A VACATION TRIP. 87 



On the Bavarian frontier we had hardly re- 

 membered that there was a custom-house, and 

 the name of student sufficed to pass us without 

 our showing any passports ; here, on the con- 

 trary, it was another reason for the strictest ex- 

 amination. " Have you no forbidden books ? " 

 was the first question. By good fortune, be- 

 fore crossing the bridge, I had advised Tret- 

 tenbach to hide his song-book in the lining of 

 his boot. I am assured that had it been taken 

 upon him he would not have been allowed to 

 pass. In ransacking Braun's bag, one of the 

 officials found a shell such as are gathered by 

 the basketful on the shores of the Lake of 

 Neuchatel. His first impulse was to go to the 

 office and inquire whether we should not pay 

 duty on this, saying that it was no doubt for 

 the fabrication of false pearls, and we prob- 

 ably had plenty more. We had all the diffi- 

 culty in the world to make him understand 

 that not fifty steps from the custom-house the 

 shores of the river were strewn with them. . . . 

 After all this we had to empty our purses to 

 show that we had money enough for our jour- 

 ney, and that we should not be forced to beg 

 in order to get through. While we underwent 

 this inquisition, another officer made a tour of 

 inspection around us, to observe our general 



