The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-01-23

jects hat others could not see. In his /.
right hand he held a large sphere OF
crystal, and whenever the king lapsed
into silent study of his scroll the sage !;
would lift up the shining globe and
gaze into it's CLASSY depths with an air
of exaggerated wisdom.
From one of these moments Of alb
straction the king suddenly looked up,
and Immediately the astrologer's glance
swung from the sphere to the face of
Louis.
you know the aspect of the planet
airy bodies" said the king, land you
know the strange dream that l have
dreamed three nights running"
The sage inclined his head gravely.
The king had told him of the dream in
all its particulars at least a dozen times
that morning. 1t seemed to be mixed
up with the sunlight and the scent OF
the roses; to be a portion of the chorus
of the birds. But he listened to the mar
rative with the same air of surprise
that he had offered to its first recital.
Il dreamed that I was a swine root
ing in the streets of Paris, and that l
found a pearl Of great price in the gut
ter. l set it in my crown and 1t filled
all Paris with it's light. But it seemed
to grow so heavy for my forehead that
l cast it from me and would have trod-
den it into the earth, but that a star
fell from heaven and stayed me, and I
awoke trembling"
The kings nasal voice droned through
the familiar repetition; h he sud
denly turned his head with a kind OF
bird-like alacrity upon the astrologer
and asked sharply: We'll, what do
you make of it 2"
The astrologer shook his head. 1.-THE
stars are bright" he said slowly, but
their brightness is bewildering to NOR
tai eyes and it is hard to read w
the lines of their effulgence. Dreams
are dim, and it is difficult for mortal
minds to interpret their obscurity."
The king frowned. II know well
enough" he said, that stars are bright
and that dreams are dim, but your wis
dom is clothed and housed and nour-
ished for deeper knowledge than this.
Interpret my dream for France as Jo-
Iseph interpreted the visiontof the Egyp-
tian."
With an unmoved face the astrologer
scanned the crystal. Thus l seem to
read the riddle of your dream, sire" he
answered. There is one in the depths
who, if exalted to the heights, might do
you great service and who yet might
irk you so greatly that you would cast
him back again into the depths from
which he rose. The stars seem to speak
of such a coming, and, as it seems to
me-, this stranger should la potent
LII SUN " ~ ~ ~
days from this day I have sought and
sought in vain to see something Of this
man in the crystal. I only see con-
fusedly great crowds of people, pa
geants and Mosques, and moVings or
many soldiers, battle and bloodshed,
[ and great victory for France-and then
a star falls from heaven and all the
vision vaniSheS."
The king was silent for a moment;
t then with an imperative gesture he dis
missed the aStrologer, who entered the
: tower and climbed the winding stairs
f to the room where he pursued his oc-
cult studies. The king walked restless
ly up and down, Indifferent to the roses,
thinking only of the stars.
IF Francois Villon were the king of
: France he muttered. How that mao
ballad maker glowed last night. Fools
are proverbially fortunate, and a mad
mar ma save Paris for me as a mad
maid saved france for my sire"
e A heavy tread behind him stirred him
from his meditations. Turning, he be-
n held the companion of his adventure OF
the p%reViouS evening.
well, Tristan?' he questioned ap-
~prehensively, for Tristan had the evi.
d smile on his face which he always wore
when he had news of any disagreeable
v kind to impart.
The bird has flown, SIRE" he said
a "Thibaut d'Aussigny's wound was mucf
a | SIlSIllCl llldll VIC lllou5Al ooI ~ II
After we carried him to his house, h
e made his escape thence in disguise, an
4 has, I believe, fled from Paris to joi1
: the Duke CT Burgundy"
= The king shrugged his shoulders in
" differently.
" 81 wish the duke joy of him." he said
H is more dangerous to my enem!
when he is on my enemy's side. Wher'
- are the rascals of last night?"
THE tavern rabble are in custody O
Messire NOEL :
!, And my rival for royalty?"
p Barber Olivier has charge of him.
- would have hanged the out o
- hand"
Your turn will come, gossip, neve
y; doubt it. But the stars warn me that
: need this rhyming ragamuf1n. Their
'e is a tale Of Haroun al Raschid-'
- Tristan stif1ed a yaWn and a sneel
- another tale, sire,",he said, with some
thing like piteous protest, for the king
~ tales did not always entertain Tristan
~ How he picked a drunken rasca
from the streets and took him to his pal
- ace. When the rascal woke sober, tn
courtiers persuaded him that he wa
- the caliph, and the commander Of tn
~ faithful found great sport in his be
!ie havior. I promise myself a like diver
- - sion"
~ Tristan stared in surprise. This for
- of entertainment was new to him an
= did not seem to be particularly anus
~ ing.
CONTINUED Mex Weekly
-~ -"
DAVY CROcnETT'S RIFLE.