It was also the best time one could wish for fishing, for when the waters were low all the trout ascended to the springs beneath the rocks, where one could take them out in one's hand.
You may well believe that there was no lack of fishermen. Marie-Rose had never before had as many omelettes and fried dishes to prepare. She superintended everything and answered the compliments made to her upon her approaching marriage without stopping her work. She looked as fresh as a rose; merely looking at her, Jean Merlin's eyes grew moist with tenderness.
Who would have imagined at that time that we were going to have a war with the Prussians? What interest had we in that? Beside, did not every one say that the _plebiscite_ had been voted to keep peace? Such an idea had never entered our heads, when, one July evening, the little Jew, David, who had been to Dôsenheim to buy a calf, said to me as he passed:
"You have heard the great news, brigadier?"
"Well, the Paris newspapers say that the Emperor is about to declare war upon the King of Prussia."
I could not believe it, because the wood-merchant Schatner, who had returned a few days before from Sarrebrück, had told me that the country thereabouts was swarming with troops, cavalry, infantry, artillery, and that even the citizens had their knapsacks, their guns, and their complete outfits, ticketed and numbered, all arranged in good order on shelves in large barracks, and that at the first sign of the _hauptmann_ these people would have nothing to do but to dress themselves, receive cartridges, get into a railway car, and fall upon our backs _en masse_. As for us, we had nothing at all, either in our towns or our villages, so simple good sense made me think that they would not declare war on these Germans before having put us in a condition to defend ourselves.
So I shrugged my shoulders when the Jew told me such an absurd thing, and I said:
But he went off, dragging his calf by the rope, and saying:
"Wait a bit, brigadier; you will see--this won't last long."
All that he could say on that score came to the same thing, and when Jean Merlin came that evening, as usual, it never occurred to me to tell him about it.
Unfortunately, eight or ten days later, the thing was certain; they were calling in all soldiers away on leave of absence. It was even stated that the Bavarians had cut the telegraph wires in Alsace--that innumerable troops were passing Saverne, and that others were encamped at Niederbronn.
