The central gazette. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1820-1827, 1825-02-19

l Qulre, thts buiiet would Dave been thru' youI
brain But you are on old friend; have
borne patiently with your fury aud vorr folly
| ] have even protected you from a foolish pas
sion that would have unnamed YOU AS tc
the girl. the laws OF our association mus,
have their course, So saying, he gave hi,
/ commands, lots were drawn. and the helpless
| girl was abandoned to the troop.
| Here the robber paused gain, painting with
fury, and II wa, sometime before he could re
| sumo his story. ~
| He'll. said he, was raging in my heart !
| beheld the impossibility of avenging myself,
and I felt that. according to the article in
which we stood bound to one another. the
captain was in the right. rushed with fren
J Nv from the place threw myself upon the
| earth, and CRASHED my teeth in agony and
rage .,.
When at length returned, I beheld the
| wre, ched victim pale. disheveled; her rress
| torn and disordered An emotion OF pity Tor
| a moment subdued hy fercer feelings bore
| her to the foot Of tee, and leaned her gently
against it Itook my gourd. which was filled
| with wine. and applying it to her lips, endea-
vo, ed to make her swallow a little 10 what
a condition was she recovered! She. whom
| 7 had once seen the pride OF Frosinone, who
| hut short time before had bcheld sporting
| in her fathers VINEYARD, so fresh and beauti-
| fnl and happy! Her teeth were clenched;
her eyes fixed on the ground her form with
| out motion, and in a state OF absolute Insensi-
biliv. I hung over her in an agony OF recol-
lection of all that she had been, and OF an
guish at what now beheld her. darted
| round a loo,, OF horror at my companions,
who seemed like so MANY fends exu'ting in
| the downfall of an angel. and felt horror
| at myself for being their accomplice.
The captain, always suspicious, saw with
his usual penetration what was passing within
me. and ordered me to go upon the ridge Of
woods 10 keep look out upon the neighbor-
hood, and await the return of the shepherd =
I obeveh, OF course. sitting the Jury that ra
ged within me. though felt for the moment
| that nc was my most deadly zoe
On nv wav, however, a raw OF reflection
came across nv mind perceived that the
captain was but following with strictness the
| terrible laws 10 which he had sworn fidelity :;
| that the passion bv which had beer blinded
might with Justice have been fatal to me but
| or his forhearance; tina. he had penetrated my
| soul, and had taken precautions, nv sending
| me out o the way. to prevent my committing
any excess in nv anger From that instant
| felt that was capable Of pardoning him
! Occupied with these thoughts arrived at
the foot Of the mountain The country was
| solitary and secure: and in a short time be
held the shepherd at distance crossing the
| plain I tened to meet him. tie had oh
tanned nothing. He found the father plunged
| in the deepest distress He had read the let
Ter with violent emotion. and then calming
| himself with a sudden exertio,, he had replied
| coldiv. NV daughter has been dishonored bv
| those wretches let her be returned without
| 'ansom or let her die y
shuddercd al this reply knew accord.
ing to the laws of our troop, her death was
inevitable Our oa,hs rcqui, ed it. I felt ne
vertheiess that, not haIing heen able to have
her to myself, | could become her execution
e-i
The rohber again paused with agitation
sat m using upon his last frightfu' words
which proved 10 what excess the passions ma,
he carried when escaped from all moral res
s,nint. There was horrible verify in this
story that reminded me OF some Of the tragic
| fictions of Dante.
l. We now come to fatal moment, resumed
the bandit. After the report of the shepherd
returned with him, and the chiettain receiv
ed from his lips the refusal of the father. A
signal which we all understood. we followes
him some distance from the victim. He ther
pronounced her sentence Of death Eve'y
one stood ready 60 execute his order; but
interiered. observed that there was some
thing due TO pity. well as to Justice Tina
was as ready as any one to approve the i'm
placabe law which vas TO serve as warning
to all those who hest lated to pay the ransom
demanded Tor our prisoners but that, though
the sacrifice was proper. it ought 10 be made
without cruelty. The night i approac ching
continued ] !: she will soon be wrapped il
: sleep; let her then be despatched. All that
now claim on the score Of fonGness for her Is
TO let me strike the blow. | will de il sure
iy, but more tendcrly than another SeveIa
raised their voices against my proposition, bn
The captain imposed silence them. HI
told me hal ] might conduct her into a thick
ct at some distance, and he relied upon my
promise
FASTENED to seize my prey There was
foTiorn kind OF triumph at having At length
| become her exclusive posscssor. / bore heI
OFF into The THO kness Of the forest. She re-
manned in the same state'of inscnsibility and
stupor. was thankful that she did not ecol
| lect me; for had sho once nurmnred nv
name, | should have been overcome Sine
sept a, length il. the arms Of him who had 10
poinard her Manv wcrc the conflicts ! I'M
defwent before couId bring myself TO strike
| the blow. My heart had become sore by the
| recent conflicts i had undergone, aud
dreaded lest, by 'ec'astipation, some other
| should become her cxccu,iouer. When her
repose had continued for some time ] sepsia
ted myself gently from her that l might not
disturb her sleep, and seizing suddenly my
| poinard, plunged il into her bosom A pam.
| fui and onceniratcd murTaur, hut without
| any conclusive movement, accompanied her
| last sigh SO persisted this unfortunate