Year: 1878

DIQChSIlllllls


Maurice de Sake was son of the
King of Saxony, and fine lad he was
- tall, strong, handsome, and as
brave as a lion. But the king, like a
certain old woman of whom you may
have heard, had so many children that
he didn't know what to do; and so, as
Maurice had such lot of elder brothers
ms to have not much chance of inherit
ing the crown, or anything else that
would keep him in bread and butter,
his father sent him out to seek his for
tune, like many other princes in those
davs. SO he went over to France, and
entered the army of King Louis XIV.


Now, at that time, there was always
war going on somewhere or other,
and the French armies were fighting in
every part of Europe; and the king
cared very little who his officers were,
or where they came from, if they were
only brave men and clever fighters ,and
ready to 90 wherever he liked to send
them. SO, as you may think, it was not
long before our friend Maurice, who
was quite as brave as any OF them, ana
a good deal cleverer than most, began
to make his way. First, he got to be
lieutenant, then captain, then ma
ior, then colonel, and at last, while
he was still quite young man, he
came out as Count de SAKE and Field
Marshal of the Army of Flanders, with
fifty thousand men under him. That
war pretty good promotion, wasn't it?


Curiously enough, the one thing that
this great general specially prided HIM
self upon was neither his skill in war
fare nor his favor at court, but simply
his strength. There was nothing he
enioved 80 much as showing off the
power of his muscles, and astonishing
the people about him by bending an
iron bar, or telling horse with one
blow of his fist; and he was fond of
saving that he would give his purse and
all the money in it to any one who was
stronger than himself, if he could ever
fall in with him.


Now it happened that, one day, while
the French and German armies were
lying pretty close to each other, Mar
shal de SAKE sent message to the enc
my's camp, asking some of the German
officers to dine with him; and after the
meal he began to boast of his strength
as usual, till at last an old German gem
eral, who sat at his left, said that he
would like to see specimen of what
his Excellency could do. SAKE made
no answer, but took up large silver
dish, which was standing before him.
in his strong white fingers, for, big
and powerful as his hands were, they
were white and smooth as any lady's,
and he was very pLoud of them, and,
without more ado, rolled it up like a
sheet of paper.


"Can your Honor unroll that dish
again?" asked he, handing it to the
German; and, although the General
was strong man, and tried Lis best, he
found the task too hard for him, and
was forced to own himself beaten.


"Your Excellency's strength is very
great" said he, "but, nevertheless, |
venture to think that there is one man
i'm Flanders who can match it,"


"And who may he beY" asked Sake,
frowning.


ga blacksmith in the village of Sche-
veningen, Dirk Hogan by name. All
the country around knows of his eX-
ploits; and when | met with him my
self, | saw such things as should have
thought impossible, had my own eyes
not witnessed them"


when the Marshal heard this, he
looked blacker than ever; and the first
thing he did next morning was to send
off messengers in every direction to in
ouire for village called Scheveningen,
and man named Dirk Hogan. And
sure enough, some of them came back
with news that there was such vii
lage, and 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 disappointment tC
our friend Sake. but he had something
else to think of just then. The enemy
army had lately received strong rein
forcements, and seemed inclined 10 at
tack him; and he was riding out ont
morning to reconnoiter their position
when suddenly his horse stumbled anC
east shoe.


"rheres village just ahead of MS
your Excellency," said one of his oili
GERS. "Shall ride on and see If car
find u blacksmith"


"Do So" answered Sake, and the
officer came back presently to say tina
he had found what he wanted SO tn,