The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-09-06

Jou hoAo JcSb u her6, my men J take
this rascal peasant and hang him up let him
be food for ravensw
The youth laughed yet more contemptuous}y,
the corners of his mouth twitched yet more
violently, and his countenance became alter
| nately pale and red.
"Hang Fleming !" he muttered Z" wait q
littleW
| Upon this he retreated o few steps, set his
back against q tree, stripped up the sleeves of
bis jerkin to his shoulders, and drew his bright
cross-handled knife from it's sheath /: the
| mighty muscles of his arm swelled up, and his
features became like those of an angry lion,
Woe to him that touches me ~ thundered
from his lips: Flemish ravens will never eat
me; French flesh suits their stomachs better ~
Lay hold of him, you cowardsw cried De
Chatillon to his men seize him, an up with
him Look at the poltroons are ye afraid of
knifef Must defle my hands With peas
ant! But no, that must not be, l am noble {;
and like must to like so it is your affair. Come,
sefze him by the collar!"
Some of the knights endeavored to pacify
DE Chatillon; but most of them took his part,
and would willingly have seen the Fleming
swing. And Gssuredly the men alarms, urged
on by their MASTER would have fallen upon the
youth, and in the end overpowered him. had
not ut this moment the same knight drawn
near who had just before gone few steps
aside, and till now had walked up and down
absorbed in thought His dress and armor far
surpassed those of all the rest in magnificence:
the lilies in blue field embroidered upon his
breast showed that he was of royal blood.
Hold there cried he, with q stern look to
the men-at-arms; while he added, turning to
DE Chatiilon: You seem to have forgotten
that 1t is to me that my brother and our king
Philip has given the land of Flanders in ief.
The Fleming is my vassal it is that am his
lord and judge, and you have no right over his
life,n
Am then to submit to be insulted bv n
common peasants asked De Chatillon angrily.
by my troth, count, i know not why it ia
that you always take the common mans part
against the noble. Is this Fleming then to
escape with the boast of having put to scorn
French knight UNPUBLISHED! And you, gen.
tlemen, say, has he not richly deserved to die ?"
Messire de Valois." said st. Pol. az prav
you let my brother have the satisfaction of
seeing this fellow swing. What difference can
1T mako to you whether the pig headed rascal
lives or dies ?"
NOW listen, gentlemen" cried Charles de
Valois, thoroughly reused, I" this inconsider-
ate talk is extremely displeasing to me. 1
would have you to know that the life of one
of my subjects is no small thing in my eyes
and 1t is my will that this young man go his
his way unmolested and unhurt. To horse.
gentlemen; We waste too much time here"
"Come along, Chatillon," muttered st. Pol,
turning to his brother, take the horse of one
of your people, and let us start: after all, De
Valois is no true man he holds with the peo
ple."
Meanwhile the men-at arms had replaced
their swords in their scabbards, and were now
busted in helping their masters to remount
Are you ready, gentlemen 2" asked De
Valois. " If SO, let us make haste and get IN
else we shall be too late for the hunt And do
you vassal, walk on one side, and tell us when
Hwe have 20 turn. How much farther have we
to Wynandael /"
The youth took off his cap, bowed respect.
fully to his preserver, and answered: "a
short hours ride, my lord"
By ny soul, don't trust the fellow said
ST. Pol; " believe he is but a wolf in sheep.s
clothing"
THAT have long suspected" interposed
the chancellor, Peter Flotte; "for he eyes us
like wolf, and listens like hare"
Hah! now 1 know who he u.s." cried De
Chatil!on. Have you never heard of one
Peter Deconinck, weaver of Bruges :"
You are certainly wrong there" observed
Raoul de Nesle "I- have myself spoken with
the noted weaver of Bruges, when was there
he is far deeper one than this fellow, though
he has but one eye, while our friend here has
two, and those none of the smallest. Without
doubt the lad is attached to the old family, and
is not over well pleased at our victorious arri-
val to thrust them out and take possession
that's all. Surely we may well forgive him
his fidelity to his country's princes in their
evil days"
Enough of this" interrupted De Chattillon;
" let us speak of something else Do any of
you know what it is that our gracious king
Philip really means to do with this Flanders
II he Kept his treasury us close as his brother
De Valois lips, by mine honor it would be but
poor life at court" 4