The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1899-09-22

for each man. We could enlist half Rome
for that"
Probably, but it isn't half Rome, only
half dozen men 1 want"
Every true, your worship, and I will
doubtless be able to find them; but, excel
lency-"
'NWhat is it?"
''Six men at five crowns each makes 80
crowns, and"
did l not say more will be Forthcoming?
You need not pay them in advance. Two
crowns each on enlisting, and the remainder
on completion of the task. Will that do?"
cit is enough, surely"
Very well, then you may set about this
at once, and remember that they should be
lodged close at hand, and be ready to go any
where at moments notice"
''Excellency."
Whilst this conversation was going on /
had effected such change in my attire as
was possible, resolving to take the first op-
portunity the following day to summon a
tailor and give him orders for things for
which l stood in need. Jacopo was just
about to depart when Defaure, the page,
| appeared, bearing with him a note and
rouleau, which Re said was from his emf
| nence. These he left with me and retired,
brief, merely hoping 1 was in comfort, and
sending me in the rouleau a hundred crowns
with the intimation that if l needed them
another hundred gas ready for me. The
| sum, however, was more than ample, and,
| giving Jacopo further directions to engage
a couple of lackeys, | sent him away, re
/ Joicing at my good fortune, with present of
| ten crowns for himself, which the honest tel
| low at first refused to take, and only ac
| cepted on my pressing the sum on him.
This being done there was nothing left
| for me but to await the dinner hour, and
strolled down to the stables to look at the
| horses, which were in truth in such luxury
as perhaps the poor beasts had never en-
| joyed. \ groom of the cardinals establish
ment had attended to them, and | slipped
q piece of silver into his hand for his trouble.
! He bit this to test whether it was genuine
J or not, and then settled himself on heap of
| hay to mend some saddlery.
l left him to his occupation, and, with
| parting caress to my beasts, moved further
on to look at the other animals. And here,
meeting the head groom, l had some CONVEX
sation with him, adm1ring the cardinals
| stud.
"Ycs, excellency," he said, "they are good
! horses, notably the two barbs which the
| Sedan Diem presented to his eminence, but
| there are other two now in our stables, be-
| longing to the Sieur de Bayard, the like of
which i have never seen. They are this
way, excellency, if you will but accompany
me-"
| readily assented, and, passing by the
| barbs, whose slight, delicate frames belied
! their powers of speed and endurance, we
! came to a couple Of stalls, in which there
were pair of war horses that fully justified
! the head groom's praise They were both
| English, and | recognized the breed, as
! Hardwood had brought three or four with
! him from Britain, saying, and with truth,
| that they were the only animals that could
! ever carry him when in full mail. But the
| two before me in the stables were as SUI
perior to Hawkwood's as a barb is to a mule.
| One was the great bay Bayard was riding
, on the day of my trial. when he accompanied
| the duke and his staff back to Arezzo. The
| other was 4 blue roam, whose color did not
| show off his size to advantage, but whose
! broad chest, sloping shoulders and lean
| hanlls marked his power. His eyes We're
mild and soft, yet full of fire, and his small
head was set like that of stag upon his
strong neck. Two grooms, bearing on their
| liveries the arms of the house of Terrail, of
which the Seigneur de Bayard was chief,
were in attendance, and set to work with a
somewhat unnecessary zeal on our appear
! ance to polish the coats of their charges,
which already shone like satin. Whilst en-
| gagged III admirlng these splendid animals
| | heard the deep bay OF the hound behind
me, and, turning saw Bayard himself, who
had come to visit his favorites | compli-
| mentcd him on the possession of two such
| steeds. as who would not have done, and
| Bayard said:
'Yes, they are fine animals, truly the finest
/. have ever seen, except perhaps the one
! eyed Savoy, who was also of the same
| breed; and yet l am not sure" and he ran
| his eyes over the horses. They were given
to me, along with Bran here"-he touched
| the head of the hound-''by his majesty,
Henry of England, when l was taken pris-
oner in the English war"
"A noble gift
"Yes--from noble prince. And you
really admire them, cavaliere?'
"Yes-and l knew Savoy, too, and doubt
if he was better"
''What can knight want more? y good
horse a good hound''-and his face sad
dened a little-"a true love- Pardieu. but
l must see to. that last. My castle on the
Garonne needs a chatelaine."
said nothing, knowing of the one great
sorrow of his life, which he bore so bravely
and which l knew had bitten to his heart
for all his gay words.
Castor and PolluX l call Them" ne said
indicating the horses with a slight gesture
Not that they are alike, except in speed
and courage, but that they are both sup
posed to have been born the same day, and
have never been separated. The best OF
friends must, however, part, and knight
wants no more than one horse; so, cavaliere
if you will accept Castor, the blue roam there
you will find that he will never fail you"
could hardly speak for the moment, and
at first stoutly refused to take so valuable
gift; but Bayard would have no denial
and che short of it was that Castor was lee
into one of the stalls reserved for me.
To say that l was grateful would be TO say
very little; but / will merely add here thai
the gift itself was only equaled by the man
ner Of the giver. accompanied Bayard into
the garden, which lay to the west of tn,
palace, and in course of conversation tolC
| 7 l,