Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-08-05


shouiders-his heavy mustachios and
beard were so black and bushy that
they almost concealed his coarse and
fOrbidding features-thoUgh [ could
see the tiger-like glitter of his sharp
teeth as he bit and gnawed his under
lip in impotert fury and despair
and his eyes, like leaping flames
blazed with a wrathful ferccity from
under his shaggy brows. He was a
huge, heavy man, broad and muscular;
his two great hands clinched, tied and
manacled behind him, looked like for
midable hammers capable of striking
man down dead at one blow: his
whole aspect was repulsive and ter
rlble-there was no redeeming point
about him-for even the apparent
fCrtitude he assumed was mere bravo
-meretricious courage-which the first
week of the galleys would crush out of
him as easily as one brushes the Juice
out of a ripe grape. He wore a non
descript costume of vari-colored linen,
arranged in folds that would have been
L..
gathered about him by means of a
brilliant scarlet sash negligentIy tied.
His brawney arms were bare to the
shoulder-his vest was open. and dis
played his strong brown throat and
chest heaving with the pent-up anger
and fear that ragged within him. His
dark grim figure was set off by a
curious effect of color in the sky-a
long wide band of crimson cloud. as
though the sun-god had thrown down a
goblet of ruby wine and left it to
trickle along the smooth blue fairness
of his palace f1oor-a deep after-gIow.
which burned redly on the olive-tinted
eager faces of the multitude that were
everywhere upturned in wonder and
lll-judged admiration to the brutal
black face of the notorious murderer
and thief, whose name had for wears
oeen the terror of Sicily. l pressed
through the crowd to obtain nearer
view, and as ] did so a sudden savage
movement of Neri's bound body caused
the gendarmes to cross their swords
IN front of his eyes with a warning
clash. The brigade laughed hoarsely.
'Corpo di Cristo!" he muttered-
think you a man tied hand and foot
can run like deer? 1 am trapped
L know it! But tell him. and he in
dlcated some person in the throng bv
a NOD OF his head, tell him to come
hlther-l have message for him.
The gendarmes looked at one
another, and then at the swaying
crowd about them in perplexity-they
did not understand.
Carmelo, without wasting more
words upon them, raised himself as
uprightly as he could in his strained
9nd bound position, and called aloud:
Luigi Biscardi! Cepitano Oh he
you thought l could not see you! bio!
| should know you iE hell! come near
i have parting wo1d for you
At the sound Of his strong harsh
voice, silence half Of terror, half of
awe, fell upon the chattering multi
tude. There was q, sudden stir as the
people made way for young man to
u,
rather handsome fellow, with a pale
face and cold, sneering eyes. He was
dressed with fastidious care and neat
ness in the uniform of the Bersagliere
and he elbowed his way along wit
the easy audacity of a privilegM
dandy. He came up to the brigade and
spoke carelessly, with a slightly
mocEing smile playing round the cor
ners of his mouth.
'Ebbene!" he said, you are caught
at last, Carmelo! You called me-here
am. What do you want with me,
rascal?"
Neri uttered a fe1ccious curse be-
tv cen his teeth, ard looked for an
instant like a wild beast ready to
spring.
You betrayed me-" he said, in fierce
yet smothered accents-"you followed
me-you hunted me down! Teresa
told me all Yes-she belongs to you
now-you have got your wish Go
and take her-she waits for you-make
her speak and tell you how she loves
you-if you can!"
Something jeering and withal threat
ening in the rufian's look evidently
startled the young officer, for he ex-
claimed hastily:
What do you mean, wretch? You
have not-my God! you have not
killed herr"
Carmeio broke into a loud savage
laugh.
"She has killed herself" he cried,
eXultingly. "Ha, ha! I thought you
would vince at that! She snatched
my knife and stabbed herself with it!
Yes-rather than see your lying white
face again-rather than feel your ac-
cursed touch! Find her-she lies dead
and smiling up there in the mountains
and her last kiss was for me-for me
you understand! Now go! and may
the devil curse youi"
Again the gendarmes cIashed their
swords suggestively-and the brigade
resumed his sullen attitude of sup
pressed wrath and feigned indifference.
But the man to whom he had spoken
staggered and seemed about to fall
his pale face grew paler-he moved
away through the curious open-eyed
by-standers with the mechanical air
o. one who knows not whether he be
alive or dead. He had evidently re-
ceived an unexpected shock-a wound
that pierced ueeply and would be a
long time healing.
I approached the nearest gendarme
and slipped a five-frapc piece into his
hand