Kedge

“ Keddo had won his place for himself chiefly by his confidence in it, and in our intentions toward him. Every self-respecting dog has "folks" back of him as a matter of course, somebody to love and belong to, his attitude seemed to say; we were his, and that was the sum of the matter. The tie was further strengthened by his absolute joy in it and his spontaneous devotion to us singly and collectively. None but a Prussian could have resisted him. Everybody liked him, everybody made friends with him. The very passers-by on the street (after his advent in Toronto) stopped to point him out. ”

“ Hast thou forgotten the two sentries in the lower pathway?”
Cedric smiled broadly.
“And hast thou forgotten, Sir Dickon, the oak tree from which we spied them but now? Old Marvin and I together shall care for the sentries.”
I drew a deep breath as I caught the full working of his plan. “Cedric,” I said, “thou wilt never remain a simple squire. Thou hast a head as well as an arm. The King hath need for such in many places of trust.”
“Let us first make this plan succeed,” replied Cedric evenly, though I could see that my words had warmed him to the heart. “Now shall we tell Lord Mountjoy?” ”

“ In a moment more the wild boar rolled over upon the ground, dead. Cedric reached down and drew his spear from its side, and as he rode on again he thought, "Wolves and wild boars must not stop the way of a messenger of the King. I must fear nothing if I am to be a knight."
After a time his road lay out of the forest into the sunlight. As he approached a small village he heard a great noise as of much shouting and soon he saw a group of boys who were evidently hooting and laughing at something in their midst. ”

“ Cedric turned to me and whispered:
“Save him we must, or we are no true men.”
“Surely we must save him,” I echoed, “but how shall we compass it? If he have not rest full soon and the dressing of his hurt, he will surely die.”
“One chance there still remains,” he answered softy, “though in the essay we give o’er our own near sight of safety. What say’st thou? Shall we attempt it?”
“With all my heart,” I cried. “Shall we make stand in some rock cranny hereabouts?”
To this the forester made no reply. We were riding down a slope toward a wide but shallow stream which we must ford. ”

“ Then Cedric smiled again, now broadly as of old.
“No such price as that shall you pay, my lord, for somewhat which shall be granted without price whatsoever. I have two deep wounds, forsooth, but little thought of dying. The good leech here knows not of the strength that a plain-living forester can muster when his friends come all these leagues to bid him be of good cheer. I will ride again beneath the Mountjoy banner, my lord, and that before the spring.” ”

“ More than once had Cedric saved my life in battle and skirmish; and Lord Mountjoy himself had stood forth as his champion when King Henry condemned Cedric to be hanged for the killing in fair fight of young Lionel of Carleton. Of all the Mountjoy retainers, Cedric had the steadiest hand and the clearest head. I had often prophesied that unless I rose in honors and preferment faster than I could rightly expect, I should not long be able to retain such a youth as a simple squire. ”

“ In the courtyard and in the hall we found the feast was yet in progress. Truly, if our men of England do work and fight as valiantly as they eat and drink, ’tis no wonder that our land grows in power and holds up its head among nations. I left Cedric at his former seat, and walked straight across the hall to my father. Cedric’s eyes followed me, for it was plain that he yet feared I might tell Lord Mountjoy how our archery meet had been guided. ”

“ At last he entered a thick forest of pine trees. The road grew very dark and lonesome. "What if I should meet some wild beast," thought Cedric, but he added, half aloud, "If I am ever to be a knight, I must learn to be brave and face every danger." It was not long before he was quite sure that he heard a deep, low growl. His heart beat fast, but he rode steadily forward and soon the growl was repeated, this time nearer and more distinct, and Cedric saw in the dim light, a great wild boar coming towards him. ”

“ At this Lord Mountjoy turned to Cedric, saying:
“Now here’s the chance, Cedric, my lad, for thee to earn both gold and honor. Wilt thou pick five more Mountjoy cross-bow men and ride with them ’neath the Constable’s banner?”
But with a countenance of a sudden grown something pale, Cedric made reply:
“Good my lord, I pray you lay not your commands upon me to that effect. This expedition likes me not.”
“How now!” exclaimed my father, “this is a new temper for thee, Cedric. Thou’rt ever ready to be where shafts and quarrels fly. Surely thou’rt not frighted of peasants’ clubs and scythes.” ”

“ In time he had a beautiful castle of his own, and splendid armor, the most beautiful black horse that you ever saw. The handsome horse used to prance and toss his head proudly in the air as if he knew what a noble young knight he was carrying. After a while Cedric had a lovely wife and two or three sweet little children of his own, and as he rode abroad over the country, many a time the peasants standing in their cottage doors, would say to each other, "There goes the brave Sir Cedric of Altholstane. God bless him! May he live long to help protect our country." ”

“ The conjurer thrilled with joy as he noticed the effect of his words, and saw the Indians quietly leave the lodge to spread the news to those without. The old spell had still its influence, and he gave a low chuckle of delight.
Knowing nothing of what was taking place at the Quelchie camp, Keith returned with Shrahegan after two days' absence. It was only natural that he should feel much elated over the success of his visit. He had been more than human if his heart had not beat fast when he looked upon the gold gleaming from the bed rock, exposed to view, along the steep banks of the creek. ”

“ Keddo was very useful. Besides holding Janet on the job, and irradiating the household with good cheer and jollity, he provided a much needed outlet for our suppressed faculty of command. We all require scope for this faculty which gets too little exercise after the children are grown up. Keddo provided it in our case. If didn't carry it so far as to hurt his feelings, he loved you all the more for ordering him about. The first time I heard the Master of the house sternly bidding him to lie down, sir, I knew his position in the family was secure. ”

“ Geoffrey, Lord of Carleton and Teramore, leader of a hundred lances and half a thousand bowmen, rose from his seat amid a clamor of disputing voices and saluted the Marshal and the assembled company.
“I propose, my lords and gentlemen,” he said in that high, sweet voice of his which yet is far-heard and commanding, “the name of Sir Cedric De La Roche, Knight of Grimsby and bold defender of our Western Marches, for the fifth and final member of this group. He is a brave man and true; and hath, as we often say in the West, a head as well as an arm. ”

“ Lee, struggling to hide her emotions from her child, said, in a cheerful voice, "Well, Lucy, dear, we'll go next to Mrs. Kidder's; those who know what work is ought to have most consideration for their servant." And to Mrs. Kidder's, a full mile from the office, they went. The door was opened by a rude, dirty boy (Mrs. Kidder's eldest hope) , who, running to the landing-places on the stairs, shouted, "Ma—I say, can't you come down—here's somebody after a place."
"Tell 'em to come up here, Lorenzo."
"Follow your nose, ma'am," called out the boy, "and go to where you hear the tum-tumin." ”

“ Cedric, who was ever of few words, nodded his head at this speech of mine; and so ’twas settled among us. Through the summer months we would strike no blow at the outlaws save in defense, but at the fall of the leaf, when the woods made not so close a cover, we would fall upon them in their fastnesses with all our forces at once, and so destroy and scatter them that the woodland roads of the whole county would be free of their kind for years to come.
A week later Sir Geoffrey took his way to his great castle at Teramore under a strong escort of Carleton men-at-arms. ”

“ That's for the Kady."
Rad pointed majestically to his own breast. "El Kady," he said.
"Oh, you are his Worship, are you?" said Kettle. "Why didn't you say so before? I don't think it was quite straight of you, tintacks, but perhaps that's your gentle Arab way. But I say, Whiskers, don't you try being too foxy with me, or you'll get hurt. I'm not the most patient man in the world with inferior nations. Come, now, where's the mate?"
Rad spread his hands helplessly.
"See, here, it's no use your trying that game. You know that I want Murray, my mate." ”

“ Haidee slipped past me, a scarlet band burning upon her sweet and delicate arm.
'Life is a game from the beginning,' said the Kadi. 'We are employed upon the puzzle many years, and the sooner the end the simpler the solution. The dead are fortunate. Choose you the colour, my son. And forasmuch as the Kadi holds the balance in his hands, keep counsel with yourself. ”

“ He lives,” muttered the leader of the men-at-arms, to my utter amaze doffing his headpiece before the stricken youth. Then in answer:
“Master Geoffrey, God be thanked, they have not murdered thee! But these are Sir Richard of Mountjoy and the forester, Cedric, the very same that did to death thy brother, Lionel. Now we shall swing them from yonder oak limb. ’Twill heal thee faster to see thy enemies thus justly served.”
“Hubert, thou shalt not,—on thy life!” ”

“ Thus Kedzie floated out of the swirling eddies where the social driftwood jostled in eternal circles. She sulked and considered the formalities of who should call on whom and who owed whom a call. New York life had grown too busy for anybody to pay much attention to the older reciprocities of etiquette.
Almost nobody called on Kedzie. She took a pride in smothering her complaints from Jim, who was not very much alive to her hours. He was busy, too. He had joined the Seventh Regiment of the New York National Guard, and it absorbed a vast amount of his time. ”

“ The number of warriors of the ancient Caddo is reduced to about one hundred, who are viewed as a distinguished military order of men; they have many old men and strangers, who live amongst them, amounting to nearly an equal number with the Caddos. This nation has great influence over the Yattassees, Nandakoes, Nabadaches, Inies, Nagogdoches, Keychies, Adaize, and Natchitoches, who all speak the Caddo language, look up to them as their fathers, intermarry among them, and join them in all their wars. They cultivate corn, beans, pumpkins, melons, and tobacco. ”

“ An hour later Keith drew away from Siwash Creek for his long run to Klassan. The dogs bounded merrily over the snow, shaking their little bells, glad of the race in the keen, frosty air. Keith could hardly believe it possible that such a short time before he had plodded over that same trail, weary and sick at heart. A new life now possessed him, and he sang snatches of old songs and hymns, cheered the dogs, and at times laughed aloud at the mere joy of living. ”

“ With neither power of speech nor of gesticulation, one is certainly handicapped in this world. I realized it when I considered Keddo. A tail, of course, is an expressive substitute, but it only transmits, it doesn't receive messages. Keddo and I found it hard sometimes to cross the gulfs that separated our worlds. He would sit opposite me respectfully and receptively, pause, look concerned, cock his pretty head on one side meditatively and finally jump up as if to say, "What a stupid game. It comes to nothing. ”

“ And many a night when we make bivouac in the forest or on the moorlands we shall sup right royally on the hares or moorfowl which thy skill will provide, and snap our fingers at the inns and all the houses of the towns.”
“’Tis a fair thought,” sighed Cedric. “An oak-leaf bed in a glade, by a goodly stream, is ever more to my liking than any made in a dwelling, save in the wet or bitter weather. But, for Old Marvin now—Methinks ’twould please me well to shoot against him at archer match. ”

“ After all, one cannot be so very angry with a little shrinking culprit whose chief offense rises out of his desire to be with you.
I became, I hope, a kinder, certainly a wiser person, because of knowing Keddo. I learned from him much more than he learned from me. By reason of him I realized something of what unconditional confidence is—a bridge upon which angels meet and pass, angels of kind intent and perfect understanding. I learned too, what a little gayety of disposition can achieve, coupled with consideration for other people's feelings. ”

“ Then Cedric could keep his secret no longer. Going up to her, he put his arm around her neck and whispered to her the story of the knight, how he had stopped and spoken, and what he had said. "Do you think I could ever grow up to be a knight, mother?" asked he. His mother smiled, and then looked sober as she brushed his brown hair back from his forehead and said, "Knights have many, many hard things to do, my son, and oftentimes their lives are in danger." "Yes, I know," answered Cedric eagerly, "but think, mother, how brave they are, and how good! Do they not protect our country?" ”

“ None of us, at least, but sympathised with Kadu’s dumb heroes when, by a little pleasant cheat or sly stratagem, the bullying buffalo got the worst of an encounter with the sharp-witted rabbit, or when the dog got the better of his sour mistress the leopardess, or when rabbit put to shame the surly elephant, or when Kibatti conquered the kings of the animal tribes. The legend of Kinneneh and the Gorilla was another story which evidently was meant by Kadu and the unknown ancient of Uganda who invented it to illustrate that cunning is mightier than strength. ”