CHAPTER XX. THE TRAITOR
The liberation of Manlio and the execution of the Cardinal gave anunexpected blow to the Pontifical Government, and aroused it from itsprevious easy lethargy. All the foreign and native soldiers availablewere put under arms, and the police were everywhere on the _qui vive_,arresting upon the slightest suspicion citizens of all classes, so thatthe prisons speedily became filled to overflowing.
One of the Three Hundred--shameful to say--had been bought over to actas a spy upon the movements of his comrades. Happily he was not one ofthose select members chosen to assist in the attack upon the Quirinalprison, or the release of Silvia and Clelia. Of the proposed meeting atthe Baths of Caracalla he was nevertheless cognizant, and had duly giveninformation of it to the police.
Now, Italian conspirators make use of a counter police, at the head ofwhich was Muzio.
His garb of lazzarone served him in good stead, and by favor of ithe often managed to obtain information from those in the pay of thepriests, who commonly employ the poor and wretched people that beg forbread in the streets and market-places of Rome in the capacity of spies.
But this time he was ill-informed. The last conspirator had enteredthe subterranean passage, and Attilio had put the question, "Are thesentinels at their posts?" when a low sound, like the hissing of asnake, resounded through the vault. This was Muzio's signal of alarm,and he himself appeared at the archway.
"There is no time to be lost," said he; "we are already hemmed in on oneside by an armed force, and at the southern exit another is taking upits position."
This imminent danger, instead of making these brave youths tremble,served but to fill them with stern resolve and courage.
Attilio looked once on the strong band assembled around him, and thenbade Silvio take two men and go to the entrance to reconnoitre.
Another sentinel approached at this moment from the south, andcorroborated Muzio's statement.
The sentinels from the remaining points failing to appear, a fear thatthey had been arrested fell upon the young men, and their leader wassomewhat troubled on this account, until Silvio returned, and reportedthat upon nearing the mouth of the passage he had seen them. At thismoment they heard a few shots, and immediately after the sentinels inquestion entered, and informed the chief they had witnessed a largenumber of troops gathering, and had fired upon one file, which hadventured to advance.
Attilio, seeing delay would be ruinous, commanded Muzio to charge outwith a third of the company, he himself would follow up with his ownthird, and Silvio was to hurl the rearmost section upon the troops.
Attilio briefly said, "It is the moment of deeds, not words. No matterhow large the number opposed to us, we must carve a road through themwith our daggers." He then directed Muzio to lead on a detachment oftwenty men, with a swift rush, upon the enemy, promising to followquickly.
Muzio, quickly forming his twenty men, wrapped his cloak around hisleft arm, and grasping his weapon firmly in his right, gave the word tocharge out.
In a few moments the cavernous vault startled those outside by vomitinga torrent of furious men; and as the youths rushed upon the satellitesof despotism, the Pope's soldiers heading the division had not even timeto level their guns before they were wrenched from their grasp, and manyreceived their death-blow.
The others, thoroughly demoralized at the cry of the second and thirddivisions bursting forth, took to flight, headlong and shameful. TheCampo Vaccino and the streets of Rome hard by the Campidoglio were in ashort time filled with the fugitives, still pursued by those whom theyshould have taken prisoners.
Helmets, swords, and guns lay scattered in all directions, and more werewounded by the weapons of their own friends in their flight, than bythe daggers of their pursuers; in effect the rout was laughable andcomplete.
The brave champions of Roman liberty, satisfied with having so utterlydiscomfited the mercenaries of his Holiness, dispersed, and returned totheir several homes.
Amongst the dead bodies discovered next morning near the baths was thatof a mere youth, whose beard had scarcely begun to cover his face withdown. He was lying on his back, and on his breast was the shameful word"traitor," pinned with a dagger. He had been recognized by the ThreeHundred, and swiftly punished.
Poor Paolo, alas, had the misfortune--for misfortune it proved--tofall in love with the daughter of a priest, who, enacting the part ofa Delilah, betrayed him to her father as soon as she had learned he wasconnected with a secret conspiracy. To save his life, the wretched youthconsented to become a paid spy in the service of the priesthood, and itwas thus he drew his pay.
The worth of one intrepid man, as Attilio showed, is inestimable; asingle man of lion heart can put to flight a whole army.
On the other hand, how contagious is fear. I have seen whole armiesseized by a terrible panic in open day at a cry of "Escape who can;""Cavalry;" "The enemy," or even the sound of a few shots--an army thathad fought, and would again fight, patiently and gallantly.
Fear is shameful and degrading, and I think the southern nations ofEurope are more liable to it than the cooler and more serious peoples ofthe north; but never may I see an Italian army succumb to that suddenague-fit which kills the man, even though he seems to save his lifethereby!