Hunting the Lynx 33 



short time the entire village gathered. There was but 

 one thing to do. We were in the enemy's country, the 

 situation required quick action ; we decided on that 

 foundation of all American diplomacy, a bluff. Call- 

 ing aside the German's wife, a ponderous but amiable 

 lady, I confided to her that her husband, was liable to get 

 into serious trouble. He had insulted my friend, who 

 held a very high office in the neighbouring city. Her 

 husband had allowed his big Newfoundland to attack 



Herr 's hounds and had led them into her house ; 



did he do it to obtain possession of the hounds or what ? 

 I stated the case strongly, dwelling upon the grossness 

 of the insult to my friend and through him to the city 

 he lived in, ending the peroration by expressing the 

 hope that her husband would not have any serious 

 trouble. 



The lady appeared dumbfounded at this phase of the 

 question, as well she might, and I saw that my argu- 

 ment had produced an effect, the lady was anxious to 

 consult her excited husband. But he was being inter- 

 viewed by my companion, who told him that it was 

 unfortunate that he had seen fit to attack a man so 

 prominent as his friend, Herr School Trustee, a high 

 educational official under the municipal government of 

 a neighbouring city, and he wished it understood that 

 he would not be responsible for anything that should 

 happen to a man who used decoy dogs to attract visit- 

 ing hunts. This convincing logic came in the nature 

 of a shock to the German, and he no longer quoted the 



