The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-02-25

AND GNAWlNG Ills FINGER NAILS.
on their breasts and dovncast eyes, and
they spoke not once on the way, but each
kept close behind pikcm1n. When the
procession had gone something more than
mile from the village of ialano IL came
where u little stream crosses the highway,
and the rains having been heavy the week
before, the stream was swollen ana the
ford deeper than il was wont TO be. There
fore the officer Of the guard. thinking OF no
danger, badc six of his men lay down tnCir
pixies and so hfu the archbshOp's chair over
The ford, lest he should be wctted by The
water. And on hearing this order the tail
est auau" the peasants put hts har1 ~
to his htU ANA twisted the feather OF lt pee
tween his thumb and his tarchnscr, ans The
shortest OF them whispered, The sign! the
si4uu' while every man of them drew q
great daEser from under his habit and
held il behind his back. Now. by this time
the priests and attendants had passed the
ford. and one-half the guard had ltln
down their pixies and were gone 10 raise
the archbishops chair the remainder stand
ins at their ease, leaning on their pixies
and talking 10 one another. Again The
taIlest peasant twisted the feather in his
nat anu. without speech or cry, the peas
ants darted forward. Six Of them seized
the pixies that lay ON the ground, the re-
naming six lcapcd like wild cats on The
backs Of the piaemen, Clrcling the necks Of
the pllemen with their arms, pulling them
back and coming near throtthn6 them, so
that the pikemen, utterly amazed and tax
On full a disadvantage, staggered and Ieil
backward while the peasants got on top Of
them and knelt on their breasts and set
the 1rcat daggers at their hearts While
this passed on the road, the remainder OF
AutoniU's band-fOr such We're the peasants
rushed into the stream ami compelled the
uuarWed pikcmcu to set down the arch
bishops chair i'm the midst, SO that the wa
ter came in at the windows of the chair.
and the procession, held at bay with their
own pixies, sought t. draw their pOniards,
but Antonio cried, "Slay any that draw!
And he came to the chair ana opened the
door of 10, and, using as llltle force as ne
could he laid hands on the caskct that held
the sacred bones and wrcs-cI IL from the
feeble hands OF the archbishop. Then he
ana has men, standing IN line. stepped back
ward, with the pixies levelcd in front Of
them, tin they came out OF the water and
on t. tue dry road again, ana one pikcuan
rushed at Antonio. but IomaSsNno, spaIluS
to Kill him, caught him a buffet on the
side of the head with a pike, and he fell
like a log in the water and had been drown
ed but that two of his comrades lifted him.
Then all twelve of the band being to-
gethcr-tor the first six had risen now from
Of the six pikcmcn, having forced them,
on pain of instant death. 10 deliver over
their pixies to them Antonio, with the
Casket in his hands, spoke in q loud voice:
u thank God that no man is dead over this
business, hut if you resist you shall die one
and all. Go TO the city tell the duke that
l. Antonio iii Monte Nelluto. have the bones
of the blessed st. Prisian. ana carry them
with me to my hiding place in the highest
parts of the hills. But if he viii swear By
these bones that / hold and by his priucely
word that he viii not suffer the Lady Lu-
cia 20 take the vows nor will cOnstrain
her to wed any man, but VIII restore her to
her own house ana to her csatc, then let
him send the archbishop again and l will
deliver up tho sacred bones. But il he
Will not swear, then, as God lives, tomor-
row at midnight / viii cause great fire
to be kindled on the top OF the hills-a fire
whose flames you shall see from the walls
of the city-and in that fire will Tconsume
the sacred bones and I win scatter the
ashes of them to the four winds. Go and
bear tine message that 1 give you to the
duke"
And having thus said. Antonio, with his
men, turned and went back at a run
whence they had come; but to the VILLAGE
Of Rnano they did not so, but turned aside
before they came to it. ana, coming to a
farm OF one who knew Antonio, they
bought OF him, paying him in good coin Of
the duchy. three horses which Antonio.
Tommasino and Bena mounted and they
three rode hard for the hills, the rest fol-
lowing as quickly as they might, so that by
nightfau they were all safely assembled
in their hiding place, and with them the
bones of the blessed st. Prisian. But they
told not yet to the rest of the band what
it was that Antonio carried under his
cloak, nor did Martolo. when he returned
from Rlauo, ask what had befallcn. but
he crossed himself many times and wore
a fearful look. But Tommasino came to
Antonio and said 10 him:
why did YOU not ask also pardon for
all Of us, and for yourself the hand of
LUcia?'