The Washington times., 1895-03-10

1 d
| tack them. Yet this risk they would have
! run. for they were ready rather to die than
| to sit there idle while Antonio was taken,
| and in all Likelihood they would have died
| had the lieutenant obeyed the orders which
Lorenzo had gwen him and rested where
he was, covered by the hill and the river.
But the lieutenant was a young man of hot
temper and impetuous, and to his mistaken
pride il seemed as though it were cowardice
for eighty men to shrink from attacking
thirty and five, and for the dukes guards
to play for advantage in a contest with a
band OF robbers. Moreover, Tommasino's s
men taunted his men, crying to them TO
come down and fight like men in the open.
Therefore, counting on sure victory, and
the pardon it would gain, about O'Clock
in the afternoon he cried, Let us have at
these rascais!" and to Tommasno's great
JOY his troop remounted their horses and
made ready to charge from their position.
Then Tommasino said:
I'VE are all ready TO face the enemy for
my lord and cousins sake But have need
of those now who VIII run away for his
sake"
And he laid his plans that when the
leutenant's troop charged, his men should
not stand their ground. And
FIVE men he placed On ore
extremity Of his line. Bena at their head;
and four others with himself he posted
his line very wide, so that it stretched on
either side beyond the lire of the lieuten-
ant. And he bade the twenty and FIVE in
the center not to alb de the onset and to
turn and flee at a allop, trusting to the
speed of their horses for escape. And he
made them fling away all that they had
brought from the Lady Venusta's house.
that they might ride the lighter
And l pray GCd," sa lie, that you
Will escape alive; but if YOU do not il is
only what your oath to my lord constrains
you to Bat you and !, Ecna, wth our
men, will not ride back toward the plain,
hut on toward the hills and ii may be that
we shall thus get ahead of the lieutenant;
and once we are ahead of HIM in the hilly
ground he shall not catch us before we come
TO the cave"
''Unless, " began Bena, " there be another
party"
'Histr' said Tommasino, and he whis-
pered to Bena, They will fear if they hear
all -
Then the DUKES men came forth; and it
fell out as Tommasino had planned; for the
body of the dukes men when they saw Tom
masino's rank broken and his band flying,
set up great shout OF scorn and triumph,
and dug spurs into their horses and pur-
sued the runaways. And the runaways
rode at their top speed, and. having come
nearly to Rinalo without being caught,
captured by the well at the entrance TO the
village, but the rest, wheeling to the
right dashed across the PLAIN. making for
Antonio's old hiding places; ard having
lost two more OF the,r number, whose
horses failed. and having slain four OF the
guard, who pursued ncautiously ahead of
the rest, they reached the spurs of the hills
and there scattered, every man for himself,
and found refuge, some in the woods. some
N GhDnhnrnz'
their lives. But the men with Tommasino
and Bena had ridden straight for the hill
road, and had passed the lieutenant before
he apprehended TommaS mos scheme.
Then he cried aloud to his men, and eight OF
them, hearing them, checked their horses,
but could not understand what he desired
ofthem till he cried aloud again, and pointed
with his hand toward where the ten, Tom
maSino leading, and Bena in the rear, had
gained the hill road and were riding up
it as swiftly as their horses could mount.
And the lieutenant, cursing his own folly,
gathered them and they rode after Tom
masino and Bena.
BE of good heart said the lieutenant.
They are between us and the company OF
my Lord Lorenzo"
Yet though he said this, his mind was
not at ease, for the horses of his men, being
unaccustomed to the hills, could not mount
the road as did the sure-fOOted mountain
horses ridden by Tommasino's company,
and the space widened between them, and
at last TOmmasino's company disappeared
from sight, at the point where the track
turned sharp to the left, round a great iut-
ting rock that stood across the way, and left
room for but three men to ride abreast be-
tween river and rock. Then the lieutenant
drew rein and took counsel with his men,
for he feared that Tommasino would wait
for him behind the jutting rock and dash
ont m hn pd Thprh
fore, for awhile he considered, and awhile
longer Ee allowed fo. the breathing of the
horses, and then, with great caution, rode
on toward the Jutting rock, which was
then about the half of mile from him. And
when he came near TO it he and his men heard
= voice cry: Quiet, quietl They are close
nOw!"
They will dash at US as we go round,"
said the lieutenant.
And we can go no more than three to-
gether,' said one of the guards.
Are you all ready?" said the voice be-
hind hecliff, in accents that but iustreached
round the rock. Not a sound for YOUR
Iivesl" Yet sound there was, as OF ing
ling bits, and then again an angry Curse
you, you clumsy fool, be still, y and then all
was still.
These are ready for us now whis-
pered the guard, with an uneasy smile.
II VIII go" said the lieutenant. Which
two of you win lead the way with me?"
But the men grumblcd, saying: 1T is the
way to death that you ask us to lead, sir. "
Thenthe lieutenant DIRE W his mel back, and
asthey retreated they made agreatnoise, hop
iny ytomake TommaSino think they weregone.
And having gone back some 500 PAGES thus.
they rested in utter quiet for half an hour.
And it was then the afternoon. And the
Lieutenant said: Il will go first alone, and
in allliklihood shall be slain; but do you fol-
low Immediately after me and ayenge my
death" And this they, being ashamed for
their first refusal, promised to do. Then
the lieutenant rode softly forward till he
anne within twenty yards of the rock, and
he clapped spurs to his horse and shouted,
and followed close by his men, crying, For
God and our duke" charged round the
iutting rock.
And behold, on the other side was not q
mani And of Tommasino and his company
naught was to be seen, for they had used
the last hour to put a great distance between
them and their pursHerS, save that away,
Ear up the road, in the waning light OF the
sun, was to be dimly perceived the figure
Of man on horseback, who waved his hat
to them, and turning was in an instant lost
to view. And this man was Bena, who, by
himself and without blow, had held the
passage of the jutting rock for hard upon
an hour, and thus given time to Tommasino
to ride on and thus come upon the rear of
LorenZo's company before the lieutenant
and his men could hem them in on the other
side.
ITO be continued.)
p