orse
me, and the two reports of the gun, she exclaimed:

"'I understand, I understand. You have bought a circus charger.'

"'A circus charger!'

"'Why, yes; that's it, and that explains everything. You have seen
twenty times at the Circus of the Empress the performance of the circus
charger--the light-cavalryman who enters the arena on a gray horse, then
the Arabs come and shoot at the cavalryman, who is wounded and falls;
and as you didn't fall, the horse, indignant and not understanding how
you could so far forget your part, threw you on the ground. And when
you were on the ground, what did the horse do?'

"I related Brutus's little work in burying me suitably.

"'The circus charger,' she continued; 'still the circus charger. He sees
his master wounded, the Arabs could come back and finish him, and so
what does the horse do? He buries the cavalryman. Then goes off
galloping, didn't he?'

"'Yes, on a hard gallop,'

"'Carrying the flag, which is not to fall into the hands of the Arabs.'

"'It's my hat that he took.'

"'He took what he could. And where does the circus charger gallop to?'

"'Ah! I know, I know,' I exclaimed, in my turn, 'he goes to get the
sutler.'

"'Precisely. He goes to get the sutler; and the sutler to-day, if you
please, is I, Countess of Noriolis. Your big gray horse galloped into my
grounds. I was standing on the porch, putting on my gloves and ready to
step into my carriage, when the stablemen came running, upon seeing that
horse arrive saddled and bridled, without a rider, and a hat in his
mouth. They tried to catch him, but he shunned them and escaped, and
came straight to the porch, falling on his knees before me. The men
approached, and once more tried to catch him; but he got up, galloped
away, stopped by the gate of the grounds, turned around, and looked at
me. He called to me--I assure you, he called to me. I told the men not
to bother about the horse any more. Then I jumped into my carriage and
started; the horse rushed into the woods; post-haste I followed him by
paths that were not always intended for carriages; but still I followed
him, and I arrived and found you.'

"At the moment Mme. de Noriolis was speaking those last words the
carriage received a tremendous shock from behind; then we saw in the air
Brutus's head, which was held there upright as though by a miracle. For
it was again Brutus. Mounted by Bob, he had followed the carriage for
several minutes, and seeing t