The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-09-24

nearly to the top. Although the road
rose slightly all the way from the
Rhine, being rather steep in places, we
did not get a view of the castle until
we had trotted something like three
miles. Then Smith pointed it out to
me on a hill top, as we came in sight
of 1t rOund a corner. 1t stood to the
right of the valley, completely COM
handing it, and | was amazed to see
its size and perfect state of preserva-
ton. A tall square tower, like a cam
panile, rose from n corner, and at
the other was a stouter round tower,
much lower than the square campanile
at the other corner, while between the
towers was the long machicolated front
of the main body of the castle. The
unturreted body of the building seem
to be in three varying heights and
looked as If the walls had been erected
at different periods. I mentioned this
to Smith and he said my suppostion
was partly correct.
MY ancestors he remarked, "made
things lively for a number of centuries
in this district. The castle was burned
once by the people of Cologne; three
times, l think. by the stout burghers
of Mayence, and the Justly incensed
ppPhllNC VI lit lClS upOl llDOu uStu W
rise in their might every now and then
and massacre every member of the
family who had not taken to the woods.
But they never succeeded in completely
annihilating my ancestors: always n
or two escaped, and they returned and
rebuilt the stronghold, generally try
ing to make 1t more secure than it had
been before. This gives a v%ariegated
effect to the edifice that strikes me as
wonderfully picturesque"
We presently came to a spot where
a by-road left the main th%oroughfare
and took directly to the hills. The
main road went Oh up the valley, while
the by-road zig-zagged up through the
forest. Sometimes at the elbows of
this road we caught glimpses of the
castle, looming greater n greater
above us. until we came at last to an
arched gateway in the stone wall,
guarded by two men with lances in
their hands. Riding under the stone
arch we came into a large courtyard
somewhat roughly paved, and here at
PENDANTS sprang forward to take ,
horses. Smith and l. having dismoun, :
ed. walked into the great castle.
Smith led me into a large room which
was evidently the dining hall of the
castle. At II n was q large fire.
place, constructed on such a gigantic
scale that it formed practically a room
in itself; in fact. there were stools and
benches beneath its ample canopy, and
at The back there burned a great fire
of logs.
Dinner was served as soon as we ar
rived. Smith took the head af the ia
Bile and motioned me to a place at his
right hand. The table was a plain oak
one without covering of any sort.
Smith sat on a three-legged stool at the
head, and another had beer provided
for me while a third stood at his left
hand. All down the two lengths of the
table from these stools were long
benches and when dinner was an
nounced h men at arms came ~clatter-
ing in. as well as numerous retainerS
| whom | had not seen. The last one to
enter was a cowled monk who took the
stool at Smiths left. He pronounced
a benedlction on the repaSt and then
every one fell to. The meal was plen-
teouS but rough. and consisted of q
huge baron of beef with mashed pota-
toes. | waited for a plate to be handed
to me-, and did not understand until
Smith called my attention to the fact,
that the square piece of plank on the
table in front of me was my trencher
from which l was to eat. He very
kindly showed me how l was to build
an embankment on this with the
mashed potatoes and receive the beef
and gravy in the center. 1t required
some care not to eat too ravenously of
this embankment, otherwise a breach
was made in the walls and a tide of
gravy flooded forth which was difficult
to stem unless a man were prompt and
expert.