Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-09-02
CHAPTREiII.

seeing this band of brigands. You see
for yourself by this pucker and scar
how the thin blade passed between
socket and ball, but it was only at that
moment when l was dragged from the
coach that l understood that my sight
was not gone forever. The creatures
through my brain and, indeed. he
looseued some portion of the inner
bone of my head, so that | afterwards
had more trouble from that wound
than from any one OF the seventeen
which | have received.
They dragged me out, these sons Of
dogs, with curses and execrations, beat
ing me with their fists and kicking me
as lay upon the ground. had fre-
quently observed that the mountaineers
wore cloth swathed round their feet,
but never did imagine that 1 should
have so much cause to be thankful for
it. Presently, seeing the blood upon
my head. and that l lay quiet, they
thought that | was unconscious, where
as | was storing every ugly face among
them in my memory. SO that | might
see them all safely hanged If ever my
chance came around. Brawny rascals
they were with yellow handkerchicfs
round their heads. and great red sashes
stuffed with weapons. They had rolled
two great rocks across the path, where
it took short turn, and it was these
which had torn off one of the wheels of
the coach and upset us. As to the rep
tile who had acted the priest so clev-
erlv and had told me SO much of his
parish and his mother. he, of course, had
known where the ambuscade was laid,
and had attempted to put me beyond
all resistance at the moment when we
reached it.
| cannot tell you how frantic their
rage was when they drew him out OF
the coach and saw the state to which |
had reduced him. If he had not got r
his deserts he had at least somethi
as souvenir of his meeting wit"
Etianne Gerard, for his legs dangled
aimlessly about, and though the upper
part of his body was convulsed with
rage and pain he sat straight down
upon his feet when they tried TO set
him upright. But all the time his two
little black eyes, which had seemed so
kindly and so innocent in the coach,
were glaring at me like y wounded cat,
and he spat and spat and spat In my di-
rection My faith, when the wretches
ierlled me onto my feet again, and when
Twas dragged Off up one OF the mountain
paths, | understood that time was
coming when | was TO need all my
courage and resource. Ny enemy was
carried upon the shoulders of the men
behind me, and could hear his Kissing
and reviling first in one ear and then In
the other as was hurried up the wind
ing track.
suppose that il must have been an
hour that we ascended, 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 l look
back with less pleasure. | have never
been good climber at any time, but ii
Is astonishing what you can DO, even
with stiff ankle, when you have u
copper-colored brigand at each elbow
and n nino-inch blade within touch OF
your whiskers. We came Mt last TO n
place where the path wound over n
ridge and descended upon the other
side through thick pine trees into n
valley which opened to the south. In
time of peace 1 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 IL large horse where Il
stream had softened the track. These
were explained upon reaching place
where there was n clearing in the fir
wood. | saw the animal itBelf battered
TO a fallen tree. My eyes hardly rested
upon It when / recognized the great
black limbs and the white near the
foreleg. 1t was the very horse which l
had begged for in the morning.
What then had become OF Com
missarlat Vidal? Was IT possible that
there vas another Frenchman In as
perilous IL plight as myself! The
thought had hardly entered my head
when our party stopped and one OF
them uttered n peculiar cry. IL was
answered from among the bramblos
side of the clearing, and an instant later
ten or n 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 Mt
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 II in manner which should be
worthy of my past reputation when
one OF them gave an order, and
was dragged roughly across the little
glade TO the bramblcs from which this
new band had emerged
A narrow pathway led through them
TO deep grotto In the side OF the clif.
The sun was already setting outside
and In the cave itself IL would have
been quite dark but for pair of
torches which blazcd from n socket on
either side Between them there was
sitting Mt n rude table n 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 III Cuchillo. The
man whom had injured had been car
ried In and placed upon tho top of
barrel, his helpless legs dangling about
In front of him and his cats eyes still
dnrting glnnces Of hatred at me. un-
dcratood from the snatches of TALK
which / could follow botwocn the
chief and him that he was the
lieutenant Of the band and that
pnrt Of his duties was TO lie I'm walt,
with his smooth tongue and his peace
full garb, for travellers Ike myself
When | thought Of how many gallant
officers may have been lured 20 their
death by this monster OF hypocrisy II
gave mo n glow of pleasure 10 think
that had brought his villninics to nm
end though feared It would be Mt the
cost Of n life which neither the emperor
nor the army could well spare.
As tho injured man, gtill supported
on the barrel by two comrades, was OK
plninlng In Spanish all that had be-
fallen him, | was held by several ~
the villains In front of the table at
which the chief was seated, and had an
excellent opportunityof observing him.
have seldom seen any man who was
less like my idea OF u brigaud, and cs-
pccially Of n brigand with such repu-
tation that In land Of cruelty he had
enrncd SO dark a nickname His fncc
was bluff. and broad and bland, with