Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-05
A GASC0N ROMANCE.

was between the two millers of the COM
mune-Castagnet the owner of the Upper
Mill, and Labarthe, the proprietor of the
Lower Mil Castagnet Of the Upper Mil Twas
rich: Labarthe OF the Lower Mill was poor
The Upper NH had the prettiest maid of the
mill in the canton; but the Lower Mill pos
sessed the handSomeSt donkey in the district
The maid Of the mill was the daughter of
Castagnet, and was called Yanette: the don
key was born on Labarthe's estate, and was
named Hercules. Now, il must be regretfully
admitted, the handsome Hercules competed
with the pretty Yanette advailtag eously, and,
thanks to him, the poor Lower Mill was
making ready to ruin the rich Upper Mill
Let us hasten to say that Hercules was not
an ordinary donkey. Hercules was as big as
horse, hence his prestige; strong as two
mules, hence his name: and as learned as
several college graduates, hence his triumph.
His master, the bcaming Labarthe, had two
sons. The elder, elegantly named Auguste,
was handsome fellow Of -, provided with
a thick mustache, and accomplished in the
art OF stealing the ducks Of the customers at
the mill, speciality Of the Gascon millers
All Salignacq admired him. The other son.
sneeringly named Cadetou, was a feeble
youth of %, afflicted with a beardless face.
and never able to cheat a friend out of the
sma Hest little chick And the Young girls
made fun of him. 1t was this fellow, disin-
herited by nature, who was the teacher of
Hercules And what donkey he made of
him.
To begin with, Hercules was well endowed
While very young he carried two sacks of
flour, and his master atop, with the ease of q
horse taking young girl to ride Taught
by Cadeton, Hercules learned to GO down on
bis knees when he was scolded. to dance when
the peasant girls patted his nose, to ring his
bell when he passed before the church door
TO salute the schoolmaster, whom he honored,
with a respectful shake of the head wagCinc
his ears the while; to count up to nine with
MS ROOF, tor which he was rewarded with an
extra dish or bran; to-ah, well, let us con-
nne ourselves TO saying that he made the en-
tire commune wonder over his learning
glory comes quickly in Gascony-so that in
the little evening gatherings they talked of
nothing but the exploits of Hercules. the
Industrious donkey of the Lower Mill. The
Upper Mill got into a terrible rage over it:
every day IL lost customers. All the country
round about, dazz!ed by the wonderful deeds
OF Hercules, sent its grain to Labarthe
Hercules charmed all the farmers and had
the sympathy of all the housekeepers The
four d0nkeys of the Upper Mill could not
compete with him. And Yanette, the maid
OF the mil, who was prudent as well as
pretty, was not so honored as the famous in
habitant of the rival mill
Castagnet, not entirely discouraged, con-
suited fortune tellers in high repute anT
paid them roundly TO throw a spell over the
cursed donkey But Hercules was perhaps
as much of a witch as they; at any rate,
nothing worked against him And the
wheel OF the Upper Mill turned only when
there was grain TO be ground for the family
Castagnet would have bought the wonderful
donkey from his enemy; he would certainly
have given 100 crowns for him. and You can
get ten donkeyS for that money at the fair in
Peyhourade. But Hercules would not have
consented TO the sale, and it was necessary to
reckon with the beast. His reputation had
passed the bounds of the commune and su-
perb offers had come to I4abarthe. who had
accepted them. But Hercules ALWAYS came
back home on the morrow of the sale, and
Labarthe had to refund the money to the
buyer. From Porillon, distant three leagues:
from HabaS, over fifteen miles away: even
from Bldache, which was at the farther end
of the next department, Hercules had thus
returned And each time, with very hum
ble movements of lis ears. he had gone
down on his knees before his teacher, Cade-
ton. But Cadeton never had to be careful
not to scold him; indeed not. He loved his
pupil too much! He was so proud of him!
Thanks to the donkey, they had a little con-
sideration for the miller III Salignacq
And besides, there were certain bonds unit
ing Hercules and Cadeton unknown to the
world. In former days, when each was too
young to carry sacks of -four, they both
amused themselves on the red heaths of the
country. Cadeton rode on Hercules back,
and, disregarding the fact that he had no
mustache, he played soldier was a general.
and charged on his boyish enemies. And in
these games Hanette took part. the pretty
Nanette OF the Upper Mill, who did not vet
know that she ought TO hate Cadeton of the
Lower MIL Cadeton WAS then IA and Yanette
Is. She was already very pretty, with her
wellroundee forehead, her big eyes. her dainty
chin, and all her face, so timid and so lively,
where shone constantly an ingenious smile.
Then Gen Cadeton dared TO cali her "Mrs.
General And Yanette liked well to hear
herself called so. But since then Cadeton
razor his mustache persisted in remaining be-
meath the skin. He had no right to look at
young girls. He no longer looked at Yam
cite, and he gave her a very low salute when
he met her; and, if he blushed before her. he
coughed at once to nlake believe that he had /
swallowed something the wrong way.
Cadeton, in fact, looked only at Hercules /
The good donkey sooa filed all his life. The /
1
initiated the voices of other animals
One day Hercules and Cadeton went to
Bayonne, where there was grand musical 4
The streets were filled with the [
blare OF brass instruments When lie re- /
turned TO SaiiGnacq the donkey began to
bray, and in his song Cadeton recognized
fragment of the Marseillaise Theleunon there
was fine scandal in the commune. The
town council was republican The assistant
mayor, however, protested But if there
was public Indignation, there was more
writing in the household; and Hercules.
after this adventure, drew away the last
customers of the Upper Mill.
Good loaned Castagnet, II know now
what remains Tor me TO 6on And he took
his gun off the hooks.
"Papa, where are you eoingr' asked va
nette
ITO kill Hercules"
''Oh, papa, you will not do that That
would be wronG They would put you il
Jail"
But Casrsgnet, with his gun loaded, set
out toward the Lower Mil
''Papa!- inplored Ianette, don't do that
We can come to some understanding
perhaps
''Howf
.If-if-this donkey came to live with