Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-08-23
TARANTELLA.

neared the horizon when the p. and o
steamer Coronandel glided into the harbo
of Brindisi and the ancient building OF
the brcakwater, apparently CASTLE wai
gilt edged by the slanting rays 1t was
little while before the hugo hull at last set
tied alongside of the quay and the gang
way slid out. Then began some business
with the shore, men with packing cases
and parcels and bags came upon the pave
mont, and the slang of the north mingled
with the jargon OF the south. But the
mail would not come in till next day.
There were on board some young fellows,
also some old ones. Two or three of the
former and one or two of the latter were
tramping the deck and hanging over the
side rail in that aimlcss fashion of all pas.
sengcrs, listening to the sounds of the town
and watching the boxes being waited in
by the steam crane. Every now and then
came an interval in the kissing, rafting
roll of the chain and the powwOw OF
voices, and in one of these intervals Slater
said to James: "Somc sort of festival Is
going on behind the buildings in there.
Don't you hear itP"
"No, don't" said James.
"Wcll, listen next time q pause comes, -
said Slater, land if your ears are as sharp
as mino you will You may not be able,
though"
Another pause came and James put his
hand behind his ear. He also contracted
his brows together with the tense effort to
get hold Of any such sound, however faint
it might be with distance, starting nerv-
Ously as the steam crane raised anew the
noise of its laboC, and broke the clinch he
was putting on the muscles of his forehead.
NO." he said, striking n match and
relighting his pipe, heard nothing; did
your?
~ heard it the same as before" said
Slater-'samc as before. Your scale of
hearing evidently isn't tuned up to the
pitch that mine is. There are some other
things you would not be able to hear, the
shrill little cry Of an Egyptian tomb bat,
for instance There are lots of people who
think that when they como whisking at
you they do it silently. But they give a
tiny croak MISC, the highest note L have
ever heard Though, of course, that may
be different thing altogether from the
faintnCss of distance, because those notes
of that pipe and that concertina were not
far past middle pitch. / wonder what they
are doing"
Some more of that littlc set of acquaint-
ance edged to them, and the knot COM
pared notes. No one had heard the pipe
and conccrtina but Slater, and, passenger
like, they began to look at the matter in
the light of II bet as they Obeyed the bell
summons and went in to dinner. AS Stat
er was one of those peculiar people, not so
common, who seem to get on chatting
terms with every ono in whatever place
he may stay, it followed that he was the
center for good deal Of banter. Even the
second officer, q man usually of the silent
ly smiling sort, made some humorous COM
ment on long hearing, all by the way of
keeping up conversation on the subject Of
ears. Slater thus made several bets on the
understanding that if he heard the sound
again after dinner was over some of them
should go with him to try to find it out,
supposing that he had heard Alright Then
they started other topics and forgot that
one.
But by and by, as they emerged on deck
again in n fine summer night, still and
FACILITATING with heat, and were leaning
against the rail in little group smoking
placidly and gossiping leisurely, Slater
suddenly said, Would you mind keeping
quiet for minute, pleasc?"
1t was just then that largish case of
wine or something was pushed along u side
gangway and into the ships loAer deck.
The job done, there came the usual pause,
and there being no voices around at that
moment silence, deep and intense, of five
seconds only interviewed
YES, l can hear it still, ;" said Slater,
"but as to the quarter Pm not quite certain
"a pipe and concerUina and, think, dane
ing"
Some of the others also thought they
had heard the pipe, and the discussion
came up again. Slater buttOnCd up his
coat and went down with his watch in his
hand. Putting it on his cabin t<Sle, he
took stick and went across the gangway
on to the paved wharf, where he found the
Others who said they were all going too.
1t was then moot point as to which di-
rGCtion to take The majority decided for
the right hand, so up the right hand street
they went, past an old and battered church,
down another street, where the people sat
at their doors and painted with the heat.
One of the party, who knew Italian to
some extent, asked if any fiesta was going
on and was told no. Presently they came
into the square and saw few groups of
folk, but nothing unusual Nor did any
sound Of anything but guitar come to
their ears.
1.-THE majority is wrong-and usually
is, said Slater I'm going straight back
to the ship to listen again. You needn't
come with mo IL you don't want. Good
night"
However, two of the others elected to re-
turn with him, and the three retracod
their steps accordingly until they stood by
the Coromandol once more. Sfltcr put
hand behind each ear and, y ter a mo
ment said, 'Of course!" ana went sharp
off to the leftward, followed ~ the others.
The moon now rode high, like dimin-
ishing, paling orange, and they followed
the railway line for some minutes till
there was a crossing, over which they
went. A hill rose in front of them with
some ruin on its crest, and road ran past
inland; the sound of pipe and concertina
was now clear though still distant, and
Slater followed his instinct up the rocky
hillside, giving his shins bruise or two
in the shadow.
At last they passed through gap in tho
parapet wall that stretched broken circle
round the omincncP and STOOD beneath q
queer old church fortress, very malodorQus
and quite lifeless. The music now rose
clearer, and gtraying around by the path