Year: 1874

IhoSe who have stopped at Montar- gis, on the route from Paris to Lyons,

 will remember the story of the Dog of

 Montargis, who fought with the mur-

 derer of his master and avenged his

 blood. In the great hall of that town,

 before it's demolition, there was fres-

 co painting over the fire place repre-

 senting the strange duel, which was

 fought, according to tradition, in the

 presence of Charles VI. in the lists of

 the He de Notre Danes at Paris. The

 story is told at length in Memories su,'

 6es Duels. In runs as follows: One

 day M. Aubrey de Mont Didier, a

 gentleman of birth and influence, was

 lourneying alone through the lonely Forest of Bondy, when he was attacked

 by robbers and killed, his body being

 buried by the assassins under tree

 hard by the spot where he fell. For some days an English bloodhound

 whom he had with him kept watch over his grave till compelled by hunger to quit the post. On this the dog made his way to the house of friend of the deceased gentleman st Paris, where the strangeness of his manners, coupled with the fact of his having come back without his master, reused much curi- osity and wonder. As soon as he had been fed he kept running towards the door of the house and then back to his masters friend, pulling him by the sleeve, and used all sorts of dumb elo- quence as if he wanted him to follow. At lastss the friend resolved to follow the leading of the dog, who made his way to the forest and went straight to the foot of the tree where his murdered master lay. Here the dog began to howl piteously, scratching up the earth with his paws and showing his wish that the place should be dug out. Up- on digging few feet the friend and his companions came upon the body of M. Mont Didier, bearing the wounds which had been inflicted upon it by the knife of the murderer. For some time, however, no trace of the actual assassin could be found, till one day the dog met in the streets of Paris 8 certain Chevalier named Macaire, whom he instantly tried to seize by the throat with great fury.

 This strange conduct on the part of a quiet and peaceful animal was repeated on second occasion, and, as it was known that Macaire had been personal enemy of Mont Didier, grave suspi- clons began to be aroused. At length the affair reached the ears of the King, who, being anxious that the matter should be thoroughly sifted, sent for Macaire and also for the dog, who was gentle and playful until he scented Macaire in the crowd of courtiers standing around the King, when, as usual, he showed the fiercest hostility towards him. Struck by such an un- designed piece of circumstantial evil dence, the King 1t once ordered that the decision should be referred to the trial by battle, or '.appeal to the judg- ment of God," and @ combat was ordered to be held between the Cheva- Her and the dog in the He de Notre Dame, which then was an almost open space. The terms of the encounter were that the dog was to have an empty cask to retreat into after he had made his springs at his foe, while the man was allowed 8 cudgel by way of arms. Everything was prepared for the duel, when the dog no sooner found himself free and face to face with his antagonist than he began running round and round Macaire, avoiding his blows, un- til at last he seized him fairly by the throat, and after severe struggle suc- ceeded in laying him prostrase on the ground. The Chevalier was rescued from the dog's grip by the bystanders, and conscience stricken, in the pres ence of the King, his court, and the rest of the spectators, he acknowledged his guilt. A few days afterwards he expiated his crime upon the scaffold. The "Dog of Montargis" is a we'll known tale in France, where it's sub stantial truth is not doubted, and it has been, we believe, the subject of, at all events, one popular drama. l@'.is-i