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Show A DECIDEDLY COOL MONK. <br><br> A monk, on his way to Luzarche the other day, fell in with a stranger riding in the same direction, with whom he entered into a conversation, and was charmed with the agreeable sallies of his companion. The latter learning from the monk that he was in charge [of] a sum of money belonging to this [unreadable] observed that he himself was trave [traveling?] toward that part of the country and that by taking a short cut through the forest they would materially abridge their journey. When they were in the thick of the wood, the stranger dismounted from his horse, seized the monk's bridle, and with many threats insisted on his delivering up the money he had with him. "I do not carry it about me," replied the other; "allow me to get off my horse and I will call the lay brother who follows me with the baggage and hand you over the one thousand livers." The stranger consented, and the monk, rejoining his attendant, took from him a purse containing the sum specified, and also a pistol, which he hid in his sleeve; then throwing the purse on the ground, he waited until the robber was in the act of stopping to pick it up, and shot him through the head. Hastening to the nearest village, he related what he had done, to the authorities, and obtained permission for a troop of grenadiers to accompany him to the spot, where they found the robber lying stone dead, with the purse by his side. Searching his person, they discovered in a secret pocket a whistle, which one of the party put to his mouth and blew with all his force. A few minutes after ten well armed individuals arrived from different parts of the wood, and a combat ensued which resulted in the death of the gang and in the capture of two of the remainder. |