The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-11-29
EsEE.

M $ FfoiH tne 9iShSH SS III
EESWS o'Alex. Dumas, Jr. VSSSsSaE 81 I
La Piroche is a village I do not
know, but which must be built like
all villages. 1t is the year 141S, and
two men, one the father Of the other,
are trotting briskly along the road.
Shall we be in time?" asked the
son.
Yes; it is not till two o'clock, re-
piled the father. and it is only a
quarter-past twelve by the sun
Il am curious to see it,
, Il believe YOU"
$50 he is to be hanged il the
srmor he has stolen?"
"Yes."
What put it into his head to steal
a suit of armor?'
The idea wasn't the difficult thing
to get hold Of
NO, it was the armor,' interrupt
ed the son, who wished to have mis-
part in this sorry jest.
twas the armor handsome?' :.
Gorgeous, they say-all inlaid
with gold"
And they caught him as he was
carrying it off,
Eyes; you understand that this
armor did not let itself be carried
of without making noise; it did
not wish to leave it's legitimate own
ers. The people in the chateau were
awakened, the man was arrested, and
the Lord of La Piroche has sentenced
him to be hanged clad in the armor.' y
why this clause in the sentence?'
Because the Lord de la Piroche
is not only brave captain, but a
man of sense and intellect, who
wishes to extract from this just SEN
tence an example for others and a
profit for himself. You know what
ever has touched man who has
been hanged becomes talisman for
the posssssor. The Lord de Ia Pi-
roche has, therefore, ordered that
the criminal shall be clothed in the
armor, that he may take it back when
he is dead, and thus have talisman
in the approaching wars"
That's very curious.
"I believe you
s'Let US make haste. I am eager
to see this poor fellow hanged
I'VE have plenty of time. Don't
let's tire our nags."
A great crowd witnessed the exc
cution, which came of punctually.
The thief was hanged in the armor
he had stolen, with the viZor of the
helmet down, and his hands tied be-
hind him.
The next morning, at daybTeak,
two guards came out of the chateau
de Ia Piroche to take down the body
of the culprit, from which they were
to remove their lords armoc, but
they found something they were far
from expecting-the gallows and
rope were there, but the criminal was
gone.
The two guards rubbed their eyes,
thinking they must be dreaming.
But the fact was palpable enough
No body, no armor. And what was
extraordinary was that the rope was
neither broken nor cut, but just as
it was before the robber was sus'
pended by it. The two guards went
to tell the news TO the Lord de la
Piroche. The Lord de Ia Piroche
promised a reward~of ten gold crowns
to him who should produce the cul
prit clad as he was when he died.
Houses were searched, but nothing
was discovered La Pirocne wa:
about to accept the result and put VI
with his loss, when, one morning or
waking, he heard a great noise in the
square where the execution had take1
place. He was getting ready to in
yestigate the cause of it when hi:
chaplain entered the room.
My lord" he said, do you know
what has happened?"
mo, but I'm going to inquire"
Il can tell you"
what is it,"
! "a miracle"
*'Really?"
+'The man that was hanged"
"Well?"
''He is there"
"Where?"
@At the gallows."
s'With his armor?"
'tWith his armor."
s'That's right, for it belongs to me
And is he dead?"
"Quite dead-only-"
"Only WHAT"
''Did he have spurs on when b
was hanged?"
mo"
"Well. he wears them now. An