The morning call., 1893-05-27
QUASTANA.


author by profession, could make pretty
big book Of the administrative mishaps
which befell me during the three years !
spent in Corsica as legal adviser to the
French Prefecture. Here is one which will
probably amuse you:
l. had just entered upon my duties at
AJaccio. One morning l was at the club
reading the papers which had just arrived
from Paris, when the Projects man SER
want brought me a note, hastily written in
pencil: Come al once; l want you. We
have got the brigand Quastana." I ute ed
an exclamation of jov, and went off as fast
As | could to the Prefecture. must tell YOU
thai. under the Empire, the arrest of a Cor
scan bandit was looked upon brilliant
exploit, and meant promotion, especially
II you threw certain dash of romance
about IT IN your official report.
Unfortunately, brigands bad become
scarce. The people were getting more
civilized and the vendetta was dying out.
If by chance man did kill another In
row or do something which made il advis-
able for him to keep clear of the police be
generally bolted TO Sardinia instead of
turning brigand. This was not to our
liking. for no brlgaud no promotion,
However. our Prefect had succeeded in
finding one. He was an old rascal, Quas-
lana by name, who. to ave ge the murder
If his brother. had killed goodness knows
how MANY people. He had been pursued
with vigor, but had escaped. and after a
time the hue and cry had subsidized and he
had been forgotten. Fifteen years had
passed. and the man had lived in seclu-
sion; but our project. having heard If the
nffair and obtained a clew TO his where
abouts, endeavcred 10 capture him, with
no more success than his predecessor. We
were beginning to despair Of our promo
pleased L was to receive the note fIem my
chief.
| found him in his study talk ing very
conhdentially TO man of the true Corsi-
can peasant type.
This is Quastana's cousin" said the
Project to me, in low tone. "He lives in
the httle village of SolenZara. just above
Portn Vecchio, ana the brigand pays him
a visit every Sunday evening to have
game of seopa. Now, it seems that these
tv had some words the other Sunday and
this fellow has determined to have revenge,
so ne proposes TO hand his cousin over to
justice, and, between you and me, l believe
he means. it. But as l want to make the
capture myself and in as brilliant man
ner as possible. ii is advisable to take pre-
cantIonS in order not to expose the Gov
ernment to ridicule. That's what | want
you for. You are quite stranger in the
country and nobody knows you; I want
YOU to 20 and see for certain il it really is
QuaStapa who goes to this mans house"
But have never seen this Quastana,"
began.
My chief pulled out his pocket book and
drew forth a photograph much the worse
for wear.
Here you are p he exclaimed. ''The
rascal had the cheek to have his portrait
taken last year at Porto VecchioP'
While we were looking at the photo the
peasant drew near. and | saw his eyes fash
yengefully; but the look quickly vanished
and his face resumed Its usual stolid ap-
pearance.
Are you not afraid that the presence of
stranger will frighten your cousin and
make him stay away on the following
Sundays" we asked.
NO" replied the man. HE Is too fond
OF cards. Besides, there are many new
faces about here now on account OF the
shooting. FL say that this gentleman has
come for me to show him where the game
is to be found"
Thereupon we made an appoin tment fol
the next Sunday, and the fellow walked
off without the least conjunction for his
dirty trick. When he was gone the Pre-
feet i'm pressed upon me the necessity for
keeping the matter very quiet. because lie
intended that nobody else should share the
credit OF the capture. / assured him that
would not breathe "A word, thanked him
for his kindness in asking me 10 assist him,
dream of promotion.
The next morning l set out in full shoot
ing costume and took the coach which
does the journey from Ajaccio TO Bastia.
For those who love nature there is no bet
ter ride in the world. but l was too busy
with my castles in the air to notice any of
the beauties of the landscape.
At BoDifacio we stopped for dinner.
When l got on the coach again, just little
eieva ted by the contents of good-szed
bottle. found that | had fresh travelling
companion who had taken seat next to
me. He was an official at Bastia, and
had already met him; a man about my
own age, and a native of Paris like myself.
A decent sort OF fellow.
You are probably aware that the ad-
ministration, as represented by the Pre-
feet, ETC., and the magstraiure never get
OIL well together; in Corsica it is worse
than elsewhere. The seat of the admi MIS-
tration is at Ajaccio. that of the magistra-
ture at Bastia; we two. therefore, belonged
to hostile parties But when you are a
long way from home and meet some one
from your native place, you forget all else
and talk of the old country.
We were fast friends in less than no
time. and we were cousolng each her
for being in ''exie," as we termed it.. The
bottle of wine had loosened my tongue,
and L sosn told him in strict con fidence,
that l was looking forward to going back
w IL ahCo w tdao up ouElc SoOu pOSL as
reward for my share in the cauture of
Quastana. whom We hoped to arrest at his
cousins house one Sunday evening. When
my companion got off the coach at Porto
Vecchio, we felt as though we had known
each other for years.
II.
l arrived at Solenzara between and 5
O'Clock. The place is populated in winter
by workmen, fishermen and customs off,
clals, but in summer every one who can
shifts his quarters up In the mountains on
account OF fever. The village was, there
fore, nearly deserted when l reached il
that Sunday afternoon.
| entered a small inn and had sometil ing
to eat, while waiting for Matteo Time
went on. and the fellow did not put In an