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 passed on. He
was closely followed by a woman, whose fine silken skirt, seen under the
coarse _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
passed; 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 coarse 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 attitude
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 passed 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 grass, 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
assailants--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.