r), he might
fairly have escaped dog free; he also doubled once or twice, in a manner
much approved of by the spectators. None of these, nay, not even Charles
himself, was so delighted with the sport as King Louis, who, partly from
political considerations, and partly as being naturally pleased with the
sight of human suffering when ludicrously exhibited, laughed till the
tears ran from his eyes, and in his ecstasies of rapture caught hold of
the Duke's ermine cloak, as if to support himself; whilst the Duke, no
less delighted, flung his arm around the King's shoulder, making thus
an exhibition of confidential sympathy and familiarity, very much at
variance with the terms on which they had so lately stood together. At
length the speed of the pseudo herald could save him no longer from
the fangs of his pursuers; they seized him, pulled him down, and would
probably soon have throttled him, had not the Duke called out, "Stave
and tail!--stave and tail! [to strike the bear with a staff, and pull
off the dogs by the tail, to separate them.]--Take them off him!--He
hath shown so good a course, that, though he has made no sport at bay,
we will not have him dispatched."

Several officers accordingly busied themselves in taking off the dogs;
and they were soon seen coupling some up, and pursuing others which ran
through the streets, shaking in sport and triumph the tattered fragments
of painted cloth and embroidery rent from the tabard, which the
unfortunate wearer had put on in an unlucky hour.

At this moment, and while the Duke was too much engaged with what passed
before him to mind what was said behind him, Oliver le Dain, gliding
behind King Louis, whispered into his ear, "It is the Bohemian,
Hayraddin Maugrabin.--It were not well he should come to speech of the
Duke."

"He must die," answered Louis in the same tone, "dead men tell no
tales."

One instant afterwards, Tristan l'Hermite, to whom Oliver had given the
hint, stepped forward before the King and the Duke, and said, in his
blunt manner, "So please your Majesty and your Grace, this piece of game
is mine, and I claim him--he is marked with my stamp--the fleur de lis
is branded on his shoulder, as all men may see.--He is a known villain,
and hath slain the King's subjects, robbed churches, deflowered virgins,
slain deer in the royal parks--"

"Enough, enough," said Duke Charles, "he is my royal cousin's property
by many a good title. What will your Majesty do w