The Count went to his window overlooking the street and whistled in a peculiar way. The cloaked man left the wall and moved to the center of the street.
"Co up!" the Count commanded in a tone he might use with a servant.
Without hesitation, in fact, eagerly, the ssenger bounded up the steps and entered the hotel. Five seconds later, he was at the room’s door.
"Ah, it’s you, Peppino," the Count said.
But instead of answering, Peppino dropped to his knees, seized the Count’s hand, and covered it with kisses.
"Ah," the Count said, "so you haven’t forgotten that I saved your life. That’s surprising, it was only a week ago."
"No, Your Excellency, and I’ll never forget it," Peppino replied with profound gratitude.
"Never is a long ti, but I appreciate your belief. Stand up and answer my questions." Peppino glanced nervously at Franz.
"You can speak in front of him," the Count said. "He’s one of my friends. You’ll allow to call you that?" he added in French to Franz. "It’s necessary to gain this man’s trust."
"You can speak freely," Franz confird. "I’m a friend of the Count’s."
"Good," Peppino said. "I’m ready to answer any questions."
"How did Albert fall into Luigi’s hands?"
"Your Excellency, the Frenchman’s carriage passed several tis by the one carrying Teresa."
"The chief’s woman?"
"Yes. The Frenchman threw her flowers. Teresa returned them, all with the chief’s consent. He was in the carriage."
"What?" Franz exclaid. "Luigi Vampa was in the carriage with those people dressed as peasants?"
"He was driving, disguised as the coachman," Peppino explained.
"Go on," the Count said.
"Well, the Frenchman removed his mask. Teresa did the sa, with the chief’s permission. The Frenchman asked for a eting. Teresa agreed to et him, only instead of Teresa, it was Beppo waiting at the church steps."
"What?" Franz cried. "The girl who grabbed his candle-"
"Was a fifteen-year-old boy," Peppino finished. "But it’s no sha your friend was fooled. Beppo has tricked many others."
"And Beppo led him outside the city walls?" the Count asked.
"Exactly. A carriage was waiting. Beppo got in and invited the Frenchman to follow. He didn’t need to be asked twice. He gallantly offered Beppo the better seat and sat beside him. Beppo told him they were going to a villa outside the city. The Frenchman said he’d follow him to the ends of the earth.
The coachman drove through the city and out the gate. Once they were a couple hundred yards outside, when the Frenchman got a bit too forward, Beppo pulled two pistols on him. The coachman did the sa. At the sa ti, four n hidden by the roadside surrounded the carriage.
The Frenchman tried to fight back and nearly strangled Beppo, but he couldn’t resist five ard n. They forced him out and marched him along the riverbank to where Teresa and Luigi were waiting in the underground burial chambers."
"Well," the Count said, turning to Franz, "that sounds like a plausible story. What do you think?"
"I’d find it amusing if it had happened to anyone but poor Albert," Franz replied.
"And honestly, if you hadn’t found here," the Count said, "this adventure might have cost your friend dearly. But now, rest assured, his only suffering will be the scare he’s had."
"Can we go get him?" Franz asked.
"Absolutely. He’s in quite a scenic location, do you know the underground burial chambers?"
"I’ve never been, but I’ve always wanted to visit."
"Well, here’s your chance, and you couldn’t ask for a better opportunity. Do you have a carriage?"
"No."
"That doesn’t matter. I always have one ready, day or night."
"Always ready?"
"Yes. I’m quite impulsive. Sotis when I wake up, or after dinner, or in the middle of the night, I decide to travel sowhere, and off I go."
The Count rang a bell, and a servant appeared. "Bring the carriage around and remove the pistols from the holsters. Don’t wake the regular driver, Ali will take us."
Almost imdiately, they heard wheels on the cobblestones, and the carriage stopped at the door. The Count checked his watch.
"Half past twelve. We could leave at five and still be in ti, but the delay would cause your friend an anxious night. We’d better go imdiately and rescue him. Are you still determined to co?"
"More than ever."
"Then let’s go."
Franz and the Count went downstairs with Peppino. At the door, they found the carriage with Ali on the driver’s seat, Franz recognized him as the mute servant from the Count’s coastal estate.
Franz and the Count climbed into the carriage. Peppino took his place beside Ali, and they set off at a rapid pace.
Ali had his instructions. They drove through the main streets, across the old forum, up another major road, and reached the city gates. The gatekeeper raised so objections, but the Count produced a special permit from the governor allowing him to leave or enter the city at any hour. The gate was raised, the keeper received a gold coin for his trouble, and they continued on their way.
The road they traveled was an ancient highway, lined with old tombs. From ti to ti, by the light of the rising moon, Franz thought he saw figures appearing among the ruins, then quickly disappearing into the darkness at a signal from Peppino.
Shortly before reaching so ancient bath ruins, the carriage stopped. Peppino opened the door, and the Count and Franz stepped out.
"In ten minutes we’ll be there," the Count told his companion.
He gave Peppino a quiet order, and Peppino left, taking a torch they’d brought in the carriage. Five minutes passed while Franz watched the guide following a narrow path across the rough, broken terrain. Finally, Peppino disappeared into tall reddish grass that looked like a lion’s mane.
"Now let’s follow him," the Count said.
Franz and the Count advanced along the sa path. After about a hundred paces, it led them down a slope into a small valley. There they saw two n talking in the shadows.
"Should we keep going?" Franz asked the Count. "Or wait?"
"Let’s go. Peppino will have warned the lookout we’re coming."
One of the two n was Peppino; the other was a bandit on guard duty. Franz and the Count approached, and the bandit saluted them.
"Your Excellency," Peppino said to the Count, "if you’ll follow , the entrance to the burial chambers is just ahead."
"Lead on," the Count replied.
They ca to an opening behind so bushes, amid a pile of rocks, so narrow a person could barely squeeze through. Peppino slipped through first. After a few paces, the passage widened. Peppino lit his torch and looked back to see if they were following.
The Count reached an open area first, with Franz close behind. The passage sloped gently downward, growing larger as they proceeded. Still, Franz and the Count had to stoop and could barely walk side by side. After about a hundred and fifty paces, they were stopped by a voice: "Who goes there?"
At the sa ti, they saw torchlight reflecting off a rifle barrel.
"A friend!" Peppino called back. He approached the guard alone and spoke a few quiet words. The guard, like the first, saluted them and gestured that they could proceed.
Behind the guard was a staircase with twenty steps. Franz and the Count descended and found themselves in a burial chamber. Five corridors branched out like the rays of a star, and the walls were carved with niches stacked like coffins, they were definitely in the ancient burial chambers.
Down one corridor, they could see rays of light in the distance. The Count placed his hand on Franz’s shoulder.
"Would you like to see a bandit camp at rest?" he asked.
"Very much," Franz replied.
"Follow then. Peppino, put out the torch."
Peppino obeyed, and Franz and the Count stood in complete darkness, except for a reddish glow fifty paces ahead that beca more visible now that Peppino had extinguished his torch.
They moved forward silently, the Count guiding Franz as if he could see perfectly in the dark. Franz himself could see better as they approached the light source.
Three archways stood before them, the middle one serving as a door. The arches opened on one side to the corridor where the Count and Franz stood, and on the other to a large square chamber completely surrounded by carved niches.
In the center of the chamber sat four stones that had once served as an altar, evidenced by the cross still mounted on top. A lamp at the base of a pillar cast pale, flickering light over the strange scene before the two hidden visitors.
A man sat with his elbow on the pillar, reading with his back to the archways through which the newcors watched him. This was the bandit chief, Luigi Vampa.
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