“The sudden fury of the dog aroused suspicion and a little quiet investigation showed that sometime before there had been a bitter quarrel between Aubrey and Macaire.
“The matter came to the ears of the King, who determined to sift the matter to the bottom. He gave a great function in the royal palace and so managed that Macaire with a dozen other courtiers stood in a group at the right hand of the throne. By previous arrangement, De Narsac entered, accompanied by the greyhound, who, the instant his eye caught sight of Macaire, made a tremendous bound and bore him to the floor. It seemed to the King and all present that Providence had pointed out Aubrey’s murderer. Macaire denied it violently but, in accordance with the ideas of the time, it was arranged that the matter should be left to the judgment of heaven. In other words, the dog and the man were to fight a duel. It was supposed that eternal justice and wisdom would select the winner. If the dog won, the murderer of Aubrey stood revealed. If, on the other hand, Macaire came out victor, he was to be adjudged innocent.
“A duel between a man and a dog!” exclaimed Ben who, with the other boys, had listened breathlessly to Dick’s story. “That doesn’t seem fair. How could they fix it so that each would have an even show?”
“Well,” said Dick, “perhaps it wouldn’t be possible to make a thing of that kind exactly fair and even between a man and a dog, but they figured it out and made it as fair as they could. The man was armed with a heavy club and the dog had to rely upon his teeth and claws. A barrel was provided for him, in which he could take refuge when too hard pressed and get ready to renew the attack.
“The affair came off before a tremendous crowd. All the leading people of Paris and the court were present. The instant the dog was brought in he tugged at the leash and being freed, leaped at his enemy. Macaire fought with the fury of despair; but the consciousness of guilt unnerved him and most of his blows beat the air. The dog returned again and again to the attack and, finally, leaping through Macaire’s guard, caught him by the throat and threw him to the ground. He shrieked for help and confessed his guilt. Justice was keen and quick in those days, and that very night Macaire was led out to execution. The dog had avenged his master.”
The Scouts drew a long breath as Dick finished his exciting story and Pete ejaculated, “Well, that certainly was some dog!”
“They thought so at the time,” said Dick, “and put up a monument to him that can be seen even now.”
“Well,” said Jack, turning to Don, “you’re not so big and strong as that great greyhound, old fellow, but I bet you know as much, and no matter what happened to any of us, you would stand by us to the very end. Wouldn’t you, Don?” and Don, looking eloquently into his master’s eyes, wig-wagged, “Yes!”
CHAPTER XVI
TOO LATE!
The morning of the last day of the month dawned bright and clear.