repeated his question. One of the bandits rose, and offered him a
glass filled with Orvietto, saying, `To the health of the brave
Cucumetto and the fair Rita.' At this moment Carlini heard a
woman's cry; he divined the truth, seized the glass, broke it
across the face of him who presented it, and rushed towards the
spot whence the cry came. After a hundred yards he turned the
corner of the thicket; he found Rita senseless in the arms of
Cucumetto. At the sight of Carlini, Cucumetto rose, a pistol in
each hand. The two brigands looked at each other for a moment — the
one with a smile of lasciviousness on his lips, the other with the
pallor of death on his brow. A terrible battle between the two men
seemed imminent; but by degrees Carlini's features relaxed, his
hand, which had grasped one of the pistols in his belt, fell to his
side. Rita lay between them. The moon lighted the group.
"`Well,' said Cucumetto, `have you executed your
commission?'
"`Yes, captain,' returned Carlini. `At nine o'clock to-morrow
Rita's father will be here with the money.' — `It is well; in the
meantime, we will have a merry night; this young girl is charming,
and does credit to your taste. Now, as I am not egotistical, we
will return to our comrades and draw lots for her.' — `You have
determined, then, to abandon her to the common law?" said
Carlini.
"`Why should an exception be made in her favor?'
"`I thought that my entreaties' —
"`What right have you, any more than the rest, to ask for an
exception?' — `It is true.' — `But never mind,' continued
Cucumetto, laughing, `sooner or later your turn will come.'
Carlini's teeth clinched convulsively.
"`Now, then,' said Cucumetto, advancing towards the other
bandits, `are you coming?' — `I follow you.'
"Cucumetto departed, without losing sight of Carlini, for,
doubtless, he feared lest he should strike him unawares; but
nothing betrayed a hostile design on Carlini's part. He was
standing, his arms folded, near Rita, who was still insensible.standing, his arms folded, near Rita, who was still insensible.
Cucumetto fancied for a moment the young man was about to take her
in his arms and fly; but this mattered little to him now Rita had
been his; and as for the money, three hundred piastres distributed
among the band was so small a sum that he cared little about it. He
continued to follow the path to the glade; but, to his great
surprise, Carlini arrived almost as soon as himself. `Let us draw
lots! let us draw lots!' cried all the brigands, when they saw the
chief.
"Their demand was fair, and the chief inclined his head in sign
of acquiescence. The eyes of all shone fiercely as they made their
demand, and the red light of the fire made them look like demons.
The names of all, including Carlini, were placed in a hat, and the
youngest of the band drew forth a ticket; the ticket bore the name
of Diovolaccio. He was the man who had proposed to Carlini the
health of their chief, and to whom Carlini replied by breaking the
glass across his face. A large wound, extending from the temple to
the mouth, was bleeding profusely. Diovalaccio, seeing himself thus
favored by fortune, burst into a loud laugh. `Captain,' said he,
`just now Carlini would not drink your health when I proposed it to
him; propose mine to him, and let us see if he will be more
condescending to you than to me.' Every one expected an explosion
on Carlini's part; but to their great surprise, he took a glass in
one hand and a flask in the other, and filling it, — `Your health,
Diavolaccio,' said he calmly, and he drank it off, without his hand
trembling in the least. Then sitting down by the fire, `My supper,'
said he; `my expedition has given me an appetite.' — `Well done,
Carlini!' cried the brigands; `that is acting like a good fellow;'
and they all formed a circle round the fire, while Diavolaccio
disappeared. Carlini ate and drank as if nothing had happened. The
bandits looked on with astonishment at this singular conduct until
they heard footsteps. They turned round, and saw Diavolacciothey heard footsteps. They turned round, and saw Diavolaccio
bearing the young girl in his arms. Her head hung back, and her
long hair swept the ground. As they entered the circle, the bandits
could perceive, by the firelight, the unearthly pallor of the young
girl and of Diavolaccio. This apparition was so strange and so
solemn, that every one rose, with the exception of Carlini, who
remained seated, and ate and drank calmly. Diavolaccio advanced
amidst the most profound silence, and laid Rita at the captain's
feet. Then every one could understand the cause of the unearthly
pallor in the young girl and the bandit. A knife was plunged up to
the hilt in Rita's left breast. Every one looked at Carlini; the
sheath at his belt was empty. `Ah, ah,' said the chief, `I now
understand why Carlini stayed behind.' All savage natures
appreciate a desperate deed. No other of the bandits would,
perhaps, have done the same; but they all understood what Carlini
had done. `Now, then,' cried Carlini, rising in his turn, and
approaching the corpse, his hand on the butt of one of his pistols,
`does any one dispute the possession of this woman with me?' —
`No,' returned the chief, `she is thine.' Carlini raised her in his
arms, and carried her out of the circle of firelight. Cucumetto
placed his sentinels for the night, and the bandits wrapped
themselves in their cloaks, and lay down before the fire. At
midnight the sentinel gave the alarm, and in an instant all were on
the alert. It was Rita's father, who brought his daughter's ransom
in person. `Here,' said he, to Cucumetto, `here are three hundred
piastres; give me back my child. But the chief, without taking the
money, made a sign to him to follow. The old man obeyed. They both
advanced beneath the trees, through whose branches streamed the
moonlight. Cucumetto stopped at last, and pointed to two persons
grouped at the foot of a tree.
"`There,' said he, `demand thy child of Carlini; he will tell
thee what has become of her;' and he returned to his companions.