Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-05-03
CHAPTER XII.
THE AMBUSCADE.


It is good to go through the air, with the
strength of brave horse under one, to
know that his strong muscles are stretching
with an enjoyment as keen as his riders
pleasure, to hear the air whistle as one
cuts through it, and to feel the blood fair
ly dance in the veins. After those weary
weeks of illness, of inaction, and of men
tai despair l had passed through, it was
as if new life was poured into me, to know
that was once more in the saddle, with
prospect, however faint, of regaining all
I had lost. AS the landscape on each side
of me melted into green gray streak, it
seemed to carry away with it my suffering;
as the true horse answered willingly to the
touch of my spur, forgot the past, and was
once again Ugo di Savelli, with a spirit as
high as the days before the black sorrow
fell upon me. 10 the left of the road was
a broad stretch of springy turf, crossed by
q fairly wide water channel. / could not
resist giving the beast burst over this,
and, followed by Jacopo, galloped over it
with a free rein. Both the horses took the
jump like bucks, and, carried away by the
moment, we held on, until We reached the
stony and bowldcr-covered incline which led
to the valley of the Greve. Here the turf
came to sudden end, in line such as the
edge of calm sea makes in bay, and then
began steep descent Of gravel and loose
stones, whose many colors of gray, ochre
and brown, were splashcd here and there
by masses of short, thick shrubs, which
gradually increased in denseness, until they
spread before us, sea OF somber green, that
stretched to the clear blue of the Greve.
Here, on the crest Of the slope, l drew
bride, thinking the horses had enough of
it for the present, and that it would be we'll
to husband their strength. Jacopo pulled
up alongside Of me and, STOPPING to pat the
neck of his mount, said:
"Excellcncy, the horses are in good con-
dition; they will carry us well to Leg
horn!" He spoke the truth, for although
they might have been in better training, rs
the few clots of yellowy white foam on the
part of the reins which had touched their
necks showed, still we should have been
content with less from new and practically
untried purchases, such as we had made,
and congratulated myself mentally on our
luck, for Barabbas himself would have had
much to learn from the orse-dealers of
Tuscany.
"By keeping at this pace, excellency," said
Jacopo, as we trotted on, Eve shall reach
the Rosa shortly before it gets quite dark,
and I submit that we stop there to feed the
horses. AS your honor commanded, have
brought meal for them, and there was
space enough in the sack for a snack for
me, which would do at pinch for two,
if your excellency would but condescend to
taste of it,"
"You say well, Jacopo; but also am an
old soldier, and my saddle-bags are full. A
fasting body makes but faint heart,
whether for man or beast-on the other
bank of the Resa then, we shall call halt.
There is little light still, enough to in
crease the pace-so onwards!"
We broke into hand gallop, keeping one
behind the other, and following the wind
ings of cattle track, for had purposely
avoided the road after receiving the in
formation I had extracted from the SEN
try at the San Frediano gate. It was evil
dent that the party of men, followed by
Ceci's nephew, had left Florence to carry
out some desperate design. I had been
logged all day by this man, and now he
had galloped off in disguise to join the men
who had left Florence before we had, and
amongst them was his uncle. Ceci's words
at our last interview, and the persistent
manner in which was followed, left me
no room to doubt that I was the object
OF their attention, and that it would be
necessary to keep we'll on the alert. did
not apprehend danger at once, but thought
that if an attack were made it would be
in the narrow valley between the low hills
to the north of Montespertoli, or at Ponte
Elsa, each of which places was particu-
lsrly suited for an ambuscade, although, of
course, considering their numbers, the at
tempt might be made elsewhere, and open
ly, without very much danger. So with
another hurried word Of warning to Jacopo,
and holding my sword ready, I galloped
along, increasing the pace as much as Dos
sible, whenever we went past clump of
trees, and both of us keeping as sharp a
lookout as the light, or rather darkness,
permitted. We avoided the regular ford
of the Resa on the Montespertoli road,
crossing higher up in the direction of Monte.
lupo, and here got a good wetting, for the
water was deeper than we anticipated Had
Ceci and his friends only lain in wait for
us at this point, we should have had no
chance. AS it happened, however, we had
taken zig-zag route, which had either
thrown them off the track entirely, or we
should meet them further on, either at one
OF the two spots mentioned by me, or in
some other equally convenient locality, AT
any rate, we were safe for the present, and
that was something to be thankful for, even
If we were in darkness. So my thoughts
ran on as we scrambled somehow to the
opposite bank of the Resa, and CROPPED our
way up until we felt soft grass under our
feet, for we had dismounted on fording the
stream, and led our horses by their brides
up the steep left bank. Here we called a
halt, determined to await the moon, and
Jacopo managed somehow to tether the
horses, fastening the halters to the stump
OF tree he discovered by stumbling against,
and on which he wasted some of those curses
he was SO anxious for me to reserve for my
enemies. After giving the horses their feed,
which they nosed out readily enough, de-
spite the darkness, he joined me where Isat
on the grass trying to dry, and wrapping up
the lock Of his arquebus in wooden cap,
which he produced, to keep it from damp,
he took his seat beside me at my invita-
tion., ssyg II 5.;s. :. =. = H.. #.} 4
s% It was fall-to now, to our supper, and
adding my store to my faithful followers
supply sunk distinctions of rank, and
we enjoyed q meal, with a hearty content-
ment that had been stranger to me for
many a day. When the last drop OF wine
lin the bottle was finished and we had
picked bur last bone, Jacopo arose with q