The Washington times., 1895-03-03


ficer. Il think this hermit was mad.
Il think so also,'' said Antonio
Il cannot doubt OF il, - cried the officer.
Then, Sir, you are not of his mindl''
asked Antonio smiling. You would
not sleep this night with the dead, nor hold
out your hands to death as to a dearfriend?n
by st. Prisian, no." said the young Of
ficer, with q laugh. For this world is
Wei enough, syndic, and / have sundry
trifling sins that would be quit of before
] face another'n
IF that be SO, SIR said Antonio, ''re-
turn to him who sent you, and say that the
syndic of Baratesta rides here with COM
pany offriends. and that his business is law
ful and open to no suspicion" And even
as Antoniospoke every man drew his dagger
and there were three daggers at the heart
OF the officer and three at the heart of each
of the men with him. For by saying
this, continued the count, fixing his eyes
on the officer. 'and by no other means can
| you escape immediate death"
Then the officer looked to right and left,
being very much bewildered, but Tomma-
| sino touched him on the arm and said: :. You
have fallen, sir, into the hands OF the Count
| Antonio. Take an oath to do as he bids you,
| and save your life.' And Antonio took
| off the syndic's cap and showed his face;
and Bena rolled up the sleeve ofhis old mans
gown and showed the muscles of his arm.
The Count Antonoi" cried the officer
| and his men. in great dismay.
Yes, and we are four TO one, said Tom
masino. You have no choice, sir, between
the oath and immediate death And it
seems to me that you are, indeed, not of the
mind of the hermit of the vault"
But the officer cried: My honor win
not suffer this oath, my lord" And hear
| ing this, Bena advanced his dagger. But
Antonio smiled again and said:
Then yin not force it on you, sir. But
/ this much must force on you-to swear
to abide here for half an hour, and during
that time to send no word and make no sign
to your camp"
To this the officer, having no choice be-
tween it and death, agreed; and Antonio
| leaving him rode forward softly, and rid
| ing softly, he passed within half mile
/ OF the dukes encampmeGt. But at this
moment the officer, seeing Antonio far
/ away. broke his oath and shouted loudly:
1T is Antonio of Monte Vellutol" and set
/ spurs to his horse. Then Antonio's brow
| grew dark, and he said:
Ride on swiftly, all of you, to the hills
/ and leave me here
My lord!'' said Tommasino, beseeching
him.
Ride on said Antonio, sternly. ''Ride
at a gallop. You VIII draw them off from
1 me-
| And they dared not disobey him, but all
| rode on. And now there was stir in the
/ dukes camp, men running for their arms
| and their horses. But Antonio's band now
! put themselves to gallop, making straight
4 for the hills; and the commander of the
! dukes guard did not know what to make
| of the matter, for he had heard the officer
| cry Antonio" but did not understand
+ what he meant. Therefore there was
| short delay before the pursuit after the band
was afoot, and the band thus gained an ad-
vantage, and Antonio turned away, saying:
1t is enough. They viii come safe to the
hills
But he himself drew his sword and set
spurs to his horse, and he rode toward where
the young officer was. And at first the
officer came boldly to meet him; then ne
wayered, and his cheek went pale, and he
said To the men who rode with him: I'VE
are four to one" But one OF them an
swered:
-Four to two, SIR
What do you mean?'' cried the officer
Il see none coming toward but Count An
tonic himself"
us not God also against oath-brea kers?''
said the fellow, and he looked at his COM
radeS. And they nodded their heads TO him,
for they were afraid to fight by the side of
man who had broken his oath. Moreover,
the figure of the count was very terrible,
and the three turned aside and left the young
officer alone
Now by TINS time the whole OF the dukes
encampment was astir, but they followed
and the rest of the band, for they did not
know Antonio in the syndic's gown. Thus
the young officer was left alone TO meet
Antonio. and when he saw this his heart
/ failed him and his courage sank, and he
dared not await Antonio, but he turned and
set spurs to his horse and fled from Antonio
away across the plain. And Antonio pur
sued after him, and was now very near upon
hIH; so that the officer saw that he would
soon be overtaken, and the reins fell
from his hand, and he sat on his horse like
a man smitten with the palsy, shaking ana
trembling; and his horse, being unguided,
stumbled as it went. and the officer fell
off from it, and he lay very still on the
ground. Count Antonio came up to him
and sat on his horse, holding his drawn
sword in his hand, and in an instant the
officer began TO arouse himself, and look
ing up he saw Antonio with his sword
drawn. And Antonio said:
''Shan men without honor live?"
Then the officer gazed into the eyes of the
Count Antonio, and the sweat burst forth
on his forehead. A sudden strange, chok-
ing cry came from him; he dropped his
sword from his hand, and with both hands
he suddenly elapsed his heart, utterlng
now a great cry OF pain and having his
face wrung with agony Thus he stood for
an instant, Clutching his heart with both
his hands, his mouth twisted fearfully,
and then he dropped onto the ground and
lay still. And tile Count ANTONIO SledIleO
his sword and barred his head, saying: 1T
is not my sword, but Gods"
And he turned and put his horse to a gal
lop and rode away, not seeking to pass the
dukes encampment, but directing his way
toward the village OF Rilano; and there he
found shelter in the house of a friend for
some hours, and when light fell made his
way safely back to the hills, and found that
. the dukes men had abandoned the pursuit
of his band, and that all of them were
alive and safe.
But when they came to take up the Y Dung
officer who had been false TO his oath he was
dead, whether from the fright at the aspect
of Count Antonio and the imminent doom
with which he was threatened, or by some
immediate Judgment of heaven, know not.
For various are the dealings of God with
man. For enc crime He viii sIay and
tarry not, and so, perchance, was it meted
out to that officer; but with another man
His way is different, and He suffers him to
live long days, mindful of his sin, in self
hatred and self -Scorn, and Will not send him
the relief of death, how muchsOeveT the
wretch may pray for it. Thus it was that
God dealt with the hermit of the vault of
the Peschelti, who did not find death till
he had sought it for twenty-three years.
/ doubt not that in all there is purpose
even as was shown in the manner wherein
the hermit, being himself bound and tied TO
a miserable life, was. an instrument in saw
ing the life of Count Antonio.
ITO be continuedl
Es-
SCISSORED SUNLIGHT