Among the Brigands Page 4

  CHAPTER III.

  _Out into the Country.--The Drive.--The glorious Land.--Sorrentoand eternal Summer.--The Cave of Polyphemus.--The Cathedral.--Themysterious Image.--What is it?--David Relic-hunting.--A Catastrophe.--Chased by a Virago.--The Town roused.--Besieged.--A desperateOnset.--Plight.--Last of the Virago._

  A few days after the affair related in the last chapter, our partyset out from Naples on an excursion round the environs. With theassistance of their landlord they were able to get a carriage,which they hired for the excursion, the driver of which went withthem, and was to pay all their expenses for a certain given sum.They expected to be gone several days, and to visit many places ofsurpassing interest; for Naples is a city whose charms, great asthey are, do not surpass the manifold loveliness with which it isenvironed, and the whole party would have been sorry indeed if theyhad missed any one of those scenes of enchantment that lay soinvitingly near them.

  As they drove along the shore they were all in the highest spirits.The sky was cloudless, and of that deep blue color which is commonto this climate; and the sun shone with dazzling brightness, beingonly warm enough to be pleasant, and not in any way oppressive.For many miles the way seemed nothing else than a street. Housesarose on each side; crowds of people, and multitudes of wagons,and droves of cattle constantly met their eyes. Caleches dashedabout in all directions. The street itself was paved with thelarge lava blocks which prevail throughout the city; and in factit seemed as though Naples was prolonging itself indefinitely.

  At length they emerged from the close-built city, and entered thecountry. All the way the scenery was exquisite. On the left extendedgreen fields, and orchards, and vineyards; spreading away for miles,they rose up the sides of high mountains. Upon these were smallvillas and hamlets, while occasionally a castle perched upon someinaccessible height threw an air of romantic attraction about thescene. They passed several villages, and at length reachedCastellamare, a town on the shore of the bay. Passing beyond this,they found a change in the scenery. The road wound along cliffswhich overhung the sea, and was ornamented by trees. The road itselfwas a magnificent one, as smooth as a floor, and by its circuitouscourse afforded a perpetual variety. The far white houses ofNaples, the towers that dotted the shore on every side, the islandsthat rose from oat the waters, the glorious bay, the gloomy formof Vesuvius, with its smoke clouds overhanging, all united to forma scene which called forth the most unbounded admiration. Besidesall these general features there were others of a more specialcharacter, as from time to time they came to some recess in theshore; and the road running in brought them to some little hamlet,which, nestling here, seemed the abode of peace, and innocence,and happiness. Through such variations of scenery they passed, andat length arrived at Sorrento.

  This little town is most beautifully situated near the month ofthe Bay of Naples, and around it arise high, encircling hillswhich protect it from the cold blasts of winter and the hot windsof summer. Sorrento has a perfect climate, All the seasons areblended together here, and in the orange groves, that surroundthe town, there may be seen at the same time the strange spectacleof trees in blossom side by side with trees that are loaded withfruit fully ripe.

  It was evening when they arrived, and they had not much time tospare; so they at once procured a guide from the hotel, and setforth to see what they could before dark. First, the guide tookthem to a deep chasm, which was so wild and abrupt, so deep andgloomy, that it looked like the work of a recent earthquake. Notfar from this were some ancient reservoirs, the work of the timesof imperial Rome. The arches were yet perfect, and over the reservoirwas a garden of orange trees. Not far distant was a ruined temple,in the enclosure of which was a myrtle plant, five hundred yearsold, and so large that it formed a respectable tree.

  After showing them these things and several others, the guide tookthem to the sea-shore, to a place which goes by the name of theCave of Polyphemus. This is a large cavern in the cliff, in frontof which is a huge fragment of rock. Here the boys recalled thestory of Ulysses; and David volunteered to give it in full to UncleMoses. So David told how Ulysses ventured to this place with hiscompanions; how the one-eyed Cyclops caught them; how he imprisonedthem in the cabin, shutting up its mouth by means of a huge rock,which David thought might have been that very fragment that nowlay on the shore before their eyes; how the monster began to devourthem; how Ulysses devised a plan of escape, and succeeded in puttingout the eye of the monster; how he then effected his escape fromthe cave, and regaining his vessel, put forth to sea.

  Then they went to visit the house in which Tasso was born. Theywere not able to enter it, and as it was now dark, they retreatedto their hotel.

  Oh the following morning they all set oat without the guide, tosee the town for themselves. A festival of some kind was going on,which attracted many people, and the cathedral was filled. Theboys, haying nothing else to do, wandered away towards the commoncentre of attraction. They soon lost one another in the crowd, andone by one they worked their way into the interior of the place.The organ was sounding forth, the priests were intoning service,on the altar candles were burning, and far on high, through thelofty vaulted nave, there rolled "the smoke of incense and the wailof song!"

  David found himself a little distance away from a side chapel,which was evidently the chief attraction to the worshippers withinthe sacred edifice. A dense crowd assembled about it, and in frontof it. Through these David managed to make his way, full of curiosityabout the cause of their interest. He at length forced himself farenough forward to see inside the chapel. He saw a structure, inthe centre of the chapel, covered with drapery, upon which was acushion. Lying on this cushion was the image of a child, clothedin rich attire, and spangled with jewels, and adorned with goldand silver. Whether it was made of wood or wax he could not tell,but thought it was the former. The sight of it only tempted hiscuriosity the more, and he longed to look at it more closely. Itwas evidently considered by the surrounding crowd to be an objectof great sanctity, for they regarded it with the utmost reverence,and those nearest were on their knees. Upon the altar, at the endof this chapel, lights were burning, and a priest was engaged inreligious ceremonies.

  David's desire to go closer was so strong, that he waited patientlyin this one spot for the opportunity of gratifying his curiosity.He had to wait for a long time; but at length he had the satisfactionof seeing a movement among the people, which showed that they wereon the point of dispersing. After this the crowd lessened, andthe people began to take their departure. At length but a fewremained, some of whom were still on their knees around the image.

  David now, in a slow and unassuming manner, advanced towards theimage. He could go close to it, and was able to see it perfectly.An iron rail surrounded the structure on which it was laid, preventingtoo close an approach; but standing here, outside of the rail,David saw that the image was very rudely carved out of wood, andwas intended to represent a child. Why such an image should be theobject of such interest and devotion he could not for the life ofhim imagine. He could only postpone any investigation into thisuntil he could find out from some one.

  And now there came over him an overwhelming desire to obtain afragment from some portion of this image, or, its dress, or itssurroundings, to serve as a relic. His relic-hunting propensitieshad never been stronger than they were at this moment, and no soonerdid the idea suggest itself than he looked all around to see whatwere the chances.

  As he looked around he saw that the cathedral was nearly empty: apriest was near the high altar, two boys were in the middle of thenave, by the chief entrance was a little group just preparing toleave. Nearer him, and close by the image, were two women. Theywere on their knees, and appeared to be absorbed in their devotions.It seemed to David that it would be quite easy to possess himselfof some small and unimportant portion of the drapery. He was quiteunobserved, for the two women who were nearest were not regardinghim, the drapery was within easy reach, and a row of tassels, uponwhich he could lay his hand, offered an irre
sistible temptation.If he could but get one of those tassels, what an addition it wouldbe to his little stock of treasures!

  David once more looked all around. The priests were still at thealtar; but the boys had gone from the nave, and those who had beennear the door had departed. The women seemed as intent as ever upontheir devotions. David looked at the drapery once more, and uponone of the tassels which was nearest him.

  Once more he looked all around, and then, stretching forward hishand, he touched the coveted tassel.

  Then he drew back his hand, and putting it in his pocket, he drewforth his knife, which he opened.

  Then he looked around once more.

  Then, for the last time, he put his hand forward, holding the knifeso as to cut the tassel. But the cord which bound the tassel tothe drapery was strong, and the knife was very dull, and Davidfound that it was not so easy as he had supposed. But he wasdetermined to get it, and so he sawed away, with his dull old knife,at the cord, severing one by one the filaments that composed it,but doing this so slowly that he began to grow impatient. Thewomen were not looking. There was no danger. To work with one handwas useless, and so he reached forth both hands, and began sawingaway more vigorously than ever. But his impatience, and his vehementpulls and tugs, produced an effect which he had not expected. Theheavy drapery, which had been loosely thrown over, began to slideoff towards him as he pulled. David did not notice this, butcontinued his work, looking around to see whether the women werenoticing him or not. At length he had sawed the cord almost through,and gave a quick pull at it to break it.

  The next moment the heavy drapery came sliding down towards him,and, to his horror, the wooden image came with it, falling with acrash on the marble pavement.

  In an instant the two women started to their feet, staring withwild eyes at the image and the drapery. Then their wild eyes caughtsight of David, whose frightened face would have revealed him asthe guilty cause of this catastrophe, even if it had not been shownby the tassel and the knife, which were in his hands.

  With a sharp, shrill scream, one of the women sprang towards him.David instinctively leaped back, and eluded her. The woman chased.David dodged her around a pillar.

  The woman followed.

  David dodged behind another pillar.

  The woman cried out, "_O Scellerato! Birbone! Furbo! Ladrone!_"And though David's knowledge of the Italian language was but slight,yet it sufficed to show him that these names which she yelled afterhim had a very direful signification.

  Thus David fled, dodging, the woman behind pillar after pillar,until at length he came near to the door. Had the other woman takenpart in the chase, David would certainly have been captured. Butthe other woman did not. She stood as if petrified--motionless andmute, staring at the fallen sanctuary, and overwhelmed with horror.So the flight went on, until at length, reaching the door, Davidmade a rush for it, dashed through, and ran as fast as his legscould carry him. The woman followed, but at a slower rate of speed,and saw him go into the hotel. Then she returned to the church,after which she went abroad with the story of the horrible desecrationthrough all Sorrento.

  On reaching the hotel, David found the rest of the party there, atdinner. He said nothing of his recent adventure, but took his seatat the table.

  Before long, the party became conscious of a great tumult and uproarin the street in front of the house. Frank and Bob went to thewindows, and looked out. A sudden exclamation of surprise broughtClive and Uncle Moses to their side. David followed slowly, witha strange feeling of apprehension, and with the recollection ofhis late flight still strong in his mind.

  He looked out.

  A great crowd presented itself to his horrified eyes--a crowdrepresenting all Sorrento; old, the middle-aged, the young; therich, poor; male and female; old men, old women, boys, andchildren. At the head of this, and immediately in front of thedoor, was the very old woman who bad discovered his sacrilege,and had chased him through the cathedral. Now he had hoped thatthe old woman had forgotten him; but her appearance now wastenfold more terrible than ever. Here she was--a virago--with agreat following, whom she was exciting by violent harangues, andurging by wild gesticulations, to do something or other whichDavid could not understand, but which he could well imagine tobe something that had reference to his own humble, unworthy, andvery much terrified self.

  Before they had fairly grasped the whole of the scene that was thusso suddenly presented, they were accosted by the landlord and thedriver, who entered the room hurriedly, and in some excitement, insearch of them.

  "One grand meesfortune haf arrive," said the landlord. "De peopledeclare you haf insult de Bambino. Dey cry for vengeance. How is dis?"

  "What?" asked Frank; "insult what?"

  "De Bambino."

  "Bambino?"

  "Yes. It is de consecrate image--de Bambino--does miracles, makescures; wonderful image, de pride of Sorrento; an dis is de daysacred to him. What is dis meesfortune dat I hear of? It is onegrand calamity--for you--eef you do not take care."

  "Bambino? insult?" said Frank. "We haven't insulted anythingwhatever. They're crazy."

  Here David, finding concealment useless, confessed all. The boyslistened in astonishment The landlord shook his head with anexpression of concern and perplexity.

  Then he had a long conversation with the driver.

  Then they both left the room. The landlord went outside, and triedto appease the crowd. He might possibly, have succeeded, had itnot been for David's old woman, who shook her fists in his face,stamped, appealed to Heaven, raved, and howled, all the time hewas speaking. The consequence was, that the landlord's words hadno effect.

  He then entered the hotel once more, and after seeing the driver,and speaking a few words, he hurried up to our party, who by thistime were in a state of general alarm.

  "You must run--fly--leaf Sorrento--now--widout delay," hecried, breathlessly. "I haf order de carriage. I sall tell depeople dat you sall be arrest, an pacify dem for a few moments,till you get start."

  The landlord once more left them, and going out to the crowd, hemade a few remarks, to the effect that the hotel was being searchednow for the offender against the Bambino, and when he was found hewould at once be handed over to the authorities. He urged them towait patiently, and they should see that justice would be done.

  The crowd now grew calmer, and waited. The landlord then went back,and led the party down to the court-yard. Here the carriage wasall in readiness, and the driver was waiting. They all got in atonce, unseen by the crowd in the street; and then, cracking hiswhip, the driver urged the horses off at full speed through thegates. The crowd fell back on either side, so as to make away, andwere not in a position to offer any obstacles to so sudden an onset.They also had the idea that the culprit was inside the hotel, inthe hands of the authorities.

  But the old woman was not to be deceived; she saw it all in amoment, and in a moment she raised the alarm. Having, howling,gesticulating wildly, dancing, and jumping, she sprang after thecarriage. The crowd followed. But the carriage had already got agood start; it had burst through the people, and those who stoodin the way were only too glad to get out of it, and thus, with thehorses at full speed, they dashed up the street; and before longthey had left Sorrento, and the hotel, and the insulted Bambino,and the excited crowd, and the raving old beldam far behind.

  David's adventure in Sorrento had been a peculiar one, and one,too, which was not without danger; but if there was any satisfactionto be got out of it, it was in the fact that the tassel which hehad acquired, remained still in his possession, to be added to hislittle stock of relics.