The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-01

foreleg. 1t was the very horse which
had begged for in the morning
What then had become of Com
missariat Vidal? Was it possible that
there was another Frenchman in as
perilous plight as myself! The
thought had hardly entered my head
when our party stopped and one of
them uttered a peculiar cry. 1t was
answered from among the blambles
which lined the base of a cliff at one
side of the clearing. and an instant later
ten or dozen more brigands came out
from amongst them and the two par
ties greeted each other. The newcom-
ers surrendered my friend of the
bradawl with cries of grief and sympa
thy, and then turning upon me they
brandished their knives and howled at
me like the gang of assassins that they
Were. So frantic were their gestures
that | was convinced that my end had
come, and was just bracing myself to
meet 1t in a manner which should be
worthy of my past reputation when
one of them gave an order. and l was
dragged roughly across the little glade
to the brambles from which the new
band had emerged.
A narrow pathway led through them
to Il deep grotto in the side of the cliff.
The sun was already setting outside
and in the cave itself it would have
been quite dark but for q pair of
torches which blazed from q socket on
either side. Between them there was
sitting at a rude table a very singular
looking person, whom / saw instantly.
from the respect with which the others
addressed him. could be none other
than the brigand chef who had re-
ceived, on account of his dreadful char
acter, the sinister name of FL Cuchilo
The man whom l had injured had been
carried in and placed upon the top of q
barrel, his helpless legs dangling about
in front of him and his cats eyes still
darting glances of harted at me. / un-
derstood from the snatches of talk
which 1 could follow between the
chief and him that he was the lieuten-
ant of the band and that part of his
duties was to lie in wait. with his
smooth tongue and ihs peaceful garb,
for travellers like myself When !
thought of how many gallant officers
may have been lured to their death by
this monster of hypocrisy it gave me
glow of pleasure to think that I had
brought his villainies to an end--though
l feared it would be at the cost of
life which neither the emperor nor the
army could we'll spare.
AS the injured man, still supported
on the barrel by two comrades, was ex-
al ;,f, IN, ;,l, Al L.
fallen him, ! was held by several of
the Williams in front of the table at
which the chief was seated. and had an
excellant opportunity of observing him.
l have seldom seen any man who was
less like my idea of a brigand, and es-
pecially of a brigand with such repu-
tation that in a land of cruelty he had
earned so dark a nickname. His face
was bluff, and broad and bland, with
ruddy cheeks and comfortable little
tufts Of side whiskers, which gave him
the appearance of a well-to-do grocer
of the Rue st. Antoine. He had not any
of those flaring sashes or cleaning
weapons which distinguished his fol-
lowers, but on the contrary he wore
good broadcloth coat like a respectable
father of family, and save his brown
legglngs there was nothing to indicate
a life among the mountains. His sur
roundings, too. corresponded with him
self, and beside his snuff box upon the
table there stood a great brown book,
which looked like O. commercial ledger,
Many other books We're ranged along a
plank between two powder casks, and
there was great litter Of papers, some
of which had verses scribbled upon
them. All this / took in while he,
leaning indolently, back in his chair,