The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-28


Conrad has to fight Prince David and is
wounded. 1t is while lying Ill of his
wounds that he is murdered. with the
words "accipe hoe" by an emissary of
the assassin chief.
Richard was half inclined to make Con-
rad fight with the hound, and, on the
King OF France protesting, he reminds
him that in France such a duel has act
ually taken place, and that a murderer
who had been discovered by a dog had
been made to fight with it.
SCOTS reference here is. of course to
Dragon, the famous Dog of Montargis,"
or "Aubri's dog" as it Is sometimes call
ed, and combining the various versions
of this notable story, the following may
be taken as complete.
CAPT Aubri de Montdidier was one
day in the forest of Bondi with his dog
Dragon, when he was waylaid and muir
dered, and his body buried under a tree
The dog kept watch on the grave Of his
master, till, compelled by hunger, he
went for food to the house of one of his
masters friends The fact of his arriving
alone and the singularity of his conduct
provoked suspicion of foul play or acct
dent. The friends followed the dog. which
led him to a spot in the forest where Dra-
gon. with most melancholy howls began
TO scratch at tie soil. Help was obtained
and the body of the murdered man
brought TO light.
Subsequently, the dog and the Chevalier
Macaire, an acquaitance of his late mas
ter, met on various occasions and Dra-
CONS eornuct was SO implacable and
fierce that attention was drawn to It,, and
people, beginning to talk. reminded one
another that Aubri and Macaire had not
been the best of friends. Details of their
enmity collected round the first suspicious,
ana the dog showing no signs of abating
resentment, the matter came at last to
the ears of the King, Louis VIII. who or
dered the dog and the man TO be brought
before him.
Dragon seemed a dog of the utmost
amiahilty with all the court but on Ma
caire arriving was transformed at once
into a demon OF ferocity, and the chevalier
had to retire in order 10 let the dog re-
cover its temper.
This was the epoch of ordeal by battle,
and the King gave orders that Macaire
should meet his accuser IL single COM
bat. The lists were appointed in the
Isle de Notre Dame. Macaire's weapons
were a club and a shield, while the dog
was provided with a barrel in which he
might take refuge If too hard beset, or
retire to during the intervals of the
fight to recruit his breath. But Dragon
found no use for the barrel He began
and continued to fight with one idea only,
an extraordinary sagac.ty in his tactics
that his design was obvious to the human
onlookers. He allowed Macaire to ex-
haust himself with futile efforts, and
patiently awaiting his opportunity, saw
his adversary's enfeebied arm fall by his
side, and then, taking him by the throat,
bore him TO the ground. Maeaire cried
out for help. confessed his guilt, and was
beheaded on the spot
And here q concluding reference may
be made to the story told by Bishop Hugh
of Lincoln of the yeoman, who came not
as usual to the Kings hunting. and the
King having a favor toward that yeoman
on returning inquired at his homestead
why he was absent. And the wife came to
the door and tod her story. But the dog
came to the door and led the knights to a
new furrow in the fed and stopping at a
certain spot, howled dismally. They turn
ed up the earth and found the yeoman
dead. Then the woman confessed that
she had murdered and buried him.