Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-05-15
The Three Horse-ShOes
OH. MARSHAL DE SAKE AND TIE puI

OF. MARSHAL DE SAKE AND TIE DUTCH
BLACKSMITH
Maurice do SAKE was son OF the
King of Saxony, aud fine lad he was
tall and strong and handsome, an
as brave as a lion. But the king,
like q certain old woman OF whom you
may have heard, had 20 many children
that he didn't know what to do u; and
30, as Maurice had such lot Of elder
brothers as to have not much chance
OF inheriting the crown, or anything
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
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, it
they were only brave men and clever
fighters, and ready to 60 wherever he
liked to send them. So, as you may
think, it was not long before our friend
Maurice, who was quite as brave as
any of them, and a good deal cleverer
than most, began TO make his way.
First he got to be lieutenant, then Il
captain, then major, then colo
mel. 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 thou
sand men under him! That was pretty
good promotion, wasn't it7
Curiously enough, the one thing
that this great general specially prided
himself upon was neither his skill in
warfare nor his favor at court, but
simply his streng'h. There was nothing
he enjoyed SO much as showing OF
the mower IF his muscles. and astonish-
ing the people about him by bending
an non bar, or telling horse with one
blow of his fist; and he was fond of say
ing 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 tn, 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 fis
left, said he would like to see a speci.
men of what his Exellency could do.
SAKE made no answer, but took up
large silver dish, which was standing
before him, in his strong white fingers
Gor, 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, roll
ed it up like sheet ofpaper!
"Can your Honor unro!l that dish
again I" asked he, handing it to the
German and although the general
was a strong mau, and tried his best,
he found the task too hard for him,
and was forced to own himself
beaten.
Your Excellency's strength is very
great" said he, "but nevertheless, l
venture to think that there is one man
in Flanders who can match it.
Sand who may he be 7" asked SAKE
frowning.
"a blacksmith in the village OF
Scheveningen, Dirk Hogan, by name.
All the country around knows of his
exploits and when I met with him
myself, 1 saw such things as l should
have thought impossible, 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 messengers in evrey dirrec-
ton to inquire for a village called
Scheveningen, and q man named
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