Volume I Part 36 (2/2)

”You and always you!” cried the bandit furiously ”Where is the other one?”

The ed his shoulders, while the soldiers looked in every corner and Benedetto angrily gnawed his under lip

”He has probably escaped through the well,” said one of the soldiers at last

”Oh, then we have hiht here,” ordered Benedetto, bending over the opening The soldier obeyed as directed and Bartolo

”We have him sure,” one of the soldiers had said Was the well a trap? A strange sound was now heard The nized the noise The water was slowly rising in the well and soon stood hand-high under the stone curbing

”Where does the water co back

”About a quarter of an hour ago,” replied one of the soldiers, ”the coave the order to open the sluices of Santa Maria Canals run from the aqueduct under the citadel, and that's why I said before we had our prisoner sure He is drowned”

”Speak, wretch!” said San Pietro, turning to the h the well?”

But Bartolomeo made no reply A dull sob escaped his lips, and his eyes, filled with hot tears, fixed the flood wafted to and fro

”One has escaped,” cried Benedetto, froritted teeth, ”but the other shall suffer for it Take the prisoner with you,” he added, addressing the soldiers; ”to-morrow at daybreak he shall be shot”

He walked toward the door Bartolole word:

”Villain!”

CHAPTER xxxI

SPERO

Theof the 16th of March had come, and Milan had a martial appearance Placards were attached to all the walls, infor the Imperial authorities of the ultiathered around these placards, and the streets were croith Austrian troops

Grenadiers were on guard before the official buildings, but the sentinels were suddenly disar able to tell how it happened, the palace was occupied by the citizens The municipal councillors fled in every direction; only the president of the Senate rereater, he, too, went, guarded by an escort, to the Brobetto palace, which was situated in the centre of the city

In the Via Del Monte the croas the greatest, and all passage was soon entirely cut off Rifle shots were suddenly heard, deafening shouts followed, and there was a terrible confusion Radetzky had ordered his soldiers to load heavily and to fire into the crowd A howl of rage followed the first discharge, and nuround

That was no honest combat, but an infamous massacre

Monte-Cristo stood at one of the lofty arched s in the Vidiserti palace, and, with a dark frown, observed the terrible massacre which Radetzky's minions created in the streets Spero stood at his father's side

”See, papa,” he said, with tear-choked utterance, ”that wounded wo a dead child It was shot in her arms Oh, the poor wretches, what did they do to the soldiers?”

”My child,” sadly replied Monte-Cristo, ”man's worst enemy is man!”

”Papa!” suddenly exclailanced in the direction indicated A young Italian had just climbed up the tower of a church opposite the Vidiserti palace, and there unfurled the national standard The tricolor fluttered gayly in the wind Suddenly, however, the young ht to hold himself, turned a somersault and fell crushed to the pavement A bullet had hit him