THE WISCONSIN FARMER. -



history so familiar or so famous as Napoleon, of this Hollando-Belgic institution,
it stood
Wellington, Waterloo!                     upon stilts some fifteen feet high.
It was a
Shall I tell you the truth ?  Well, it was the quarter of a mile to the hotel,
and more than
field of Waterloo more than any other one likely the plain spread out before
me was that
thing that induced me to take this route to whereon the armies of the Allies
and of Na-
London instead of through Holland. I had poleon struggled for mastery. So
I sat down
not time to "do " both Holland and Belgium  under the mill for
a few moments' "reflection "
and I would not leave the continent without and speculation. A yell ! as
if all the devils
having studied that famous field.           in hell had been let loose, and
I was surround-
             TRIP TO WATXaLOO.             ed bymen armed with clubs and
gunsI 'Twas
  It was only fifteen miles, and the road was vain that I remonstrated and
tried to explain.
delightful, passing along the skirt of the The blows fell upon my shoulders
and shins
forest of Soignes, the southern border of in quick succession, and bayonets
punched me
which so well supported the failing troops of threateningly in the ribs!
Talking English,
the Iron Duke when pressed by the resistless French and Dutch alternately,
and then all
legions of the great Napoleon. But then it at once, but without the least
effect, I thought
was already six o'clock in the evening and I best to travel for the hotel.
I had hit it. So
could not easily and economically get a con. long as I kept going they refrainAd
from blows;
veyance at so late an hour. I had resolved to and thus, with ruffians to
the right of me,
sleep on the field of Waterloo that night, how- ruffians to the left of me
and bayonets be-
ever, and was not to be turned aside by trifles. hind, I was marched to the
great gate of the
And so I walked I leaving Brussels at seven hotel.
o'clock. No walk could have been more de-   A few hard raps on the gate brought
a
lightful. The McAdamized road is as smooth night-cap to the window and the
spiteful en-
as a floor, and on one side has a pleasant foot- quiry, " Qu' est que
c'est que cela ; My
walk between two rows of shade trees. On qurgu' estqe mest qne a? r     
     y
the other is the grand old forest, its beech toungue wbas the nimblest, and,
as rapidly as
             tree  so dens ly   rown tha  it  s  i poss bleI  could  tum
ble  out  the  French  of  it,  I  told  hi mi,
 trees so densely grown that it is impossible "A friend and an American
citizen who has
 for the eye to penetrate their deep shade to a  frien and   an      wants
sheltas
 distance of more than a very few rode. The Salle   ngh  sap , and tanglish
 twilight lasted until nine o'clock, and then Said I " I think I can!
 the new moon kindly took its place in the
 heavens, so that it was still not dark when I  Then the devils who had me
in keeping told
 reached the village of Waterloo.  Here .1 the landlord in a most unintelligible
jargon-
 learned that the battle field was at St. Jean. which I afterwards learned
was the dialect of
 Arrived at the little collection of houses the mongrel Walloons, who talk
a compound
 known by that name at ten o'clock, and en- of German, French, Flemmish and
Spanish-
 quired the way to the great mound with the that I was undoubtedly a robber,
for they had
 stone lion, which I knew to be on the very found me about to break into
(or carry off! I
 field of fight, was blunderingly directed by a could not learn which,) the
windmill! and
 man who seemed to talk no language I had that he must take me in and keep
me under
 ever heard spoken before, and went ahead, for the closest watch ! But my
good American
 I had conceived the romantic idea of taking a speech and face (1) did the
business. In lesa
 look at Waterloo by moonlight, before seeking than two minutes the great
gate was closed
 for quarters. Followed directions, climbed behind me, and Night-cap and
I were as cosil3
 what I supposed in the dimness of light to be chatting over crackers and
wine as though w4
 the Mont Lion, when lo, I stood in the shadow  had been two dear friends
of other years
 of a monstrous windmill ! As is the habit And thus ended the Battle of the
Wind-Mill



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