Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-22

il not Of the country round them. this as
sociatlon becama somewhat intertered
within its proceedings. The times andblaek
mail fell off, and most OF the members sep
urated aud tried TO get more lucrative
means of existence than by brigandage.
TIE government OF Italy then underwent
change owing to the unfcation, and ST.
oily, like the other provinces, had to sub
init to the common lot, to accept other
laws, and especially to receive the yoke
of conservation. Rebels who would not
conform to the new laws, and tu-
eitives who refused to serve in the
army. then betook themselves to the
''matfisi' and other INSCRIPTIONS ruff
fans, aud formed themselves into gangs
to scour the country.
Zirone was at the head of one OF these
gangs, and when the share Of Count San
DORIS possessions which had fallen 10
sarcany had been run through, he and his
friend bad returned TO their old life and
waited till another opportunity offered to
acquire 3 fortune. The opportunity came.
the marriage of Sarcany with Toron haPs
daughter. We know how that had tailed
up to the present, and the reasons for the
failure.
Sicily at the time in question was
siUgularly favorable for the pursuit OF
bricandage. The ancient Trinacrla III IFS
circuit of $50 miles round the points 20
the triangle, Cane Faro on the
north east. Cape Marsala on the west.
and Cane Persaro on the south east, in
cludes the mountains of Pelores and
Nehrodes. the independent volcanic
group OF Etna. the streams OF Giarella,
Cantara, and Platani. and torrents, val
leys, plains, and towns communicating
with each other with difficulty, villages
perched on almost inaccessible rocks,
converts Isolated in the gorges or ON the
$ Slopes, number of refugees i'll which re-
treat was possible, aud an inhnlty OF
creeks by which the sea offered innumer-
able means OF flight. This piece NOR.
sci OF Sicilian ground ia the world in
miniature; in it everything that is met
with on the globe can be tound-moun-
tains, volcanoes. valleys, meadows,
rivers, rivulets, lakes, torrents, towns,
villages, hamlets. harbors, creeks, pro-
m ontories, capes, reefs, breakers-an
ready for the use of a population Of
nearly 100000 of inhabitants scat
tered over surface OF 10000 square
miles.
Where could there be found better re-
gion for the operation of banditti? And
so although they tended TO decrease, al
though the SicilIan brigand like his
cousin OF Calabria seemed to have had
his day, although they are proscribed-at
least in modern observation-disclosures they
have begun to find work more profitable
than robbery, yet travellers do well to take
every precautiOn when they venture into
the country 80 dear to Cacue, and so
blessed by Mercury.
However, in the last few years the
Slcilian gendarmerle, always on the alert,
had made many successful fOTays into the
eastern provinces, and many bands had
fn How. NEuF
destroyed. One of these bands was Fri
ones, which had thus been reduced to
thirty men; and on account of this he had
conceived the idea of infusing some for
eign blood into his troop. and Maltese
blood more particularly. He knew that
in the Mauderaggio. which be usedto FREE
quent, bandits out OF work could be
picked up in hundreds; aud that
was why Carpena lad gone to Valetta,
and if he had only brought back a
dozen men, they We're, at least, picked
men.
There was nothing surprising in the
Spaniard showing himself so devoted to
Zirone. The trade suited him; but as he
was coward by nature he put himself
as little as possible within range OF the
rifles. 1t pleased him best to prepare
matters, to draw up plans, to keep this
tavern at Santa Grotta, situated in
frightfui gorge on the lower slopes
of the volcano.
Although Sarcany and Zirone knew all
about Carpeua's shares IN the matter Of
Andrea FerratO. Carpena knew nothing Of
the Trieste affair. He thought he had
become connected with honest brlgands
who had been carrying on their ''trade"
for many years in the mountains of
Sicily.
ZirOne and Carpena in the course Of
their walk of eight Italian miles from the
rocks Of Polyphemus to NicOlosi met with
no mishap, in the sense that not single
genuarme was seen on the road. They
went along the rough footpaths among
the vineyards and olIve-trees, orange
trees, and cedars, and through the clumps
OF ash trees. cork trees, and fig trees.
Now and then they went up one of the
dry torrent beds which seem from a dis
tance to resemble macadamized roads in
which the roller has left the pebbles un.
broken. The Scilian and the Spaniard
passed through the villages OF San
Giovanni and Tramestieri at a consider
able height above the level OF the
Mediterranean. About half-past ten
they reashed Nicol0si, situated as in the
middle Of an open plain flanking on the
north and west the eruptiYe cones
Of Monpilieri, Monte Rossi, aud Sierra
Pizzuta.
The town has six churches, a convent
dedicated to San Nicolo d'Arena, and
two tayerns-a significant token OF its
Importance. But with these taverns Car
pena and Zirone had nothing TO do. Santa
Grotta was an hour father on in one Of
the deepest gorges Of the volcanic range,
and they arrived there before mil
night.
People were not asleep at Santa Grotta.
They were at supper. with an accom-
paniment Of shouts and curses. Carpena's
recruits were there, and the honOrs were
being done by an old fellow named
Benit0. The rest Of the gang, some forty
i'm number, were then about twenty miles
of to the westward on the other side Of
Etaa. There we're therefore at Santa
GrOtea only the dozen Maltese recruited
by the Spaniard. and AMONG these Pes
cldor-otherwise Point Pescade-was
playing quite prominent part, at the
same time as he heard, saw, aud noted
everything so as 10 forget nothing that
might prove useful.
Aud one Of the things he had made
mental note OF was Benito's shout 60
mis- comrades just before Carpena and
Zrone arrived.
BE quiet, you Maltese, be quletl They
will near you At CassOne, where the CEN
trail cOmmissary, the amiable quaastOr OF
tho province, has sent a detachment Of
carabineeTsW
A playful threat, considering how far
Cassone was from Santa GrOita. But
the newcomers supposed that their
vociieratiods might possibly reach the
ears OF the soldiers, and m0nerated them