The New Orleans crescent., 1869-01-31

attendance on his person. ltimmedately occurred
S;vertinr the kings rage, and with giving him an
object with which he might giut II. He instantly
admitted the jailor and bsde him to his errand.
MsrIotes heard the proposition, and his fury was
excited tenfold. Almost choking with passion:
he orSered the horse and armor 10 be sought, and
Bri:zman to be brought before MN. Ioe armor
was coon found, for II had been lald up IN
the public arsenal. The horse was dlscove,ed
with greater difficulty. When first taken, II had
been intended to make him useful as war.norses
but every attempt to mount him was MADE III
vain. he plunged, kicked and biz at every QUE
who approached him; and after all efforts had
been made to tame him, he was sent TO draw
lIme-csrt in the fortifastons. This drudgery ne
had submitted to but never. from the moment ne
entered the Moorish city, had any human being
been able to mount him. Now, however, he was
released from bis laborious work, and was
brought into the courtyard OF the palace. At
the same time Count Britzman was led from his
prison before the king.
changes in the person of the noble count HIS
upcombed hair hung in matted locks over MS
lofty forehead his beard, grizzled and rntrimmed,
stood out from his chin; and his lace paie WIN
the long absence he had endured from the whole
some light of day, lighted up with sort OF luster
that bad as much of wildness as OF nre. DIS
limbs were thin and spare jail diet had reduced
somewhat the roundness Of his muscular form.
Notwithstanding these draw backs, he strobe into
.Marlotes' presence with firm gait and erect
head. There was q nobleness In his appearance
| which bespoke his conscious superiority over tne
crouching slaves by whom be was surrounded.
| Marlotes felt the influence OF his presence; Dut
vailng under an affected seorn the fear and hatred
which lie experienceda at the sight OF his ilEFsed
captive he repeated to him the message which
the TAILOR had delivered, and asked Britzman y ne
yss contsnt e n sbide hy the proposition Hnicn naa
al have said it ~ replied Britzman, who was de-
termiped TO give no outward indication. bRt bv
his silence, of the contempt in which ne held the
Moors.
Marlotes then bidding the hesdsman prepare
| bis ak and block for the execution OF bnznian,
| which he took TO be certain, he bade the guards
lead him forth TO the courtyard, where his steed
| and his armor awaited him.
When the count saw the noble animal VINO
| had so often borne him in the chase and IN the
battle and whose courage and strength had never
failed, now standing before him, lean aad Jaded,
| his ribs standing out and the marks OF stripes on
| his sides be felt emotion which his own suiier'
| inQs had seldom been able to decide. Toe tears
started TO his eyes, but with an instant eXertOn
they were deshed away. He called TO the morse,
and at his well known voice the animal pricKed
up bis ears and came toward him. The change
in the horses appearance was almost instanta-
neous-his head was raised his nostrils dilated,
and his bound firm and free as an antelope.
Britzmsn me toned for his armor, which, being
brought, be put on-not however, without some
difficulty, from the rivets being rusted and the
straps having suffered from long dsuse. Atlength
be mounted, and with his lance in his nand, MS
| good ak at his saddle-bow, and with the helm,
from which his faded plume streamed TO the
wind. on his head, turned toward the city gate.
BE was followed by an immense crowd OF peo-
pie Marlotes and bis court rode slowly AFTER
and the public execuioner, with his assistants,
Arrived at the ground the lists were cleared.
and the Moorish herald made proclamation OF the
terms on which the trial had been granted TO
Count Britzman. A shout Of detision was set up
by the spectators at the signt of the released cap
tive and his miserable equiDage; and yet the more
experienced soldiers whispered 10 each otaer tnat
| ~ L.. ns.Ae ~ ksu fand 70 a
| knew the usages of war. The tdOlGdoS was then
pointed out TO him, the distance OF the course
marked out, and the trumpets sounded Tor the
charge. The count crossed himself devonuy IKE
Christian. and then gave his charger the rein and
spuIs at the same moment, firmly graapng his
lance, he directed his whole force against ihe
Moorish trophy. Is.a g.
7 The noise of the blow sounded ike the dis
, charge of culyerin the lance broke into pa-
countabe shivers; but the tGbtddOs, rocking upon
its base. fe and, in its fall, crushed several oil
! the Moors, who had imprudently stationed them
selves behind it. in the 1rm conviction that the
boasting Christians charge must OF necessity be
!. | made ID vain. .
:. murmur of surprise and anger burst from the
!, dissatisfied crowd. MsTlotes raised himself in his
= siirrups and gave command TO his guards 10 seize
r upon Count Britzmap ; but ere he could utter the
|, words one bound of his noble steed bad brought
the valiant German knight before him.. Britzman's
a uplifted ak descended on the turban, aud the ty
rants cleft head Immediately after rolling On
' the ground. Before the multitude had recovered
f from the astonishment which this exploit occa'
q stoned the count rode at the nearest entrance 20
Z the lists shifting the guards who pressed around
Il him, and dealing death and destruction Wherever
n his bows lighted In an incredibly short space ol
!. time he had passed the bounds; The river was
A before him, and without pause his stesd dashed
e into the water and had reached the opposite sd'
n before bis pursuers had come up to the Drink
i What will not man do when life and liberty are
"a at stake? The river was more than 6 bow-snot
=, | over and Count Britzman stood for a moment tC
4. cast defiance to the teeth of the Moors. For
y moment he aliRhted, and after girthing his horse
Is tighter he again vsulted into the saddle, and wa
~ In q few moments after out Of sight.
T. He rode without stint or stay, until he was on
IN of the Moorish dominions he then took the ne
N cessery repOse to recruit exhausted nature, ant
Ye proceeded, more gently, toward Inc osnks oi IN
lv beauteous Rhine, which was then, more than
any other period of his life, endeared to him oy
sr many associations.
At Not the fantest scrap of intelligence had reach
"A | ed the Castle of FalkenbeTg to in any way &C
"a count for the absence Of its lord any further tina
nd was contained 10 that brief report whica recOrde
a. the death of those mobiles who had fallen upon 10
Cd battle fields at Roncesvalles. As Datnre conse
or | uuence the Countess Britzman mourned her hui
an band as dead, and during the dreary seven yeal
no of bis absence, the unhappy countess had bee
al subject TO species Ct persecution which had 0
come almost insupportable. Count Brtzman
\. steward and csstellan had so enectually assume
al | the mastery over the g0ntle and unsuspectln
re countess, ss to hold her in completa dominion
I'm This man, Evan Cannot by name. had re epresente
|
IN man was greatly In debt at the time Of joinin
ed the kings forces-that bis estates were NOR
ch gagged, and but for bis (Canuct's) foresight 81
at. prudence, ruin and disaster would have iolowe
'ed The countess was at loss TO understand no
At this could possibly be but having 10 very Gle
lon notions of business matters bersef she was co
nm | strained 70 give credence to the speoious u
ne told by her husbands steward. This man,
ring his masters absence, had ample oppc
all | tupity afforded him to compass his own WICK
AS ends It soon became manifest that he sspir'
ms to the hand of the bereaved countess. He pc
'he secuted her with his attentions, and eventual
ri. had the temeriy TO boldly declare that there vi
NO but one way open 10 retrieve the sinking Il
tbs tunes of her honse-viz, by contracting uni
ire with himself. For long time the mistress
or. Falkenberg persistenty refused 10 listen 10
10 proposition which was Odlous to her !; but Cam
,ng watched and waited, and wrought upon h
~ fears "a 10 eventually succeed in extracting
nd reluctant PROMISE and he felicitated himself up
and the successful nature Of his enterprise.
pointed out to his miserable victim thar utter m
an awaited her in the event Of refusal ). and So