ally
willing to aid with his sword or slay with his sword, if occasion served.
Now occasion seemed to demand that Staupitz should follow the latter
course. He was employed to kill somebody, and AEsop had assured him that
this somebody was Louis, Duke de Nevers. Staupitz had not cared who it
was; it was all one to him, but honestly he was troubled now by the
patent trouble of Cocardasse and his ominous mutterings about the thrust
of Nevers.

Passepoil broke the silence, surveying the puzzled faces around him. "No
wonder there's such a crowd of us." And for the first time there was
something like the sound of audacity in his voice and a glance of
audacity on his visage.

"Faith," said Cocardasse, emphatically, "I'd rather face an army than
face Louis de Nevers."

Again there was a silence. The gentlemen of the sword seemed to be at a
loss for conversation. Again Passepoil broke the silence, this time with
a question: "Why are we after Louis de Nevers?"

Nobody seemed to be able to answer him. Even Staupitz, who was
responsible to the others for this gathering of the company, was baffled.
He had been told to supply nine swords, and he had supplied them. He had
been told by his employer the purpose for which the nine swords were
wanted--he had been told by AEsop against whom those nine swords were to
be drawn--and that was the extent of his knowledge. This time the
hunchback, in his favorite character of know-all, took the lead. He put
his book in his pocket, as if he perceived that further study was to be
denied him that afternoon, with so much noise and bustle of curiosity
about him, and rose from his chair. Holding his long rapier behind his
back with both his hands, he advanced into the middle of the room, where
he proceeded to harangue his fellow-guardsmen.

"I can tell you," he said, harshly, "if you would care to hear the
story."

Now bravos, swashbucklers, spadassins, and such soldiers of fortune are
like children in this regard--as indeed in many another--that they love a
good yarn well spun. If something in the dominating, masterful manner of
AEsop compelled their attention, something also in the malicious smile
that twitched his lips seemed to promise plenitude of entertainment. A
grave quiet settled upon the ragamuffins, their sunburned faces were
turned eagerly towards the hunchback, their wild eyes studied his mocking
face; they waited in patience upon his pleasure. Pleased with the
humility of his aud