The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-05
TARANTELLA.

The summer sun bore downward ana
neared the horizon when the P. and o.
steamer CoroInandel glided into the harbor
Of Brindisi and the ancient building on
the breakwater, apparently a castle, was
gilt edged by the slanting rays 1t was
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 tho shore, men with packing cases
and parcels and bags came upon the pave
ment, and the slang of the north mingled
with the iargon 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 tho 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, rattling
roll Of the chain and the powwow 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, 1 DON'T" said James.
well, listen next time pause comes"
said Slater, 'and 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
1t 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.
NO" he said, striking a match and
relighting his pipe, heard nothing; did
your" ..... =...--
~ heard 1t 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 bo 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
tiny creak also tho highest note have
ever heard Though, of course, that may
be 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 aequaint-
ance edged to them, and the knot COM
pared notes. No one had heard tho pipe
and conccrtinH but Slater and, passenger
like, they began to look at the matter in
the light Of n bet as they obeyed tho 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 ono in whatever place
he may stay it followed that he was the
center for good deal Of banter. Even tho
second officer, a 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
cars. Slater thus made several bets on the
understanding that If he heard tho sound
again after dinner was over some of them
should go with him to try to find 1t 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 aflne summer night, still and
phlpitating with heat, and wero leaning
against the rail in a little group, smoking
/ placidly and gossiping leisurely, Slater
suddenly said, Would you mind keeping
quiet for a minute, pleascf'
1t was just then that n largish case Of
wine or something was pushed along side
gangwny and into tho ships lower deck.
The job done, there came tie usual pause,
and there being no voices around at that
moment silence deep and intense, of five
seconds only intcryened.
Yes, l can hear 1t STILL - saiG Slater
'but rs tothe quarter I'm not quite certain
Ia pipo and conccrtina and, | think, dane
ing"
Some Of the others also thought they
had heard the pipe, and tho discussion
came mp agnin. Slater buttoned up his
coat and went down with his watch in hi.
hand. Putting il on his cabin table, ht
took stick and went across the gangway
on to tho paved wharf, where he found the
others who said they We're all going too
1t WAS then n moot point as TO which di
rection 10 take. The majority decided fol
the right hand, so up the right hand street
they went past an old and battered church
down another street, where the people sal
at their doors and painted with the heat
One Of the party, who knew Italian tc
some extent, asked If any fiesta was going
on and was told no. Presently thoy came
into the square and saw a few groups oI
folk, but nothing unusual. Nor did any
sound of anything but q guitar come tt
their cars
Tho majority is wrong-and USUALLY
Is, said Slater. l IN going straight bacl
20 the ship to listen again. You needn't t
come with me If you don't want. Goot
night"
However, two of the others elected to re
turn with him, and the three retraced
their steps accordingly until they stood by
the Coromandcl ouco more. Slater put q
hand behind each ear, and, after mo
ment, said, "Of coursel" and went sharT
of 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 til
there was n crossing, over which thej
went A hill rose in front of them will
some ruin on its crest and road ran pas
inland; tho sound of pipe and eoncertini
was now clear, though still distant, ant
Slater followed his instinct up the rock,
hillside, giving his shins bruise or tw,
IN the shadow,
AT last they passed through gnp in tn
parapet wall that stretched broken circl
round the eminence and stood beneath
queer old church fortress, very malodorou
and quite lifeless. Tho music now ros
clearer, and strnying around by the pat
they looked down into a most Of houses