ter my departure.
Henceforward I was always called "the bear." Last year I had the pleasure
of receiving a visit from Dr. Bareuther, a member of the Austrian Senate
and a pupil of Keilhau. We had not met for forty years, and his first
words were: "Look at me, Bear. Who am I?"

My brother had brought his nickname with him, and everybody called him
Ludo instead of Ludwig. The pretty, bright, agile lad, who also never
flinched, soon became especially popular, and my companions were also
fond of me, as I learned, when, during the last years of my stay at the
institute, they elected me captain of the first Bergwart--that is,
commander-in-chief of the whole body of pupils.

My first fight secured my position forever. We doubtless owed our
initiation on the second day into everything which was done by the
pupils, both openly and secretly, to the good impression made by Martin.
There was nothing wrong, and even where mischief was concerned I can term
it to-day "harmless." The new boys or "foxes" were not neglected or
"hazed," as in many other schools. Only every one, even the newly arrived
younger teachers, was obliged to submit to the "initiation." This took
place in winter, and consisted in being buried in the snow and having
pockets, clothing, nay, even shirts, filled with the clean but wet mass.
Yet I remember no cold caused by this rude baptism. My mother remained
several days with us, and as the weather was fine she accompanied us to
the neighbouring heights--the Kirschberg, to which, after the peaceful
cemetery of the institute was left behind, a zigzag path led; the Kohn,
at whose foot rose the Upper House; and the Steiger, from whose base
flowed the Schaalbach, and whose summit afforded a view of a great
portion of the Thuringian mountains.

We older pupils afterwards had a tall tower erected there as a monument
to Barop, and the prospect from its lofty summit, which is more that a
thousand feet high, is magnificent.

Even before the completion of this lookout, the view was one of the most
beautiful and widest far or near, and we were treated like most
new-comers. During the ascent our eyes were bandaged, and when the
handkerchief was removed a marvellous picture appeared before our
astonished gaze. In the foreground, toward the left, rose the wooded
height crowned by the stately ruins of the Blankenburg. Beyond opened the
beautiful leafy bed of the Saale, proudly dominated by the Leuchtenburg.
Before us there was