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Among the Brigands

James De Mille




  Produced by Gardner Buchanan

  Among the Brigands

  By Prof. James de Mille

  H. M. Caldwell CompanyPublishersNew York and Boston

  Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by Leeand Shepard in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

  Among the Brigands

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER I.

  Stranger in a strange Land.--A Citadel of Trunks.--Besieged.--Retreatin good Order.--A most tremendous Uproar.--Kicks! Thumps!--Smashof Chairs!--Crash of Tables!--A general Row!--The Cry for Help!--TheVoice of David!--The Revelation of the Darkness!--The fiery Eyes!--TheUnseen!--The Revelation of the Mystery.--A general Flight.

  CHAPTER II.

  How in the World did it get there?--A joyous Ride.--Hark! Hark!The Dogs-do bark! Beggars come to Town; some in Rags, some in Tags,and some in a tattered Gown!--A pleasant Meditation on a classicPast very rudely, unexpectedly, tad even savagely interrupted, andlikely to terminate in a Tragedy!--Perilous Position of David andClive.

  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.--ACatastrophe.--Chased by a Virago.--The Town roused.--Besieged.--Adesperate Onset--Flight--Last of the Virago.

  CHAPTER IV.

  Salerno and the sulky Driver.--Paestum and its Temples.--A greatSensation.--An unpleasant Predicament--Is the Driver a Traitor?--Ishe in League--with Bandits?--Arguments about the Situation, andwhat each thought about it.

  CHAPTER V.

  They discuss the Situation.--They prepare to foot it--A toilsomeWalk, and a happy Discovery.--The Language of Signs once more.--TheMountain Cavalcade.--Bob's Ambition.--Its results.--Bobvanishes.--Consternation of the Donkey Boy.--Consternation of theCavalcade.--"E Perduto!".

  CHAPTER VI.

  Flight of Both--Difference between a tame Donkey and a wildAss.--Carried off to the Mountains.--The headlong Course.--TheMountain Pass.--The Journey's End.--Ill-omened Place.--Confoundedby a new Terror.--The Brigands.

  CHAPTER VII.

  The Lurking-place of the Brigands.--The captive Boy.--The hideousHousehold.--The horrible old Hag.--The slattern Woman.--The dirtyChildren.--The old Crone and the evil Eye.--Despondency of Bob.--Is Escape possible?--Night.--Imprisoned.--The Bed of Straw.--Outlook into the Night from the Prison Windows.

  CHAPTER VIII.

  The worn-out Captive.--Light Slumbers.--Fearful Wakening.--Thestealthy Step.--The overmastering Horror.--The lone Boy confrontedby his Enemy.--The hungry Eyes.--Is it real, or a Nightmare?--Thesupreme Moment.

  CHAPTER IX.

  The Cavalcade in Pursuit--Hopes and Fears.--Theories about the lostBoy.--A new Turn to Affairs.--Explanations.--On toSalerno.--Inquiries.--Baffled.--Fresh Consternation andDespondency.--The last Hope.

  CHAPTER X.

  The captive Boy and his grisly Visitant--The Hand on hisHead.-Denouement.--The Brigand Family.--The old Crone.--The RobberWife.--The Brigand Children.--A Revolution of Feeling.--The mainRoad.--The Carriage.--In Search of Bob.

  CHAPTER XI.

  The Return.--The tender Adieus.--Back to Salerno.--On toCastellamare.--A pleasant Scene.--An unpleasant Discovery.--Davidamong the Missing.--Woes of Uncle Moses.--Deliberations over theSituation.--Various Theories.--The Vengeance of the Enemy.--Backto Sorrento in Search of the lost One.

  CHAPTER XII.

  The Waking of David.--A glorious Scene.--A Temptation.--Davidembarks upon the wide, wide Sea.--Youth at the Prow and Pleasureat the Helm.--A daring Navigator.--A baffled and confoundedNavigator.--Lost! Lost! Lost!--Despair of David.--At the Mercyof Wind and Sea.--The Isle of the Brigands.--The Brigand Chief.

  CHAPTER XIII.

  David captured.--The big, bluff, burly, brusque, bearded,broad-shouldered, beetle-browed Bully of a Brigand.--A terrificInquisition.--David's Plea for Mercy.--The hard-hearted Captor andthe trembling Captive.--A direful Threat--David carried off helplessand despairing.--The Robber's Hold.

  CHAPTER XIV.

  On the Way to Sorrento again.--A mournful Ride.--A despairingSearch.--A fearful Discovery.--The old Virago again.--In aTrap.--Sorrento aroused.--Besieged.--All lost--A raging Crowd.--Thehowling Hag.--Harried Consultation.--The last forlorn Hope.--Disguise,Flight, and Concealment.

  CHAPTER XV.

  In the Robber's Hold.--The Brigand's Bride.--Sudden, amazing,overwhelming, bewildering, tremendous, astounding, overpowering,and crashing Discovery.--The Situation.--Everybody confounded.--TheCrowd at Sorrento.--The Landlord's Prayers.--The Virago calls forVengeance.

  CHAPTER XVI.

  More Troubles for poor David.--Onset of four Women.--Seized byan old Crone and three Peasant Girls.--Fresh Horror of David.--Anew Uproar in the Yard of the Inn.--Uncle Moses bent double.

  CHAPTER XVII.

  Vesuvius.--Ponies and Sticks.--Sand and Lava.--The rocky Steps.--Therolling, wrathful, Smoke-clouds.--The Volcano warns them off.--Thelost Boy.--A fearful Search.--A desperate Effort.--The sulphurousVapors.--Over die sliding Sands.

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  Pompeii, the City of the Dead.--The Monuments of the Past.--Temples,Towers, and Palaces.--Tombs and Monuments.--Theatres andAmphitheatres.--Streets and Squares.

  CHAPTER XIX.

  Lofty classical Enthusiasm of David, and painful Lack of Feelingon the Part of Frank.--David, red-hot with the Flow of the Past,is suddenly confronted with the Present.--The Present dashes coldWater upon his glowing Enthusiasm.--The Gates.--Minos, Aeacus, andRhadamanthus.--The Culprits.

  CHAPTER XX.

  The Glories of Naples.--The Museum.--The Curiosities.--How theyunroll the charred Manuscripts exhumed from Herculaneum andPompeii.--On to Rome.--Capua.--The Tomb of Cicero.--Terracina.--The Pontine Marshes.--The Appii Forum.

  CHAPTER XXI.

  The Pontine Marshes.--A Change comes over the Party.--The foulExhalations.--The Sleep of Death.--Dreadful Accident.--Despairof Frank.--A Breakdown.--Ingenuity of the Driver.--Resumption ofthe Journey.

  CHAPTER XXII.

  The March ended.--A lonely Inn.--Evil Faces.--BeetlingBrows.--Sinister Glances.--Suspicions of the Party.--They put theirHeads together.--Conferences of the Party.--A threateningProspect--Barricades.--In Time of Peace prepare for War.--TheGarrison arm themselves.

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  The sleepless Watch.--The mysterious Steps.--The low Whispers.--Theycome! They come!--The Garrison roused.--To Arms! To Arms!--Thebeleaguered Party.--At Bay.--The decisive Moment--The ScalingLadders.--Onset of the Brigands.--End of Troubles.

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  A beautiful Country.--Magnificent Scenery.--The Approach toAlbano.--Enthusiasm of the Boys.--Archaeology versus Appetite.--TheSeparation of the Boys.--The Story of the Alban Lake and the ancientsubterranean.

  CHAPTER XXV.

  The lonely Path.--The sequestered Vale.--The old House.--A feudalCastle.--A baronial Windmill.--A mysterious Sound.--A terribleDiscovery.--At Bay.--The wild Beast's Lair!--What is it?--A greatBore.

  CHAPTER XXVI.

  Despair of Uncle Moses.--Frank and Bob endeavor to offerConsolation.--The Search.--The Discovery at the Convent--TheGuide.--The old House.--The Captives.--The Alarm given.--Flightof Uncle Moses and his Party.--Albans! to the Rescue!--The deliveringHost!

  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 the Monster.--ASalamander.

  CHAPTER XXVIII.

  The Salamander inaccessible to Fire.--The last Appeal--Frank takesAction.--He fires.--Casualty to Frank and Bob.--Onset of theMonster.--Flight.--Tremendous Sen
sation.--The Guide'sStory.--Another Legend of Albano.--On to Rome.

  THE YOUNG DODGE CLUB.

  AMONG THE BRIGANDS.