The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-24
u RIDERS Oh RllEaNs B ll
an,asrANcg DC YeynlL TIsExs.

..-..- II
q a,RosrANcg OF YsyssaiI Tisfsss.
ms traveller OF to-day would fiaa the
I cos1ntfy of winch, i write yastly niuerenfs
I Il, annearance aud 10 condi tton from sshat
|. it was in those times long agos \. 20
Louis XI. was King OF France, nst kinE
only liz name. The great fen Gal stera ass, q
the provinces were SOVEREIGN p'lnces, aosssr
Snsv government in their own right.
!. ~ The kings oil Christendom themselves
.vsre. little else than robbers on a sarse
scale. ~. u
: n was q dull, Iowery dag, the seventeenth
Of August. in the year Of our Lord Feurf
seen. Hundred Fnty:ei2hfs at A SCOTT. winch
swas then within tue Grand DHchy OIL Lux
on, bo;Irr. and the summer residence OF the
grand duke. 49,, !
.Dnke John stood ID the outer court or MS
castle, the gates OF which were thrown Vide
open, looking upon number OF chtidren
w DO were at play upon the ve'vesy sWard.
Three OF them were children Oh ms own
two bows and gir-and. three others were
nhiIdren Of one OF his ioresters, Galen Pl-
card by. name. or the dukes children l st
bella was the oldest, having seen eight years.
! Leon was the next, aged six years and the
youngest was Alfred, aged four. The chill
dren of the forester We're tive girls and q
/. bow. and very nearly OF the same ages, re-
tspectiyely, as their titled mates. The boys
had been foster. brothers, the wife OF the
forester having nursed them both. ..3s
Sc On the present occasion the children were
engaged in sport, land the dukes face bright
ened as their gleesome shouts and laughter
reached him. By.and.by the TWO FOSTER
brothers, seeing him, ran towards ,him. !,
s,..a Ha, my little heroes :" ne crleo, as the
boys came up, "Where are your quattef-
slaves? i haven't seen you exercise for
ong timc:' -: -.
with a wboop- and a bound the lads.
dashed away. and very soon returned with
'fbe staves-two STICKS oftough ash, wrought
very nearly into the form Of broad-swords;
and at signal from the Duke they took po-.
,sition and went at the sword exercise, show,
ing very plainly. ere dozen passes bad been,
made that they had eagerly pursued the
sport, and that they had been blessed with,
the teaching of thorough master.
&, John of Luxembourg was not the only
witnesS OF the boyish passage-at-arms. In
the doorway OF lodge close at hand stood
a woman, the mother OF Leon Picard, and
she called companion to witness.
t.Tel me, Mignon," the mother said,
:<tare they not brave boys? ?"
not for the clothes who could tell which was
the lords son ?"
"Who, indeed!' exclaimed Barbara
Picard. oil my 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 .Leon's weapon flying
through the air."
~ She turned, and beheld the dukes secre-
,,tary. .zeta Bethtoni, who, besides attending
to his masters literary wants, acted as tutor
to the children.
AS might be gathered from the exclama-
ton Of the scribe, the playful combat be-
tween the two boys had resulted in perch
ing victory upon the banner OF LuXem-
bourg. The duke regarded bis son proudly,
aud then turned with smiling face to the
iorester's son. ~
tsMy little hero" be said, "your effort
Just put forth shows to me that you are
worthy to own O sword, and you shall have
one; and you shall 60 to Bittbnrg to-mor-
row and select one for yourself; and my
own Leon and our good Bethtoni shall
go with you. aAhl here comes Bethtoni. l
see Mistress Picard yonder, and the other
children are running towards her. =Doyou
two join them" III
Suddenly the tramp of horses was heard,
and Bethtoni rushed forward to close tire
main barbican. 5. .:,I...5 =. 49,, -.
ss -. Did you. not see the advancing troop
my lord t'' he asked of the duke. IL:
81 saw. few horsemen ride out from the
-wood.o ,.,to s.ss ~. ~
: q And marked you not who led them? ?"
g / saw u knight in black armor."
"Oh, John of Luxembourg, il you knew
all hat aIy w no M
Those are the Black Riders OF Gravelot, and
'he' at their head is Mailotin du Bac - ~.
sDu Bac!" cried John, with convul-
sive start. "The Black Riders! They have
Joined the Count de Charolais."
~" Aye; and for that reason they are here
Can you not understand? The Count
means, If possible, to possess himself Of
Iuxemb ourg.a received a. hint to that ef-
feet from q wayfaring monk not an hour
since, and was on my way to you with the
intelligence but now; alittie thinking the
enemy were so near"
The duke saw his danger, and fastened
into the keep to arm himself. ssr
The Black Riders of Gravelot Castle had
long been the terror Of the whole country.
Originally marshalled by q Bohemian
had grown from score to atroop Of full
two hundred, and not only did they attack
castles and villages for purpose OF plumber,
hut they had more than once successfully
turned their arms against incorporated |
cities Lately this lawess force had accept
ed service under the Cpunt de Charolais.
and John OF Luxembourg knew very we'll |
that they would not thus appear upon his |
domain without direction from their lord |
and master.
By the time the leader ef the BLACK |
Riders had reached the outer gate the APP |
proaches to the castle had been secured |
and its forces mustered to the number OF |
6ve-and-sixty. OF the enemy-if enemies |
they were-there Were fulltwo hundred. all |
strong men, and well armed; andewhen !
they had drawn up before the outer barbi- |
can their herald, sounded a blast upon. his.
trumpet, which caaf-.-the -grand duke
answered an person. HIS secretary and the;1
chief OF his officers songht to, aisssade him
from exposing himself, out heawanld not
listen \, =" ~ '.'tsi 49, f.
as.i He mounted one Of the A1bailer towers Il,
advance OF the main tower OF the barbican,
in Que OF the most exposed positions be
could hare selected, and demanded tos&noW
upon what enand the troop had come.
y We bold not conference with your Gas
t,e-walls between us.D answered the bsack
kHigln, Hhose voice and whaae whole bear
ing and sta{wart presence 9dhn recognised
az hesongiag to Raoul de Langsgoa.
~ FhroWs opea Fear gates,- alA yoD. shaa!
quick Roknosy eur pleasure. af you put .sas
TO the labor OF forcing our .ways 1t shall be.I
worse for, these who e&se may not suffer- i