CHAPTER X
THE ROAD TO AMALFI
The Hotel Victoria faces the bay of Naples. Back of it are the famousgardens, and as you emerge from these you find yourself upon the narrowmain street of Sorrento, not far from the Square of Tasso.
As our little party entered this street they were immediately espied bythe vetturini, or cabmen, who rushed toward them with loud cries whilethey waved their whips frantically to attract attention. One tall fellowwas dressed in a most imposing uniform of blue and gold, with a high hatbearing a cockade _a la Inglese_ and shiny top boots. His long legsenabled him to outstrip the others, and in an almost breathless voice hebegged Uncle John to choose his carriage: "the besta carrozza ina town!"
"We don't want to ride," was the answer.
The cabman implored. Certainly they must make the Amalfi drive, or toMassa Lubrense or Saint' Agata or at least Il Deserto! The others stoodby to listen silently to the discussion, yielding first place to thevictor in the race.
Uncle John was obdurate.
"All we want to-day is to see the town," he declared, "We're not goingto ride, but walk."
"Ah, but the Amalfi road, signore! Surely you will see that."
"To-morrow, perhaps; not now."
"To-morrow, signore! It is good. At what hour, to-morrow,illustrissimo?"
"Oh, don't bother me."
"We may as well drive to Amalfi to-morrow," suggested Beth. "It is theproper thing to do, Uncle."
"All right; we'll go, then."
"You take my carrozza, signore?" begged the cabman. "It is besta inatown."
"Let us see it."
Instantly the crowd scampered back to the square, followed moreleisurely by Uncle John and the girls. There the uniformed vetturiostood beside the one modern carriage in the group. It was new; it wasglossy; it had beautiful, carefully brushed cushions; it was drawn by apair of splendid looking horses.
"Is not bellissima, signore?" asked the man, proudly.
"All right," announced Uncle John, nodding approval. "Be ready to startat nine o'clock to-morrow morning."
The man promised, whereat his confreres lost all interest in the matterand the strangers were allowed to proceed without further interruption.
They found out all about the Amalfi drive that evening, and were gladindeed they had decided to go. Even Louise was pleased at thearrangement and as eager as the others to make the trip. It is one ofthe most famous drives in the world, along a road built upon the rockycliff that overhangs the sea and continually winds in and out as itfollows the outlines of the crags.
They had an early breakfast and were ready at nine o'clock; but whenthey came to the gate of the garden they found only a dilapidatedcarriage standing before it.
"Do you know where my rig is?" Uncle John asked the driver, at the sametime peering up and down the road.
"It is me, sir signore. I am engage by you. Is it not so?"
Mr. Merrick looked at the driver carefully. It was long-legs, sureenough, but shorn of his beautiful regalia.
"Where's your uniform?" he asked.
"Ah, I have leave it home. The road is dusty, very; I must not ruin anice dress when I work," answered the man, smiling unabashed.
"But the carriage. What has become of the fine carriage and the goodhorses, sir?"
"Ah, it is dreadful; it is horrible, signore. I find me the carrozza isnot easy; it is not perfect; it do not remain good for a long ride. So Ileave him home, for I am kind. I do not wish the signorini bella to tireand weep. But see the fine vetture you now have! Is he not easy likefeathers, an' strong, an' molto buena?"
"It may be a bird, but it don't look it," said Uncle John, doubtfully."I rented the best looking rig in town, and you bring me the worst."
"Only try, signore! Others may look; it is only you who must ride. Youwill be much please when we return."
"Well, I suppose we may as well take it," said the little man, in aresigned tone. "Hop in, my dears."
They entered the crazy looking vehicle and found the seats ample andcomfortable despite the appearance of dilapidation everywhere prevalent.The driver mounted the box, cracked his whip, and the lean nags ambledaway at a fair pace.
They passed near to the square, where the first thing that attractedUncle John's attention was the beautiful turnout he had hired yesterday.It was standing just as it had before, and beside it was another mandressed in the splendid uniform his driver had claimed that he had leftat home.
"Here--stop! Stop, I say!" he yelled at the man, angrily. But the fellowseemed suddenly deaf, and paid no heed. He cracked his whip and rattledaway through the streets without a glance behind him. The girls laughedand Uncle John stopped waving his arms and settled into his seat with agroan.
"We've been swindled, my dears," he said; "swindled most beautifully.But I suppose we may as well make the best of it."
"Better," agreed Patsy. "This rig is all right, Uncle. It may not be aspretty as the other, but I expect that one is only kept to makeengagements with. When it comes to actual use, we don't get it."
"That's true enough," he returned. "But I'll get even with this rascalbefore I've done with him, never fear."
It was a cold, raw morning, but the portiere at the Victoria had toldthem the sun would be out presently and the day become more genial.Indeed, the sun did come out, but only to give a discouraged look at thelandscape and retire again. During this one day in which they rode toAmalfi and back, Uncle John afterward declared that they experiencedseven different kinds of weather. They had sunshine, rain, hail, snowand a tornado; and then rain again and more sunshine. "Sunny Italy"seemed a misnomer that day, as indeed it does many days in winter andspring, when the climate is little better than that prevailing in theeastern and central portions of the United States. And perhaps onesuffers more in Italy than in America, owing to the general lack ofmeans to keep warm on cold days. The Italian, shivering and blue, willtell you it is not cold at all, for he will permit no reproach to lie onhis beloved land; but the traveller frequently becomes discouraged, andthe American contingent, especially, blames those misleading Englishwriters who, finding relief from their own bleak island in Italianclimes, exaggerated the conditions by apostrophizing the country as"Sunny Italy" and for more than a century uttered such rhapsodies in itspraise that the whole world credited them--until it acquired personalexperience of the matter.
Italy is beautiful; it is charming and delightful; but seldom is thistrue in winter or early spring.
The horses went along at a spanking pace that was astonishing. Theypassed through the picturesque lanes of Sorrento, climbed the furtherslope, and brought the carriage to the other side of the peninsula,where the girls obtained their first view of the Gulf of Salerno, withthe lovely Isles of the Sirens lying just beneath them.
And now they were on the great road that skirts the coast as far asSalerno, and has no duplicate in all the known world. For it is cut fromthe solid rock of precipitous cliffs rising straight from the sea, whichthe highway overhangs at an average height of five hundred feet, thetraveller being protected only by a low stone parapet from the vast gulfthat yawns beneath. And on the other side of the road the cliffscontinue to ascend a like distance toward the sky, their irregularsurfaces dotted with wonderful houses that cling to the slopes, andvineyards that look as though they might slip down at any moment uponthe heads of timorous pilgrims.
When it rained they put up the carriage top, which afforded but partialshelter. The shower was brief, but was shortly followed by hail as bigas peas, which threatened to dash in the frail roof of their _carrozza_.While they shrank huddled beneath the blankets, the sun came outsuddenly, and the driver shed his leathern apron, cracked his whip, andbegan singing merrily as the vehicle rolled over the smooth road.
Our travellers breathed again, and prepared to enjoy once more thewonderful vistas that were unfolded at every turn of the winding way.Sometimes they skirted a little cove where, hundreds of feet below, thefishermen sat before their tiny huts busi
ly mending their nets. Fromthat distance the boats drawn upon the sheltered beach seemed like meretoys. Then they would span a chasm on a narrow stone bridge, or plungethrough an arch dividing the solid mountain. But ever the road returnedin a brief space to the edge of the sea-cliff, and everywhere it wassolid as the hills themselves, and seemingly as secure.
They had just sighted the ancient town of Positano and were circling agigantic point of rock, when the great adventure of the day overtookthem. Without warning the wind came whistling around them in a greatgale, which speedily increased in fury until it drove the blinded horsesreeling against the low parapet and pushed upon the carriage as ifdetermined to dash it over the precipice.
As it collided against the stone wall the vehicle tipped dangerously,hurling the driver from his seat to dive headforemost into the spacebeneath. But the man clung to the reins desperately, and they arrestedhis fall, leaving him dangling at the end of them while the maddenedhorses, jerked at the bits by the weight of the man, reared and plungedas if they would in any instant tumble themselves and the carriage overthe cliff.
At this critical moment a mounted horseman, who unobserved had beenfollowing the party, dashed to their rescue. The rider caught theplunging steeds by their heads and tried to restrain their terror, athis own eminent peril, while the carriage lay wedged against the walland the driver screamed pitifully from his dangerous position midwaybetween sea and sky.
Then Beth slipped from her seat to the flat top of the parapet, steppedboldly to where the reins were pulling upon the terrified horses, andseized them in her strong grasp.
"Hold fast," she called calmly to the driver, and began dragging himupward, inch by inch.
He understood instantly the task she had undertaken, and in a moment hiscourage returned and he managed to get his foot in a crack of the rockand assist her by relieving her of part of his weight. Just above was aslight ledge; he could reach it now; and then she had him by the arm, sothat another instant found him clinging to the parapet and drawinghimself into a position of safety.
The wind had died away as suddenly as it came upon them. The horses, assoon as the strain upon their bits was relaxed, were easily quieted.Before those in the carriage had quite realized what had occurred theadventure was accomplished, the peril was past, and all was well again.
Uncle John leaped from the carriage, followed by Louise and Patsy. Theyoung horseman who had come to their assistance so opportunely was noneother than Count Ferralti, whom they had such good reason to distrust.He was sitting upon his horse and staring with amazement at Beth, atwhose feet the driver was grovelling while tears flowed down his bronzedcheeks and he protested in an absurd mixture of English and Italian, byevery saint in the calendar, that the girl had saved him from afrightful death and he would devote his future life to her service.
"It is wonderful!" murmured Ferralti. "However could such a slip of agirl do so great a deed?"
"Why, it's nothing at all," returned Beth, flushing; "we're trained todo such things in the gymnasium at Cloverton, and I'm much stronger thanI appear to be."
"'Twas her head, mostly," said Patsy, giving her cousin an admiring hug;"she kept her wits while the rest of us were scared to death."
Uncle John had been observing the Count. One of the young man's handshung limp and helpless.
"Are you hurt, sir?" he asked.
Ferralti smiled, and his eyes rested upon Louise.
"A little, perhaps, Mr. Merrick; but it is unimportant. The horses werefrantic at the time and wrenched my wrist viciously as I tried to holdthem. I felt something snap; a small bone, perhaps. But I am sure it isnothing of moment."
"We'd better get back to Sorrento," said Uncle John, abruptly.
"Not on my account, I beg of you," returned Ferralti, quickly. "We arehalf way to Amalfi now, and you may as well go on. For my part, if thewrist troubles me, I will see a surgeon at Amalfi--that is, if youpermit me to accompany you."
He said this with a defferent bow and a glance of inquiry.
Uncle John could not well refuse. The young fellow might be a shamcount, but the manliness and courage he had displayed in their graveemergency surely entitled him to their grateful consideration.
"You are quite welcome to join us," said Uncle John.
The driver had by now repaired a broken strap and found his equippageotherwise uninjured.
The horses stood meekly quiescent, as if they had never known a moment'sfear in their lives. So the girls and their uncle climbed into thevehicle again and the driver mounted the box and cracked his whip withhis usual vigor.
The wind had subsided as suddenly as it had arisen, and as they passedthrough Positano--which is four hundred feet high, the houses all up anddown the side of a cliff like swallows' nests--big flakes of snow weregently falling around them.
Count Ferralti rode at the side of the carriage but did not attempt muchconversation. His lips were tight set and the girls, slyly observing hisface, were sure his wrist was hurting him much more than he cared toacknowledge.
Circling around the cliff beyond Positano the sun greeted them, shiningfrom out a blue sky, and they wondered what had become of the badweather they had so lately experienced.
From now on, past Prajano and into Amalfi, the day was brilliant and thetemperature delightful. It was full noon by the time they alighted atthe little gate-house of the ancient Cappuccini-Convento, now a hotelmuch favored by the tourist. Count Ferralti promised to join them laterand rode on to the town to find a surgeon to look after his injuredhand, while the others slowly mounted the long inclines leading in azigzag fashion up to the old monastery, which was founded in the year1212.
From the arbored veranda of this charming retreat is obtained one of thefinest views in Europe, and while the girls sat enjoying it Uncle Johnarranged with a pleasant faced woman (who had once lived in America) fortheir luncheon.
An hour later, and just as they were sitting down to the meal, CountFerralti rejoined them. His hand was bandaged and supported by a sling,and in answer to Louise's gentle inquiries he said, simply:
"It was as I had feared: a small bone snapped. But my surgeon isskillful, and says time will mend the wrist as good as new."
In spite of his courage he could eat no luncheon, but merely sipped aglass of wine; so Uncle John, alarmed at his pallor, insisted that hetake a seat in the carriage on the return journey. Beth wanted to ridethe Count's horse home, but there was no side saddle to be had, so theyled the animal by a halter fastened behind the ricketty carriage, andBeth mounted the box and rode beside her friend the driver.
The pleasant weather lasted until they neared Sorrento, when anothershower of rain came up. They reached their hotel damp and bedraggled,but enthusiastic over their wonderful trip and the interesting adventureit had incidentally developed.