The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Dean's Watch, by Erckmann-Chatrian

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Title: The Dean's Watch
1897

Author: Erckmann-Chatrian

Translator: Ralph Browning Fiske

Release Date: October 17, 2007 [EBook #23054]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DEAN'S WATCH ***

Produced by David Widger

THE DEAN'S WATCH

By Erckmann-Chatrian

Translated by Ralph Browning Fiske

Copyright, 1897, by The Current Literature Publishing Company

I

On the day before Christmas of the year 1832, my friend Wilfred, with
his double-bass slung over his back, and I, with my violin under my arm,
started to walk from the Black Forest to Heidelberg. It was unusually
snowy weather; as far as we could see across the great, deserted plain,
there was no trace of road nor path. The wind kept up its harsh aria
with monotonous persistency, and Wilfred, with his flattened wallet at
his belt, and the vizor of his cap drawn over his eyes, moved on before
me, straddling the drifts with his long, heron legs, and whistling a gay
tune to keep up his spirits. Now and then, he would turn around with a
waggish smile, and cry: "Comrade, let's have the waltz from 'Robin,' I
feel like dancing." A burst of laughter followed these words, and then
the good fellow would resume his march courageously. I followed on
as well as I could, up to my knees in snow, and I felt a sense of
melancholy take possession of me.

The spires of Heidelberg began to appear on the extreme horizon, and we
hoped to reach there before nightfall. It was then about five o'clock in
the afternoon, and great flakes of snow were whirling through the gray
atmosphere. Suddenly we heard the sound of a horse approaching from
behind us. When the rider was within twenty yards of us, he moderated
his speed, studying us meanwhile with a sidelong glance. We returned his
gaze.

Picture to yourself a large man, with reddish hair and beard, in a
three-cornered hat and loose fox-skin pelisse; his arms buried to the
elbows in fur gloves. He carried a handsome valise behind him, resting
on the haunches of his powerful stallion. He was evidently some alderman
or