Part 13 (1/2)

The big, burly brigand stood before him, and eyed him from head to foot He was very tall, and, indeed, to David he seeht hand held the rifle like a walking-stick He looked at David in silence, and scanned him curiously all over; and David's eyes, which had at first sought those of his captor in tiaze

”_Cosa volete?_” said the brigand ”_Donde venite?_” in a deep voice

”_Non capisco_,” faltered David, bringing forth the only Italian that he knew

At this the brigand was silent, and again surveyed hith

”No,” said David, in a tre of those words well enough

”Hand, and then, ”_Parlez vous Francais?_”

”No,” said David

”_Habla usted Espanol?_” asked the brigand once more, apparently quite curious to find out the nationality of his prisoner, so as to form some basis of communication with hiand paused, and frowned, and stared fixedly at David, as though trying to gather froht be David's dress showed hi to any nationality; for his complexion was dark, and soht, and his fraand, once,to the exaand frowned, and once th he made a further effort

”_Russo?_” he asked, in an interrogative tone, elevating his eyebrows

David shook his head

”_Turco?_” asked the brigand again, in the saain David shook his head, wondering why the brigand should for one ine it possible that he could be a Russian or a Turk

”_Greco?_” asked the brigand, in a tone of voice which seeive it up as a hopeless conundruand turned away in disgust, and stood for a fewin the balance, and stood in deep suspense, watching with anxious eyes the face of his captor But the heavy beard and mustache, and the slouched felt hat, concealed all expression; nor could David see anything there which could at all lessen his anxiety He thought, however, that if he could only communicate in some way his mournful story, and let his captor see that he had coet back to his friends, he ht excite his compassion, if indeed there was any co It was David's only chance, however; and so, putting his hand tiand's arm, he pointed towards the shore, and waved his ar that David persistently pointed in that direction, he walked off through the grove for a few paces, till he reached the top of the bank, where the beach appeared before him, and the boat drawn up on it David followed hiht of the boat he pointed towards it, and then touched his breast, and at once understood, and after once h anxious to ascertain whether he was speaking the truth or not, he bounded down the bank, and strode towards the boat, which he exa this time he paid no attention to David; but to the poor lost lad this indifference gave no hope He knew that there was no escape for hiand was supreme, and any effort to fly would only be worse than useless So, instead of trying to fly, he followed the brigand, and caand examined it very narrowly outside and inside He inspected the bow, the stern, and the rudder He knelt down and looked underneath He stepped inside and exas of the sail These excited ed study on his part To David all this appeared perfectly intelligible, and very natural The brigand was evidently exa his plunder, to see what it orth David felt an additional pang of grief at the thought that he had sequestrated the property of some innocent Castellaands; but he consoled hiht that if he ever escaped he could hunt up the owner and , and he tried to hope that the boat ht prove a prize sufficiently valuable to and, and dispose hiand inspected the boat, David stood watching the brigand, and looking earnestly to see whether there were any signs of a relenting disposition But the face of the brigand preserved an unchanged expression; and after he had examined the boat to his satisfaction, he oncelad saw that his aspect was as n, as ferocious, and as truculent as ever

David deter else to be done He felt that he , disarm his hostility, appease his cruelty, and, if possible, excite his compassion To do all this, it would be necessary to express hih signs seemed very inadequate, yet he had to resort to them He had heard, however, of the skill of the Italians in expressing ideas by ain so from his unskilled efforts

So, first of all, he tried to tell the brigand that he was from

America He laid one hand on his heart, and waved the other towards what he supposed to be the west

The brigand nodded soleratified David to see this, and to notice also that the brigand was very attentive, and fixed his dark, stern eyes upon hi that David tried to tell him was, that he had friends with hi his arers