The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-01-16
AFIGHT FOR LIFE.

ing up pen and 1ottlng down some OF
my recollections, when / seem in a man
ner to live my life over again.
| was always of rowing disposition,
aud could never rest very long in ont
place, SO that have visited most parts
of the habitable g,obfe. Ihate plans aud
arrangements made long beforehand,
and l generally act on the spur of the
moment. Although this habit, as the
following story will show, has some
times placed me in awkward positions,
yet. on the whole, / am none the worse
for my way of proceeding.
About twenty years ago l suddenly
left London in the height of the seasoi
on one of these unprecedented voyages
/ was weary of the eternal round of Lon
don life, with its dinner parties, dance,
and drums, and so determined TO be OIL
at once, not caring much where to, 50
long as bad change.
Four days afterward l found myself
seated at the table d'hote of the Croct
de Malta Hetet at Genoa. Bet here, too.
l was bored. and l began to wonder
what had brought me. knew no one
in the place, and, hating sightseeing,
what was l to do?
While lounging about l came across
lot of rough looking Italian sailors dress
ed in blue jerseys and jelly bag scar
let caps. They particularly attracted
me, for being bit Of an artist. / have
an ey for color, so l stood watching
them for a minute or two, while they
were talking eagerly together, and
caught the words Garibaldi and Cap
rera. / said before that l am given tn
sudden impulses. One of these seized
me. Why not go and visit this hero in
his Island home True, did not know
him personally, but l had always heard
that he liked Englishmen and received
them Hospitality. was one of his most
ardent admirers, and here was an oppor-
tunity of making his acquaintance and
seeing his strange home.
/ approached the group and wished
them "Buond Serrd;" then, addressing
myself to tall, broad shouldered fellow
with along, shaggy, black beard, | asked
him if he knew of any ship sailing for
Caprera and willing to take a passenger.
Italians are a very inquisitive race,
and the fact that / stranger, had spoken
to one of them brought all the group,
who had dispersed, close together to
hear whaG l had to say,
The man l had addressed, after look
ing at me and then at his companions,
said "Ah, signor, it would be diff
cult matter to find ship going to Cap
rera, for there isbut little trade with
the island, and it is rather out of the
way for coasting vessels, l am only a
common sailor, but here is the 'padrone'
Bartolo. He is the owner of a felucca
which trades between Genoa and Leg
horn. he may perhaps be able to tell
the signor what he asks, Eli, Bartolo,
what do you say
Bartolo. thus addressed came up to me
with his hands in his trousers pockets
and pipe in his mouth. He was short
wiry looking man, with a black mus
tache and dirty unshaven face. He had
a most evil expression of counteDance,
with squint in his right eye, and when
he intended to smile he seemed rather to
frown. Altogether he was about as I'M
taking looking an individual as | ever
met.
repeated my question to him.
"Well, he said, 81 don't often go to
Caprera, for it isn't worth my while,
but tomorrow night am sailing for
Leghorn. and as times are bad, if the
signor likes to make some arrangements
with me, we might manage to leave our
regular course and land the signor on
the island, but must first consult with
him, as he is part owner of the craft"
The plan seemed as if it might answer.
so l sent him off for his cousin to a
neighboring wine shop, and they soon
returned together.
"Well, here is Antonio" said Bartolo.
"He thinks that we might 'accomodare'
with the signor. True, it is but short
Journey of twelve or fouuteen hours, so
that little discomfort will not much
matter, especially as this chance lost, it
may be some time before another pre-
sents ITSELF OF course the signor under
stands that we are poor men, and shall
require some good inducement to make
us lose time by going out of our way,
but if the signor will pay US 100 lire ga
down, and give us a small 'buona manO'
on arrival, we will take him.
1t was now getting late, so we separa'
ted, on the understanding that was to
meet Bartolo at the same place in the
morning at o'clock.
was there at the appointed hour and
found him waiting for me. His cousin
he said, had gone on board and was get
ting things in order, as they were to sail
that evening.
After walking mile among sea of
masts and sails of all colors and shapes
we at last got to Bartolo's ship. She
was small coasting felucca with large
lateen sail of the kind 80 common in the
Mediterranean. Antonio and the man
| had first spoken to the night before
were busy storing away miscellaneous
cargo of grain, fruit and baccala, or
dried stockfish, which /. is to be hoped
tastes better than it smells.
/ stepped on board and was shown my |
cabin, if such it could be called. 1t was
in the fOrepart of the ship, and close to
the mast. entered it through mar
row dark hatchway, and down ladder
of six or seven steps, and when got to
the bottom, had TO bend almost double,
as it was simply square box about four
feet nigh and six feet wide, There were
three separate hatchways. In the mid
die one they we're storing away the cargo,
and the one after was used by the crew.
l walked TO the town and killed some
time by looking into the different shop
windows. was much attracted by a
WIN klCdb val
lety of arms. don't know what first
put it into my head, but while gazing
at these weapons the thought suddenly
struck me that l knew nothing of the
men to whom was trusting myself.
1t might perhaps be as well to have some
of defense about me, so | walked
into the shop, and after looking several
of them over, ended by purchasing
small one, with packet of cartridges,
At o'clock sharp we left the harbor,
with a fair wind; it was beautiful
evening, not cloud was to be seen, and
soon after dark a glorious moon rose
)ut of the sea, sat on deck smoking
my cigar and enjoying the tranquility
If the scene, while being famed by the
soft sea breeze.
The crew consisted of Bartolo, his
cousin, the tall man called Beppo and
boy called Gigi.
For Italians they were not a sociable
lot. ] tried several times to get into
but they seemed rather to
lvold me, and continually Whispered to
ZACH other in a mysterious way. This
disquieted my mind and |
could not help rejecting that had per-
laps done foolish thing in trusting my
Jelf to their tender mercies. No one
knew of my expedition. l had paid
hem in advance, and they were sailing
tut of their course to please me. What
vas to prevent them from numbering
ne and throwing me over board, and
hen continuing their regular journey
without any one being the wiser
/ am not nervous, nor do believe in
1resentiments, but the longer l sat there
he more would these lugubrious
thoughts creep over me, until feeling
ather chilly, l went down to my cabin.
tossed about but could not sleep;
he more l thought it over the more