"Stop your sniffling back there!" peevishly exclaimed "OLD CONNECTICUT."
"It would serve you right if they bayonetted you;" and she added
emphasis to her expostulation by planting her chignon between my
shoulder-blades with terrific force.
I felt at once that either my back or my gallantry would have to give
way; so I took a bond of fate, and sacrificed the latter on the spot.
"That'll do--that'll do," I remonstrated. "No more of that; if you want
to knock the brains out of that haystack on the back of your head, why,
knock away; but spare my bones, if you please."
I looked around, and she looked around with such suddenness as to bring
her nose in contact with the brim of my hat, and force the tears from
her eyes. She started to her feet, and I verily believe would not have
postponed hostilities a moment, had not the door of the _diligence_ just
then been opened, and a Prussian officer demanded to see our papers. I
paraded the "documents," and he said they were "good;" but he also said
that we must make up our minds to halt here until the following morning,
as there was a movement of the troops, and no vehicles would be
permitted to pass this point.
_Gaudeamus!_ I could have sworn, but my wrath sailed away when I saw
what a volcano was working in the bosom of "OLD CONNECTICUT.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73