The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1906-12-06
HE:
From the French |
Tot Alex. Dumas, jr.

OF Alex Dumas IL. ~
La Piroche is village I do not
know, but which must be built like
all villages. 1t is the year 1418, and
two men, one the father of the other,
are trotting briskly along the road.
Shall we be in timer asked the
son.
Eyes; it is not till two O'clock" re-
piled the father, land it is only a
Quarter-past twelve by the sum-
81 am curious to see it,
Il believe you"
$50 he is to be hanged in the
armor he has stolen?"
yes"
what put it into his head to steal
suit of armor?"
1.-THE idea wasn't the difficult thing
to get hold Of"
mo, it was the armor," interrupt
ed the son, who wished to have his
part in this sorry jest.
WAS 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
off without making a 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."
"Why this clause in the sentence?"
Because the Lord de la Plroche
IS not only brave captain, but
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 a man who has
been hanged becomes a talisman for
the possessor. The Lord de la Pr
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"
81 believe YOU"
'Let us make haste. / am eager
to see this poor fellow hanged"
1--WE have plenty of time. Don't
let's tire our nags."
A great crowd witnessed the exc
cution, which came off 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 daybreak,
two guards came out of the chateau
de la Piroche to take down the body
of the culprit, from which they were
to remove their lords armor, 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 paipable enough.
No body, no armor And what was
extraordinary was that the -ope was
neither broken nor cut, but just as
1t 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 la Piroche
promised reward of ten gold crowns
to him who should produce the Gull
prit clad as he was. when he died.
Houses were searched, but nothing
was discovered La Piroche was
about to accept the result and put up
with his loss, when, one morning on
waking, he beard 8 great noise in the
square where the execution had taken
place. He was getting ready to in
vestigate the cause of it when his
chaplain entered the room.
.Ey lord" he said, do you know
what has happened?"
no, but I'm going to inquire"
II can tell you"
"What is it," ~
"A miracle"
"Really?" =
"The man that was hanged
"Well?"
HE is there"
'sWhere?"
AT the gallows. .
with HE armor?'
ssWith his armor."
THAT'S right for it belongs to me.
And Is he dead?"
Quite dead-only"
s'Only what?''
did he have spurs on when he
was hanged?"
mo"
well, he wears them now. And