The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-10

 French. He was beheaded in Utrecht by order of Mazimlian Emperor of Austria, in 14s5, three years after the Bishop g death.
 <<0Ross of St. Andrew. nephew!
 would have known thee, boy
 O had I met thee in the landes of Bordeaux. marching there like a crane on a pair of stilts. Unbuckle your Scot tish news Give us the news of Glen 1Ioulakin.'
 Alas! my dear uncle, Glen Houlakin has been harred by the Ogilvies. My mother, my father and my two uncles and my two elder brothers and seven Of my kinsmen and the harper and the task CT and some six more of our people were killed in defending the castle, and there is not burning hearth or a stand ing stone in all Glen Houlakin.'
 Gross of St. Andrew! That is what they call an onslaught. Ah these Ogil- vies were ever but sorry neighbors to Glen Houlakin. An evil chance it was tut fate of war, fate of war"
 With that the speaker took a deep tlraught of wine and shook his head with much solemnity.
 He was splendidly armed and dressed, with gorget, armpieces and gauntlets of The finest steel inlaid with silver, while his shirt of mail was bright frost. over it fell a surcoat of rich blue velvet, open at the sides, with a St. Andrews Cross embroidered on both back and front in silver. Hose of mail and shoes of steel protected his neither limbs A broad. strong poniard called the Mercy of God" hung by the right side. In one hand he held huge sword.
 His face was no less martial than his dress and equally striking, though not on account of it's beauty. A great and ghast- ly scar made a seam that began at his forehead passed close to his right eye, laid bare the cheekbone and descended to the tip of the ear It had fastened on him the name Le Balafre, by which title he was known far better than by his name of Ludovic Lesly
 His apparel, and particularly his head dress which was a steel-lined Scottish bonnet surmounted by tuft of feathers, proclaimed him as one of the gentlemen of the Archers of the Scottish Body Guard who surrounded Louis XI. of France and who were better trusted by him than were any of his own French nohles.
 Sumptuousy mounted, equipped and paid, ranking high in honor and birth and in constant and familiar attendance on inc monarch these Scotch mercenaries, loyal and brave as lions, were of immense importance in the eyes of all France and even of all Europe. Each was served by a squire, a valet, page and two voemen; and the cadets of the best Scotch families were often sent to France to serve under some friend or relative al ready in the guard to wait for prefer ment.
 The young man with whom Le Balafre was speaking had come to France wit such a. purpose. His smart blue bonnet with a single sprig of holly and an eagle 5 feather stamped him as one from Scot land. He was fair-haired and blue eyed, strikingiy handsome in face and person, with an air that expressed at once light ness of heart, kindness and determined resolution.
 Vet presently, when his uncle shook a heavy gold chain that he wore and told the lad that he, too, could win wealth and honor at the court of Louis. Quentin Durward hesitated and asked if it were not true that the French King kept but a mean state and won his victories more bv policy than warlike deeds.
 .You speak like a giddy child,' said
 o1, ho employs Oliver Dain, his barber, to do what Oliver can do better than any peer, is not France the gainer? But hark to the bell of St. Martin'sl I must hasten back to my post. Farewell Make much of yourself, and tomorrow morning pre- sent yourself at the drawbridge and ask for me- Take heed you step not off the beaten path in approaching the portal! There are such snares and snap-traps be- set with scythe blades as may cost you a limb. Farewell.''
 The gigantic man-at-arms swung him. self heavily to the back of his huge horse and galloped out of the inn yard, for getting to pay for his wine--a shortness of memory habitual to him, which the awed innkeeper did not presume to cor rect. Quentin watched him soberly as he spurred toward the dark and multi piled turrets of the immense castle of Plesslsles-Tours remarkable even in those turbulent times for the extreme care with which it was defended and fortified
 When his uncle disappeared from his view Quentin strolled thoughtfully along the bank of the stream. Although he had been taught to consider war as the only serious occupation of a gentleman and had learned to endure stubbornly and retaliate fiercely, yet he tvk kbeen taught e rude chivalry and even couNesy to the saa- In addition he had beeN favored