The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-22
CHAPTER XIV.


Del ORC and passing the vinelands and
the clearings, come into the main road
leading from COrte. then descending
the hill are in the chestnut groves of
Bocognano
At signal from their chief, the
party pauses and some of the young
men go forward TO see no gendarmes
are in the place.
Then their leader. who has been
conversing with Barnes, apologizing
for Saliceti's outrage on Corsican hos
pitality. turns to Marina and says:
Have no fear. sgnOra; your English
sister shall be returned TO this gentle
man, but" he lays his hand on
Barnes shoulder-''use not the weapons
I see at your belt. Thy quarrel shall.
be my quarrel. No foreigner shall ever
be compelled TO protect a woman while
/, Antonio Boneh dominate BOcagn-
ano"
Were il not meeting tonight. every
thing would be Silent save the dogs and
pigs" chuckles Tomasso. Now they'll
have light enough 10 see I am alive"
'Cospetto they are making a fetc
for you, Monaldi." laughs one of the
young men, for lanterns are dangling
from the overhanging boughs of the
main street Of the little village; some
of the houses are Illuminated, and
round the communal building and the
wine shops are gathered many men.
The young BellacOscia soon return
and report that no gendarmes are in
sight
Silence. commands the chief I'll
do the talking for all.
Just keep me away from Saliceti,
so L won't kill him, remarkes Barnes,
and the little party tramp through the
iantern-lighted streets. and coming to
the door of the municipal building. the
loungers who are smoking their pipes
aIra
and saying with great reverence The
Bellacosciai''
Near the entrance are two illuminate
ed placards, one reading: Vote for Sa-
liceti, who upholds old Corsica" The
other: Cast your ballots for Bernardo,
the man who kills"
Surrounded by the young men. To-
lnassO in the dim light is not noticed.
and Marina has drawn her mandie
about her face
The party enter the low hall of the
municipalg which is lighted by lamps
and decorated by myrtles and cyclamen
flowers. 1t Is well filled by a crowd of
farmers, peasants, wool growers and
shepherds; also few of the gentry of
the neighbOrhoOd. both cavaliers and
ladies who wish TO hear the fiery eIo-
quence OF Saliceu, are in the gallery.
These are now being fervidIy addressed
by young Bernardo himself
Catching sight Of the commanding
figure of the great bandit the adroit
politician bursts out rapturousIy: All,
thanks, grand Antonio BOnelli. for thy
presence and cOuntenance. You have
come TO say to me: Bernardo, you are
a true Corsican; In you is upheld the
honored custom of the vendetta to the
twentieth generation So will all here
say when tomorrow 1 shall have the
body of the one who came TO Marina s
nuptials and left death behind him. this
American who brought with him SOL
dlers 10 shoot down poor old TOmasso
Monaldi. For it, l. loving his daugh-
Ter Etheria. have sworn the blood feud:
and / remember my words. | am a.
Corsican with a dagger"
But the savage shouts that greet this
are stilled by old Tomasso. who pushes
Through the crowd and stands facing
the platform. his eyes flashing and
says. I. Tomasso Monaldi, tell you
there is no cause of a vendetta for me,
because l am alive
AT his words Shuddering cries of
Ghost" spirit" SPECTRE rise amid
the tobacco smoke of the meeting. and
some would slip from the door did not
Antonio BOnelli command. Let all re-
MANI as three of his stalwart
descendants bar the entrance.
"DiavoiO. MOnaldi's spirit comes TO
bless my vendetta" shouts Saiceti.
though his eyes are wild and his voice
almost incOherent, and his knees trem-
bic slightly. as do those of many others,
for medieval supeTstitions still exist in
Corsica, among them that of ghosts,
spirits and COLLINS.
But there is a sudden cry: Father
from a girl in black mandile and deep
mourning who has been sitting with
some other women in the retirement of
a corner of the hall. listening to her
lovers ferocious elOquence, and Etheria,
with streaming eyes, is in MOnaldfs
arms.
Ave. It's flesh and blood you're
fondling. girl laughs the great bandit
and stTiding To the platform he says in
ringing tones: But this is not all!' for
now the crowd are gathered about To-
masso and are greeting him with word,
Of sympathy because for the mere kill
ing of man he had been forced to
take to the macchia and become a ban
dit
Attention. all" commands Antonio
Listen to my words. If not. my fol-
lowers shall give sharper notice to
YOU" And the crowd wisely becomes
still.
I'm pursuit OF your SURFACES,
on our hospitality" continues the ban
dit chief in solemn tones He has alb
Quoted a young English lady and
brought her TO BOcOgnanO u lure to
death her husband, an American Sig
more who shoots well enough to be a
bandit and who this night, with his
own weapons, has slain Rochini and
Romano, whose murders have made
YOU all trembe as you went along
mountain paths and whose outrages
have caused our maids TO have night
mares.
'Rochini and Romano dead? Impos-
siblev' cries a shepherd, as a sigh of
relief and then yell of gratitude rises
from the concOurse
Il saw him shoot the ruffians to
death upon Del ORC. /. Antonio Bo-
neln- Don't dare say nor This last
is addressed to Salceti. who. having
recovered from his establishment, is
about to open his mouth.
"Ah you admit it. Maladetta, where
is the English lady?"
And Saliceti, being admonished to
answer by a quick prick of the stiletto
from a Beilacoscia youth who has
Sfenned behind him the Young poli-