The Dickinson press., 1892-01-16

However, | determined to fight hard
for my life, and die game if die must.
In a few minutes the door was sud
denly opened, and a man sprang in;
or rather, as it seemed to me, he was
unceremoniously bundled in, and as
he sank down at the opposite end OF
the seat he muttered something that
might have been Il curse OF Il greeting.
Then | heard thedriver and conductor
scramble up to their seats, and the
heavy vehicle rumbled on again.
$780," thought |, ''this is a nice lit
tie plot for my robbery and murder;
but there will be a fight for it," with
which heroic resolution l grasped my
revolver with a stern purpose.
My travelling companion was a ban
dit, n cut-throat OF the deepest dye.
There could not possibly be any mis-
take about that, for he might have
stood as the model OF every Italian
bandit who has ever been painted in
modern times. He wore a big SOM
brero. and his muscular frame vas en-
veloped in a great cloak. one end OF
which was caught up and thrown over
his left sholder. His face was perfect
ly villainous in it's eNpression-of
that also there could be nc mistake.
He had %hawk-like eyes and glared at
me, while the aroma OF garlic that he
emitted with his breath was ickening.
| don't know whether all bandits reek
of garlic, but this one unquestionably
did.
Such was the picture my excited
y, 4, ~, :, =, iN,, 1,,,y, :, J., u cil,,,t
ion. The back light that was reflected
into the coupe from the diligence
lamps enabled me to see him with
tolerable distinctness; and feeling SURF
that robbery, if not murder. was his
object, | quietly drew out my revolver
from it's case, and placing my finger on
the trigger and the muzzle onmy knee,
| waited in anxious suspense for what
might follow.
He closed his glaring eyes and pre-
tended to sleep, but | vas not to be
deceived by amy such hollow pretence.
l never took m gazefromhim. had
let my rugs slip down in orderthat my
movements might be unimpedcd when
the supreme moment came. The con-
sequence was | was half-frozen. had
no feeling in my legs and feet. My
whole body was cramped, while my
mental state may be far easieri magin-
ed than described.
In a little while my bandit moved.
He scrutinized me keenly, of that 1
was convinced. Then he fumbled I'M
der his cloak, and in q few moments
l heard a click. and saw the gleam of
steel. My heart leapt into my mouth,
and my frozen bloodinstantly thawed.
He was about to spring at me and
stab me to death. No sane man
could have come to any other c%onclu-
sions. My first impulse was to call
out to the driver, but | checked my
self, for vas not he in collision with
this villain?. | was trapped, but |
resolved to kill my man before he
should kill me. | had him in my
power, and would shoot him dead.
I still sat, and still had the revolver
on my knee. The muzzle pointed in
direct line with the bandits body. A
cold PRECIPITATION broke out on my
face, and a creepy sensation Rundown
my spine. He seemed to me to grasp
his knife more tiercely, and to be pre-,
pdflllS y lne sprung.
Poor fool! he little dreamed that I
held his life at my disposal. l pressed
the trigger of therevolver, but nothard
enough. Why | did not know, and
have never since been able to deter
mine. Another hairs weight more in
the pressure, the hammer must have
fallen, and the bullet could not posi-
bly, have missed going through his
body, for weweres SO close together, and
the compartment was so narrow.
81 will let him make the
I thought. "The moment he tries to
strikeI will fire." This determination
was the result OF Il strong reluctance
to take life except at the very last re-
source. Although l felt sure this ban
dit vas Il ferocious assassin, thirsting
for my life in order that he might pos
sess himself OF my valuables, he had
not yet given any distinct evidence OF
what his intentions were, and as |
could fire as rapidly as he could strike
at me, he should begin the combat.
Moments passed. They seemed
minutes, nay, hours. | am not a
coward. l say it emphatically. 1t
llClo OCCLl lily " w lttlC llcttlll III IlldllS
forms, but l confess that never before
did l experience such an inward
shrinking as | did at being cooped up
with this dastardly Italian murderer.
If he would only have got out onto
the O, ~ road and have had u fair
fight. ] would have fought him to
the death. Blu. the uncertainty oihis
intentions. and the fact that he and ]
were cooped up i'll a wretched box OF
about four feet by q foot and u half.
and that it was impossible for NE to
get out. vas what made the situation
so thrilling and exciting. And it was
the suppressed excitement that tried
me so.
At last, when my nerves had been
strung TO such a pitch that | felt as il
must shoot him OF so mad, saw
him turn towards me: his villainous
knife flashed iii the light. l pressed
the trigger OF the pistol, but still the
hammer did not fall. What stopped
it know not, and the next instant
the bandit said, in a thick, cultural
voice, and speaking in patois;-
"signor, will you accept ola piece OF
SaCSage!"
He had pulled out a huge Bologna
sausage from his pocket. and, cutting
q slice off, proifered it to me My
heart dropped down into my boots,
my blood froze again, my hair stood
on end-I felt sick and faint. l took
the slice OF sausage. Whether l ate it
or not | don't know for certain, but
think | bolted it.
In a few minutes the diligence
stopped. The driver descended, and
opening the door told us we had hall
an hour to wait while the horses were
changed. sprang out. l seized the
driver and dragged him on one side.
"Who is that MANI" / asked, hoarse.
ly.
"That, signor? Oh, he's a very
worthy and simple-minded farmer.
He resides in this village, but you see
he's fond of good wine. He's
been to Aroma to sell two COWS
and has had a bottle toe
much. He started to walk home, and
we overlook him. was afraid he
might go to sleep on the road and be
frozen to death, SO | persuadedhim tc
ride. h,,t no horrlnI GO on. H.. -