Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-09-07

listing my Lord County inquired the head
humbly.
"Beer' said the Lord Count. Whercat
the butler stood aghast.
"The Count is fool" said the butler
to the chief henchman, who nodded as
sent.
"Cheese!' continued his highness;
"and sauerkraut!'' And tho steward
turned pale.
"Thcre is no question of it," he COM
municated in confidence 10 the chief cook.
"The Lord Count is undoubtedly mad"
"Mau as a March hare" assented the
chief cook, licking the boar's-head fat
from his fingers. And all the turn.spits
and sculliOns looked at each other and
shook their heads.
The banquet was but half over, when
suddenly the loud blast Of a trumpet
sounded without, and the whole company
sprang from their seats and rushed upon
the battlenents.
There, in front of the portcullis, appear
ed gigantic horseman, clad in complete
armor, with large armed retinue behind,
and in front q herald, who trumpeted
forth, in the name of the valiant Baron
Breckisncch, naughty defiance to the
Count von Schwal!Zschrfte rftensburg to i'm
mediate and mortal combat; by reason OF
the still unsettled teud that had existed be-
tween the said Baron Brecki' mech and
the late Count Won Schwaltzschoffens
burgh. And unless this challenge were i'm
mediately and promptly responded to, he,
the said valiant Baron Breckisnech, would
straightway assault the castle, hang the
Count from the highest tower, cut of the
heads Of the seneschal and the
warder thereof, and with those bloouy
trophies adorn the bastions of the main
gateway $50 mought it bel" concluded
The herald, solemnly.
The whole castle was now In dlsmay
and confusion All looked to the valor Of
the Count for salvation, and no time
was lost in bringing his armor and buck
ling it upon his trembling limbs.
I'll am not well enough to fight"
gasped the Count, teeb}y: Whereupon his
highness's medical advisers were sum-
moDed.
"The Lord Count is perfectly WE'LL"
said the chief physician, feeling his pulse
physician, examining his tongue.
"But IL can't fl ght," said the Count,
grasping the huge sword as though it were
charcoal rake
"My Lord must try,' said the mastcr-at-
arms, sternly.
"The Lord Count is coward" said all
the men alarms and retAiners, in disgust
whilst the seneschal and the warder, rub
bing their throats, earnestly urged upon
the Count expedition. But the Count
wouldn't hurry.
e! can't fight" he said. "My health
won't allow of it"
"You must fight" said the Baron Bluff
fenburg. "Your honor demands it,
II won't fight" lid the Count, desper-
ately:
"You shall fight" said the Baron, reso-
lutcly
So the Baron took him by the arm ard
led him toward the gates, and when he
resisted, the master. at-a1ms took his other
arm, and the sencschal and the warden
pushed behind, and 50 they dragged and
pushed him out at the gateway and across
the draw bridge, until he stood face to face
with the valiant Baron Breckisnech, who
advanced, sword in hand, to the encoun-
ter
The next moment Peter Bloch felt a
sharp burning pain in his breast as the
Baron's blade went through him. He
grew blind, and dizzy, grasped wildly at
MS own SWOrd, ana tell.
Consciousness returned slowly to Peter
Bloch.
He looked around and saw, to his great
surprise and joy, that he was in his own
little cottage in the forest He smelled
the fresh resinous Odor of the fr-trees, he
heard the CRU ting Of the pigs in the sty,
and he saw from the open window the
charcoal kilns and the cAbbage- garden !;
and sweeter than these to his delighted
eyes was the plump, rosy face of Katrina,
who, close behind him, was making q
goat's-milk p. sset, into which her tears
slowly fell.
"Ach hinanel !" said Katrina, kissing him
tenderly on either check; "but he knows
me now; he is well!"
"How was it ?" asked Peter, heartily re.
turning the salute and staring around.
"We found you lying senseless under
the fir-tree, where left you sitting when
you refused your dinner" answered Ka-
trina, soberly.
Like the fool was" muttered Peter.
And you have been 50 strange ever
since, naeSn Peter; asking for little wine,
and inquiring about the Lady Hide
garde.'"
"Ah!" muttercd Peter Bloch to him.
self, "that was the Count Won Schwaltz.
schoffensburgh. He was here in my body
whilst occupied his, Or-or have l been
dreaming, wonder?"
"How did it happen?" inquired Katrina,
in her turn. "There was an awful smell
Of birthstone about the fir-tree, 80 old
Gottlieb just now thought it best to brand
the cross upon your breast, to preserve
you from the power of the Evil One.
Here is the mark. you see. Did you feel
tho burnr 1t was that which aroused
you"
"And it was that which also saved
me" said Peter. "That Baron Breckis-
mech, in bis black srmor, was the very
man l saw beneath the fir-tree this morn
ing. knew him before he let down his
visor and rushed upon ME. He thought
to have me, did he, body and soul? But
the cross saved me; ach, Got! the cross
saved me-"
Katrina thought him dreaming still.
And whether or not it was dream, Peter
Bloch was never, to his dying day, able to
decide. OF one thing only was he posi-
lively sure-and that was that he was
much happier as Peter Bloch, the char
coal burner. with his wife Kat. ina, than he
could ever have been as the Count Won
Schwaltzschofe ofensburgh and the husband
Of the Lady Hildegarde. Probably Ma
ture, of whom he had complained, knew
this when she chose for his soul u cor.
responding body and station in life She
knows what is best for us, after all -
Hcrsduer's lKonMly