The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-09-25

fiery black eyes glanced anXiouslE here
and there among the crowd. as if in
search of some one. Then, all at once,
he wrenched himself loose from the two
priests, and sprang from the platform
in among the crowd, who seemed to
make way for him and to swallow him
up, for he disappeared Immediately
from my view.
Thereupor followed a great conlmo-
ton, and there arose in the air the
shouts of seven thousand disappointed
spectators. The surged to and fro,
and trample6 upon each other, and 1
afterward heard tina. a dozen persons,
women and children for the most part.
had lost their lives in the crush; and
the officers pushed hither and thither
seeking the monk, without avail, and
the crowd. in their eagerness gravitat-
ing toward the centre, left a narrow
lane along the side of the square. next
the buildings. Looking along this lane
or opening, suddenly perceived a man
coming ward me with stealthy tread,
hugging the walls as closely as possible,
and seemingly on the lookout for some
place of concealmeLt. l knew al once
from his face that it was Brother Am
brose, though he had somehow got rid
of his Dominican robes, and was
dressed like an ordinary citizen of the
town.
l must confess that I was ver.- much
interested in watching the man and in
specializing upon his chances of es-
cape. 1 even found myself Offering my
alter ego to bet. now that he would get
loose, and now that he would be
caught. He was evidently making for
a narrow alley which separated my
house from the next building, and he
surely would have gained 1t, had not a
bury apprentice caught sight of him
and laid hands upon him at the very
moment when he was passing the door
where we stood.
Yet it was an unlucky act for the APP
prentice, and he received the need of
those who NEEDLE with what does not
concern them, for the monk turned and
rained upon him storm of blows so
terrible, that he beloved aloud and
would have let go his hold but that, at
this very moment, a. brother artisan
came to his assistance. Seeing that
there We're now two men upon one. /
forgot my ordinary prudence. and be-
came as much Of a meddler as the APP
prentice. l rushed at the last fellow
and gave him a blow straight from the
shoulder and right between the eyes.
so that he tumbled over backward like
bag of meal. Then l caught the first
man by the collar and sent him spra WI
ing In the opposite direction. To bum
die Brother Ambrose and Jacopo into
my house, and to shut, lock and bar
the door. was the work Of moment
Then / turned and looked at the two,
and they looked at me. Brother Am
brose was man of about my age. He
was tall and muscular and rather thin,
and / thought that I had never before
seen such fine looking scoundrel. !
naturally expected to hear him give
prompt utterance to some recognition
of the inestimable service which I had
just rendered him. Imagine my sur
prise and wrath, therefore, when he
sent me a scowling look from beneath
his heavy black brows and said:
Now, perdio, wilt thou please to tell
me wherefore thou hast laid hands up
on my person."
Laid hands upon thy person, thou
insignificant and ungrateful caitiff!" l
Numbered. For no reason but that !
was an ass. Thoy knowest full well,
base dog, that without my timely inter-
ference it would have been all over
with thee. I was an idiot to interpose
between thee and a justly Infatuated
populace. The rabble are at this mo-
ment beating upon the door and crying
out for thy carcass. 1t is not too late
to rectify mine error / will at once
undo the fastenings and deliver thee
up to them"
Saying this, I turned and began to
unbar the door, but in the midst of it,
Clan Jacopo plucked me by the sleeve.
looked over my shoulder and was i'm
mensely astonished to perceive that the
monk had somehow discovered the Sc
cret sprinS Of the passage way, that
the stone had revolved out upon its
hinges, and that the rascal had seized
Jacopo's lamp and was preparing to de-
sceId into the tunnel. Considerations