Mezzoni the Brigand — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

MEZZONI THE BRIGAND, ~ 145 important to their safety, so they were soon strug- gling on again. Now and then little patches of vine-clad slopes be- gan to appear, with occasional olive trees, and spots of rudely cultivated land, among the volcanic soil. Once or twice they came upon some spot near toa habitation, where bright and fragrant flowers had been planted by some woman’s hand, showing that a latent appreciation of the beautiful was still extant among some of the rough people who struggled for a precarious.living in this half-desolate region. One or two small cabins, dimly lighted, were now descried and carefully avoided by the fugitives. Doubtless the people in all these humble abodes were in complicity with the brigands, and Walter knew that just here they were running a regular gantlet of dangers. But they kept close as poss- ible, and were silent, except that now and then their feet would loosen a stone, or piece of rock-lava, and set it rolling down the mountain side. Marion clung closely to the arm of her gallant guide. Suddenly the angry baying of a dog struck upon the watchful senses of the fugitives. He had heard them, and was following in their path with a sure animal instinct. Walter paused for a single mo- ment, thoughtfully, to make up his mind how to meet the on-coming beast. ‘““Give me the dirk-knife, Marion.’’ What for?’’ ‘“‘T cannot spare a shot.’’ ‘Must you kill the dog?”’ “Ves.” “Can’t you frighten him away?’’ ‘Not so easily done. These dogs are dangerous, and not kept for playmates.’ | cS Ecomicboo com —