LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2077, 20 October 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

A CONSPIRATOR IN SPITE OF MYSELF.

[Abridged from "Chambers' Journal."] In troublons times, sometimes an individual finds himself a conspirator in spite of himself ; and such a misfortune —if I may call tbat a misfortune which led to no serious results—once befell the writer of this paper, while serving, many years ago, on board one of Her Majesty's frigates, then cruising in the Mediterranean. One day, while on shore near Toulon with a party of my youDg brother officers, an awkward fall from a horse necessitated my immediate conveyance to the naval hospital in that famous seaport. The frigate to which I was attached was to sail the next day for Malta and the lonian Sea, and it was thought probable that three or four months would elapse ere she would return to Toulon. The surgeonof the frigate, who visited me in the hospital as soon as he heard of the accident that had befallen me, feared that the cap of my left knee was seriously injured; and such was likewise the opinions of the French surgeons, though, in consequence of the swelling, it was impossible to ascertain immediately whether such was really the case. Thns it oame about that I was left behind in a foreign port, while my shipmates and brother officers sailed on their cruise.

In the course of a few days, however, th 9 swelling subsided, and the French surgeons discovered that the injury was not so serious as they had imagined it to be. Still, I was confined to my cot for several days; and some weeks elapsed ere I was permitted to leave the hospital. Then I amused myself pretty well for a while in strolling about the town and the surrounding country, but I longed to be once more on board my ship. By way of passing my time, I sought the acquaintance of the fishermen who lingered about the beach, with whom I was enabled to converse intelligibly. Among them was one Gustave Pailleur, the master and owner or padrone of a large fishing lugger, with who'ii I was on friendly terms. One day I complained bitterly to the old fisherman of the monotonous life I was leading, strolling day after day from morn to night along the sea shore-

' And how long will it be before monsieur can regain his ship?' inquired Gustave. ' Six or seven weeks at least; perhaps two months, or more,' I replied. ' Bah!' exclaimed the fisherman, ' why need monsieur remain here all that time ? Why not take a cruise with me to the coast of Italy ? It will be a change at least; and if the fish (anchovies) are abundant, there will be sufficient occupation and amusement; monsieur will be welcome.'

Joyously I accept'd the invitation. I was well aware that I would suffer inconvenience on board a small fishing lugger ; but whit young midshipman of eighteen eager for change, cares to consider such trifles ! La belle Jeannette—that was the name of Paiileur's vessel —would return to Toulon in a mcnth, or five weeks at the utmost, and therefore I should be back long before my vessel would return to the port. I immediately assured the jovial old fisherman that there was nothing I should like better, if I should not cause trouble or inconvenience to him or his crew.

' Trouble or inconvenience !' he replied; •bah!' No. Monsieur will confer a faver. But you must prepare for the voyage to-day,' he added ; 'we sail to-morrow morning at daybreak to Marseilles, and thence we proceed forthwith to the fishing ground.' 'I will be ready,' I replied ; for in fact I bad little to make ready ; for though I was pretty well supplied with money, I had but a small quantity of clothing on shore with me, which a portmanteau would easily contain. I therefore packed my portmanteau, and was down on the wharf the next morning an hour before Gustave Paillenr and the five men and boy who composed the lugger's crew made their appearance. However, they came at the appointed hour. La belle Jeannette, in company with six other luggers, sailed for Marseilles, and thence, accompanied by a fleet of vessels of a similar description, departed in a day or two for Leghorn. For a few days the fishing was tolerably successful. Then a gale arose, and when it subsided in the course of a few hours the fish, hitherto abounding, seemed to have altogether departed. The nets were cast in vain.

'lt is often bo, monsieur, * saH Gnstave to me; ' they have gone south to avoid the gale ; and joaybe we shall need to follow them to the Neapolitan coast; perhaps even farther, [before we find them again. Sometimes even they elude na altogether, and we see them no more.'

The old fisherman judged correctly. Slowly we sailed southward along the coast, day after day oasting oar nets to no pnrpose, until we reached the Gulf of Salerno. There we found the anchovies again, but not in great abundance ; and from information we received from a passing vessel, we sailed for the Gulf of Policastro, where it was said the anchovy fishermen were doing famously. It seemed, however, as if we were destined to meet with disappointment. It was the period of the serious troubles in the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, when the tyranical monarch of those realms, known by sobriquet of King Bomba, was driven from his throne ; and we had frequent intimation during our passage along the Neapolitan coast of the disturbances constantly occurring en the shore. Moreover, we met every day with ships of war, French, English, and Italian, that were cruising about off the coast ; and more than once we heard the sound of distant cannonading both at sea and on shore. In fact, only a day or two previous to our arrival in the Gulf of Policastro, a severe conflict had taken place between a Neapolitan corvette and a squadron of small vessels fitted out and manned by the insurgents, which had been beaten off. The sloop-of-war, however, a fine heavily armed ship, still remained at anchor inside Point Pallnuro, at the mouth of the gulf. At that period I was but eighteen years of age, and I troubled myself little concerning political affairs ; while my temporary companions and shipmates, the fishermen, were even more careless and ignorant than lof such matters.

For the last day or two the weather had been squally. We had beaten np, dead against the wind, the entire distance between Salerno and Policastro; and the padrone and his crew, almost worn out with fatigue, and dispirited by constant disappointment, had retired early to the cabin. I, who had not worked ao hard as they, having volunteered to keep watch from eight o'clock p.m. till midnight. The gale had completely subsided. For an hour or more I paced to and fro on the Bhort and narrow deck of the little vessel. Then, feeling tired, I stopped and reclined against the low bulwark on the after part of the lugger, and, in spite of my endeavor to keep awake, fell oooaslonally into a light doze. From one of these light, fitful slumbers I was aroused by what I fancied to be the plash of oars, but I could not see or hear anything stirring on the water. On consulting my watch I saw that it was already past eleven o'clock, and drawing my cloak closer round me, I was about to resume my walk to and fro, when I was again startled by the light plash of oars, and fancied I could hear the sound of a human voice. At that moment the moon shone forth bright and clear, and by its light I discerned a small bnat with two rowers, and a man seated in the sternsheets, pulling gently out from under the shadow of the high land towards the lugger. The boat, which was low in the water, and was painted of a light oolor that rendered it almost imperceptible, was soon alongside; and Beeing me at the gangway, the individual seated in the stern-sheets inquired in Italian, and in a low voice, as if he were afraid of being overheard, at the same time gazing cautiously around him, whether I was the padrone of the vessel. I was but very slightly acquainted with the Italian language, but I understood the question, and replied in French thit the padrone was asleep in the cabin. ' Never mind, my friend,' continued the strange visitor, now speaking fluently in Frenoh; ' you, I presnme, are one of the crew ! With your permission I will Btep on board,' and suiting the word to the action, without waiting for my reply, he sprang lightly from the boat to the gangway of the lugger. ' And now, my friend,' he went on, ' you will greatly oblige me if you will arouse the padrone, I wish much to speak with him. He can render me a service of the ntmost importance, whioh will greatly benefit him—will benefit all on board." That the stranger was a gentleman was evident alike from his voice and manner, though his face and form were concealed by

the cap, which was pulled down almost over his eyes, and by the coarse boat cloak bo wore, with the collar tnrned np over his ears. Still I heaitated a few momenta, I was aware of the troubles on shore, and I , did not like the secreßy of the affair, and. ■ wondered what important basinets an Italian gentleman could have to transact with a poor French fiaherman, that induced him to visit the lugger at near the midnight hour. With the quick ears of a sailor, however, Pailleur had heard the lapping of the water caused by the presence of a boat alongside, and made his appearance on deck. | Here is the padrone, monsieur,' I said pointing towards Gustave, who now came forward, evidently alarmed at receiving avisit at so late an hour.

The stranger politely raised his cap. and at the game time throwing back his cloak, displayed the delicate, clear-cut features of an Italian gentleman ; and we now saw that beneath his cloak he wore the undress uniform of a military officer of superior rank. Still, though, a* I have said, there was no vessel near, he again gazed furtively around him before he said, in a voice little raised abjve a whisper—'Sigaor padrone, if you are abundantlyrewarded, are yon willing to render me and others a signal but secret service ?'

'That depends, monsieur,' replied Gustavo ; * I will not place myself or my vessel and crew in peril; neither will I act dishonestly, nor assist to do injur/ to anyhuman being, for ought that you can offer me.'

*Bah I It is not needed, padrone,' said the stranger, still speaking French; 'on the contrary, it is an act of mercy that is required from you. If we succeed—as we surely shall, if you will aid ns —no one will suffer injury ; but the helpless and innocent will be saved from great misery—from long imprisonment, perhaps from a cruel death. And you—you will encounter no risk if yon implicitly obey the directions you will receive, while you will reap a great reward.' Gustave hesitated still, and perceiving hist hesitation, the stranger drew a steel purse from his pocket, whieh glittered brightly in the moonlight with the gold coins with, which it was filled.

' See here, padrone, * he went on ; ' hero are one hundred scndos fabout twenty-five pounds], not as payment of your services, bat as mere earnest-money, and as a token or the rich recompense yon will receive hereafter, and immediately when your task easy of performance—is finished.'

I saw Gustave glance eagerly at the glittering coin visible through the meshes of the purse _lt was of itself a large sum, in. the estimation of a poor fisherman whoso present voyage did not promise mueh. success.'

' You will swear, monsieur, that neither my vessel, myself, nor my crew shall be imperilled ?' he replied. 'I swear,' answered the Italian. ' And that this is no bribe to induce me to perform a mean or guilty act ?' said Gustave ; 'monsieur, we fishermen cf France are poor, but we pride ourselves upon our honesty.'

'I have spoken, padrone,' replied the) Italian ; 'an Italian gentleman is equally proud of his honor, and is incapable of performing a mean or guilty action.' * Monsiur,' said Gustave, after some reflection, ' I am at your service.' The stranger placed the purse in the padrone's hand. ' Yet stay, monsieur,' said Gustave before he transferred the purse to his pocket; * I claim the right to draw back, and to return this purse and its contents to you, if I disapprove of the service I am asked to render.'

'Be it so, padrone ; but there will be no occasion,' answered the Italian ; ' but the night progresses. It is now near midnight, and the service I seek from you must ba rendered ere daybreak, if it is to prove successful. There is, therefore, no time to lose. Will you enter the boat with me ? We must ha*ten ou shore.'

Gustave started back in alarm. He had thought that he would be required to proceed somewhere with his vessel, and he did not like the idea of trusting himself on shore at such a time alone with the Italians.

' You wish me to go on shore with yon, monsieur ?' he said ; ' I cannot consent. I did not arrange for that.' The stranger appeared much annoyed. * I do not wish you to go with me alone,* he replied ; ' one of your people will accompany you—one in whose discretion yon can place trust.' The Italian, while he was conversing, had glanced several times at me ; and though I was attired in a fisherman's garb, I presented a very different appearance from the toil • worn, weather • beaten crew of the lugger. ' You, monsieur, are not one of this vessel's crew ?' he asked abruptly. * No, monsreur,' I replied. ' What, then, are you ? An Englishman, I presume ?' ' I am an Englishman,' I replied.

' I thought as much. But what e o you, an Englishman, and evidently not a fisherman, on board a French fishing vessel ?' ' You have no right to question me, monsieur,' I replied; ' but there is no reason why I Ehould desire to conceal anything from yon. I am an officer of the British navy;' and as briefly as possible I explained how it came about that I was now on board a French fishing logger. 'An Englishman and a naval officer,'' murmured the Italian musingly. Then, addressing me, he went on—'As a British officer, monsieur, I may trust implicitly to your honor. Besides, yon. English are foes to tyranny and oppression. May I ask if you will accompany the padrone to the shore ?' 'Be collect, monsieur,' I replied, ' that by assenting to what you propose I may get into trouble —perhaps into disgrace with my superior officers.' * I will guarantee that if you follow tha directions you will receive nothing of that kind will happen,' the Italian replied j ' moreover, you will render a service to one. in great distress, that you will afterwards be proud of.' To tell the truth, I was only too willing to go on shore with the padrone. • You will promise, signore,' said I, ' that we shall not be detained on shore ? And I should be better satisfied if you would give me some idea of the nature of the service you require from the padrone and myself.' ' Moiif-ieur, I will guarantee, will return to the lugger before daylight dawns,' replied the Palian; 'as to the nature of the service required, I can only repeat that it is one in. which all who engage will have reason to be proud' I hesitated no longer. We then entered the boat, which was Immediately pulled away from the lugger. And now I perceived that the boat's oars were muffled, in order that the rowers uhould make as little noise as possible. Opposite the spot where the Belle Jeanette lay at anchor, and at the distance of about a mile, was a small village, near which the other vessels lay moored. We pulled steadily towards this spot -until we were quite out of sight of the sloop-of-war that lay at anchor behind the Cape ; and then we altered out course, and proceeded towards a portion of the coast on the opposite side of the Gulf, on which a dense wood extended to the very verge of the beach. In a quarter of an hour or less we had landed, in as solitary a Bpot, seen at the hour of midnight, as it is possibla to conceive. • You will please to follow me, my friends,' Bald the Italian officer, as soon as we had landed, having previously ordered the two boatmen to pull a short distance off shore and to watchfully await our return. 'We have a distance to walk through the wood,' he added, ' but not far. Meanwhile, do not converse, but walk quietly, making as little noise as possible.' In about ten minutes we emerged from the wood, and found ourselves at the gate of what appeared to be an extensive park ; a slight tap at the gate led to its being opened by a porter, who had evidently been expecting us. ' Close the gate, Luigo,' said the officer to the porter, in Italian, and then addressing us in French, headd;d —"In a few minutes, messieurs, we shall arrive at the palaee; then all that will be required from you will be to obey such orders as you may receive without demur and without asking questions; trust to my word that your personal safety will be in no respect imperilled.' (To be continued.)

Accident at Haxswbii.. —A ycnng man namori Robert Garner was admitted to the> Hoßpital yesterday afternoon, Buffering i-om a broken arm. The arm was broken in two plaoes, being tho result of an accident whilst Gamer was working at some machinery.