The age-herald., 1902-01-19

But the giant has the fortune,' explained the innkeeper. Anyone who kills him can have it. He Is q very fierce giant, too. He used to come here to this city and behave shamefuly. He used to pick up our houses and turn them upside down. Then he would shake them, and all the gold and silver that fell out of them he would carry off If people said anything to him he would just step on them and squash them fat.''
 'Oh, myl" said Ronald. "You don't think there is any danger of his coming here now, do you?'
 None at all," said the tnnkeeper. "He has not been able to get in since we built those high walls around the city" 'Oh," said Roland, II was just wondering ] II he would come along, so l could Kill him I here, and then I would not be put to the trouble of going all the way to the mountain where his castle is.''
 As soon as Roland said that the innkeeper ran out in the street and began to wave his arms, jump up and down and shout. A 1 great crowd of people gathered at once. and the innkeeper told them that Roland was going to kill the giant and that he could hardly wait to get at him. Then all the people cheered, and the mayor of the l city came up and shook hands with Roland l and patted him on the head. He said that | Roland was brave youth, and he hoped l he would not get eaten alive by the giant
 
 | too, and the mayor said that if he did, he l should have the handsomest monument that 1 money could buy, and what more could hv I want?
 I Of course, Roland could not back out then, 1 although he did not want to kill that giant I one single bit, for all those people would be l so disappointed and then they might think | he was afraid of the giant, and that would | never do.
 Then all the people cheered some more, and they put him on fiery steed and gave him a spear. The city gates were opened and an immense procession formed. There were six dozen brass bands in front of Roland and six dozen behind him, and they l played all the popular songs, with all the l people joining in the chorus. They made | such noise that Roland thought to him. self he would rather kill giants all the rest | of his life than have that racket kept up l for an hour. The people and the bands left l him at the city gates, and he rode on alone.
 Roland rode for a long time without seem l ing to get much nearer to the mountain on which stood the giants castle. The spear he carried was so heavy that 1t made his 1 to use it, anyway he threw it away. He seemed to get on much better after this, and l 1t was just about noon when he rode up to l the giants castle. The giant was painting the front porch, and he stopped and drowned | fearfully when he saw Roland. Here's an. other one of them," he growed. He was so large and Roland was so heightened that he l just sat still on his horse without saying | word. ''Wel, what do you want?" said tn giant. ''You came up here to kill me and get my fortune, suppose, didn't your
 ''No, siree," said Roland. "The people down there in that city did say something about it, and they gave me a spear to kill 1 you with, but told them would not hurt you for. the world, and I threw the spear away. I came up here to get away from their bands of music more than anything else."