Wichita eagle., 1888-10-27
THE PIGEON PIE.


of a white dove From that came an old
gastronomic custom which is not without its
charm. In some parts Of France they cele-
brate Whitsuntide by eating with evident
! relish at the family table a fine pigeon stew
or pie, which they piously sprinkle with the
contents of bottles long under seal. Very
| fatterlng to the memory Of the apostles, this
| culinary homage, but doubtless less agreea-
/ bic to the pigeons But that is not the point
of this sketch, which concerns a story, or
rather real adventure, which l witnessed
/ In my boyhood.
In her pretty villa on the banks Of the
! Loire, the Baroness Alice de Maiheury, an
adorable widow Of twenty-five springs, had
on Whitsunday quiet, social dinner party,
| at which was to figure, with honors, a pigeon
! pie prepared by her own delicate hands.
/ Chief among her invited quests was the
| young Capt. de Sabresac, called by the ladies
the handsome Roland. He was counting,
| openly and conspicuously, the pretty widow,
of whom he was at once the sutton and the
| friend. Handsome as Mars, straight as q
/ lance, solidly nodded as gun, brave and
loyal as his sword, the captain had but one
( fault, perhaps, that of having been born in q
castle On the margin OF the Garonne. He
made others conscious of his ArtaGnan pecu-
iarities, and had a somewhat boastful cour-
age, with true Gascon va!or. Alice, who
suffered from his eXaggerations, though, his
stories were told in all sincerity, was vexed
at these braggings, always amusing and often
witty, which she could not correct This
great rogue Of u handsome captain had as it
Were Gascon mirage in his brain.
Dinner is announced, Roland offers his arm
to the baroness. They seat themselves at the
table. Immediately after tire soup my cap
tain begins to relate his featS of proves with
all his well known energy. Alice contracts
her beautiful and finely arched eyebrows and
bites her rosy lips.
So,my dear captain, you have never known
what fear was in your lief
"Never, baroness! except the fear of dis
pleasing you. Otherwise l have always re-
manned as impasslve as this salt cellar"
"By the way" asks with curiosity the
blonde Alette de Toisac, what is that story
about tie wolfl"
"Oh! very simple affair. I was fifteen
years old at the time. An enormous wolf,
driven from his den by snow and hunger,
came one fine day into the court yard of the
castle. Armed with pitchforks and clubs the
servants ran II, but at the sight Of his grin
ming jaws, ornamented with formidable
tushs, his quivering tail and his wild eyes
which burned like 1--we Goals, no one dares to
80 near him. Then | come forward as
though about to pick a strawberry, and l
fasten a saucepan to the VOLTS tail, then
stepping back l clap my hands sharply. AT
the noise the game sets or dragging his tin
ware and he is still running"
"Bravo!" exclaimed the gracious Julia
d'Artrsec, 'and your wild boar. 1t seems,
captain, that you almost missed him."
Come now, had left the military school
at Saint Cyr to spend my vacation in the
Ardennes with my cousin, Bernard de Haute-
futail One morning went into the woods
to gather a bouquet OF honeysucl1le for my
cousin Bertha, vino has the pretUiest foot in
the world Suddenly / caught sight Of o
boar asleep IL his lair. To tell tie truth |
was only youngster, solid enough other
wise, particularly in mathematics and love
making. l throw q stone and it falls di-
rectly on the recluse. Making bound he
charges on me with unheard of fury. For
arms sword cane--that is all. The boar is
dead. A gaIneheeper comes and we cut up
the monster. a few hours later offered M
cousin Bertha the head of my victim, bear
ing in its horrible jaws a delicious bouquet
of honeysuckle."
Have you not also story of a goat which
is very dramaticgn asks the fascinating
Countess Of Beausoleil.
That is a story of another sort l was
second lieutenant, IN garrison at Tarbes.
While gathering some herbs On the mountain
l encountered d flock o. goats, guarded by
On enormous buck with gigantic horns. 1
stroke him gently down the hack. This IA
miliarity displeases him. Suddenly he goes
Off few steps, strikes the ground with his
bronze foot, lowers his big head and pounces
down on me with the inpetuosity Of an ava
lsnche. The goats take fight and the goat
herd cries out that / an dead By spring,
skillfully calculated. avoid the shock of the
creature, leap on his back, seize him by his
beard, throw him over. blind him with the
dust OF the road and strange him with my
handkerchief A rattle sounds in his throat,
he chokes, he is dead. The goatherd comes.
l indemnify him for the loss Of the beast,
which I leave there, reserving for myself
only the horns"
LAS for me- cries the lively Renee do
Puyfera, II want my bear. demand my
bear"
Il serve him to you, madame. I was In
Switzerland, climbing wild mountain in
merry company. Soon l find myself quite
distance from my companion climbers, being
belated by my task OF gathering roses"
Doubtless for your COUSIN Bertha" inter
rupted the baroness
mo, madame, for my mother, who was
kept at the hotel by slight Illness l con-
tinue my story Suddenly I hear fright
ful growing turn and see magnificent
bear about to eat some Strawberries / call
him by bis name Coed morning, Martin,
look smart, my friend Cone, Martin, sup
pose you dance the bourree q little while for
mel Wounded in his feelings, perhaps, at
being taken for On Auvergne bear when be
was Swiss, friend Martin rises on his hind
paws and comes straight toward me, his
arms stretched ont hike al Old courade who
is coming TO embrace you At the moment
when be is about to press re agains. his
shaggy breast, skutully bury little dag
ger il lis heart! TIE mex: DAY invited my
friends 70 breakfast on my adversary. The
stakes, lsdies, were excellent"
500 continued the baroness, ''vou have
never in your lie experienced even q sus-
pic:o1 Of fears regret it, captain have
L:t!e liking for these perfectly valiant men.
these ir,uovab.y courageous fellows, thess
souls that are invariably heroic, VITO havs
tie air OF being regulated in their Dlo=eneots
like ciocl- Ike TO have something hu-
man betrayed occasionally il tbs heart OF q
hero."
~You put ne to rights tn fne s.yik dear
baroness.
"Ole day &. Chant:liy,' the Lady went On,
"while watering bis pinks. the great Coods
grssed sgaint an adder which stood ny hiz-
irs. The ooaqueror OF Rocroy took fright,