"We are going to the woods, too," said another group, "and will gather
flowers to press for our herbariums."

But our three friends could overmatch all the pleasures mentioned by
their schoolmates, for they had the promise from their parents that they
should go to the city of Frankfort on the Main river to visit an aunt of
Fritz. Every day their schoolmates heard from some one of the three, or
perhaps from all, of the pleasures expected from their first journey,
and their visit to a city to remain a whole week. This again aroused the
jeers of the enemy which they bore bravely, knowing that it was only
envy; so went on serenely with their preparations for the visit.

Their homes were but a short distance apart, therefore out of school as
well as in they were much together and all their talk was upon the visit
to Frankfort, and of the things they would take, their plans subject to
change from day to day.

The father of Fritz took a Frankfort paper which the boy read carefully,
and reported the dangers of a great city to his comrades. From these
readings the three considered the city highly dangerous and they
resolved to go well prepared for any attack that might be made upon
them, either upon the journey or during their sojourn in the great city,
which its own paper denounced as wicked.

One morning he announced to his companions that he was well fixed to go,
for he had now a weapon which could be depended upon, and showed them an
old hunting-knife thick with rust, which he had concealed under his
jacket, and which was to be placed in the armory until time to start
upon the journey; and the ever watchful enemy saw that something very