nd
after the meal he began to boast of his strength, as usual, till at last
an old German general, who sat at his left, said that he would like to see
a specimen of what his Excellency could do. Saxe made no answer, but took
up a large silver dish, which was standing before him, in his strong white
fingers (for, big and powerful as his hands were, they were white and
smooth as any lady's, and he was very proud of them), and, without more
ado, rolled it up like a sheet of paper!

"Can your Honor unroll that dish again?" asked he, handing it to the
German; and, although the general was a strong man, and tried his best, he
found the task too hard for him, and was forced to own himself beaten.

"Your Excellency's strength is very great," said he, "but, nevertheless, I
venture to think that there is one man in Flanders who can match it."

"And who may he be?" asked Saxe, frowning.

"A blacksmith in the village of Scheveningen, Dirk Hogan by name. All the
country around knows of his exploits; and when I met with him myself I saw
such things as I should have thought impossible, had my own eyes not
witnessed them."

When the marshal heard this, he looked blacker than ever; and the first
thing he did next morning was to send off messengers in every direction to
inquire for a village called Scheveningen, and a man named Dirk Hogan.
And, sure enough, some of them came back with news that there was such a
village, and that Dirk Hogan, the smith, had been living there till quite
lately; but that now he had sold his forge and gone away, and nobody knew
what had become of him.

This was a decided disappointment for our friend Saxe, but he had
something else to think of just then. The enemy's army had lately received
strong re-enforcements, and seemed inclined to attack him; and he was
riding out one morning to reconnoiter their position, when suddenly his
horse stumbled and cast a shoe.

"There's a village just ahead of us, your Excellency," said one of his
officers. "Shall I ride on and see if I can find a blacksmith?"

"Do so," answered Saxe; and the officer came back presently to say that he
had found what he wanted. So the horse was led up to the door of the
smithy, and the smith himself came out to have a look at it.

The moment he appeared, the marshal fastened his eyes upon him as if he
would look him right through. And well he might; for this smith was such a
man as one does not see every day--very nearly as tall as S