World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 57 The Roman Bandit (2)
"So Lv Ri drove the flocks to Palestrina to graze on the road to the town every day. The priest passed by at 9 o'clock every morning. He and the child sat on the back of the dirt ditch. The shepherd boy took the priest's "Daily Class" " as a book to read. After three months, he could already read it fluently. This is not enough, he also wants to learn to write. The priest asked a calligraphy teacher in Rome to write letters in three fonts, big, middle and small. All the fonts are all in order. The priest told the child that he can learn to write according to the alphabet on the stone slab with a pointed object made of iron. That night, after little Wampa drove the flock back to the manor, he went to Palestri He picked up a big iron nail at the locksmith's house in Namba, put it on the fire and burned it red, then knocked and ground it, and finally made a stylus pen like an ancient dagger. The next day he found it again. After three months, he learned to write. The priest was surprised to see him so smart and eager to learn, so he gave him several writing notebooks, a box of pens and a pair of sharpeners. He practiced again from the beginning, but it was nothing compared to the first practice, and after a week he was as proficient with the quill as he was with his stylus. The priest told the miracle to Count Saint-Ferris heard that the count wanted to see the shepherd boy, and asked him to read a few passages and write some words in person. The count ordered the steward to let the shepherd boy eat with the servants, and gave him two piastres a month. Lu Ri used the money to buy books and pencils. This child has a strong ability to imitate everything. He is like Giotto, an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, and architect (1267-1337). Like when he was a child, he was also on the slate. I started to draw sheep, woods, and houses on it, and later used the pencil sharpener to carve all kinds of things on wood. The popular sculptor Pinelli also practiced in the same way at the beginning.

"There is a little girl of six or seven years old, that is to say a little younger than Wampa, who tends sheep on a farm next to Palestrina, an orphan born in Valmontone, her name is Teresa. The two boys came together, sat down side by side, let their flocks graze together, they talked and laughed and played together, and in the evening they separated the Count of Saint-Ferris' sheep from the Baron Servetri's, and then Everyone went back to their own farms and agreed to graze the sheep together the next morning. They all came the next day, and they grew up side by side. Wampa grew up to 12 years old and Teresa was 11 years old. At this time, their natures were revealed. Lu Ri loves art very much, and often works on his art alone. He is angry and can't listen to jokes. He has hot and cold tempers, loses his temper, and always wants to mock people. None of the boys from Palestrina, Palestrina, or Valmontone got him, not even his companions. He was stubborn and harsh by nature, and never made any concessions of his own. , so he has no friendship or sympathy. Only Teresa can use a word, a look or a gesture to make him docile. No matter who she is, she is indomitable. Teresa is on the contrary, lively, clever, always happy, but too beautiful. The two piastres that Luge got every month from the count of Saint-Ferris, The money he made from the small wood carvings sold at the Roman market was spent on pearl earrings, glass necklaces and golden hair pins, so thanks to the generosity of this little friend, Teresa became the most beautiful and most beautiful girl in the suburbs of Rome. peasant girl.

"The two children grew up together and stayed together all day, each in his own way, but they neither quarreled nor quarreled. In their conversations, hopes, and dreams, Wampa always imagined himself as the captain of a battleship. A captain, an army general, or a governor of a province, and Teresa saw herself very rich, dressed in the most splendid clothes, and served by many servants in livery. In this way, they fantasized and talked about this prospect like a flower. Like brocade, spend a day, and then everyone drives the sheep back to the sheepfold, and he himself falls from the peak of his dream to his humble status in real life.

"One day the shepherd boy told the earl's steward that he had seen a wolf come down from the Sabine Hills and was circling around his flock. The steward gave him a gun, which was just what he wanted. It so happened that this The barrel of the gun is very good, it is the product of Brescia, Italy. It broke, and the gun was thrown away. Not a big deal to a man who could carve like Wampa, and he took the stock of the original gun carefully, and immediately figured out where to change it. Once changed, he can use it himself. So he made another gun stock with very beautiful patterns engraved on it. If he sells it in Rome, the gun stock alone can be exchanged for 15-20 pia But he was reluctant to sell it, the lad had long dreamed of a gun. In any country where independence replaces liberty, anyone with ambition, and any organization with power, will find the possession of a gun a primary need, With a weapon, you can both attack and defend. With a gun, you can be majestic and intimidating. Since then, Wampa has practiced shooting whenever he has time. The gray, small and blue-gray olives grow on the slopes of Sabine Trees, foxes that come out of their holes in the evening to forage at night, eagles soaring in the sky, everything can be his target. It didn’t take long for him to be very proficient in shooting. Teresa, who was afraid of hearing gunshots at first, also became a target. I am not afraid anymore, and I am interested to see him shoot as he pleases, hitting every shot, as if he is throwing the bullet directly with his hand.

"One evening, in the pine forest where the two young men used to play, a wolf sprang out, but the wolf died before he had walked ten paces in the open field. Wampa was very proud of his shot. , put the dead wolf on his shoulders, and carried him back to the manor. All these made Lu Ri famous in the manor area. As long as a person is capable, no matter where he goes, some people will worship him. In this area Everyone said that this young shepherd was the shrewdest, toughest, and bravest farmer for ten miles. But Teresa's reputation spread farther, for she was the most beautiful girl down the Sabine hills, and everyone knew that She was already in love with Wampa, so no one would dare to say love to her. But these two young people never expressed love for each other. They grew up side by side, like two people side by side. It is a tree, the roots of which are twirling and intertwined underground, the branches and leaves are intertwined in the air, and the fragrance of flowers in the sky blends together. Their desire to meet is consistent and has become a need. They both feel that if they are separated for a day, it would be better for them to die.

"When Teresa was 16 years old and Wampa was 17 years old, there were rumors in the local area that there were bandits in Lepini Mountain. In fact, the bandits near Rome have never been really eliminated, but sometimes there is no leader, but as long as there is a leader There will always be men under his command. The famous Gugumeto was cornered in Abruzes, and although he had made the Kingdom of Naples rage, he had to leave there at this time, like the English poet Manfred The protagonist in Byron's poetic play of the same name. Seemingly crossing the Galligliano Hills, he came to the junction of Sonino and Jupeno, and found a place by the Amazzina River. He managed to gather a team , took up the business of Deserralis and Gasparone, and was determined to surpass these two ancients. Many young people disappeared in Palestrina, Frascati and Pampinara. A There was panic at first, but soon everyone understood that these people had defected to Gugumetto's door. After a while, Gugumetto became the figure everyone paid attention to, and everyone said that the bandit leader was fierce and cruel by nature. .

"One day Gugumeto kidnapped a girl, the daughter of a land surveyor in Frozzinone. Robbers have a robber's law, and the girl who is captured goes first to the one who kidnapped her, and the rest draw lots. Take turns until the gang gets tired of it or the girl is raped to death. If her parents are rich enough to pay the ransom, they send a contact to negotiate the ransom. The girl becomes a hostage to the contact's safety If the ransom cannot be negotiated, the girl will die. One of the bandits in Gugumetto happened to be the girl's lover, a young man named Carlini. The girl recognized her lover and stretched out her hands to him, thinking that He was saved. Carlini was very poor, he also recognized the girl, and his heart was broken, because he knew that the girl's end could only be bad or bad. But the young man is Gugumetto's favorite Man, for three years he followed Gugumetto through life and death, once when a gendarme was slashing at Gugumetto's head with a knife, Carrini shot down the gendarme and saved Gugumetto's life, now he hopes Gugumetto will take pity He. In a clearing in the middle of the woods, the girl sat leaning against a tall pine tree, covering her face with the beautiful headdress typical of Roman peasant girls, from the greedy eyes of the robbers. At this time, Carlini took the chief aside and explained everything to him: how he loved the girl, how they swore fidelity to each other, and how he and the girl had lived together in the same building since they had been robbing the neighborhood. house.

"It was his bad luck, too, that that evening Gugumetto sent Carrini to another nearby village on business, and the young man was not able to find the girl, but Gugumetto happened to go there, as he said, and so Brought the girl captive. Carlini begged his chief to make an exception for him, and don't ruin Rita, saying that the girl's father was rich enough to pay a large ransom. Gugumeto seemed to be for a friend So moved by the request, he told Carlini to find a shepherd boy himself and deliver a letter to the girl's father in Frozzinone. Carlini happily ran to the girl, told her that there was no danger, and told her to write to her father. A letter, telling the old man about the matter, stating that the ransom was set at 300 piastres. The gangsters gave the girl's father a period of 12 hours, that is to say, until 9 o'clock in the morning of the next day.

"As soon as the letter was written, Carlini took it and hurried down the hill to find someone to deliver it. He found a shepherd boy with a flock of sheep. Shepherd boys were natural messengers for robbers, because they happened to live in the Between city and forest, between civilized life and savage life. The shepherd boy immediately set out on the road, promising to reach Frozzinone within an hour. Carrini returned happily to find the girl he loved, and wanted to take Good news for her.

"He found a group of gangsters in the clearing in the woods, happily enjoying the so-called tribute extorted from the farmers. He glanced at the gang of eating and drinking guys, but he didn't see Gu Gumeto and Rita. He asked where they had been, but the robbers responded with a burst of laughter. Carlini broke out in a cold sweat, his heart fluttered, and his hair stood on end. He asked again Once, a robber who was eating poured him a glass of Orvieto and said, 'To the brave Gugumetto and to the beautiful Rita!' Just then Carrini heard a woman's voice Shouting. He understood everything in an instant, so he grabbed the wine glass and threw it at the robber who was toasting the toast, and then rushed towards the direction of the shouting. After running a hundred paces, at the corner of a bush Seeing Rita lying unconscious in Gugumeto's arms, Gugumeto stood up as soon as he saw Carrini, holding a gun in each hand.

"The two robbers looked at each other for a moment, one had a lecherous smile on his lips, and the other was deathly white. It seemed that something terrible was about to happen between these two men, but Carlini remained stern. His face gradually relaxed, and his hand, which was holding a pistol on his belt, also dropped to one side of his body. Between them was Rita lying on the ground, and the moonlight was clear all around.

"'Well,' said Gugumetto, 'have you finished what you have been striving for?'

"'It's over, sir,' replied Carlini, 'and Rita's father will send the money before nine o'clock tomorrow morning.'

"'Very well, now let's have a good night. The girl is charming, brother Carlini, and you're a real gentleman. I'm not selfish, so we'll go back to our brethren and we'll draw lots , and see to whom she belongs now.'

"'So you've decided that it's the old rules with her too?'

"'Why break the rules just for her?'

"'I thought my plea...'

"'What makes you different from other people?'

"'That's true.'

"'Stay aside,' said Gugumeto with a smile, 'sooner or later it will be your turn.' Carrini was so angry that he was about to gnash his teeth. 'Let's go,' said Gugumeto, facing the The grass thief who eats and drinks steps forward, 'Are you coming or not?'

"'I'll follow.'

"Gugumetto has gone far away, but he is still looking at Carlini, for fear of being plotted against, but he can't see any hostility from Carlini, a grasshopper. He stood beside Rita with his hands crossed, Rita has not yet regained consciousness. Gugumeto thought that the young man would pick up Rita and run away, but it doesn't matter to him whether he runs or not. He has already been satisfied with Rita. As for the ransom, 300 piastres were pitifully small for everyone, and he didn't care about that anymore. He continued on towards the clearing, but he couldn't help being surprised that Carrini almost followed him into the clearing.' Draw lots! Draw lots!' the robbers yelled when they saw the leader approaching. The eyes of these guys were already drunk and full of color, and the bonfire reflected each of them red, like a group of demons. Their demands were in accordance with the rules of bandits , the leader nodded his approval. So everyone, including Carlini, wrote their names on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat. The youngest grass thief touched a lot from this makeshift ballot box. The name is Diavolacio, the one who toasted the chief's health and was hit in the face by Carlini with a glass. His face was slashed from the temple to the mouth, and the blood was still gurgling. Brave outside. Diavolacio laughed with joy at seeing his good fortune. 'Boss,' he said, 'Carrini refused to toast your health just now, and you ordered him to drink for me now. Cheers to your health, he refuses to reward me, but he will save face for you.” Everyone thought that Carrini was going to lose his temper, but they were all taken aback when he raised his glass with one hand, Picking up the flask in one hand, he poured a full glass. 'I wish you good health, Diavolacio,' he said very calmly, and drank it down without shaking his hands.

"'Where's my supper?' said he. 'I'm hungry after the trip.'

"'Well done, Carrini!' cried the robbers.

"'Excellent, that's what a buddy is.'

"So they all sat in a circle around the fire again, while Diavolacio went away, and Carrini ate and drank as if nothing had happened. The robbers looked on in amazement. He, wondering why he was so calm, they were wondering, when they heard heavy footsteps on the ground behind them. Turning their heads, they saw Diavolacio holding the girl in his arms. The girl's head was thrown back, The long hair hung down to the ground. Diavolacio carried the girl slowly to the place lit by the bonfire. Only then did everyone see that the girl was pale, and the grass thief was also pale. Such a strange scene , and so important, that everyone stood up. But Carrini did not stand, and continued to sit and drink and eat, as if nothing had happened to him. In the silence, Diavolacio asked He came forward and put Rita at the leader's feet. At this time, everyone understood why the girl was pale and why the grass thief was pale. It turned out that a short knife had been deeply inserted into Rita's left chest. All eyes turned to Carlini, only to see that the scabbard at his waist was just an empty cover.

"'Ah!' said the chief, 'I now understand why Carlini was so late.'

"Any savage nature would approve of an act of desperation. Though none of the other bandits would have done what Carlini did, they could all understand why he did it.

"'See!' said Carlini, who also stood up, pistol grip in one hand, and walked towards the girl's body.

"'There will be no one,' said the chief, 'and she is yours.'

"Carlini picked up the girl and walked away from the place lit by the bonfire. Gugumeto sent a sentry as usual, and the grasshoppers wrapped up their cloaks and slept. The robbers who were sentry in the middle of the night woke everyone up, and the leader and all the robbers immediately Get on guard. It turned out that Rita's father himself came to deliver the daughter's ransom. 'Here,' he said, handing the purse to Gugumeto, 'here are 300 piastres, now you return my child Let's go." But the leader didn't take the money, but just motioned the old man to follow him. The old man followed. The two walked forward among the trees, and the moonlight shone through the branches. At last Gugumeto stopped and held out his finger Pointing to two people staying together under a tree. 'Here,' he said to the old man, 'you ask Carrini for your daughter, and he will tell you about it.' Then he turned to his accomplice Go over there.

(End of this chapter)