Evening star., 1927-10-29

.. prosper Merimee 1s031s7O. was fair
E, well known French m writer Of stories He
ing as a LAWYER. Writing was more of a
hony hhoooy than an occupation He was @ chiefly M
htical offices. His fame rests principally on
one story, Carmen but that lame has
well.l
When you come out of Porto Vec-
chic, in the Island of Corsica, and
turn toward the center of the island,
the ground rises very rapidly, with
huge masses of rock and deep gorges,
to An open plateau. Here live the
Corsican shepherds, and here is the
resort of those fleeing from the law.
To fertilize his land shepherd will
burn a stretch of forest. Then. after
his crop is harvested, the straw is left,
and the next Spring thick shoots will
Sprout until there is a thick growth,
in few years, often as high as seven
or eight feet above the ground. This
underbrush is called maquiS. 1t is a
very jungle-only with a hatchet can
a man make his way through. SO if
you have Killed a man the maQuiS,
il you have a good gun and ammuni-
ton with you, is safe place to live.
Take brown cloak. with hood, for
blanket and mattress. The shepherds
will feed you, and you will need fear
your ammunition.
Mateo FalconeS house was about
mile from this maQuis. For that
country and time-it was in the early
nineteenth century-Mateo Falcone
was regarded as a rich man. tie was
approaching so years of age, and
crack shot. His skill with gun was
really extraordinary. They tell in
Corsica that at night Mateo t'alcone
could eXtinguish q candle, hidden be.
hind q thin piece of paper, with one
shot, and then, in complete darkness
and holding his aim, wait a full min
ute and pierce the paper three times
out OF four. 1t was no wonder that
Mateo FaIcOne had a great reputation;
he was said to he a loyal friend and a
dangerous enemy.
When AIateo F'alcone married his
first three children were girls. which
enraged him. Next came a son, the
hope of the family and the heir of its
name, whom Mateo named Fortunate.
The girls were married well, and their
father could count, if need be, on the
guns of his sons-in-law Fortunate
was 10 years old, and promising lad.
One day Mateo and his wife had to
leave the house to see some distant
fiocks. Fortunate was left in charge
of the pace. The boy idled away the
day, and was thinking of a forthcom
ing holiday, when he heard a gunshot,
and then more shots. Finally a man
appeared on the path from the plain
he dragged himself painfully along
wounded in the thigh. He was a ban
dit, an outlaw; he had gone to town
for ammunition and had fallen into an
ambush of soldiers on the way back.
His wound made his escape to the
maquis impossible without help. He
appealed to the boy, as the son of
Mateo Falcone, to help him.
Fortunate objected that he could not
do it without his fathers permission.
The bandit pleaded, then threatened,
then appealed to the boys family
pride. At last Fortunate said: What
will you give me if / do it?'
The bandit offered coin. Fortunate
grasped it eagerly and said: Don't be
afraid" Quickly he scooped out a hole
crouched down in it and the boy
covered him up, leaving little
breathing space and yet making the
stack appear as usual. He acted with
the cunning of a savage. He put a
cat and her kittens on top of the hay
stack TO make it appear that the stack
had stood untouched for long time.
Then he carefully sifted dust over the
blood stains a.ong the path by the
sun quite unconceYned.
Six men in uniform arrived a few
minutes later. An adjutant, a distant
relatire OF Mateo Falcone's, command
ed them. His name was Gambia; he
was energetic and renowned for hunt |
ing doYn many an outlaw. He was
greatly feared by the bandits. Seeing
Fortunate. he asked him whether any
man had passed. The boy merely re-
ha nf ar,- in fno1.
ish manner. GAMBIA grew exasperated,
but BE persisted. He was sure the boy
had seen the bandit, and yet Fortu-
nato kept implying that he had not.
GAMBIA had the house searched, but to
no avail. And all this while Fortunate
petted the cat and her kittens. One
soldier even came to the stack and
stirred the straw little with his bayo-
net. Then he shrugged his shoulders
as though the precaution were absurd
for the boy betrayed not the slight
est emotion.
GAMBIA even threatened the boy. but
the sOnly reply was: My father is
Mateo Faicone." 1t was enough; they
knew whose son he was and they
dared not harm him. Then GAMBIA
decided To try bribery. First he told
Fortunate that his father would whip
h4ff for hfs conduct toward the Off
TIL me where the bandit went, or
where you have hidden him. and I'll
gAe it to YOU"
Fortunate eyed the watch stealthily,
just as cat does when one gives her
whole chicken. The boy wanted to
k1ow for certainty that the watch
wbuld be his. He was finally con-
vlhced, as he eyed Gambia, that the
mkn meant what he said. Then came
THE inner conflict between greed and
hospitality. between visible gain and
a4 abstract principle. If he gave up
the bandit he'd get the watch; if he
Protected the bandit and lived up to
his name he would get nothing. At
last the watch won. He grabbed it
add jerked thumb over his shoulder
I'd indicate the haystack.
EThe bandit cursed Fortunate, and
the boy guiltily tossed him the coin
hk had received. The bandit spurned
id and asked merely that a comfort
able litter be prepared for him, as he
Whs badly wounded. At this moment
Mateo Falcone and his wife appeared.
fGamba became uneasy. hardly know
idg what Mateo would think. He ap-