Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-05-24
and will engage them for month, and pay

each man five crowns"
'Ihat is at the rate of 60 crowns year
for each man. We could enlist half Rome
for that"
Probably, but it isn't half Rome, only
half dozen men want
Every true, your worship, and I will
doubtless be able to find them; but, excel
lcncy-"
|*What is it,"
''Six men at five crowns each makes 30
crowns. and"
did 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?"
1T is enough, surely"
Every well, then you may set about this
at once, and remember that they should be
lodged close at hand, and be ready to 60 any
where at moments notice."
:''Excellency."
Whilst this conversation was going on I
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 I stood in need. Jacopo was just
about to depart when Defaure, the page.
appeared, bearing with him note and a
rouleau, which he said was from his emf
hence. These he left with me and retired,
saying there was no answer. The note was
brief, merely hoping was in comfort, and
sending me in the rouleau hundred crowns
with the intimation that if I needed them
another hundred was 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 fcl-
low at first refused to take, and only &C.
cepted on my pressing the sum on him.
This being done there was nothing left
for me but to await the dinner hour, and I
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. A groom of the cardinals establish
lnent had attended to them, and I slipped
a piece of silver into his hand for his trouble
He bit this to test whether it was genuine
or not, and then settled himself on heap OF
hay to mend some saddlery.
l left him to his occupation, and, with 4
parting caress to my beasts, moved further
on to look at the other animals. And here,
meeting the head groom, had some CONVEX
sation with him, admlring the cardinals
stud.
eyes, 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 / have never seen. They are this
way, excellency, if you will but accompany
me-"
I 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 I 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 Inc in the stables were as ST.
perior to Hawkwood's as barb is to 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 blue roam, whose color did not
show off his size to advantage, but whose
broad chest, sloping shoulders and lean
tanks marked his power. His eyes were
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 Il
somewhat unnecessary zeal on our appear
ance to'polish the coats Of their charges,
which already shone like satin. Whilst en-
gagged in 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. I compli-
mentcd him on the possession of two such
steeds, US who would not have done, and
Bayard said:
eyes, they arc fine animals, truly the finest
l have ever seen, except perhaps the one
eyed Savoy, who was also of the same
breed; and yet I 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 a noble prince. And you
really admire them, cavalcre?'
||Yes-and knew Savoy, too, and doubt
if he was better.'
'What can knight want more? A good
horse, a good HOMELAND his face sad
dened ]ittle-"a true love. Pardieu! but
must see to that last. My castle on the
Garonne needs chatelaine."
I said nothing, knowing of the one great
sorrow of his life, which he bore so bravely,
and which knew had bitten to his heart,
for all his gay words.
"Castor and Pollux call them," be 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, cavalierc,
ifyou will accept Castor, the blue roam there,
you will find that he will never fail you"
l could hardly speak for the moment, and
at first stoutly refused to take so valuable
a gift; but Bayard would lave no denial,
and the short of it was that Castor was led
into one OF the stalls reserved for me.
To say that was grateful would be to say
very little; but will merely add here that
the gis: itself was only equaled by the man.
ner Of the giver. accompanied Bayard into
the garden, which lay to the west of the
palace, and in course of conversation told
him that I had received the sum sent by
= r