The daily Alaskan., 1914-05-14
Hunting Cicero S Villa
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

without thought of injury, unless late lat night in certain parts of great cities, so I supposed I would be as safe in Italy. have always been fond of walking, and when in Rome instead of going about among the environs in a trolley or other vehicle ! tramped'
 A man may walk all over Italy and not be injured, but there are certain chances that be will be robbed or mur- dcred or kidnapped.
 l was bunting for one of the many ruins of Ciceros villa. The site in Italy is like what General Washing toms body servant was half a century ago. The old negro expired every few years until he got beyond a possible age.-thou took his final leave. l had heard of one of CicerOs dwellings be- youd tine Campagna in a southeasterly direction and resolved to visit 1t. hunted aT day, finally finding a few stoues. which might have once been part of a villa or a wall inclOsing pasture It was too late to return to Rome that night, so l looked about me
 for a place to spend the night. Seeing a house on hill near by, went there and roaud a stone structure that might once have been a villa, but was now occupied by the lowest grade of Ital- iaus.
 ? was told by a surly Italian man that couldn't stay tbere-tloy had no room to spare This surprised ue, for they We're evidently very poor, and ole of thiS class would usually sleep cut in the cold himself for few lire. ! asked if there was any conveyance at hand and when he said no l told him that was going to stay in the uouS, wL,turr made welcome or not.
 The man, a hag and a younger wom- am consulted angrily in Italian with rrch other. Not understanding their au-uave. l lid not know what they s1I. hu. finally they consented to let me remain. They gave me some black . Dru0G.au they had for supper-and l smoked before going to bed. Two more men came in while l was eating end nu seeing me looked very much diS-rmrnI. It occurred to me that if 1 they wished to murder me they would be pleased to have me stay with them. . Consequently l was in no danger, But ! J couU uo, make out why they con . s.darod me an intruder.
 On being shown to my roOm not be- ing n.eased with the looks of the bed, ' spread my oycrco0t on 1t and lay down uu the coat without undressing. .I hadn't lain there long before heard a tapping on the wall beside me. ] 0as not long In understanding that some oGe was rupping by the telegraph code But the language was not Eng
 fish. l had picked up the telegraph code some years before while station agent on a railroad, but I knew no - other lauuaEc than English. l under D stood a few words of French and knew 2 that the raDDcr was talking in that language l concluded to try English 3 and asked who was rapping
 8 A reply came in English, mixed with 5 d little French. The person first ask , cd mc who l was and on my replying that I was an American, stopping in 2 the house for the night, rapped back z that he was French amateur ar 2 . cLae0Iogi~t that he had been hunting { for Cicero's villa and that while doing 3i so had been surrounded by several ! men, brought to the house and held for 2 ransom. He had sent to Roma for ! 10000 lire l$2,OO0y and was awaiting I the issue.
 2. It was plain to me now why l was ! not wanted in the house. The rascals 2 didn't care to tackle another man, ] made up my mind that they were not v| regular bandlts-only a few persons A who were used to the criminal meth ods of the country. Having a loaded
 revolver, l began to think up a plan by which 1 might get the prisoner out of their clutches. I was not a prison CT myself, for on reaching my room l made bold to take the key out of the
 door before I could be locked in.
 ! asked my correspondent if he had d weapon tIQ was lelN bltL AL AAN
 been taken from him. I then asked
 him about the lock on his door, and he said it was screwed on the inside. Be
 had an implement in his pocket that
 he used for stone sCrCpiDg purposes
 which would do for a screwdriVer.
 After more talk I told him that if he
 would take the lock on bis door and
 come out I would join him and we
 would attempt an exit at the point of
 my pistol He seemed fearful of our
 both being killed, but convinced him D that We were not in the hands of real , bandits, and he finally consented.
 He removed the lock without much
 difficulty and came out to meet me in the hall, which was unlighted. He had . found a poker in his room beside the 5 fireplace and had armed himself with . it. led the way toward a dimly light cd apartment on tiptOe and saw a man {. asleep with a Carbine in his hand. l Z whispered to the FreuChman that !. . r.g,ff, T rrr=-oH my borSp Ovnr Fbn