The Florence tribune., 1897-07-17
LContlnnad.l

tContinuad.)
 suppose that it must have been an hour that we. aseended, and what with my wounded ankle and the pain from my eye, and the fear lest this wound should have spoiled my good looks, have made no journey to which look back with less pleasure. have never been a good climber at any time, but if is astonishing what you can do, even with stiff ankle, when you have a copper-colored brigaud at each elbow and nine-inch blade within touch of your whiskers. We came at last to a place where the path wound over a ridge and descended upon the other side through thick pine trees into a valley which opened to the south. In time of peace have little doubt that the villains were all smugglers and that these were the secret paths by which they crossed the Portuguese frontier. There were many mule tracks, and once was surprised to see the marks of large horse where a stream had softened the track. These were explained upon reaching place where there was a clearing in the fir wood. | saw the animal itself haltered to fallen tree. My eyes hardly rested upon it when I recognized the great black limbs and the white near the foreleg. It was the very horse which I had begged for in the morning.
 What then had become of Com missariat Vidal? Was it possible that there was another Frenehman in as perilous a plight as myselfl The thought had hardly entered my head when our party stopped and one of them uttered peculiar cry. It was answered from among the brambles which lined the base of cliff at one st3e of the clearing and an instant later ten or a dozen more brieands came out from amongst them and the two par ties greeted each other. The uewcoru- CTS surrendered my friend Of ths tFa5aHi with ci.iua of grief and sylnpa- thy. and then turning pnon me they brandisaed tbcir knives ard howled at ne like the gang of assassins that they were. So frantic were their gestures that was convinced that my end had come, and was just bracilg myself to meet it in a manner which should be worthy of my past reputation when one of them gave an order. and I was dragged roughly across tho little glade to the brambles from which this new band had emerged.
 A narrow pathway led through them to 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 pair of torches which blazed from socket on either side. Between them there was sitting at 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 chief who had received, on account of his dreadful character, the sinister name of Fl Cuchiilo. The man whom had injured had been car ried in and placed upon the top of a barrel, his helpless legs dangling about in front of him and his cats eyes still darting glances of hatred at me. I un. derstood from the snatches of talk which I could follow between the chief and him that he was the lieutenant of the band, and that part of his duties was to lie in wait, with his smooth tongue and his peace ful garb, for travellers like myself When thought of how many gallant officers may have been lured to theil death by this monster of hypocrisy fl gave me glow of pleasure to think that had brought his villainies to an end-though I feared it would be at the cost of life which neither the emperor nor the army could well spare.
 As the injured man. still supported on the barrel by two comrades, was ex blaming in Spanish all that had be fallen him, was held by several o1 the villains in front of the table al which the chief was seated, and had a1 | excellent opportunity of observing him have seldom seen any man who wa. less like my idea of brigand, and es peeially of a brigand with such repu tation that in a land of cruelty he hac