Among the Brigands Read online

  CHAPTER XXVII.

  _Arma Virumque cano!--The Chase of the Wild Boar!--The Prisonersat the Window.--The Alban Army.--Wild Uproar.--Three hundred andsixty-five Pocket Handkerchiefs.--Flame.--Smoking out theMonster.--A Salamander._

  Arma puerosque cano!

  Sing, O muse, the immortal Albanian Boar Hunt!

  How outside the doomed town of Albano lurked the mighty monster inhis lair.

  How the frightened messengers roused the people to action.

  How the whole population, stimulated to deeds of bold emprise,grasped each the weapon that lay nearest, whether bolt, or bar, ortool of mechanic, or implement of husbandry, and then, joiningtheir forces, went forth to do battle against the Fell Destroyer.

  How the pallid victims, imprisoned in the topmost tower, gazed withstaring eyes upon the mighty delivering host, and shouted outblessings upon their heads.

  How the sight of the pallid victims cheered the bold deliverers,and drew them nearer to the lair of the monster.

  And so forth.

  Very well.

  To resume.

  Stationed at the window, David and Clive saw their friends vanishin the direction of Albano, and knew that they had gone for help.This thought so cheered them, that in spite of a somewhat protractedabsence, they bore up well, and diversified the time betweenwatchings at the window, and listenings at the head of the ladder.From the window nothing was visible for a long time; but from thehead of the ladder there came up at intervals such sounds asindicated that the fierce wild boar was still as restless, asruthless, as hungry, and as vigilant as ever.

  Then came up to their listening ears the same sounds alreadydescribed, together with hoarser tones of a more pronouncedlygrunting description, which showed more truly that the beast wasin very truth a wild boar. But Clive did not venture down again,nor did he even mention the subject. His former attempt had beenmost satisfactory, since it satisfied him that no other attemptcould be thought of. In spite of this, however, both the boys hadrisen to a more cheerful frame of mind. Their future began to lookbrighter, and the prospect of a rescue served to put them both.into comparative good humor, the only drawback to which was theirnow ravenous hunger.

  At length the army of their deliverers appeared, and David, whowas watching at the window, shouted to Clive, who was listening atthe opening, whereupon the latter rushed to the other window.

  The delivering host drew nigh, and then at a respectable distancehalted and surveyed the scene of action.

  Frank and Bob came on, however, without stopping, followed by UncleMoses, after whom came the guide. Frank with his old fowling-piece,Bob with a pitchfork, Uncle Moses with a scythe, and the guide witha rope. What each one proposed to do was doubtful; but our travellershad never been strong on weapons of war, and the generous Albanpeople seemed to be in the same situation.

  As Frank and his companions moved nearer, the rest of the multitudetook courage and followed, though in an irregular fashion.

  Soon Frank came near enough to speak.

  "Is he there yet?" was his first remark.

  "Yes," said Clive.

  "Where?"

  "At the left end of the lower room, under a pile of fagots."

  "Can't you manage to drive him out, so that I can get a shot athim?" asked Frank, proudly brandishing his weapon.

  "O, no. We can't do anything."

  "I wish you could," said Frank.

  "I wish we could too." said David, fervently.

  Upon this Frank talked with the guide. The question was, whatshould they do now? The most desirable thing was, to draw thewild beast out of his lair, so that they might have a fair chancewith him; but, unfortunately, the wild beast utterly refused tomove from his lair.

  After some talk with his guide, Frank suggested that a large numberof the crowd should go to the rear, and the left end of the house,and strike at it, and utter appalling cries, so as to frighten thewild boar and drive him out. This proposal the guide explained tothe crowd, who at once proceeded with the very greatest alacrityto act upon it. Most of them were delighted at the idea, of fightingthe enemy in that fashion; and so it happened that the entire crowdtook up their station in a dense mass at the rear of the building;and then they proceeded to beat upon the walls of the house, toshout, to yell, and to utter such hideous sounds, that any ordinaryanimal would simply have gone mad with fright, and died on thespot. But this animal proved to be no ordinary one in this respect.Either he was accustomed to strange noises, or else he had suchnerves of steel, that the present uproar affected him no more thanthe sighing of the gentlest summer breeze; indeed, David and Clivewere far more affected, for at the first outbreak of that tumultuousuproar, they actually jumped from the floor, and thought that therickety old house was tumbling about their ears.

  During this proceeding, Frank stood bravely in front of the door,about a dozen yards off, with his rusty fowling-piece; and closebeside him stood Bob with his pitchfork, Uncle Moses with hisscythe, and the guide with his rope.

  "He doesn't care for this at all," said Frank, in a dejected tone."We must try something else. What shall we do?"

  And saying this, he turned once more and talked with the guide.

  Meanwhile David and Clive, who had recovered their equanimity,rushed to the opening, and began to assist their friends by doingwhat they could to frighten the wild boar.

  "Shoo-o-o-o-o-o!" said David.

  "Hs-s-s-s-s-s-s!" said Clive.

  "Bo-o-o-o-o-o-o!" said David.

  "Gr-r-r-r-r-r-r!" cried Clive.

  But the wild boar did not move, even though the uproar withoutstill continued.

  Then Clive went down the ladder a little distance, far enough downso that by bending, his head was below the upper floor. Then hetook his hat and hurled it with all his might and main at the pileof fagots.

  Then he went up again.

  But the wild boar did not move.

  Thereupon David went down, and he went a little lower. He took hishat, and uttering a hideous yell, he threw it with all his forceat the fagots.

  But even this failed to alarm the wild boar. David stood for amoment after this bold deed and listened. The only satisfactionthat he had was the sound of a low, comfortable grunt, that seemedto show that the present situation was one which was ratherenjoyed than otherwise by this formidable, this indomitable, thisinvincible beast.

  They came back to the windows in despair, and by this time Frankhad finished his discussion with the guide. He was looking upanxiously towards them.

  "Look here," said he; "that miserable wild boar won't comeout. The guide thinks the only way to get at him is to smokehim out. The only trouble is about you. Will the smoke botheryon, do you think?"

  "I don't know," said Clive.

  "Can you stop up the opening?"

  "No."

  "Can you keep your heads oat of the windows?"

  "We'll try. But I wish you'd only thought of bringing a ladder, soas to get us out first, before smoking him."

  "Yes, I wish we had," said Frank, thoughtfully. "But never mind,"he added, cheerily, "there's no use going back for one, because,you see, we'll have you out of that long before a ladder could bebrought here."

  It was only by yelling at the top of their voices that they wereable to make themselves heard by one another, for the crowd behindthe house still kept up their yells, and knockings, and thumpings,and waited to hear that the wild boar had fled. As the time passedwithout any such news, they were only stimulated to fresh efforts,and howled more fearfully and yelled more deafeningly.

  "There's an awful waste of energy and power about here, somehow,"said Frank. "There ought to be some way of getting at that wretchedbeast, without all this nonsense. Here we are,--I don't know howmany of us, but the whole population of a town, at any rate, againstone,--and what's worse, we don't seem to make any impression."

  Meanwhile the guide had gone off among the crowd, and while Frankwas grumbling, he was busying himself among them, and was engagedin carrying ou
t a very brilliant idea that had just suggested itselfto him. In a short time he returned with an armful of something,the nature of which Frank could not quite make out.

  "What have you got there?" he asked. "What are you going to do?"

  "Dey are all handkerchiefs."

  "Handkerchiefs?"

  "Yes; de handkerchiefs of de population of Albano. Dey are as manyas de days of de year."

  "I should think so," cried Frank, in amazement. "But what are yougoing to do with them?"

  "Do wit dem? I am going to make a smoke."

  "A smoke? What? Are you going to burn them up?"

  "Dere is notin else to burn; so I must burn what I can. See, I makea bundle of dese. I set fire to dem. Dey burn--dey smoke--and deboar smoke out. Aha! he suffocate--he expire--he run!"

  "Well, if that isn't the greatest idea I ever heard of!" criedFrank. "Handkerchiefs! Why, you must have hundreds of them inthat bundle."

  The guide smiled, and made no answer. It was a brilliant idea.It was all his own. He was proud of it. He was pleased to thinkthat the number of them was equal to the number of days in theyear. Three hundred and sixty-five handkerchiefs collected fromthe good, the virtuous, the self-sacrificing people of Albano,who were now yelling and howling as before, at the rear of thehouse, and diversifying the uproar by loud calls and inquiriesabout the wild boar.

  The guide smiled cheerily over the handkerchiefs. He was so proudof his original idea! He went calmly on, forming them into arough bundle, doing it very dexterously, so that the bundle mightbe tight enough to hold together, yet loose enough to burn, Frankwatched him curiously. So did Bob. So did Uncle Moses. So did Clive.So did David. Three hundred and sixty-five handkerchiefs! Onlythink of it!

  At last the work was finished. The handkerchiefs rolled up into abig ball, loose, yet cohesive, with ends hanging out in alldirections.

  "You had better be careful what you do," said Clive. "The end ofthe chamber below is full of dry fagots. If they were to catchfire, what would come of us?"

  "O, alla right," said the guide. "Nevare fear. I trow him sohe sall not go near de wood. He make no flame, only de smoke.Nevare fear."

  At this the trepidation which these preparations bad excited inthe minds of Clive and David, departed, and they watched thesubsequent proceedings without a word.

  The guide now took the bundle which he had formed out of thehandkerchiefs of the population of Albano, and holding it underhis left arm, he drew forth some matches, and breaking off one, hestruck it against the sole of his boot. It kindled. Thereupon heheld the Same to the bundle of handkerchiefs. The flame caught.The bundle blazed. The guide held it for some time till the blazecaught at one after another of the projecting ends of the rolled-uphandkerchiefs, and the flame had eaten its way into the mass, andthen venturing nearer to the doorway, he advanced, keeping a littleon one side, and watching for an opportunity to throw it in. Frankfollowed with his rusty gun, Bob with his pitchfork, and UncleMoses with his scythe. All were ready, either for attack or defence,and all the while the bellowing of the crowd behind the house wenton uninterruptedly.

  The guide reached at length a point about ten feet from the door.Then he poised himself and took aim. Then he threw the burning ball.

  But his aim was bad. The ball struck the side of the doorway, andfell outside. In an instant Frank rushed forward, and seizing it,threw it inside. It fell on the floor, and rolled towards the footof the ladder, where it lay blazing, and smouldering, and sendingforth smoke enough to satisfy the most exacting mind.

  Then Frank drew back a little, poising his gun, while Bob, UncleMoses, and the guide, took up their stations beside him.

  The smoke rose up bravely from the burning mass; but after all,the result was not what had been desired. It rolled up through theopening above, and gathered in blue masses in the room where Cliveand David were imprisoned. They felt the effects of the pungentvapors very quickly, more especially in their eyes, which stung,and smarted and emitted torrents of tears. Their only refuge fromthis new evil was to thrust their heads as far out of the windowsas was possible; and this they did by sitting on the window ledge,clinging to the wall, and projecting their bodies far forwardoutside of the house. For a time they were sustained by the hopethat their enemy below was feeling it worse than they were, andthat he would soon relax his vigilant watch and fly. But alas!that enemy showed no signs of flight, and it soon became evidentto them and to those outside, that all the smoke went to the upperroom, to oppress the prisoners, and but little spread through thelower room; so little, indeed, that the wild boar did not feel anyinconvenience in particular.

  "Can't you do something?" asked Clive, imploringly.

  "We can't stand this much longer," said David, despairingly, withstreaming eyes, and choking voice.

  Their words sounded faint and low amidst the yelling of the crowdbehind the house, who still maintained their stations there, frompreference, and kept up their terrific outcry. Amid the yellsthere came occasional anxious inquiries as to the success oftheir efforts. At times messengers would venture from the rearto the front to reconnoitre. These messengers, however, wereonly few in number, and their reconnoitring was of the mostsuperficial description possible.

  The latest experiment of the guide was the cause of more frequentand more urgent inquiries. So many handkerchiefs had been investedin this last venture, that it was brought nearer home than before.Each man felt that he was concerned personally in the affair;that, in fact, he, in the shape of a representative of so importanta kind as his own handkerchief, was already inside, and assailingthe obstinate monster with a more terrible arm than any which hadyet been employed--smoke and fire.

  But the clamor of the crowd had not so much effect on the littleband in front, as the sight of poor Clive and David, who, clingingto the window with their faces flushed, and their eyes red, swollen,and streaming with tears, appeared unable to hold out much longer.

  "Do something or other, quick," cried Clive.

  "I'll have to jump down," said David.

  And both, of them tried to push themselves farther out, while theirfaces were turned down, and they seemed anxiously measuring withtheir eyes the distance between themselves and the ground.