Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-01-22

prisoner never budged. They ordered
HIM to dismount from the ass and de-
liver himself to the halter. He never
moved muscle. We can we'll under
stand his hesitation.
Then the executioner took him by the
elbows and lifted him to the ground.
What a strong old fellow this execu-
toner was! In the mean time the chap
lain had finished reading the sentence,
and turning to the criminal demanded :
''Have you anything TO sayp
eyes," replied the miserable wretch,
in low, stifed voice. 81 beg for mercy
and pardon" This seemed good joke.
The Lord of Piroche shrugged his Shout
ders and ordered the executioner to do
his work
He tried TO make the criminal ascend
the ladder, which was not an easy thing
to do. The executioner had to resort to
the same means he had employed to make
him descend from his ass-he took him by
the arms, placed him on the third round
of the ladder, and pushed him up, amid
the E'bravos" Of the crowd.
Then the eXecutioner placed the run
ming knot at the end of the rope around
his neck, and giving him vigorous kick
in the back launched him into space, or
rather into eternity. A great shout and
shiver ran through the crowd, the con-
demned balanced two or three minutes
at the end of the rope, kicking and
twisting as it was his right to do, then
hung stiff and mOtionless.
The crowd regarded him a few mo-
ments, the FURNISHED armor glistening in
the sun; then they broke up into little
groups and departed homeward, all talk
ing of the event.
"Ma FOL-" said the son of the peasant
to his father, ''to be hanged for carrying
off the armor when he did not get it
seems hard. What do you think?"
81 was just asking myself if he had
really carried off the armor what would
they have done to him. No matter; he
has been punished justly, no doubt, but
it was no: pleasant thing to see."
Twenty minutes after they entered the
village of Piroche, where they expected
to rest few, hours and start back late in
the evening so as to reach home that
night.
Next morning at peep of day two
guards came out of the chateau to I'M
hook the dead body and take off the ar
NOR of their lord. But they found what
they least expected. There were the
gibbet and the rope, but where was the
body9 They rubbed their eyes, think
ing they must be dreaming. No, it was
really true-there was no body-natu-
rally no armor.
The guards ran to announce the as
founding news to their Lord of Piroche,
who would not believe them. He must
see the fact with his own eyes. He was
such powerful parsonage he was GER
tain he would find the hanged just
where he had ordered him. On reach
ing the scaffold he was forced to believe
as the others. What had become of the
dead body? He was surely dead the
evening before, hanged in the sight Of
the whole village.
The Lord of Piroche was so troubled
at the loss of his armor he offered re-
ward of ten gold pieces to the one who
would bring back the criminal clothed
in his armor. No one appeared. They
searched in every direction, but found
nothing.
A month passed, the gibbet remained
on the scatfold, gloomy, Inundated, and
scorned, for never had gibbet betrayed
a like abuse of confidence.
The Lord Of Piroche was about to re-
sign himself to this strange event and
the loss resulting therefrom, when one
morning he was aroused by great noise
in the place where the scaffold was
erected. He started to learn the cause
of the tumult, when his chaplain entered
in great excitement, and cried:
"Monseigneur, do you know what has
happened?"
''No, was just going to see."
''The hanged"
F'Well! what of him2'
s'He is there"
"Where!'
''On the gibbet."
SIN his armorn'
eyes; in your armor, my Lord"
"Ah, that is all right; is he dead2"
"Stone dead, only"
"Only what9"
p