Read Online My Troubles With Time by Benson Grayson - Free Book Online
Authors: Benson Grayson
Tags: General Fiction
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to meet your need. Meanwhile, Colonel De Grass will endeavor to make your time here interesting.”
De Grasse approached me as General Trochu and his officers returned to the building. “I understand you have some hours free,” he said. “Let me show you our defense lines.”
I could think of no feasible way of declining the colonel’s officer and accompanied him to the front of the headquarters, where our horses were tied up. I feared I was in for a most unpleasant experience. I was right.
The next few hours were excruciatingly painful. De Grasse had thoughtfully provided a stand for me to use in mounting my horse. However, our tour of the French defense works included the advance outposts. We were observed by the Germans and drew rifle fire. Several bullets whizzed by my ears. I silently implored De Grasse to cut short our visit, but he went on for what seemed hours before he concluded and we were able to gain shelter.
Remounting my horse was less dangerous but more embarrassing. No stand was available and no assistance was offered. After several futile attempts to mount my horse, I finally succeeded only to have my hat fall off into the mud.
De Grass ordered one of the nearby soldiers to retrieve it for me. He handed it to me, smirking. I thought of rebuking him, but decided it was better to ignore it and say nothing.
The hat was a soggy mess. I cleaned it as best I could and placed it back on my head. Clearly, it would be impossible to sell the hat back to the company from which I had purchased my uniform. It joined my missing sword as another unexpected expense associated with my trip back in time.
Darkness had fallen by the time De Grasse and I reached Trochu’s headquarters. We dismounted, I again using the stand thoughtfully provided by one of the sentries. We entered the building, washed, and joined General Trochu and his subordinates at the same table at which we had lunch.
The evening meal was already in progress. De Grasse seated himself at a vacant place and I stood there embarrassed, wondering what I should do. Looking up, Trochu beckoned me to his side and instructed one of the waiters to bring me a chair.
As I sat down on Trochu’s right and took the napkin the waiter handed me, the General smiled.
“I am happy to inform you, Colonel, that the photographer was able to come up with sufficient chemicals to develop two of his plates. He sent them over and you may choose whichever one you prefer. I am sorry that the remaining plates have already deteriorated and are now useless.”
I looked at the two photographs the General handed to me for my inspection and was impressed by their quality. I hadn’t realized that the photographic technology available in 1870 was capable of producing such fine photographs. They were almost of equal quality. I choose the one that most clearly showed my face as I needed it to serve as proof that I had actually traveled back in time to 1870.
“Thank you, General,” I said, returning the other photograph to Trochu. I hope that you would be kind enough to sign your name on the back of the photograph with the date. And if you could, I would be most grateful if you could add something about my being entertained at your headquarters, referring to me as ‘Professor Snodgrass.’”
The general stopped his writing and the back of the photograph and looked at me sharply. “Professor…? Not Colonel?”
Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to come up with a reasonable excuse. “Yes, sir,” I said. “I frequently am asked to lecture at the United States Military Academy. I was planning to give them the photograph to display. They refer to me as ‘professor’ rather than by my military rank.”
Trochu nodded and resumed his writing. When he finished he handed me the photo. His written note on the back had complied fully with my request. If that didn’t serve to convince people that I had been entertained by him in 1870 Paris, I thought, nothing would.
I
De Grasse approached me as General Trochu and his officers returned to the building. “I understand you have some hours free,” he said. “Let me show you our defense lines.”
I could think of no feasible way of declining the colonel’s officer and accompanied him to the front of the headquarters, where our horses were tied up. I feared I was in for a most unpleasant experience. I was right.
The next few hours were excruciatingly painful. De Grasse had thoughtfully provided a stand for me to use in mounting my horse. However, our tour of the French defense works included the advance outposts. We were observed by the Germans and drew rifle fire. Several bullets whizzed by my ears. I silently implored De Grasse to cut short our visit, but he went on for what seemed hours before he concluded and we were able to gain shelter.
Remounting my horse was less dangerous but more embarrassing. No stand was available and no assistance was offered. After several futile attempts to mount my horse, I finally succeeded only to have my hat fall off into the mud.
De Grass ordered one of the nearby soldiers to retrieve it for me. He handed it to me, smirking. I thought of rebuking him, but decided it was better to ignore it and say nothing.
The hat was a soggy mess. I cleaned it as best I could and placed it back on my head. Clearly, it would be impossible to sell the hat back to the company from which I had purchased my uniform. It joined my missing sword as another unexpected expense associated with my trip back in time.
Darkness had fallen by the time De Grasse and I reached Trochu’s headquarters. We dismounted, I again using the stand thoughtfully provided by one of the sentries. We entered the building, washed, and joined General Trochu and his subordinates at the same table at which we had lunch.
The evening meal was already in progress. De Grasse seated himself at a vacant place and I stood there embarrassed, wondering what I should do. Looking up, Trochu beckoned me to his side and instructed one of the waiters to bring me a chair.
As I sat down on Trochu’s right and took the napkin the waiter handed me, the General smiled.
“I am happy to inform you, Colonel, that the photographer was able to come up with sufficient chemicals to develop two of his plates. He sent them over and you may choose whichever one you prefer. I am sorry that the remaining plates have already deteriorated and are now useless.”
I looked at the two photographs the General handed to me for my inspection and was impressed by their quality. I hadn’t realized that the photographic technology available in 1870 was capable of producing such fine photographs. They were almost of equal quality. I choose the one that most clearly showed my face as I needed it to serve as proof that I had actually traveled back in time to 1870.
“Thank you, General,” I said, returning the other photograph to Trochu. I hope that you would be kind enough to sign your name on the back of the photograph with the date. And if you could, I would be most grateful if you could add something about my being entertained at your headquarters, referring to me as ‘Professor Snodgrass.’”
The general stopped his writing and the back of the photograph and looked at me sharply. “Professor…? Not Colonel?”
Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to come up with a reasonable excuse. “Yes, sir,” I said. “I frequently am asked to lecture at the United States Military Academy. I was planning to give them the photograph to display. They refer to me as ‘professor’ rather than by my military rank.”
Trochu nodded and resumed his writing. When he finished he handed me the photo. His written note on the back had complied fully with my request. If that didn’t serve to convince people that I had been entertained by him in 1870 Paris, I thought, nothing would.
I
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