The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-12-27
THE RIDERS OF TIE GREEN
BALDRIC.
\ ROMANCE OF FEuDAL TIMES.

4 ROMANCE OF FEUDAL TIMES.
The traveller Of to-day would find the
country of which write vastly different in
appearance and in cJadi ion, from VIVA: il
was in those times long ago.
Louis II. WIS king OF France, but king
only in name, The great icudal lords of
the provinces were sovereign princes, hold
ing government in their own right.
The kings Of Christcndom themselves
were little else than robbers on large
scale.
1t was dull, lowcry day, the 18th Of
August, IN the year OF our Lord 1853, at
Alsdori, which was then within the Grand
Duchy OF Luxembourg, and the summer
residence o. the grand duke
On this dismal August day, the Grand
Duke John stood in the outer court of his
castle, the gates OF which were thrown wide
open, looking upon a number Of children
who were at play upon the velyety sward.
! Three Of them were children Of his own
two boys and girI-a2d three Others were
children OF one Of his iOreslerS, Ga!en Pic
ard by name. OF the dukes children lisa.
bella was the oldest, having seen eight
| years. Leon WAS the next, aged six years !;
and the youngest was Alfred, aged four.
! The children Of the forester We're two girls
and BOY, and very nearly of the sane
| ages, respectively, u their titled mates.
The boys had been fos,er-brothcrs, the
wife OF the forester having nurscd them
! both.
On tlc r,sen, occasion ihr children were
engaged 10 SPORT g!eesomc shouts and
langhtG reached him. BY and by the two
foster-brotlieg,, seeing him, ran towards
| him.
ia, my little heroes" he cried. as the
boys came up, where are your quarter
slaves! | haven't seen you exercise for a
lopg time" Tr''' 1s.r-~
With awhoop and n bound the lads dash
ed away. and very soon returned with the
staves-two stichs Of tough ash, wrought
very nearly INTO the form Of broal-swords;
and at signal from the duke they took
position, and went at the sword excise,
showing very plainly, ere dozen passes
had been made, that thcy had eagerly pur-
sued the sport, and that they had been
blessed with the teaching OF thorough
master.
John ofLuXemb0urg was not the only
witness Of the boyish passage at arms. in
the doorway Of a lodge close at hand stood
a woman, he mother of Leon Picard, and
she called companion to witness.
Tell me, Mignon, the mother said, "arC
they not bave boys"
Indeed they are. Barbara, and were il
not for the clothes who could tell winch
was the lotl's SOM"
who, indeed" exclaimed Barbara ri.
card. "Ifmy own Leon had on the fine
velvet and the gold which the other Leon
wears, he would be every bit as grand"
Foolish woman" said a voice behind
her outward apparel cannot make hero.
Look, See your Icons weapon flying
through the air
She turned and bcheld the dukes sccrc-
tary, Zcta Bethtoni, who, besides attending
to his masters literary wants, acted us tutor
to the children.
AS might be gathered from the exclam-
alton Of the scribe the playful combat be-
tween the two boys had resulted in perch
ng victory upon the banner of Luxembourg
The duke regarded his son proudly, and
then turned with smiling face to the fores.
tcrs son.
MY little hero" he said, "your effort Just
put forth shows to me that you are worthy
to own a sword, and you shall have one and
you shall 90 TO Bittburg to morrow and
select one for yourself; and my own Leon
and our good Bethtoni shall go with you
ALI. here comes Bcthtoni. see Mistress
Picard yonder, and the other children are
running towards her. DO you two join
them"
Suddenly the tramp Of horses was heard
and Bethtoni rushed forward to close the
main barbcan.
did you not see the advancing troop, my
lordl" he asked of the duke,
III saw few horsemcn ride out from the
wood"
"And marked you not who led them"
III saw n knight in black aimor.'
"Oh, John Luxembourg il you knew all
that know you would be arming. Those
are the Black Riders of Gmvelo,, and he at
their head is MaiIlotin du Bac"
"Du Bac!" cried John, with convulsive
start. "Thc Black Riders. They have join.
ed the Count de Charoais"
"Ayc,-and for that reason they are here
Can you not understands The count means
if possible, to possess himself Of Luxem.
bourg. received II hint to that effect from
n way-faring monk not an hour since, and
was on my way to you with the intelligence
but now, little thinking the enemy were SO
near
The duke saw his danger, and fastened
into the keep to arm himself.
The Black Riders of the GrhvGlot Castle
had long been the terror of the whole
country. Original y marshaIlcd by a Bob
mian knight-crrant, Sir Raou de Lapgwuli,
they had grown from score to u troop OF
iull two hundred, and not only did they ut.