Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-07-09
WOODBURY., N j, THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1896

else on earth, and his dogs were OF the
feetest and finest breed
He was one day at table, surrounded
by the richest viands and the rarest
wines, whCn one Of his favorite hounds
entered the hall howling with pain and
dragging after him his wounded foot,
which dropped blood as he moved along.
Terror seized upon the hearts Of the
yassals even before the rage Of their lord
burst forth, and when it came terrible
was the storm, as he vowed vengeance
against the wretch who had dared thus
to mutilate an animal that he valued.
An aged slave flung himself at his
feet. Mercy, my lord, mercyr' he ex-
claimed piteously. Il have served you
faithfully for years. My beard il gray
with time, and my life has been one Of
hardship. Have mercy on me, for he
few upon me and would have torn me
had | not defended myself against his
fury. | might have destroyed him, but
/ sought only to preserve myself. Have
mercy upon my weaknessl'
The angry chieftain, however, needed
not the anguish of his gray hairs, and,
pointing to low balcony which ex-
tended across the window Of the apart
ment and hung over the precipice, he
commanded that the wretched old man
should be flung from thence into the
river which flowed beneath as an ex-
ample to those caitiffs who valued their
own worthless lives above those of his
noble hounds.
As the miserable tools of an imperi-
Gus Will were dragging the unhappy vic
tim to his fate he raised his voice and
cursed the tvrant whom they served,
and having d me so he summoned him
to appear at the tribunal, which none
can escape, To answer for this his last
crime, on its first anniversary. But the
powerful chief needed not his words
Away with himr' he said sternly as
he lifted his goblet to his lips; and there
was a struggle, shrek Of agony and
then a splash upon the river wave, and
all was silent.
A year went by in festival and pride,
and the day Oh which that monstrous
crime had been committed returned un-
needed. There was feast i'll the castle,
and Stibor. who month after month
gave himself up yet more to self indul-
gence, gradually became heavy with
wine, and his attendants carried him ia
a couch beside the same window whence
the unfortunate slave had been hurled
10 months before
The guests drank on for time, and
made merry at the insensibility and
helplessness Of their powerful hest, and
then they departed, each to his business
or pleasure, and left him there alone.
The easement had been flung back to
admit the air freely into the heated
apartment, and the last reveler had
scarcely departed, when a raven-the
somber messenger cf Nemesis-few
thrice round the battlements Of the cas-
tie, and then alighted on the balcony.
Several Of the guests amused their idle
ness by watching the evolutions of the
i'll omened bird but once having lost
sight Of it they turned away and thought
of it no more.
Meanwhile awork Of agony and death
had been delegated to that dark winged
messenger. 1t rested but an instant from
it, flight ere once more it hovered over
the couch If the sleeping Stibor. and
then, darting down, IFS sharp beak pene-
trated at one thrust from his eye into
his brainl
The agony awoke him, but he awoke
only to madness from its extent He
reeled to and fro, venting imprecations
TO which none was by to listen, and
writhed until his tortured body was one
couvulsion. At length, by a mighty ef-
fort, striving to accomplish he knew not
what, he hurled himself over the bal
cOny, at the selfsame spot whence the
slave had been flung by his own, com
mand, and as he fell the clear waters Of
the Waag for a time resisted the impure
burden and threw him back shrieking
and bowling from their depths
But he sank at last, and when his
parasites sought him on the morrow
they found only the couch on which he
had lain and few drops Of blood to
hint that he had died a death of vio-
lence and vengeance.
They searched for him carefully on
all sides, and then, when they were
quite assured that he had passed away
never to return, whispers grew of the
gray headed slave and the mysterious
raven-until by degrees the fate Of the
famous Stibor was fashioned into form,
and grew into legend throughout the
country. soaring the village maiden in
her twilight walk and the lone shepherd
in his watch upon the hills Exchange