PERSONAL ADVENTURES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 59, 10 March 1871, Page 2

PERSONAL ADVENTURES.

Under this headiug "a military correspondent;" of the London Times describes some of the scenes of which he had been a witness in France. The following is one of them : — Most amusing of all, though painful also, was a sight suggestive of strange scenes which must occur in out-of-the-way inns and lonely houses. A big, burly Prussian, whose shoulder-strap showed that he belonged to the 90th Regiment of Infantry, seated himself at the end of tha table. His brow was heavy, his countenance dull, but with an expression that might swiftly turn into ferocity. He had no whiskers, n thin light beard and moustach. Captain • Hozier and I were struck by his appearance, and were regarding him closely, when we turned and looked at each other. He hod just taken a spoon from the table aud put it in the a breast of his coat — probably in a pocketjffl Before long a second spoon followed, andr , as it went I heard the clink of metal. Beside him was a tall, puffy man in. spectacles. They called for their bill — not a large one — and paid. I listened carefully — not a word was said about the spoons. In a few minutes tlie massive man of the 9oth asked for "deux converts" He had already eaten, drunk, and paid. The landlady, not understanding why ha could want them, attended to the other guests. Once more he called for "deux converts," and they were brought by the surprised little woman. I guessed what he wanted — spoons ! He ordered no food, but wrote a letter, his puffy companion doing the same. While writing, one of the spoons peeped out from his breast. The letters were finished and handed over to a comrade who collected them. Now for another spoon. I determined to watch his modus operandi, which I could do sideways, without looking at him directly. A knife, fork, and spoon lay to the right of the plate. He leant forward heavily upon the table, kyiog his right arm upon them so as to cover them. A dull film seemed to come over his eyes, like that of a gorged vulture,, but I perceived his left hand stealing under his right elbow and working quietly there. Something was

being slowly felt out from beneath the heavy right arm, which rnny have been used more worthily aguinsfc Frenchmen in the field th.m uo-v againa'. a Frenchwoman in her house. 1 turn -d uway for a while, and theu looked suddenly again. The arm %vas removed from the table, the right hand was just falling from the breast of his coat. But the spoon was still there. Have we misjudged him ? Possibly ; but no, the fork was gone ! We begati to talk rather opouly, and with our eyes fixed upon him. Stolid as he was, he soon got up aud left the room, carrying with him the metal — not silver — which he hud taken. Should any one be inclined to try this feat he should sic at the end of a bug table, so us to be alone, with no one on bis flauk. If the description given here should lead to the discovery aud couvictiou of this man, the Prussian service will lose nothing in him. To the houor of (he army be it said, his type, is a rare one.

A Lady having the misfortune to liave her husband hang himself ou an apple-tree, the wife of a neighbour immediately came to beg a branch of that tree, to have it grafted into one of her orchard, " for vvho' knows," says she, " but it may bear the same kind of fruit ! "