The Placer herald., 1874-04-11

A FRIGHTFUL ADVENTURE.

once upon time was making trip
through Calabra. The people of this coun-
try are peculiar race, who have no partic-
ular love for any one, but above all, they
hate the French To assign reason for
this hatred would be no easy task. Suffice
to say, then, that they hate them with
deadly hatred, and were one to fall into
their hands, he might look for anything else
but pleasant treatment. The roads over the
mountains are very steep, and it was with
difficulty that Cur horses moved along
My companion, young man of twenty,
having gone on ahead of me, turned off on
by-path, which seemed to him shorter
and more practicable than the road, but
which only led us both astray. 1t was al
ready dark night when we arrived before
the entrance of a dark, gloomy-ooking
house. We entered, not without suspicion,
and there found whole family of dirty
looking individuals seated at a table, to
which we were Immediately invited. My
young companion did not want to be urged
We ate and drank heartily; he did, at least
as for me, was too much engaged in
making an inspection Of the place, and ex-
amining the appearance of our hosts They
you would have judged to be coal beavers,
and as to the place itself, it looked more
like an arscnei than dwelling; nothing was
to be seen on all sides but guns, pistols,
sabers and cutlasses. Everything about
the establishment dspleased me, and | felt
i'll at ease.
My companion, on the contrary, seemed
to have become one of the family. He
laughed and chatted with them, and by an
imprudence which scarcely could have been
foreseen, told them whence we came,
whittier we we were going, and that we
were Frenchl Only think! Among our
more than mortal enemies, alone, astray,
and so far from human assistance. Then,
to my greater CONSERVATION, he omitted
nothing which might help to ruin us He
said he was rich, and would willingly pay
whatever they desired for the present
trouble. if they would only act as guides on
the following day. Finally, he spoke of his
valise, begging them to take special care of
it. to place it at the head of his bed, for he
desired no other pillow. Oh, youth! youth!
how your age is to be pitiedl M re ~
The supper finished our hosts retired.
They slept il a room below where we had
supped. The bed that awaited us was
hammock, elevated on seven or eight posts,
to which we had to climb up by means of
ladder, or sort of nest that one entered by
crawling under the joists, which were hung
with provisions for the whole year round.
My comrade climbed up first, and was soon
fast asleep, with his head upon the precious
vaise. As for me, determined to stay
awake, made good fire and seated my
self before it.
Already the night had nearly passed, and
was beginning to cheer up again when, as
| thought, about aybreak, l heard the
host and his wife dsputing underneath.
Putting my ear to the fireplace, which COM
muncated with the one below, distinguish
ed these words of the husband "Well,
you see at last we must kill the two of
them," to which the woman ossented, and
heard no more. Horror of horrors! There
remained, scarcely able to breathe, my
whole body as cold as marble.
To see me one could scarcely tell whether
was dead or alive. Lord! when | think
of it even now! We two, unarmed, to
have to contend with twelve or fifteen in
number, armed to the teeth. Besides, my
eomrade was. fast asleep and dead with
fatigue. FOCAL him, or even make the
slightest noise dared not, to escape alone
| could not True, the window was not
very high, but in the yard beneath there
two huge bulldogs, bowling like wolves.
What agony | was in imagine if you can.
After the lapse of a quarter OF an hour,
which seemed to me an age, heard some
one on the stairs, and through the chink of
the door saw the man with a lamp in one
hand, and large knife in the other. He
came up, followed by his wife, as far as the
door, behind which stood. Giving the
lamp to her, be entered stealthy and bare
footed, while she, shading the lamp With
her hand, cautioned him to 60 softly and
make as little noise as nnssihle