taken
the opportunity while there was o
dispute about the price to cut off tho
longer Part Of the sausage which
appeared from under tho soldiers
arm behind, and made their way to
the camp with their booty. Thig
mild species of robbery is not rare.
and ono must sympathize with these
diers more or less in their attempts
to get oven with the natives, for in
all matters of trade the soldiers in~
variably got worsted. Their paper
money is taken for only two thirds
it's real value; the moment soldier
enters shop door the prices rise
two or three per cont. or more. and
it is generally HTake it or leave it"
with the shopman, who takes ad-