His
unexpected and strange appearance caused no little fright among the
people along the banks. At one point he came on three workmen, engaged
in mending an embankment. While approaching them on the swift current,
he raised himself up in the water and blew a blast on his horn. The
workmen looked around and seeing a strange figure standing in the water
blowing a trumpet, perhaps thought it was old Father Rhine. They did
not wait to investigate; but disappeared up the bank in a hurry. About
noon Paul arrived at Breisgann, where he got some refreshments. The
course of the river now ran along the Black Forest, and is much
narrower there. The scenery is weird and somber and although the region
is interesting, it is somewhat monotonous. People of the Black Forest
are a dreamy and superstitious race; they would stand and look at the
uncouth figure in the water for a moment and then run. One old man
who was gathering driftwood was so surprised and frightened that he
sprang from his boat and ran up the bank without waiting to secure it.
At nightfall Paul was still driving along. He heard a peasant whistling
and singing on the bank, he hailed him and inquired in German, how far
Strassburg was below. "Eine stunde," (one hour,) was the reply.
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