Three good giants

The good Pantagruel, having his back turned to the road, thought from this that Carpalim surely must be sick, and so ordered that vinegar should be at once brought. But Pauurge, who happened to be looking out, had already noticed what Carpalim had about him, and told Pantagruel that his valet was carrying a fine stag around his neck, and around his waist a belt of hares. Wise Master Epistemon at once made nine handsome wooden spits in the old style. Eusthenes, wanting to be useful, helped him to skin the game ; while Panurge placed two of the dead men's saddles in such a way that they served as andirons. The prisoner was made cook, and at the f Jj very same fire where his friends were burning poor cook roasted

CARPALIM CATCHES SOME FRESH MEAT.

Carpalim's venison. Of course, everybody enjoyed the fresh meat after so much salt meat, and became very gay and chatty. Pauurge evidently thought his friends were getting too noisy, for, of a sudden, he cried : —

"We had better think a little about our affairs, so as to decide in what way we will conquer our enemies."

''That is well thought on!" said Pantagruel.

He at once turned to the prisoner, and, wishing to frighten him still more, said: "My friend, tell us here the truth, and do not lie to us in any one single thing, if thou dost not want to be eaten alive, for they say I am he who eats little children. Give us, therefore, the order, the number, the strength in guns, of thy army."

" My lord," . answered the prisoner humbly, " know for truth that in (l\ my army there are three hundred

giants, all clad in armor, and wonderfully tall giants they are, too, — not quite so tall as Your Highness, save one who is their chief, who is called Loupgarou, and who is armed with anvils. Be-O sides these giants, there are one hundred and sixty-three thousand foot-soldiers, all armed with the skins of hobgoblins, and all strong and valiant men ; eleven thousand, four hundred men-at-arms ; three thousand, six hundred double cannon, and quite too many arquebusiers to count; and ninety-four thousand pioneers."

"That is all very well, so far as it goes," said Pantagruel, dryly ; " but is thy King there ? "

'Yes, sire, the King is there in person. He is known among us as Anarchus, King of the Dipsodes, which is the same as saying the Thirsty People, because you have never yet seen a people so thirsty by nature or with such throats for drinking. The giants guard the King's tent."

"Enough!" said Pantagruel. "Brave boys, are you willing to follow me ? "

" May Heaven confound those who would leave you ! " cried out Panurge.

THE TROPHY.

Then the party began to joke one another about the prisoner's report, and to boast about the glorious feats each one was going to do on the giants who guarded King Anarchus' tent.

As was his habit the noble Pantagruel laughed at all the nonsense, but, in the midst of a good shaking, he suddenly thought of what was really before him.

" Gentlemen," he said, " you reckon without your host. I am rather afraid that, if you go on much longer in the way you are now, it will not be dark before you are in such a state that those Thirsty People can come here and maul you with pike and lance. So, then, children, let's be marching. However, before we leave this place, in remembrance of the courage you have just shown, I wish to erect here a fine trophy."

This was a happy idea, and everybody was at once busy — singing meanwhile pleasant little songs — in setting up a high post. This done, they hung up on the post a great cuirassier saddle, the front-piece of a barbed horse, bridle-bits, knee-pieces, stirrups, stirrup-leathers, spurs, a coat of mail, a battle-axe, a strong, short, sharp sword, a gauntlet, leg-harness, and a throat-piece, —all spoils from the poor horsemen whose bones were then lying half-charred on the sands.

And this was the trophy which Pantagruel raised.

CHAPTER XXXI. THE STRANGE WAY IN WHICH PANTAGRUEL OBTAINED A VICTORY OVER THE THIRSTY PEOPLE.

THEN the trophy had been raised, Panta-gruel had his prisoner brought before him and sent him away with these words : — " Get thee back to thy King in his camp, and tell him what thou hast seen. Be sure you tell him to be ready to welcome me to-morrow, at noon. All I am waiting for are my galleys, which are on the sea. As soon as they come which will be to-morrow morning, at the very latest, I shall prove to thy King, by eighteen hundred thousand men and seven thousand giants, — each of those giants taller and larger than thou see'st me here, —that he has been an idiot to attack my country."

Of course, in all this talk about having an army on the sea, Panta-gruel was only trying to frighten the King of the Thirsty People.