Agnes Vol. 2 — page 109: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AN which ¥ was | however but a poor weapon of offence for such a purpose as that which Charles De Vere was now rapidly revolving in his mind. “Stop~or 1 fire!’ exclaimed the man from behind: for he was now near enough to make his voice heard. Charles at once reined in his steed—whoeled i¢ round—and advanced towards his foremost pursuer, but without speakiag a word. “ Ah, well, you surrender?” ejaculated the in- dividual ; “and that is the wisest course.” “Surrender? Never!’ exclaimed Charles, now urging bis steed closo up to the horseman, who | had at the moment halted; and the attack was | instantaneous. This attack was made by our hero, who seized | the soldier with his right band, and with his left! made a snatch at one of the pistols i in the man’s holsters. But both horses swerved so abruptly and in such a manner that the assailant and the ww —_ vepgeenen 2 EY OO Ce ae eee 6 - io assailed fell to the ground. Charles had missed | his clutch at the pistol: but he was however up. permust as he and ins fue rolled in the road. A glauce showed the intrepid youth that in less than a mioute the second horseman would be upon the spot: in fact hie danger was immense! The riding-whip had faljon from under his arm when be made the attack upon his enemy : it was now within .hig reach—in an inatant he snatched it up—-and ho dealt the prostrate soldier a blow upon the forehead. The man was stunned: Charles sprang to bis feet, and in the twinkling of an eye he was armed with tho brace of pistols belonging to the holsters of the defeated foeman’s saddle. Scarcely was this done when the next horseman was upon the spot—the report of a pistol rang through the air—and a bullet whistled within an iuch of the young Knplishman’s car. He felt that ib was a matter of life or death for himeelf—at all events of liberty or captivity s and he hesitated not to fire in return, With a loud ery tho man fell frou his stecd, whieh had reared hizh up at ! lane however ran through it; AGNES} OR, BEAUTY AND PLEASURE. ae saw the absolute necessity of quitting the maia road, no mat'er at what risk of temporarily losing himself amongst the Apennino mountains. The alarm would be carried along this road with a rapidity which he oould only hope to outstrip by the aid of fresh horses; and he had discovered that the uniform which he had at first thought would prove advantageous, had helped, with other circumstances, to produce an opposite effect. He soon reached a spot whence a couple of bye- roads branched off, one to the right and one to'the loft. With only a moment’s deliberation he took tle one to the rigat; and in about ten minutes he i found himself at the entrance of a wood. The and for about half- an-bour Charles pursued his way in almost com- | plete darkness. On emerging from the opposite extremity of the grove, our hero found himself on the brow of a hill commanding a view of a valley dotted with groves and irrigated with nu- merous streams. At about the distance of a mile Charles discerned tho glittering vane of a village church, and a group of white buildings amonzat the trees. <A little nearer he could distinguish a large water-mill; and as he rode down into the valley, the din of the cascade which flowed from the mill-stream reached his ears. The path which he was pursuing led to tho left; and in that direc- tion he discerned no habitation whatsoever. Ina fow minutes he entered another little grove ; and as he emerged from it, he suddenly came upon a large party of gipsies encamped by the side of a stream. No less than three fires were blazing; and close by one of them our hero at once descried four or five sbirrs warming themselves. A glance swept around, showed Charles that their borses were grazing at a distance of some twenty or thirty yards, His first impulse was to dash on- ward with all possible swiftness : but a second thought convinced him of the impropriety of tuking a stop which would inevitably engender suspicion—whereas he might possibly pass without the very instant that the two shuts thus rattled | othorwise exciting it. cluso upon one another; and Charles was ip a “An oflicer, by the saints!” ejaculated one of moment upunehis second enemy whom hoe had | the slirri. prostrated. ‘Cho wretch was groaning with pain: “ A commandant!” cried another: and then, bis right arm was broken by the pistol bullet — | this one, rushing forward, made the proper milt- and his horse had just trampled on one of bis legs, Our hero felt deeply for the unfurtunate being - but he dared not tarry any longer on the spot— for the remaining hursomau was now descried galloping up the Lull, and Charles knew not how the chances of a third conflict might tell against himself. Besides, every instant was precious; for the suunds of firiug wight bring other scouring partics ot ebirri tu the apot, if any should happen tu be withis hearing. Having every reason to suppose from the cir- ¢umsilances of the recent chase, that the steed which the foremost horseman had ridden was fresher, if not naturally swilter, than bis own—or rather than the one, which he had borrowed from the Governor of S#gnv,—Charles mounted that which was best calcylated to ensure his escape. Another moment and he was clattering away from the scene of the conflict. Ten minutes clapsed— no suunds of pursuit came from behind: he had either outstripped the third horseman—or else thia individual had tarried upon the spot ta roinister to his injured cumrades. Lut Charles itary salute, exclaiming, “Will not your Exscel- lency stop here for a few minutes? There is a firo—and there are provisions !” * No--I have not time,” responded our hero, oxerting himself to speak the words in Italian with the least possible accent indicative of the foreigner. “ But here is something for yourself aod your comrades——” “Ah!” exclaimed the shirro, who by this time had approached within a few yards of the spot where our hero had reined in bis steed: and then like a tiger springing upon his prey, the official darted at Charles De Vere to tear him down from hia horse. This was one of the party who had pursued our hero from the village inn during the preceding night, and. who had secured him after he had leapt forth from the chaise in which he had re- joiued Ciprina—or rather, we should say, Floribel Lister. ‘The recognition was now mutual: the sbirro had detected Charles through the guise of the cumman faat’s uniform—~while on the other band our hero had all in a moment recollected the CORNICE OO <S ©