The Benton record., 1877-10-05
VOL. III.
ment tbatensued. mot even Stbor car

grantlt, II such be his Wlll2' demande
the chiaftain, in a voice of thunder as h
rose proudly from the earth where he hat
been seated on a couch Of skins. eth
castle of Betzko shall be built.
And it was built; and within year
festival was held there, and tha noble be
came enamored of his own creation, for j
was beautiful IN its strength, and the fai1
DANES admired its coartly halls as mucE
as the warriors priced its solid walls and
its commanding towers. And then Count
Stibor bought the rock fortress from Bis
Jester with gold, and made It the chie1
place his abode, and he feasted there
with his guests, and made merry with music
and dances, until it seemed as though life
was to be for him one long festival. Men
often walk over the spot which anerward
opens to bury them.
Little by little the habit Of seIfindul-
gence grew upon the luxurious noble, yet
still he loved the chase beyond all else on
earth, and his dogs were Of the feetest and
finest breeds.
He was one day at the table, surrounded
by the richest viands and the rarest vines
when one Of his favorite hounds entered
the hall bowling with pain, and dragging
after him his wounded foot, which dropped
blood as he moved along. Terror seized
upon the hearts of the yassals, even before
the rage Of their lord burst forth, and when
it came, terrible was the storm, as he vow
ed vengeance against the wretch who had
dared thus to mutiIate an animal that he
valued.
An aged slave flung himself at his feet
"Mercy, my lord, mercy |" he exclaimed,
piteously. Il have served you faithfully
for years; my beard is gray with time, and
my life has been one Of hardship. Have
mercy upon me, for he flew upon me and
would have torn me had I not defended
myself against his fury. I might have
destroyed him, but sought only to pres
erve myself. Have mercy upon my weak
ness r.
The angry chiefsin, however, Needed
not the anguish Of his gray hairs, and
pointing to a low balcony which extended
across the window OF the apartment, and T
hung over the precipiee, he commanded
that the wretched old man should ba flung
from thence into the river which flowed I
beneath, as an example to those caitiAfs
who valued their own worthless lives above
those of his noble hounds
AS the miserable tools Of an imserious
will were dragging the unhappy victim to
his fate, he raised his voice and cursed the
tyrant whom they served, and having done
so, he summoned him to appear before the
tribunal which none can escape, to answer
for this his last crime on its first anniver-
sary. But the powerfnlchief needed not
his wor Is.
"Avay with him'' he said, sternly, as
he lifted his goblet 10 his lips and there
was struggle shrek Of agony-and /
then splash upon the river wave, and ali
was silent!
A year went BY II festival and pride, and
the day Oh which that monster crime had
been committedreturned unheeded. There
was feast in the castle, and Stibor, who
month after month gave himself up yet
more to selfindQlgence, gradually became
heavy with wine, and his attendants car
ried him to couch beside the same win
dow whence the unfortunate slave had
been hurled twelve months before. The
guests drank on for time, and made nler-
ry at the insensibiIity and heIplessness of
their powerful host, and then they depart
ed, each to his business or his pleasure,
and left him there alone.
The easement had been flung back to
admit the air freely into tie heated apart
ment, and the last rereller had scarcely
when raven-the sombre mes
senger ofN emesis--aew thrice around the
of the castle, and then alight-
d on the balcony. Several Of the guests
amused their idleness By watching the
ofthe ill-nmered bird, but once
laving lost sight ofit they turned away
md thought Of II no more.
Meanwhile, work ofagony and death
lad been delegated to that dark,Winged
Messenger. t rested bntan instant from
IS flight ere once more i hoyered over the
ouch Of the sleeping Stibor, ana then,
.arting down, its sharp beak penetrated al
ne thrust from his eye into his brainl
The agony awole him, bat be aWoke
,nly to madness from its extent. He reel
d to and fro, venting imPfecations to
which none we're By to listen, and writhed
lntil his tortured body was conYulsed. AZ
ength, by ! mighty effort, striving 70 ae-
omplish ~ knew not what, he hurled him
tie balcony, at the seIfsame spot