The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-07-16
TARANTELLA.

The summer sun bore downward and
neared the horizon when the P and o.
steamer Corolnandel glided into the harbor
of Brindisi and the ancient building on
the breakwater, apparently CASTLE was
gilt edged by the slanting rays. 1t was q
little while before the huge 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
ment, 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 aimless fashion of all pas
sengers, 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 puvwow of
voices, and in one of these intervals Slater
said to James: "Some sort of festival is
going on behind the buildings in there.
Don't you hear it?''
"No, DON'T" said James.
''Woll, listen next time pause comes, -
said Slater, land if your ears are as sharp
as mine 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 labor, and broke the clinch he
was putting on the muscles of his forehead
mo" he said, striking a match and
relighting his pipe, L heard nothing; did
you?"
81 heard it the same as before" said
Slater-"same 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 come whisking at
you they do it silently. But they give a
tiny creak also. the highest note I have
ever heard. Though, of course, that may
be a different thing altogether from the
faintness 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 little set of acquaint.
ance edged to them, and the knot COM
pared notes. No one had heard the pipe
and concertina but Slater, and, passenger
like, they began to look at the matter in
the light of bet as they obeyed the bell
summons and went in to dinner AS Slat-
er was one Of those peculiar people, not SO
common, who seem to get on chatting
terms with every one in whatever place
he may stay, it followed that he was the
center for a good deal of banter. Even the
second officer, 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 a fine summer night, still and
palpitating 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, pleasoS"
1t was just then that largish case of
wine or something was pushed along side
gangway and into the ships lower deck.
The job done, there came the usual pause,
and there being no voices around at that
TOnmant a ci1o,,ca infonca nf
seconds only INTERVIEWED
eyes, can hear it still" said Slater,
"but as to the quarter I'm not quite certain
"a pipe and concertina and, 1 think, dane
ing"
Some Of the others also thought they
had heard the pipe, and the discussion
came up again. Slater buttoned up his
coat and went down with his watch in his
hand. Putting it on his cabin table, 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-
rection 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 a guitar come to
their cars
"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 me If you don't want. Good
night"
However, two of the others elected to re-
turn with him, and the three retraced
their steps accordingly until they stood by
the Coromandel once more. Slater put a
hand behind each ear, and after mo-
ment, said, 'Of coursep' and went sharp
off to the leftward, followed by 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 it's 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 tho cho6ox~,