The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-05-31
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The Three Horse Shoes :

OR MARSHAL DE SAKE AND TIE DUTCH
BLACKSMITH.
Maurice de SAKE was q son of the King
of Saxony, and fine lad he was-tall and
strong and handsome, and as brave as a
lion. But the king, like q certain old
woman Of whom you may have heard, had
so many children that he didn't know
what to do aud, so, as Maurice had such
lot of elder brothers as to have not much
chance of inheriting the crown, or any
thing else that would keep him in bread
and butter, his father sent him out to seek
his fortune, like many another prince in
those days. So he went over to France,
and entered the army of King Louis
XIV.
Now, at that time there was always a
war going on somewhere or other, and the
French armies were fighting in every part
of Europe; and the king cared very little
who his officers were, or where they came
from, if they were only brave men and
clever fighters, and ready to 60 wherever
he liked to send them. So, as you NAV
think, it was not long before our friend
Maurice, who was quite as brave as any of
them and good deal cleverer than most,
began to make his way. First, he got to
be lieutenant, then captain, then a ma
jor, then'a colonel, and at last while he
was still quite a young man, he came out as
Count dc SAKE, and Field Marshal of the
Army of Flanders with fifty thousand men
under him! That was pretty good promo
ton, wasn't it
Curiously enough, the one thing that
this great general especially prided himself
upon, was neither his skill in warfare nor
his favor at court, but simply his strength.
There was nothing he enjoyed so much as
showing off the power of his muscles, and
astonishing the people about him by bend
ing an iron bar, or telling a horse with one
blow ofhis fist; and he was fond of saying
that he would give his purse and all the
money in it to any man who was stronger
than himself, if he could ever fall in with
him.
Now, it happened that, one day, while
the French and German armies were lying
pretty close to each other, Marshal de Sake
sent message to the enemy's camp, asking
some of the German officers to dine with
him and after the meal he began to boast
of his strength, as usual till at last an old
German general, who sat at his left, said
that he would like TO see specimen of
what his EXcellency could do. SAKE made
no answer, but took up Il large silver dish,
which was standing before him, in his
strong white fingers Qor, big and powerful
as his hands were, they were white and
smooth as any lady's, and he was very
proud OF them), and, without more ado,
rolled it up like sheet of paper!
"Can your Honor unroll that dish again?"
asked he, handing it to the German; and,
although the general was u strong man.
and tried his best, he found the task too
hard for him, and was forced TO own him
self beaten.
"Your Excellency's strength is very
great" said be, "but, nevertheless, ven
ture to think that there is one man in
Flanders who can match it,"
"And who may he be ?" asked SAKE,
frowning.
"a blacksmith in the village of Sche-
veniDgen Dirk Hogan by name. All the
country around knows Of his exploits; and
when | met with him myself / saw
such things as I should lave thought i'm
possible, had my own eyes not witnessed
| them"
When the marshal heard this he looked
| blacker than ever; and the first thing he
did next morning was to send off messcn-
gers in every direction to inquire for viii
lage called Scheveningen, and man nam
ed Dirk Hogan. And sure enough some
of them came back with news that there
was such village, and that Dirk Hogan,
the smith, had been living there till quite
| lately; but that now he had sold his forge
and gone away, and nobody knew what
had become Of him.
This was decided disappointment for
our friend SAKE, but he had something
else to think of just then. The enemy's
army had lately received strong re. enforce
ments, and seemed inclined to attack him;
and he was riding out one morning to
reconnoitre their position, when sud
denly his horse stumbled and cast a
shoe.
There's village just ahead Of us, your
Exceliency," said one of the officers
'Shull | ride on and see if / can find q
blacksmith 2"
do So" said SAKE; and the officer came
back presently to say that he had found
what he wanted. SO the horse was led
up to the door of the smthy, and the
smith himself came out to have u look at
it.
The moment he appeared the marshal
fastened his eyes upon him as if he would
look him right through. And we'll he
might, for this smith was such man as
one does not see every day-very nearly
as tall as SAKE himself, and even broader
across the shoulders, while upon his bare
arms the huge muscles stood out under the
tanned skin like coils of rope. The mar
shall felt at once that he could never be
comfortable till he had had trial of
strength with this turdy-looking fellow !;
so he babe him bring out one of his best
horse shoes.
The smith did, and Saxe looking at it,
said quietly: