Taken By Beigands

and the more I looked at it the less I liked it . It was true that it would vein soon be discovered that Laird Goldfinch was safe on board his yacht , and that naething was to be got out of me ; but it wasna likely the cruel brigands would let me

gang free for that . I had often heard of them , and knew it was their rule never to let any one they had taken escape alive out of their hands except for money down . All I could hope for was to be shot , or have my throat cut , instead of dying a

lingering death , to make sport for them . I dinna think I am a greater coward than other men , for I have been in peril oft enow without losing my presence of mind ; but I confess that I was rarely frightened then . I felt sae hellessand

p , lonely , and deserted , that if I had had a pistol I should certainl y ha ' e put the muzzle to my temple and ta ' en the top of my head off .

I sat on the ground , brooding , till midday , when there was a stir , and a cry that the captain was coming ; and , sure enow he stalked presently into the midst of his band , and a rare passion he seemed to be

in . " What is this ? " he cried . You sent me word you had ta ' en the English laird , and caused me to go on a fool ' s errand to the town , where 1 found the man was lame , and had not left his vessel for twentyfour hours ! Who have you captured in

his place , you blundering idiots ? What 1 my auld shipmate , the Scotchman !" To my great relief , I recognised in II Corbino , the brigand chief , the mate Giacomo , who had sailed with me on board the Cretan blockade runner .

We had always been very good friends , and he did not seem inclined to forget it now , for he shook me b y the hand , and had the irons taken at once off my legs . He asked me about my capture ; and when I told him the details , he was in a

better humour with the men ; no reasonable being could possibly have blamed them for such an extraordinary accident as my being in Laird Goldfinch ' s place . And then he told me how he came to be a robber chief . It seemed that when the cruiser was paid off , and he went back to his native village , he found that the same misfortune which first made me a

wanderer had happened to him ; his lassie had ta ' en on with somebody else . But being a Sicilian instead of a Scotchman and short of temper to boot , he didna take it sae quietly as I did , but whipped out his knife and stabbed the pair of them .

A young mon in those parts takes to the mountains , as a matter of course , when the law is after him ; so Giacomo followed the fashion , and joined a band of brigands who were out of luck ; and since he was a mon of great enterprise and resource

with a strong will ; and , as beside , lie contrived to establish a spy system in Palermo , the information obtained b y which brought the gang some good prizes , he soon became their captain . He was so friendly and polite , I began to hope that I should get awa without difficulty ; but that wasna the case . " Business is business , Sandy , " said he .

"If you returned , you would warn this English laird ; beside , when we have caught him , you will be useful to take messages to and fro about his ransom . Sae you must e'en consent to be my guest for awhile . There is a nice cave not many miles offwhere you will ha ' e plenty of

, food , wine , and tobacco , if you will excuse the want of liberty . " " I am glad to breathe the mountain air aince more , as well as to see an auld shipmate , " said I , thinking it best to put a good face on . " The worst of it is , I fear I

may lose my passage , and that you will be disappointed , for Laird Goldfinch sails to-morrow . " " Not he , " said Giacomo . " He went ashore to the hotel this morning , and the yacht is to go to fetch his friend without him . Do not try to escape , for you will certainly be shot , and I should be sorry for the accident . "

And he left me wondering how he managed to obtain such accurate information . In the evening I was marched some distance deeper among the mountains to the cave he spoke of ; and there I remained , vera comfortable , for twa days , not seeing Giacomo again till daybreak on the third , when he told me that he wanted me to

accompany an expedition . Laird Goldfinch , he informed me , was anxious about my disappearance , which he didna like to make a fuss about , as he thought 1 was