The daily gazette., 1883-07-19

minutes later, I noticed that the man had
left the balcony. He soon reappeared, and
an Instant after, my friend retraversed the
square. 81 know you'll" said to myself,
as opened the door 81 know why you went
over there ~ My friend entered. "You
/ went over to embrace that mani" He looked
at me, smiled ana then throwing his arms
round my neck, replied gaiy: "No, be-
cause | was unworthy; | went to kiss his
hand"
II was IN the summer of 1861, when
Europe rang with the fame uf the doings of
brtgand bands, the memorable times when
those who cried: "Long live Italy p were
buried alive beneath heap of fostering
corpses-wheu at Triesta men ate the flesh
| OF the peasants who rebelled against the
orders Of their despoilers--when Colonel
| Negri, near Pontelaudolio, saw the bloody
limbs of soldiers hung trophy like from the
windows-when poor Lieutenant Bycci,
wounded and captured In battle, was Killed
after eight hours of hoIrid torture when
crowd ofmaddened people went out from
their villages by night and, torch in hand,
to receive the bands in triumph-when
| families were arrested, hung, hayed,
and quartered; and arms, money and
blessings came from the right bank of
the Tiber to keep alive and increase the
wretehed slaughter.
On one of the last days of July, soon after
sunrise, in lonely valley of the province of
Capitania, man on horseback was on his
way toward San Severe, having left that city
the night before, to bear an order from his
colonel to the commander of another body
OF troops. uttoned under his blouse was
letter iE response to that order, ii which
the commander said that he would start at
eight in the morning for gorge IN neigh
boring mountain, which he had learned was
the favoTte haunt of band of robbers who
had Tor some time infested the region. The
bearer OF this letter was man of 80, tall,
thin, with spar ling eyes and waxed mus
taches, and that line between the eyebrows
which betrays habit of thought. His
features were prematurely grave, his thick
black hair adding ook of sorrow; his stiff
attitude and his bold, decisive bearing
testified to vigor of mind In harmony
with the necessities cf time and place. He
went at trot along a winding path,
turning his head occasionally hither and
thther, to gaze at the deserted meadows,
steep mountains and clear sky, hearing no
other sound than the noise OF his horses
hoot and the ratiling ot his sabre.
Suddenly, as he passed between two thick,
high hedges, he saw a flash and heard the
report of gun. AS he turned his horse
and grasped his pistol, the horse staggered;
as he bent his head to see II it was wounded
he felt himself seized from behind; as he
turned round man sprang from the
thicket whence the shot was fired and fell
upon MIN; behind him, like shadow, stole
third. He had no time TO fire, to dis
mount, or to be upon his guard; he was
torn from his horse and thrown on the
ground Here he stroye to resist; he
writhed, struck and hit, but he could not
rise; exhausted, he yielded, and allowed
himself to he disarmpd. In his rage. how
ever, In his frantic struggle, envolved by
cloud OF dust, he contrlved by lightning
like movement to convey the precious letter
TO his mouth, unobserved by his assailants.
They bound his hands behind his back;
they raised him to his feet; hastily and
roughly they slung round his neck his sabre,
cloak and portmanteau, they dragged the
horse tn on h the hedge, and then on across
the fields, exciting the frightened, stagger-
ing beast, by an Internal medley of oaths,
threats, blows and laughter.
RIO be cont ued.l