The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-08-03

! mules, while their guides, pOrterS, ser
wants, and interpreter made up quite al
| imposing cortege. None bnt the wealthy
| paraphernalia, and / could easily be-
lieve tic Inspector ti.at the new-comcrs
were, as he said, s'Iilustrissimi Ineiesi, .
who had been especially recommended
to his good Offices by the Governor of
the Province.
There were several la,lies of the party,
which consisted, as afterwards learned,
OF more than one family, and [ think ii
was the sight of their pluRed hats and
huttering dresses, and the. sound of
their merry laughter, that atlefle hang
back and keep aloof, ashalrsel :of my
rough garb aud weather. beaten aspect,
while my chief, nothing 18th, did the
honors Of the sulphur mine, about which
he practically knew SO little, descanting
SilblJ to his fair listeners on the marvels
OF the place, and smirking as they grew
enthusiastic concerning the lovely tints
of the glowing sulphur.
Tho weather was Of the finest, the
spring sky was of the purest blue, and
the balmy air seemed to caress the cheek
it famed. I overheard one of the Eng
lish ladies' say to another that the climate
seemed perfection, I wonder how she
would have enjoyed the wllistling wind
and rafting hail of the winter storms.
Then came the dinner-a sort OF pic
mic on splendid scale, for the cooks
been busy in their improvised kitchen,
and the hampers had been unpaclled,
and rare viands and good wine were
handed around in lavish profrsion.
Even our tatterdemalion sulphur work
ers were not forgotten, and the poor fell
lows got choicer food and dantier liquor,
from the supelfiuity of the banquet,
than had ever gladdencd their palates.
I, perhaps from q sentiment Of false
pride, had held myself aloof, ,and had de
chned good-natured invitation on the
part of the travelling ''exccliencies' to
be partaker of the banquet. But, l
scarcely knowwhy, Ihovered around the
blithe party, and, myself unseen, gazed
upon them from amidst the evergreen
oaks AMI matted brushwood There
were present two or three young ladies
who were pretty and attractive, but the
face chat revieted my attention was that
of a little child-a girl six or seven years
old, with loose curls of pale gold, and
complexion of delicate pink and white
merely plump little smiling baby face,
but SO very, very like a little sister of
my own, long since laid to rest beneath
the dashed turf. that I felt it half painful
to look at her.
''Hist, Captain-how I've run!-well,
I've found you,' said husky voice in
the Sicilian patois, as a hand plucked
at my sleeve.
I turned, and saw beside me Il ragged
imp of girl of some twelve or thirteen
years, with bare feet and uncombed
black hair, like the name of q horse,
whom [ knew to be grand daughter OF
the reputed witch, Assurta, and who
seemed to own no Christian name, since
she was always spoken of as the ''Gaz-
"a"
''The grandmother sent me- How
I've run !'-and the quick painting of
her young lungs confirmed this. ''Make
the best Of your way to Catania before
it catches you.'
''Defore what catches me2" asked I
astonished.
s'The gulf-the gulf of fire !" returned
the girl impatiently. 'sShe wishes you
naught but good, signor, so she sent
me, but don't tell those hounds with the
heads of swine. and she shook her fist,
with stealthy hate, at carousing
group of sulphur seekers, and then, be-
fore L could demand an explanation, was
gone.
What did this portend2
I turned my eyes towards the barren
track that lay, cinderstrewn, beyond the
greenery of the fores, and saw something
like fiery serpent come slowly crawling
along the ground in an irregular course,
the black and gray ash heaps reddening
as they advanced.
Slow and silent, on it crept, and pres
emily [ saw the dry moss and dead leaves
on the outskirts OF the wood suddenly
take fire, as though the flaming breath
of the giant serpent had kindled them.
And then [ felt that mischief was indeed
at hand, and uplifted my voice to the
utmost to give the alarm.
A mightier voice than mind drowned
my feeble accents. There was roar as
if thousand cannon had been fired at
once, and then there scared up to the
sky cloud of red-hot ashes, falling III u
fiery rain on lawn and wood, while moss,
grass and brush, and even entire trees,
began to blaze and crackle. Nor was this
all, for the treacherous crust of the vol
opening out into flaming assures, which
in the form of circle rudely traced,
seemed threatening to surround Us.
An indescribable period of panic en-
sued. The gay picnic party broke up,
and its members, mixed pell-mell with
the terrified sulphur workers, hurried
headlong down the hillside, some on
mules, but most on foot, abandoning the
late scene OF festiyity, and absorbed in
the enc impulse Of self-preservation. It