On A Jutting Point Of Rock That Overhung The Road Nearly At The Summit
Of The Hill, Just Where The Route Began Again To Descend, He Saw A
Solitary Man Seated, Who Appeared To Be Tending Goats.
Alderman Popkins
was one of your shrewd travellers that always like to be picking up
small information along the road, so he thought he'd just scramble up
to the honest man, and have a little talk with him by way of learning
the news and getting a lesson in Italian.
As he drew near to the
peasant he did not half like his looks. He was partly reclining on the
rocks wrapped in the usual long mantle, which, with his slouched hat,
only left a part of a swarthy visage, with a keen black eye, a beetle
brow, and a fierce moustache to be seen. He had whistled several times
to his dog which was roving about the side of the hill. As the Alderman
approached he rose and greeted him. When standing erect he seemed
almost gigantic, at least in the eyes of Alderman Popkins; who,
however, being a short man, might be deceived.
The latter would gladly now have been back in the carriage, or even on
'change in London, for he was by no means well pleased with his
company. However, he determined to put the best face on matters, and
was beginning a conversation about the state of the weather, the
baddishness of the crops, and the price of goats in that part of the
country, when he heard a violent screaming. He ran to the edge of the
rock, and, looking over, saw away down the road his carriage surrounded
by robbers. One held down the fat footman, another had the dandy by his
starched cravat, with a pistol to his head; one was rummaging a
portmanteau, another rummaging the principezza's pockets, while the two
Misses Popkins were screaming from each window of the carriage, and
their waiting maid squalling from the dickey.
Alderman Popkins felt all the fury of the parent and the magistrate
Roused within him. He grasped his cane and was on the point of
scrambling down the rocks, either to assault the robbers or to read the
riot act, when he was suddenly grasped by the arm. It was by his friend
the goatherd, whose cloak, falling partly off, discovered a belt stuck
full of pistols and stilettos. In short, he found himself in the
clutches of the captain of the band, who had stationed himself on the
rock to look out for travellers and to give notice to his men.
A sad ransacking took place. Trunks were turned inside out, and all the
finery and the frippery of the Popkins family scattered about the road.
Such a chaos of Venice beads and Roman mosaics; and Paris bonnets of
the young ladies, mingled with the alderman's night-caps and lamb's
wool stockings, and the dandy's hair-brushes, stays, and starched
cravats.
The gentlemen were eased of their purses and their watches; the ladies
of their jewels, and the whole party were on the point of being carried
up into the mountain, when fortunately the appearance of soldiery at a
distance obliged the robbers to make off with the spoils they had
secured, and leave the Popkins family to gather together the remnants
of their effects, and make the best of their way to Fondi.
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