The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-07

carriage, declaring that she would walk or
ahead ard serve as our guide.
All objections and supplications were
useless. We were obliged to follow hel
toward the inn with all our luggage, fol
she threatened If we were frightened to &C
alone. Truly, she was afraid of nothing.
AS we came near the house our ears were
suddenly struck by strains OF merry music
which reached us through half open win
dows.
Heavensl the inn was indeed full Of
brigandsl
"Well," said the countess gayly, 1--WE
were going to ball, and here we find one
We cannot escape from fate"
While she was speaking she darted to
ward the door. For moment was i'm
PEELED to turn on my heel, to leave hel
there in the lurch and make good my OWL
escape. But that would net have been
proper. Besides could never have rid my
self of her maid, who was clinging in de
spair to my arm. The poor woman was
half dead with fright and followed her
mistress with trembling steps, Through
the open window we heard the noise of the
dance and the frantic shouts of the men as
they rushed about the room. But the
countess was not alarmed. She opened the
door boldly and wall ed in.
The room, long and wide, was white
washed. In the first moment of emotion
l thought there must be at least so men in
it, dancing and rushing around. Later on
counting them l saw that there were nine,
including the innkeeper and three tsiganes
who composed the orchestra. But the five
Others were quite enough. They were all
tall, strong fellows. Their pipes, which
were stuck through the ribbons of their
hats, almost touched the main beam in the
ceiling Their shoulders were formidable.
Their five rifles were placed against the wall
in corner.
We were in pretty wasps' nest!
When the wretches saw us, they were so
surprised at our audacity that they ceased
dancing. The countess said to them, with
her couquering smile:
Excuse us, my good friends, If we dis
turb your amusement. We have lost our
way, and as we cannot continue our jour
ney tonight we have come here to seek ref
uge."
One fellow, straight as the letter and
finely formed, broke away from the group,
twisted his mustaches, took off his hat
with staggering gesture, brought his
heels together, bowed to the countess and
told her that her appearance did not dis
turb him; that, on the contrary, it made
him very happy that he was master of the
premises for the moment, and that his
name was Josgi Fekete "a famous Hun
garian brigand. He then asked the count
ess who she was
Before could pull her by the sleeve to
caution her to conceal her name she lad
already answered:
II am the Countess Repey. live at
Kerchvar, near here"
"Ohl / have he honor Of knowing you.
/ was acquainted with the old count also.
He fired his double barreled gun at me one
day, but missed me-"
A charming acquaintance
The countess sat down on bench, and
the bandit placed himself beside her. AS
for me, no one asked me to sit down.
"And where are you going this way in
the middle of the nightP"
made sign to her not to tell.
ITO the ball at the Arad Casino"
Farewell our jewelsl
"Then it is very fortunate that you have
lost your way. Your excellencies have nc
need to continue your journey 1t so hap
pens that we are just giving ball. and
hope you will accept an invitation. OuI
tsiganes are good musicians-it is the troop
of Szalouta They play splendid czardas.
Hey, gypsy, play us the air from the Beau
tiful Woman and do not let your eyes
wander from your violin"
The rascal did not even ask permission.
AS soon as the musicians had struck up
the czardas he threw his dolman over his
shoulder, took the countess by the wrist
and drew her into the middle of the room.
Another bandit threw himself on Cesarine,
who was frightened to death and half
fainting. All, she had no need to seek
dancers, for she passed from hand to hand,
and so quickly that her foot hardly ever
touched the ground.
The countess showed what she knew.
She danced with as much ardor and al
much fire as if she were on the waxed floor
of the Arad Casino. l had never seen hei
more fascinating, more beautiful. Up to
that time the Hungarian dance had never
seemed to me at the best anything but
strange, No one before this brigand had
ever made me understand what it was. He
began by dancing round his partner with "a
lofty mien, affecting to be very proud OF
her, looking at her from head to foot over
his shoulder, mingling his cries with the
music. When he was weary of this diver
sion he placed her in the middle of the
room, and it became the lady's turn to
dance round her partner. She faced him,
whirling around discreetly, with modesD
reserve, like that of a butterfly lowering
above every flower without resting on any.
can say without exaggeration that heI
feet did not seem to touch the ground. The
fellow, with a coquettish gesture, bent
toward the countess as If he meant to kiss
her, but he stopped, striking his foot. The
enchantress threw her head back proudly,
few off the tips Of her toes and pirouettcd
to the very end of the room, but the two
dancers never took their eyes off each 9th
err. Finally the brigand turned away i'm
patiently, manifesting his anger by dane
ing furiously before the tsiganes Then
suddenly wheeling around, he seized hill
partner and made her fly round him like a
whirlwind.
In the midst Of the intoxication Of this
dance was uneasy about one thing, and
that was lest the wild fellow in his ftrvor
should make some unseemly demonstra,
ton toward the countess. AS you may
well believe, the temptation was strong
She was entirely in his power, and for a