Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-09-23
AN APPENINE ADVENTURE.

the Casa del Bello, my companion anG
guide was James L. Grover, an Ameri
can painter of some note, whom / haG
known well in the land of his nativity
1t was Sunday evening and on the fol
lowing day | was to start for Bologna
Grover and myself sat upon one of the
balconies Of our chamber, engaged il
conversation over our cigars, and afte!
we had talked awhile Of the various
things we had seen during the day, he
asked me if he had ever told me of his
adventure upon the Apprentices. 1 told
him L had never heard it.
"Then I must tell it to YOU" he said
throwing away his cigar and taking q
sip of wine.
lighted fresh cigar, and he related
to me as follows:
"Four years ago this summer my
brother and two sisters visited me here
in Florence. They spent two weeks
with me, and then started for Venice
by the way of Bologna, where they had
friends whom they were anxious to see
| should have gone with them had not
been engaged upon work which | had
promised to have done within a given
time; but as it was, we made the thing
work very well, for my brother expect.
ed two thousand dollars by the hand OF
friend who was shortly expected from
Rome, and it was arranged that | should
take the money when it came, and bring
it with me to Venice when / got ready
to meet them there. My brother left
the necessary document for the obtain
ing of the money, and in due time set
| out.
"On the very next day l was taken
Ill, and was confined to my bed week,
but [ got out and finished my work Just
as the friend arrived from Rome with
the money. He delivered it into my
hands upon the production of my broth.
er's written instructions, and | set the
next Monday as the day on which ]
would start was really not fit to un-
dertake such a journey, but could not
miss seeing my sisters once more before
they returned home. / could have sent
the money easily enough, but promised
myself too much pleasure with my dear
relatives in Venice to mis- it now.
"Monday morning came, and I could
notarise from my bed without assistance.
A sort Of neuralgia affection had seized
all my nerves, and | was forced to stay
in doors, and to resort to hot baths and
medicine But on the following morn
ing I felt able to start, and / did SO.
Upon reaching Pistoja, learned that
there was no diligence to leave before
the next day. l could not stand this.
l was already behind my time, and if
the thing could be accomplished, must
go on. There was deligence under
the shed, but no one to drive it. stBut
can't we have some one?" / asked. eff
Signor will pay" was the laconic reply.
Of course | would pay; and though the
sum charged was pretty round one,
yet l did not hesitate. The numbering
vehicle was dragged out; four miserable
looking horses were attached, and then
yoke OF stout oxen, hitched on ahead
Of them. Two rough looking fellows
were provided, one as a 0ettmri3a0 (pos-
tiIlion,) and the other to drive the oxen.
Thus provided, I took my seat, and the
diligence started.
eve were to cross the Apprentices by
the pass of La Collina, and Just began
to ascend the rugged mountain path
when heard loud hallooing behind,
and in moment the diligence stopped.
"What's the matter {? " l asked, polk
ing my head out through the opening by
my side.
"Two men want to ride" returned the
vetturino.
"But | hired the diligence, and / am
in hurry; so drive on. If they wish to
ride they must wait until tomorrow"
But the drivers were not to be govern
ed thus.
cit won't make lit of difference -
they said. "We1l go just as fast and
besides they'll pay us something"
By this time the cause of all the
trouble madeits appearance in the shape
of two dark visaged, black bearded, pow
erful men, who looked ugly enough for
the incarnation of murder. / recogniz-
ed one of them as a fellow whom had
seen hanging about the hotel at Florence
and the other / was confident I had
caught glimpse of just as the diligence
left the yard at Pistoja.
was upon the point of speaking
when the thought occurred to me that
had better keep my knowledge of the
| italian language to myself. | might
find out the characters Of the fellows
thus. know very well that further re.
monstrance would be useless, for the
drivers were stupidity hoggish, and the
new applicants were clearly men not to
be argued with. The door was opened
and the fellows entered. l occupied the
back seat, and they took the seat at the
other end, fixing themselves so as to face
me. They looked at me out of wicked
eyes, and as they threw back their short
cloaks l saw they were we'll armed.
"Hope we don't trouble you? )" said
one of them in coarse Italian, as the dill
igence started on.
81 gazed inquiringly into his face, but
made no reply.
"He repeated the remark
ssNo comprehend, signor,'' said, sha
king my head.
"Ah-Englise?" he suggested with
shrug of his shoulders.
"No-Irish," l told him.
| Ugh !" he grunted, with another
shrug of the broad, massive shoulders
and an awful scowl of the face.
"We had now begun to ascend the
mountain in good earnest, and our pace
was slow and numbering. The fellow
who drove the oxen made noise enough
for an army, while the blows upon boil
oxen and horses fell hard and thick, bu
without accomplishing anything. Had
l been alone, might have enjoyed tn,
magnificent scenery which unfolded it
} self below us as we crent I'D the Cnllina