The First Book of Samuel by SAREJESS (epub read online books txt) 📕

people left here. Are you hoping that them dammed temperance people will start another town?” “I do not see why not. After they see what I have in my next wagon load they will be begging us to stay and start a town.” said Samuel “You are a shrewd one,” said big Ed with a wink. “It is a deal. You can have fifty percent of my saloon and I will take the whiskey off your hands” he said. Samuel smiled and said "You won’t be thinking of cheating me now would you fifty percent of the saloon also means fifty percent of the profits to Ed.” said Samuel “Sure” said Ed Mac Donald knowing when he was beat and realizing he better quit while he was ahead.

Thus the little prospecting town of Temperance, Alberta saw a few years of existence before it faded away into history. In the time that it existed, Samuel made a nice profit by opening a haberdashery which imported the finest linens from England and France, which the ladies of the Temperance society loved. At the same time he gleaned a nice profit supplying booze to the prospecting men of the town. They had all the booze they could possibly drink.
When the temperance society approached the sheriff once more to close down the saloon he told them to go to hell because by then he was receiving a nice monthly bribe from Samuel and Ed Mac Donald.


CHAPTER TWENT TWO
The battle at Mons 1914
There had hardly been time to dig in before the shooting started. Samuel flung his kit down and dived into the shallow trench as a bullet bit at tin hat. “Blimey mate that was close.” said a soldier who lay in the trench next to him. Quickly they began to load and fire their Lee Enfield rifles. It was a bitterly cold morning in August 1914, the fire power of the British expeditionary forces was hot, so hot in fact that later the Germans would claim that the British were using machine guns. A trooper lifted his head a fraction too much and for his pains received a bullet between his eyes, falling back into the trench his blood ran down his smashed face.
The Germans were advancing again. Samuel wondered how long before he became careless and lost his life. He would have to be careful if he wanted to see the end of the war. Things were getting bad by about half past nine the order had come to fall back. Slowly the troops began moving backward. Mons was not a nice place Samuel decided why had he not stayed at the little inn. He did not understand why he had joined up, maybe it was his sense of adventure he could have avoided being here but like most men at the time he believed that he had to do something not just be an observer.

They had fallen back towards a bridge and were coming under heavy fire. The firing continued, little pockets of men fighting for their lives. Samuel lit a cigarette. He had taken a few puffs before he realized that something was going on. A young officer nearby was railing at the men “Come on lads we can take them. Give others a chance to withdraw. Forward on my command. Wait for it. Right, For England and St George” he shouted as the men rose and charged against the advancing Germans. It was strange Samuel found himself running but there were more men then he remembered being there before the charge. He looked to his left and saw a man on a white charger dressed in ancient armor for a moment the thought he was dreaming but yes the man and the horse were still there also there were a number of bow men loosing their bows on the advancing Germans “By God” Samuel thought “This is some thing beyond belief I am seeing it but it cannot be”. The advancing forces of the Germans began to fall; back some Germans fell while others fled.

When the charge was over he once more found himself with a small group of men near the bridge they had previously passed. “Someone will have to stay and cover our retreat” said the officer. “I know it is a bad thing to ask but I have to, is any one willing to stay and do this job? “I will” said Samuel as he took up a position picking up a second rifle from a soldier who would no longer need it. “Thank you private your act of bravery will not be forgotten” said the officer. “Well come on lads lets hoof it out of here” said the officer. The troops began to leave. Samuel began firing when one rifle was empty he picked up the second one and began firing again. As the men retreated Samuel turned to see the last of them disappearing down the road. He reloaded and carried on firing.

Later, much later as a German major stood over his body the major was amazed that one man could have held up over a hundred men killing twenty five before himself being shot.

“Hemmel if all the English fight like this we are going to have a hard time of it.” said the major to a captain who stood near by..

It was shortly after this that the story of the Angels of Mons began to appear in the newspapers.

1921 Surry England
"So” asked the marquis of Barbados “what would you recommend from your most excellent menu, innkeeper?” The innkeeper standing nearby smiled and said “Well dear marquis that is a matter of taste. We have excellent escargot or if you are not in the mood for snails in a bath of garlic and oil, there is the duck which I must say would make a most excellent meal if you are hungry. It is done to a turn in an orange juice and white wine sauce and is tender, oh so tender, it simply melts in your mouth."

“Wonderful the duck it is, for the main course and what wine would you recommend from your cellar? I have heard you keep an excellent cellar here” said the noble man. “I would suggest a bottle of Chateau Le feyet, a nice semi sweet dry wine, which would do the duck justice", said Samuel. The noblemen looked up and smiled “Old friend you play the part of jovial host well. One wonders how we ever got out of those trenches back in 1915 alive, yet here we are today you a happy hotellier and me back on the grand old tour of Europe" said the marquis. "Ah those days I am glad they are over” said Samuel. “You never did tell me how you managed to escape that last shelling unscathed did you?" asked the marquis “Ah the hand of providence, fortune favors those who dare” he said trying very hard not to give a way any thing which might make the young man suspicious. It was a very strange day for Samuel. The little hotel which he owned had been quiet for most of the day then just before lunch, a bright red roadster had come roaring up to the entrance. The driver climbed out, he was dressed in the typical dress of the young racing crowd with gloves goggles and leather coat to go with it. Entering the reception area the young marquis had been confronted by Samuel. For a moment the two stood looking in amazement at each other the last time that they had seen each other was back in 1815 when the battle for Mons had been reaching its peak. The young Lieutenant had asked for volunteers to stay behind and cover the rest of the platoon, retreating, everybody knew it was a suicide mission. Never the less Samuel had stepped forward, the words of the marquis still rang in his ears “you will not be forgotten” he had said as he had led the men in the retreat. Now the two men faced each other again. Six years had passed and the world was much changed. Men had been changed by the war and there was no going back to the way it was. The war and the visit of the Spanish lady in 1918 had changed the world many thousands had gone to there graves through the war. But many more had gone to their final earthly resting-place due to the tender nursing of the Spanish Lady. The flu, which had ripped through the world in the latter part of 1918, had caused great distress to all nations and all peoples had felt the icy hand of the grim reaper. And as they sat around their primitive dwellings they had pulled their clothing a little closer as a shiver of fear ran down their backs.

Now in the bright New World of 1921 a nobleman and a man with no living relatives could meet and discuss the past as if they had been friends all their lives. The social distinctions, which had bound together the English men, lord and the lower classes were gone forever. The noblemen need now to tread warily lest he offend the smaller man for should he do so and the common man feel so inclined, he could summon the me lord before the bar and in all likelihood win a liable action against the offending me lord, but of such things they did not speak in polite society it would take a second war to really change the outlook of the British aristocracy.

In the meantime the marquis of Barbados would enjoy the duck which Samuel the innkeeper’s experienced chef in the kitchen of the small Surrey hotel had prepared for him and the wine which Samuel had suggested was not a bad one it had an excellent vintage. The wine had not yet turned to vinegar, as so many wines do if left too long. Indeed it was true that the Jew kept an outstanding cellar, for was it not true the people of England knew how to dine well and in 1921 they were dining well. Samuel’s inn was making an astonishing profit and this was the summer when the flowers came early the harvests in the fields were very rich there was a surplus of just about every thing in the country market and prices of goods were cheap.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Berlin 1938
Samuel was busy making truffles he had come to Germany to learn from a master chef. Now he had almost completed his training, yet he could not bring himself to leave. The political situation in Europe was worrying while others were fleeing Nazi Germany he had willingly come to German.

Now as he prepared the truffles he thought back to the previous day when the manager had received a phone call from the interior ministry. The Minster Herman Gobbles and a few high ranking friends would be coming round for lunch. The minister’s propensity for good food being well known in the restaurant circles in Berlin set about the preparations for the visit. Just after three in the morning, Samuel and the other chefs had been busy for many hours now and it had fallen to Samuel to prepare a little sweet for the Minster, after the main courses and after dinner deserts had been served there would be a moment in which coffee and truffles would be served to the hard working Minster.

Samuel did not much like what had happened in Germany but having little option he had continue working in the hotel learning everything he needed to know as he had a long term plan which he wanted to put into place. His fortune which