Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-01


punished for fighting single handed against
twenty, there is no reason why another
should suffer. If you do not care to do
justice to man, do justice to monkey.
"The gentlemen appears to like my
humor the monkey was unstrapped from
my shoulders and / was then ordered to
tell my story. l told it, and offered to
prove it upon the bodies of two Of the most
powerful of my enemies. There was some
thing in me that attracted them, some
dare-devilry or defiance of fate, or perhaps
something in my speech different from
what they might have expected from a
being of my stamp. My proposal was
hailed with shout of laughter.
"' 1t shall be so Knight of the Hump,
said the chief am master here
''' You are Mauvain, then,' l said au.
daciously, the new lord
"' 1 am, he replied, seemingly amused
at my boldness.
"' My mother has told me of you.
"We shall have fine times she said,
I" now the old lord is dead They have
commenced well for me.
is your mother here p he inquired.
"FNo, 1 said, ASHAMED of bringing me
into the world, she is praying for my soul
while go out of it.
GO You have nimble tongue, bunch
back.
There is no hump on it, my lord. If
am to fight l must be unbound.
"'B By his order the ropes were taken
from my body, and l gave leap in the
air. A fantastic spirit animated me, and
my wits were sharpened by the opportunity
given me for quip and repartee. A ring
was formed, within which the tournament
was to be held. Whichever one of the
three combatants stepped outside this ring
was to be driven in with whip and thong.
"The gentlemen entered into the affair
with keen enjoyment it was rare sport for
them.
MY antagonists entered the ring, strip
ped to the waist. They were fine stalwart
men, and their muscles stood out like
whipcord. l measured them with my eye
they looked on me with seorn. thought
to myself that it would have been chival-
rous on the part of the gentlemen to have
suggested that the battle about to be
fought was unequal, but no such idea &C.
Cured to them.
"'If 1 kill these men, said to Maui
vain, what will happen to me?'
"' will hold you free, he replied; If
you come off victorious, you shall enter
my service, and be dressed in silk
"'Ah, 1 said, with grimace, the
tailor will have difficult job
Whereat the gentlemen laughed again.
"Now, whether they wished me to be
victorious or not l cannot say know that
they betted on the result of the battle, as
they would have done if beasts were about
to fight instead of men.
"'What is your name, hunchback !.
asked Mauvain.
'Ranf, answered.
"'I shall stake money on you.
"' You are good judge. If lose you
can cut off my hump. If l win, cry
halves
"The signal was given for the battle to
commence. There were no set rules we
were to fight in any way we pleased. For
a moment or two we gazed at each other
in silence then the two men advanced
towards me, one undertaking to seize me,
while the other looked on and bided his
time. gave him no time to bide. Slip
ping past the active one, l seized the
other, and flung him like lightning over
my shoulder. He fell upon his head, and
lay motionless. Before my remaining
enemy could take advantage of me, con.
fronted him. l saw him turn pale, and
played with him / allowed him to grip
me, but he could have made as much i'm.
preston upon steel as he made upon me.
Never till this moment was / aware of my
full strength. Gradually l slid my hands
from his shoulders to his wrists, until
held his arms in my left hand as in a vice,
while my right was free to kill him, if
cared to do so.
"'What do you think !? 1 said, as
looked him straight in the face.
"'That you are leagued with the devil,
he muttered, writhing in modification anc
shame at his disgrace.
1T was you who spat in my face,
said the devil 1 am in league with is
foolish devil. Go; give you your life.
81 hurled him from me, and he fell
stunned, to the ground. Then 1 stepped
to Mauvain, and said
"'I am ready for another two
az You have done enough, said Mauvain
| hiDging me some money.
sit was the first money had eve
owned. l looked around upon the mel
who had insulted me, and gathering thu
money, 1 threw it among them, as care
lessly as it had been thrown to me.
eel will buy the hunchback of you,
said one of the gentlemen to Mauvain.
He is not for sale, replied Mauvain
$50, was a commodity, to be bough
and sold. My flesh and blood did not be
long to me.
"Within month my mother and
were established in Mauvain's household
and had soft beds to sleep in. My mothe
was in her glory l sighed for my old life
If had met with one proof of human sym
pathy or kindness, it might have been diff
ferent with me but l was surrounded BY
hatred. was feared for my strength, anC
men were careful not to provoke me, bu