The Finger of Fate Part 35

"_Dio Santo_!" cried the leader of the Revolutionists, seeing before him a man known as having suffered in the good cause--a victim of the Vatican, who had preferred brigandage to rotting in a Roman prison.

"Signor Tommaso, is it you?"

"It is I, Captain Rossi; thank heaven, no longer compelled to skulk away among the hills and conceal myself from the sight of old friends, herding, as I have done, with the vilest sc.u.m of mankind; thank heaven and Giuseppe Mazzini! Long live the Republic!"

A general shaking of hands between Tommaso and the _volontieri_ succeeded, many of the latter being old acquaintances, who had known him during his residence in the city of Rome.

Not less friendly was the grasp given by the young Englishman, who was now certain that his mysterious correspondent, the donor of the knife, was no other than Tommaso. But there was no time to be wasted in idle congratulations. It was not the occasion for them, with a cloud still hanging over their hearts, and Tommaso was not the man to need prompting.

"Follow me," he said, speaking to Rossi, the _sindico_, and his son. "I know a way by which we can reach the place without being seen, and before sunset if need be. But they will not get home until midnight; and, by that time, we shall have them all in a trap--completely surrounded, and leaving no loophole of escape. Now, we must start at once. There is no time to linger; for the path we are to take is long and difficult."

None hesitated to accept his proposal, or sought further explanation; and in less than ten minutes after, the Republican _volontieri_, leaving sufficient of their number to guard their soldier-prisoners, marched out of Val di Orno. They took their way towards the Neapolitan frontier, under the guidance of Tommaso, still wearing the garb of a brigand.

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO.

A SUFFOCATING DRINK.

It wanted an hour of midnight when the brigand vedette stationed at the mountain foot heard the howl of the Apennine wolf three times repeated.

"_Il capo_, I suppose," he muttered, as after answering the signal, he stood up to take note of who was making approach. Himself concealed, he could see any one coming, time enough to sound another signal to the sentry on the summit of the hill. This would communicate the character of the approaching party--whether friendly or hostile; which by him above would in turn be telegraphed on to the quarters of the band.

The vedette soon perceived that his conjecture was correct. The chief came up, stopping only to mutter some inquiry, and then pa.s.sed on. He was closely followed by a woman, whose fine silken skirt, seen under the coa.r.s.e _frezada_ that hung down from her shoulders, told she was richly robed; while her drooping head and slow unwilling step proclaimed her a captive. The _capuce_ drawn over her head concealed her face from the eyes of the sentinel, who could tell, however, by her dress, and the small white hand grasping the folds of the _frezada_, that she was a _signorina_. Four other men--bandits in the disguise of shepherds-- going in single file, followed after. The wolf-howl was uttered as they pa.s.sed; its notes preceding them up the gorge, and receiving a response from the sentry at the summit. And then silence succeeded, broken only by an occasional rumbling noise, as some fragments of rock, detached by the feet of the ascending bandits, came rolling back down the declivity.

"That's the new wife, I take it," soliloquised the sentry, as soon as the party had gone past. "I should have liked a squint at her face. No doubt it's a pretty one, or our dainty _capo_ wouldn't have taken all this trouble to secure her. His arm in a sling, too! The bird hasn't been caught without a scuffle. I wonder if it be that _sindico's_ daughter there's been such talk about. Like enough it is. _Enfedi mia_! Corvino strikes at high game. Well, after all, what's better than to be the _cara sposa_ of a brigand? Plenty of jewellery, rings, chains, lockets, and bracelets; plenty of confetti and kisses. What more can a woman want? And plenty of cuffing if she don't properly deport herself." Chuckling at his coa.r.s.e jest, the vedette once more resumed his seat upon the rock; and, folding his _frezada_ around him, relapsed into silence.

About an hour after, he was again startled from his sedentary att.i.tude by the well-known wolf-howl. As before, the signal came from the outside--from the _scorza_ that led toward the Roman frontier.

"_E cosi_!" he muttered; "what others are abroad to-night? I only remember the _capo_ and his party. Now I think of it, Tommaso went out in the morning--on some fool's errand. I wonder the _capo_ trusts Master Tommaso, after that ugly disclosure about his _cara Popetta.

Poverina_! if she were alive to see what's going on, wouldn't there be trouble in the camp! _Corpo di Bacco_! there again! Don't be in such an infernal hurry, Signor Tommaso. Let me gather my breath for the answer. _Wah-wah-oouah_!" he howled out in response, giving the lugubrious signal; "now you may come on."

Shortly after, a figure was seen stealthily approaching through the darkness, but with a step that showed a thorough acquaintance with the path.

"_Chi e' la_?" hailed the sentry, as if some presentiment had increased his caution.

"_Amico_!" responded the person approaching; "why do you hail? I am Tommaso."

"Ah! Signor Tommaso! I had forgotten that you were out. I thought you had gone in along with the others."

"What others?" inquired Tommaso, with interest he endeavoured to conceal under a pretence of ill-humour.

"What others?" echoed the unreflecting sentinel; "why, Corvino himself, to be sure, and the party of _pastores_ that went abroad with him. You were at the rendezvous when they left?"

"Ah, true," carelessly remarked Tommaso. "But I thought they had got back before night. How long since they pa.s.sed up?"

"About an hour ago."

"Well, have they made anything by their sheep-driving?"

"A lamb. A young ewe, I take it, from what I could see of her wool.

_Dio Santo_! there must have been sharp horns in the flock from which they have separated her. Our _capo_ has had a thrust from some old ram.

I could see blood upon his shirt."

"Wounded, you think. Where?"

"In the right, arm. He was nursing it in a sling. There must have been a fight, I suppose. Did you hear nothing of it outside?"

"How could I? I've been too busy, and in a different direction."

"I hope you've not been so busy as to hinder you from filling your flask, Signor Tommaso."

"_Por Bacco_, no!" answered the latter, evidently more pleased than offended by the reminder. "I always find time for that. You want a pull, I suppose?"

"You're right there, _compagno_; it's a bit chilly upon post to-night, and a gill of _rosolio_ would give me an infinite amount of comfort."

"You shall have it. I can't accommodate you with a cup. Can I trust the bottle in your hands?"

"_Che demonio_! yes. You don't suppose, signor, I am going to rob you?

A single pull will content me."

"Here, then," said Tommaso, handing over the leather bottle. "I'll give you a good chance. You can swig away while I am counting twenty. Will that suffice?"

"_Mille grazzie_! yes. You are very generous, Signor Tommaso."

The man, laying aside his carbine, caught hold of the proffered flask, from which Tommaso had already removed the stopper. Then, with the exclamation, "_Oh me felice_!" he took the neck between his lips.

Turning his countenance skywards, he commenced imbibing the delicious liquor in long, copious draughts.

Tommaso had watched for this opportunity; and, suddenly stepping forward, he seized hold of the flask with his right hand, while with his left he grasped the brigand by the back of the neck. Then kicking his feet from under him, he flung the fellow back downwards on the gra.s.s, at the same time falling on top of him.

The vedette, thus taken aback, was hindered from resisting through sheer astonishment. He at first supposed it to be a joke, and that Tommaso was too generous of his liquor. Then he became doubtful about the designs of such rough handling; and then angry. He would have called out, but the bottle filling the whole cavity of his mouth, and the _rosolio_ running down his throat, put a stopper to his speech. A few choking sounds escaped him; but, before he could free himself to give a good shout, or utter the oaths he would have done, four other a.s.sailants--already summoned by a low whistle from Tommaso--came quickly upon the ground. These, flinging themselves upon the prostrate body of the vedette, soon put an end to his struggles. It ended in their inserting a piece of stick between his teeth, and pinioning his arms to his sides; so that he was not only gagged and speechless, but powerless to stir from the spot.

A large body of men--for whom Tommaso had gone back some distance along the _scorza_--now came filing past; and, led by the _ci-devant_ brigand, climbed quickly but silently up the gorge--their demeanour showing them bent upon an enterprise requiring the utmost caution.

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE.

COURTSHIP WITH A CAPTIVE.

By this time, Corvino, his captive, and four followers had pa.s.sed up the ravine, crossed the ridge, and descended into the crater.

On nearing the cl.u.s.ter of houses, they had been again challenged; this time by the regular sentinel of the rendezvous--of which there were two, one on each side. There was not much fear of these being found asleep.

They had been lately taught a lesson well calculated to keep them on the alert, having seen two of their comrades summarily shot for neglect of watch-duty. They were the two who had suffered the English captive to escape. These had been tried, condemned, and executed, all within an hour's time, after Henry Harding had been missed. Such is the code of the banditti--its stringency being their best safeguard against surprise and capture. A member of the band, placed over a prisoner, answers for the keeping of him with his own life. No wonder the escapes of _riscattati_ are so rare--scarcely ever occurring.

No dog's bark hailed the chief's return; only the wolf-howl of the sentinel, three times repeated. n.o.body came forth to welcome him. One of his followers opened the door of the _capo's_ house, entered, and struck a light, which he left burning in the chamber. The man then came out, and the four sham shepherds scattered off to their respective _pagliattas_.

Corvino was alone with his captive.