Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-03-09
THE THREE HORSE SHOES.

was tall and strong ard handsome,
and as brave as lion. But the
King, like certain old woman Of
whom you nay have heard. had %
many children that he dIdn / know
what 70 do; and 10, as Maurice nad
Isuch Q lot Of elder boihsrs as to
bave not much chance Of inberitina
the crown, or anything else that
would keep him Ia bread and but
! ter. bis father sent him out 70 seek
his fortune, likemany auother prince
In those days. So be vent over 10
France. and entered The army Of
King Louis XIV
Now AZ that time there was al.
ways war going on somewhere Or
Other, and the French armies we're
IN every part d Europe;an the king
cared very little whoblaoficers were,
or where they cams from. II they
we're only brave men and clever
fighters. and ready TO 90 wherever
he liked 10 send them. So, as you
may think, 4 was not long before
orr friend Maurice, who was Quite
as brave as any Of them, aid q good
deal clevcrer than most began "a
make his way First. he got 10 be
q lieutenant. then captain,
Then Q major. then q colonel
and 81 last, while be was sim quite
young man. he came out az Count
do SAKE. and Field Marshal Of the
Army 81 Flanders. With fifty thou.
sand men undar hint That vas
pretty good promotion, WASH itg
Curiously enough, the one thing
that this great general specially
prided himself upon was neither bis
skill In warfare nor bis favor at
court, but simply bis strength.
There was nothing he enjoyed so
much as showing on The power 81
bis muscles, and astonishing tie
rsoplc apous him by beudIug an
iron bar, or telling horse vita one
blow 81 BIS fss; and be was fond of
saying that be would give bis purse
and alltho money IN il 10 any man
who was stronger than himself, II be
could ever fall 10 With him.
Now IL happened shat, one day,
while the French and German armies
were lying pretty close 10 each
other, Marshal de- Sake sent a mes.
sage % the enemy camp. asking
some 81 tbc German 0lIivrs 10 dine
with him; and afIcT sbe meal be DO.
ean ~ boast Of his strength, as
usual, til 81 last an old German gen.
eral, who sas ~ bis LETT. said thai lics
would like 70 see . specimen 81
what his Exeellency could do. SAKE
nude % answer, but took up d large
silver dish, which was standing be-
fore him. 10 bis strong white fingers
Dor, big aud powerful as his hands
were, they we're While and smooth
as any la6 ~. and no was very
proud 81 them.) and, without more
ado, rolled il up like d sheet OF
paper
Car your Honor uuroll that dish
again. asked he banding II to tie
German and, although the general
was strong man. and tried bis
best, be found the task ton hard for
him, ard was forced 70 own himself
beaten.
Your Exeellencys strength is
very great. said lie, 'ueversh lass,
! venture 70 think that there Is ona
man Ii Flanders who can match ii
And who may he beg'' asked
SAKE irowning.
a blacksmith q the vlllaQa Of
scheveuinaen, Dirk Hogan b. name.
All the country aronndk knows Of bis
exploits, and when / met with bin
myself. saw such tIlingsas / should
have thought impossible, bad my
own eyes not Witnessed them.
When the marshal heard this, he
looked blacker than ever; and the
Iirst thing DO did next morning waT
70 send Oh messengers III every iE.
rection 10 inquire for vilIIge CALI
cd Scheveningen, and man named
Dirk Hogan. And sure enough.
some Of them came back with news
that there vas such village, ana
that Dirk Hogan, the smith. had
been living there till quite lately;
but that NOW he had sold his forge
and gone away, and nobody knew
what had become of him.
This was . decided dIsappolnt
ment for our friend Sake. had
something else 70 think Of just then,
The enemy s army had lately recelv
ed strong re- Inducements and