With a Motive.

Otago Witness, Issue 2579, 19 August 1903, Page 77

With a Motive.

A tourist tells the following piimly humorous story of an adventure in Frsnoo.

Ho was staying at a little-known village near a rapid and f-oruewlmt dangerous stream. Every morning ho went to the river for a swim, and wad, not long in >!iservimg that this habit wos-a matter of gieat interest to a peasant who came each clay to gazo> at him

"I liko to watch monsieur swim," said the man when ths tourist rallied him ono morning on hi= curiosity.

Subsequently the traveller hired a boat and proceeded ?omo mileS up the &tre«m, stopping at a tavern on the bank for dinner.

Here he made friends with the little daughter of the landlord, who in her childish prattle told him of an event which hid excited the gossip of tho inhabitants of the locality. She said that in an adjaec-nt village dwelt a mad Englishman who went every day to a most dangerous part of the.

river to swim, although several rash swimmers had already lost their lives at the spot. She added artlessly that tho villaga ne'er-do-woel always went down to watch him, in order to obtain the five francs that the authorities paid for the recovery of tho body of a drowned person. The tourist said nothing, but he thought a great deal ; and on returning to his headquarters he astonished the watchful peasant by handing him five francs, with the remark that as tho vigilant one was not likely to have the pleasure of watching monsieur swim any-more — or of recovering his body — he deserved some little compensation.