All The Blood In His Body Seemed To Rush Into His Face.
"D - n the
purse," said he, as he snatched it up.
He dashed a handful of money on
the ground before the pale, cringing waiter. "There - be off," cried he;
"John, order the postilions to drive on."
Above half an hour had been exhausted in this altercation. The Venetian
carriage had loitered along; its passengers looking out from time to
time, and expecting the escort every moment to follow. They had
gradually turned an angle of the road that shut them out of sight. The
little army was again in motion, and made a very picturesque appearance
as it wound along at the bottom of the rocks; the morning sunshine
beaming upon the weapons of soldiery.
The Englishman lolled back in his carriage, vexed with himself at what
had passed, and consequently out of humor with all the world. As this,
however, is no uncommon case with gentlemen who travel for their
pleasure, it is hardly worthy of remark.
They had wound up from the coast among the hills, and came to a part of
the road that admitted of some prospect ahead.
"I see nothing of the lady's carriage, sir," said John, leaning over
from the coach box.
"Hang the lady's carriage!" said the Englishman, crustily; "don't
plague me about the lady's carriage; must I be continually pestered
with strangers?"
John said not another word, for he understood his master's mood. The
road grew more wild and lonely; they were slowly proceeding in a foot
pace up a hill; the dragoons were some distance ahead, and had just
reached the summit of the hill, when they uttered an exclamation, or
rather shout, and galloped forward. The Englishman was aroused from his
sulky revery. He stretched his head from the carriage, which had
attained the brow of the hill. Before him extended a long hollow
defile, commanded on one side by rugged, precipitous heights, covered
with bushes and scanty forest trees. At some distance he beheld the
carriage of the Venitians overturned; a numerous gang of desperadoes
were rifling it; the young man and his servant were overpowered and
partly stripped, and the lady was in the hands of two of the ruffians.
The Englishman seized his pistols, sprang from his carriage, and called
upon John to follow him. In the meantime, as the dragoons came forward,
the robbers who were busy with the carriage quitted their spoil, formed
themselves in the middle of the road, and taking deliberate aim, fired.
One of the dragoons fell, another was wounded, and the whole were for a
moment checked and thrown in confusion. The robbers loaded again in an
instant. The dragoons had discharged their carbines, but without
apparent effect; they received another volley, which, though none fell,
threw them again into confusion. The robbers were loading a second
time, when they saw the foot soldiers at hand. - "Scampa via!" was the
word. They abandoned their prey, and retreated up the rocks; the
soldiers after them. They fought from cliff to cliff, and bush to bush,
the robbers turning every now and then to fire upon their pursuers; the
soldiers scrambling after them, and discharging their muskets whenever
they could get a chance. Sometimes a soldier or a robber was shot down,
and came tumbling Among the cliffs. The dragoons kept firing from
below, whenever a robber came in sight.
The Englishman hastened to the scene of action, and the balls
discharged at the dragoons had whistled past him as he advanced. One
object, however, engrossed his attention. It was the beautiful Venetian
lady in the hands of two of the robbers, who, during the confusion of
the fight, carried her shrieking up the mountains. He saw her dress
gleaming among the bushes, and he sprang up the rocks to intercept the
robbers as they bore off their prey. The ruggedness of the steep and
the entanglements of the bushes, delayed and impeded him. He lost sight
of the lady, but was still guided by her cries, which grew fainter and
fainter. They were off to the left, while the report of muskets showed
that the battle was raging to the right.
At length he came upon what appeared to be a rugged footpath, faintly
worn in a gully of the rock, and beheld the ruffians at some distance
hurrying the lady up the defile. One of them hearing his approach let
go his prey, advanced towards him, and levelling the carbine which had
been slung on his back, fired. The ball whizzed through the
Englishman's hat, and carried with it some of his hair. He returned the
fire with one of his pistols, and the robber fell. The other brigand
now dropped the lady, and drawing a long pistol from his belt, fired on
his adversary with deliberate aim; the ball passed between his left arm
and his side, slightly wounding the arm. The Englishman advanced and
discharged his remaining pistol, which wounded the robber, but not
severely. The brigand drew a stiletto, and rushed upon his adversary,
who eluded the blow, receiving merely a slight wound, and defending
himself with his pistol, which had a spring bayonet. They closed with
one another, and a desperate struggle ensued. The robber was a
square-built, thick-set, man, powerful, muscular, and active. The
Englishman, though of larger frame and greater strength, was less
active and less accustomed to athletic exercises and feats of
hardihood, but he showed himself practised and skilled in the art of
defence. They were on a craggy height, and the Englishman perceived
that his antagonist was striving to press him to the edge.
A side glance showed him also the robber whom he had first wounded,
Scrambling up to the assistance of his comrade, stiletto in hand. He
had, in fact, attained the summit of the cliff, and the Englishman saw
him within a few steps, when he heard suddenly the report of a pistol
and the ruffian fell.
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