Among the Brigands

by James De Mille

  CHAPTER II.

  _How in the World did it get there?--A joyous Ride.--Hark! Hark!The Dogs do bark! Beggars come to Town; some in Rags, some in Tags,and some in a tattered Gown!--A pleasant Meditation on a classicPast very rudely, unexpectedly, and even savagely interrupted, andlikely to terminate in a Tragedy!--Perilous Position of David andClive._

  Fortunately, no bones were broken. The Italian slowly pickedhimself up, and casting a stupid look at the boys, moved slowlyaway, leaving the occupants of the standing there in theirnight-clothes, and earnestly discussing the question,--How in theworld did the goat get there?

  This was indeed a knotty question, till at length it was unravelledby Uncle Moses.

  "Wal, I declar," said he, "ef I didn't go an leave the door open."

  "You!" cried all.

  "Yes," said he. "You see it was dreadful close an suffocatin lastnight; so when you went to bed, I jest left that door open to cooloff. Then I went off to bed, and forgot all about it."

  That was clear enough as far as it went, but still it did notaccount for the presence of a goat in the sixth story of a hotel.This they found out afterwards. That very day they saw flocks ofgoats being driven about from house to house. At other times theysaw goats in their own hotel. They were hoisted up to the variousstories, milked, and left to find their way down themselves. Thefashion of using goat's milk was universal, and this was the simpleway in which families were supplied. As to their visitor, the billygoat, he was undoubtedly the patriarch of some flock, who hadwandered up stairs himself, perhaps in a fit of idle curiosity.

  "If it hadn't been dark," said Frank. "If it hadn't been so abominablydark!"

  "We were like Ajax," said David,--who was a bit of a pedant, anddealt largely in classical allusions,--"we were like Ajax, youknow:--

  'Give as but light, and let as _see_ our foes, We'll bravely fall, though Jove himself oppose.'"

  "O, that's all very well," said Uncle Moses; "but who's goin topay for all that thar furnitoor? The goat can't."

  "Uncle Moses," said Bob, gravely, "there's a great deal in whatyou say."

  Uncle Moses turned away with a look of concern in his mild face,and retreated into his room.

  (It may as well be stated here, that Uncle Moses had to pay forthat furniture. The landlord called up an interpreter, and theyhad a long and somewhat exciting interview. It ended in the landlord'srecovering a sum of money which was sufficient to furnish a wholesuit of apartments in another part of the house.)

  Being now fairly introduced to Naples, the boys were all eager tosee the place and its surroundings, and Uncle Moses was quitewilling to gratify them in any way. So they hired a carriage, founda guide, named Michael Angelo, who could speak English, and, thusequipped, they set out first for Baiae.

  Through the city they went, through the crowded streets; past thepalaces, cathedrals, gardens; past the towers, castles, and quays;till at last there arose before them the mighty Grotto of Posilipo.Through this they drove, looking in astonishment at its vastdimensions, and also at the crowds of people who were passingthrough it, on foot, on horseback, and on wheels. Then they cameto Pozzuoli, the place where St. Paul once landed, and which ismentioned in the New Testament under its ancient name--Puteoli.

  Here they were beset by beggars. The sight of this produced strangeeffects upon the little party. Uncle Moses, filled with pity,lavished money upon them, in spite of the remonstrances of theguide. Clive's sensitive nature shuddered at the spectacle. Franktried to speak a few words of Italian to them, which he had caughtfrom Michael Angelo. David muttered something about the ancientRomans, while Bob kept humming to himself these elegant verses:--

  "Hark! hark! The dogs do bark! Beggars come to town, Some in rags, some in tags, Some in a tattered gown!"

  The beggars followed them as far as they could, and when they leftthem, reinforcements always arrived.

  Thus they were beset by them at the crater of the extinct volcanoof Solfatura.

  They encountered them at the gateway of Cumae,

  At the Grotto of the Comaean Sibyl,

  At Nero's Baths,

  At the Lucrine Lake,

  At Baiae,

  At Misenum,

  In fact everywhere.

  Still, they enjoyed themselves very well, and kept up their pursuitof sights until late in the day. They were then at Baiae; and herethe party stopped at a little inn, where they proposed to dine.Here the beggars beset them, in fresh crowds, till Uncle Hoses wascompelled to close his purse, and tear himself away from hisclamorous visitants. Frank and Bob went off to see if they couldfind some donkeys, ponies, or horses, so as to have a ride afterdinner; while David and Clive strolled off towards the country.

  "Come, Clive," said David, "let Frank and Bob enjoy their jackasses.For my part, I want to get to some place where I can sit down, andsee this glorious land. It's the most classic spot in all theworld."

  "It's the most beautiful and poetic," said Clive, who was given tosentiment.

  Walking on, they came to a place which projected into the sea, andhere they sat down.

  "O, what a glorious sight!" exclaimed Clive. "Look at this wonderfulBay of Naples! How intensely blue the water is! How intensely bluethe sky is! And look at Vesuvius opposite. What an immense amountof smoke is coming from the crater!"

  "Yes," said David, clearing his throat, "this is the place thatthe elder Pliny sailed from at the time of the destruction ofHerculaneum and Pompeii. And look all around. That little townwas once the luxurious Baiae. Over yonder is Lake Lucrine, whichVirgil sings about. On that side is Misenum, where the Roman navylay. There is Caligula's Bridge. What a glorious place! Everythingthat we have ever read of in classic story gathers about us here.Cicero, Caesar, Horace, Virgil, Tiberius, and Juvenal, seem to livehere yet. Nero and Agrippina, Caligula and Claudius,--every oldRoman, good or bad. And look, Clive, that is land out there. As Ilive, that is Capraea! And see,--O, see, Clive,--that must bethe--"

  "_Datemi un carlino, signori, per l'amor di Dio. Sono povero--moltopovero!_"

  It was in the middle of David's rather incoherent rhapsody thatthese words burst upon his ears. He and Clive started to theirfeet, and found close behind them a half dozen of those miserablebeggars. Two of them were old men, whose bleary eyes and stoopingframes indicated extreme age. One was a woman on, crutches. NumberFour was a thin, consumptive-looking man. Number Five and NumberSix were strong-limbed fellows, with very villanous faces. It waswith one universal whine that these unwelcome visitors addressedthe boys.

  "_Datemi un carlino, signori, per l'amor di Dio._"

  David shook his head.

  "_Sono miserabile_," said Number Five.

  "I don't understand," said David.

  "_Noi abbiam fame_," said Number Six.

  "_Non capisco_," said Clive, who had learned that much Italian fromMichael Angelo.

  "_O, signori nobilissime!_"

  "I tell you, I don't understand," cried David.

  "Non capisco," repeated Clive.

  "_Siamo desperati_," said Number Six, with a sinister gleam in hiseyes, which neither of the boys liked.

  "Come, Clive," said David, "let's go back. Dinner must be ready bythis time."

  And they turned to go.

  But as they turned, Number Five and Number Six placed themselvesin the way.

  "_Date qualche cosa_," they whined; and each of them seized a boyby the arm. The boys tried to jerk their arms away, but could not.

  "Let us go," cried David, "or it will be the worse for you."

  The two beggars now talked in Italian without relaxing their hold.Then they tried to pull the boys away; but the boys resisted bravely,and began to shout for help. At this the other beggars came forwardmenacingly, and Number Five and Number Six put their arms roundthe boys, and their hands over their mouths. Neither David norClive could now utter a cry. They could scarcely breathe. They wereat the mercy of these miscreants!

  It was, in truth, a perilous position in which Da
vid and Clivefound themselves. Those ragged rascals, the beggars, were asremorseless as they were ragged. They had the boys at their mercy.The place was sufficiently far from the town to be out of hearing;and though the road was near, yet there were no people living inthe vicinity. It was, therefore, sufficiently solitary to permitof any deed of violence being done with impunity.

  David and Clive gave themselves up for lost With a last franticeffort, David tore his head loose, dashed his fist into the faceof beggar Number Six, who was holding him, and tried to escape.

  "_Scelerate!_" cried Number Six; and he threw David to the ground,and held him down, while he caught him by the throat. But thoughthus overpowered, David still struggled, and it was with somedifficulty that the big brute who held him was able to keep himunder.

  Suddenly, at this moment, when all hope seemed lost, a loud crywas heard. There was a rush of two figures upon the scene; and thenext instant Number Six was torn away, and rolled over on his back.A firm grasp was fixed on his throat, and a tremendous blow descendedon his head from a stout stick, which was wielded by the youthfulbut sinewy arm of Frank Wilmot. At the same instant, also, BobClark had bounded at Number Five, leaped on his back, and beganbeating him about the head.

  The attack had been so sudden, and so utterly unexpected, that itcarried all before it. Away, with a wild cry of terror, fled thefour decrepit beggars, leaving Number Five and Number Six on thefield to themselves and the four boys. Number Six groaned withpain, and struggled furiously. He wrenched himself from beneathhis assailants, but they again got the upper hand, and held onfirmly. But Number Six was too strong to be easily grappled with,and it went hard with his assailants.

  Meanwhile Clive, relieved by Bob, had become an assailant also.Snatching up a stone, he dashed it full in the face of Number Five.The man staggered back and fell, and Bob narrowly escaped fallingunder him. But Number Five sprang up instantly, and before Bob orClive could close with him again, darted off without attempting tohelp Number Six, and ran for his life. Cowardly by nature, thebeggars did not think of the size of their assailants; their fearsmagnified the boys to men; and they only thought of safety in apanic flight But Number Six was there yet, with Frank Wilmot'ssinewy arms about him, and Bob and Clive now rushed to take partin that struggle. This addition to the attacking force turned thescale completely.

  The struggle that now followed was most violent, the Italian makingthe most furious efforts to free himself; but Frank was very largeand strong for his years; he was possessed of bull-dog tenacityand high-strung courage, and was strenuously assisted by the otherthree; so that the union of all their forces formed something towhich one man was scarcely equal. In a very short time, therefore,after the arrival of Bob and Clive, the would-be robber was lyingon his face, held firmly down by the four boys.

  "Boys," said Frank, who was sitting on his shoulders, "fold hisarms over his back."

  As they did this, he twisted his handkerchief tightly, and thenbound it around the man's hands as firmly as if it had been a rope.Bob and Clive held him down by sitting on his legs, while Davidsat on his neck. Frank now asked for their hand, kerchiefs, twistedthem, tied them together, and then directed Bob to fasten the man'sfeet. This was Bob's task, and he did it as neatly as though hehad been brought up to that particular business exclusively.

  The man was now bound hard and fast, and lay on his face withouta word, and only an occasional struggle. The weight of the boyswas so disposed that it was not possible for him to get rid ofthem, and Frank watched all his attempted movements so vigilantly,that every effort was baffled at the outset. Frank also watchedBob as he tied the knots, and then, seeing that the work was welldone, he started up.

  "Come, boys," said he, "let's give the rascal a chance to breathe."

  At this the boys all got up, and the Italian, relieved from theirweight, rolled over on his back, and then on his side, staring allaround, and making desperate efforts to free himself. He was likethe immortal Gulliver when bound by the Lilliputians, except thatone of his assailants, at least, was no Lilliputian, for in brawn,and sinew, and solid muscle, Frank, boy though he might be, wasnot very much, if at all, his inferior. As he struggled, and stared,and rolled about, the boys looked on; and Frank watched him carefully,ready to spring at him at the first sign of the bonds giving way.But the knots had been too carefully tied, and this the Italiansoon found out. He therefore ceased his useless efforts, and satup; then, drawing up his feet, he leaned his chin on his knees,and stared sulkily at the ground.

  "And now," said David, "what are we to do?"

  "I don't know," said Frank.

  "Let's go for Uncle Moses," said Bob, "or Michael Angelo."

  "We'd better hunt up a policeman," said Clive.

  "No," said Frank, "let's get Uncle Moses here first. You go, Bob;and be quick, or else those other beggars'll be back here andrelease him."

  Upon this Bob set out, and the others guarded the prisoner. Bobwas not gone long, however, but soon returned in company with UncleMoses. Bob had found him at the inn, and in a breathless way hadtold him all, but he had scarcely understood it; and as he now cameupon the scene, he looked around in wonder, and seemed utterlybewildered. Had he found his beloved boys captured by bandits, hewould have been shocked, but not very much surprised--for that wasthe one terror of his life; but to find the tables turned, and abandit captured by his boys, was a thing which was so completelyopposed to all his ordinary thoughts, that he stood for a momentfairly stupefied. Nor was it until David had told the whole story,and thus given him a second and Davidian edition of it, that hebegan to master the situation.

  "Dear! dear! dear!" he cried, looking slowly at each of the boysin succession, and then at their silent and sulky captive, "and soyou railly and truly were attacked and made prisoners by bandits.Dear! dear! dear!"

  He looked inexpressibly shocked, and for some time stood in silenceamid the loud clatter of the boys.

  "Well, Uncle Moses," said Frank, at last, "what are we to do withhim?"

  To this Uncle Moses made no reply. It was certainly a somewhatpuzzling inquiry; and his own life had been so peaceful anduneventful, that the question of the best way of dealing with acaptured bandit was, very naturally, a somewhat perplexing one toanswer. He stood, therefore, with his head bent forward, his righthand supporting his left elbow, and his left hand supporting hisforehead, while his mild eyes regarded the captive robber with ameek and almost paternal glance, and his mind occupied itself inweighing that captives destiny.

  "Well, Uncle Moses," said Frank a second time, somewhat impatiently,"what, are we to do with him? We must do something,--and be quickabout it too,--or else the other beggars'll be back."

  "Wal," said Uncle Moses, slowly and thoughtfully, "that's the veryidentical pint that I'm a meditatin on. An the long an the shortof it is, that I'm beginnin to think, that the very best thing youcan do is to take your handkerchees back, and come back with me tothe inn, and get some dinner. For I've every reason to believe thatdinner's ready about this time, bein as I remember hearin a bella ringin jest before Bob came for me."

  At this the boys stared in amazement at Uncle Moses, not knowingwhat in the world to make of this.

  "What do you mean," said Frank, "about our handkerchiefs, whenwe've tied up the bandit with them?"

  "Why," said Uncle Moses, "I think if you come you may as well bringyer handkerchees with you--as I s'pose you prefer havin em."

  "But we'd have to untie them," said Bob.

  "Wal, yes," said Uncle Moses, dryly; "that follers as a nat'ralconsequence."

  "What!" cried Frank, in an indignant voice, "untie him? Let himgo? And after he has nearly killed David and Clive?"

  "Wal, he didn't _quite_ kill em," said Uncle Moses, turning hiseyes benignantly upon the two boys. "They seem to me jest now tobe oncommon spry--arter it all. They don't look very nigh death,as far as appearances go. No harm's done, I guess; an so, I daresay, we'd best jest let em go."

  At this Frank looked ineffably disguste
d.

  "You see, boys," said Uncle Moses, "here we air, in a very peculiarsituation. What air we? Strangers and sojourners in a strange land;don't know a word of the outlandish lingo; surrounded by beggarsand Philistines. Air there any law courts here? Air there anylawyers? Air there any judges? I pause for a reply. There ain'tone. No. An if we keep this man tied up, what can we do with him?We can't take him back with us in the coach. We can't keep him andfeed him at the hotel like a pet animule. I don't know whar thelock-up is, an hain't seen a policeman in the whole place. Besides,if we do hand this bandit over to the _po_lice, do you think it'sgoin to end there? No, sir. Not it. If this man's arrested, we'llbe arrested too. We'll have to be witnesses agin him. An that'swhat I don't want to do, if I can help it. My idee an aim allus isto keep clear of the lawyers; I'd rather be imposed on; I'd ratherpay out money unjustly, be cheated, humbugged, and do any thin,than put myself in the power of lawyers. Depend upon it, they'reas bad here as they air home. They'd have us all in jail, aswitnesses. Now, I don't want to go to jail."

  The words of Uncle Moses produced a strong impression uponthe boys. Even Frank saw that handing the man over to theauthorities would involve some trouble, at least, on theirpart. He hated what he called "bother." Besides, he had novengeful feelings against the Italian, nor had Bob. As forDavid and Clive, they were the only ones who had been reallywronged by the fellow; but they were the last in the world toharbor resentment or think of revenge. Their victory had alsomade them merciful. So the end of it was, that they didaccording to Uncle Moses' suggestion, and untied the bonds.

  Number Six was evidently amazed. He rose to his feet, looked warilyat the party, as though expecting some new attack, then looked allaround, and then, with a bound, he sprang away, and running towardsthe road, soon disappeared. The rest did not delay much longer,but returned as soon as possible to the inn, where they found theirdinner ready. This they ate, and then drove back to Naples.

  The opportune arrival of Frank and Bob was soon explained. Theyhad been riding on donkeys, and had seen the crowd around Davidand Clive, and the struggle. Fearing some danger for their companions,they had hastened to the spot, and reached it in time to be ofservice. The adventure might have been most serious to David andClive; but as it happened, the results were of no very gravecharacter. They felt a little sore; that is all. Bob, also had abad bruise on his left arm; but on the whole, very little harm hadbeen done, nor did the boys regret afterwards that they had letthe scoundrel go free.

  As for their guide, Michael Angelo, he had been busy in anotherdirection, during this adventure, and when he heard of it, he wasvery anxious to have them arrested; but Uncle Moses, for reasonsalready stated, declined to do anything.