CHAPTER XVIII.
WHEN STEEL MEETS STEEL.
"At last you have named me!" laughed the mysterious man.
"You wretch!" panted the gondolier. "How dare you again show your facein Venice?"
"I am not showing it very much," was the cool retort. "Even here, asnear as we are, you could not see it well enough to recognize me. By dayyou might rake the city with a fine comb, and still you would not findme."
"You are a thief, a murderer, and death will be yours if you arediscovered!"
"Never fear, my Reggio," was the mocking assurance. "I have friends farmore powerful than the authorities of this city. My friends are of theTen."
"For whom you committed a hundred crimes before you were compelled toflee the country in order to save yourself from the hand of justice.Well might they be your friends!"
"You are very careless in your speech, Tortora," said the one accused,still with perfect self-possession. "I will take good care of Teresawhen you are gone. Trust her to me, my Reggio. In my arms she will besafe."
"Rather than think she might become yours would I slay her with my ownhand!" panted the gondolier. "What have you been doing? You havefrightened her!"
"I knocked at the door and asked admission. She should have welcomed mewith open arms."
"I knew you had frightened her. She loathes you, Nicola Mullura."
"She shall adore me."
"In her room she has been shuddering and praying since you knocked atthe door and demanded admission."
"You shall soothe her and tell her I have come to take her with me toAmerica, where, in the city of New York, I am already a great man withmy people."
"Never! How have you the impudence to place your feet on these steps!How did you come here?"
"I was brought. When Teresa declined to admit me, I decided to waituntil your return, for I knew you were out in the city. I am here. Nowwe will go in together. You shall leave me with Teresa while you takeaway the foreigners and return."
The man spoke as if fully confident that Tortora would comply. Thegondolier seemed hesitating, but suddenly he cried:
"As I must die, I'll not leave you to torture my sister! The Ten willdestroy me, but not until I have killed you, Mullura!"
"He has drawn a knife!" exclaimed Dick, noting as well as possible inthe darkness the movements of Reggio.
"It sure is the real thing now!" said Buckhart.
"Terrible!" groaned Professor Gunn. "Where are the authorities? Itshould be stopped!"
Mullura had watched closely, and now he lost not a second in whippingout his own knife.
"Fool!" he sneered. "You are no match for me! I shall kill you, and savethe Ten a task!"
Tortora held his knife at arm's length toward the sky, as if invokingthe assistance of a higher power. Then he started up the steps.
"Fair play!" cried Dick Merriwell, springing from the gondola. "If wecan't stop this business, Brad, we can see fair play!"
"You bet your boots!" roared the Texan, following promptly.
The professor called to them in the greatest consternation, but they didnot heed his appeals.
Mullura waited for Tortora to come within reach. Being higher up, he hadthe advantage.
Suddenly the gondolier darted to one side and sprang up the steps untilhe was on a level with the other man. Mullura tried to prevent this, buthe was not quick enough. He leaped forward, striking at the gondolier.
Reggio flung up his hand and warded the blow, the knives clinking asthey met and rasping as they parted with a twist.
The gondolier gave the other a swing and then struck under like a flash,but Mullura leaped backward and escaped.
The struggle that followed was of a silent, deadly sort.
Dick and Brad pressed near to watch, but did not try to interferebetween the men.
Suddenly a door was flung open and a fan of light flared out upon thesteps. In the open doorway, holding a lighted candle above her head, wasa girl.
Both Dick and Brad gasped as they saw her, for they were struck with thefact that she was wonderfully beautiful. She was not more thanseventeen, with eyes and hair as dark as deepest midnight. Her featureswere finely molded.
The girl's face was very pale and her lips were parted. She made awonderful picture as she stood there peering out at the fighting men.
The light of the candle enabled the men to see how to get at each other.Mullura cried:
"He forced it on me, Teresa! I do not wish to kill him, but now it ishis life or mine!"
Saying which he crouched at a little distance. He sprang forward on thesteps, made a false thrust with his knife that bore a dark stain, thenplunged beneath the arm Reggio flung up.
It seemed that the gondolier would be cut to death in a moment, but hemade a lucky clutch with his empty hand, and caught the wrist of hisenemy, partly checking and turning the blow. He was wounded slightly.
Baffled in that manner, Mullura had the misfortune to slip on the stepswhile within the reach of Tortora. Before he could recover and savehimself, the latter plunged the knife into his shoulder.
The stricken man broke the hold of the other, but up went one of hisarms, and he reeled down the steps, on which his knife clanged, havingfallen from his hand.
Reggio followed. His back was toward the light, but his manner was thatof one who means to finish a task not yet accomplished.
Mullura tried to rise to his feet. He scrambled up, saw Tortora rightupon him, leaped back, again lost his footing, and, a moment later,plunged with a great splash into the water.
The gondolier followed to the edge of the water, where he crouched,bloody knife in hand, watching for the man he hated to rise to thesurface.
The water was ruffled and broken, but the ripples were caused by the manwho had vanished, and they grew less and less. The head of Mullura didnot rise into view.
"I opine the gent is done for," muttered Brad Buckhart, finding hisvoice at last.
"I believe he is," said Dick, speaking with an effort. "If so, he methis just due."
"Nary dispute to make on that, pard."
There was something of disappointment in Reggio's manner as he rose tohis feet.
"I wished to see him dead," he muttered. "Still, I know he is done, andhe will never touch Teresa with his vile hands."
"I reckon he's gone, all right, Reg," said Brad; "but so is yourgondola. It's disappeared, and Professor Gunn has disappeared with it.Pard, we're kind of left here, I judge."
Already Dick had discovered that the gondola was gone.
With it had vanished the possibility of their immediately leaving theplace by water, as they had reached it.
"We're stranded, Brad," said Dick.
They called to Professor Gunn, but there was no answer.
"Courageous old boy!" muttered the Texan, with a show of anger.
"I don't know that we can blame him much," said Dick, seeking an excuse."He's very nervous, and the spectacle of Reggio and his antagonistfighting like tigers for their lives must have caused him to lose hishead."
"Oh, he's all right," said Brad hastily--"he's all right when he doesn'ttell people how brave he is."
In the meantime Reggio was reassuring his sister, who had seemed quitehorrified by the spectacle of her brother engaged in the deadly strugglewith Nicola Mullura. He placed his arm about her supportingly, speakingsoft words into her ear. She was white, and the candle in her handtrembled violently.
"What can we do, Reggio?" questioned Dick, in very poor Italian. "Theprofessor is gone, and the gondola with him."
"Come in da house," invited the gondolier, abandoning his own tongue forthe time being. "Spik da English-a to me-a. I understand-a heem veramuch-a well."
"But he can't understand your talk, pard," chuckled Buckhart. "That's ahorse on you."
"I suppose we had better accept his invitation. We can't stay out here."
"Sure--we'll accept it," nodded the Texan.
So they followed Reggio and his sister into
the house, the door beingclosed behind them. They mounted some stairs, threaded a passage ofseveral angles, and came to a lighted room.
"Teresa," said Reggio, "I introduce-a you my 'Merican friends. They veryfine-a gentleman."
"Wow!" muttered Brad. "Our gondolier calls us his friends, pard!"
Reggio seemed to catch the meaning of Buckhart's low-spoken words, whichwere not intended for his ears, for he straightened up with an air ofpride, quickly saying:
"You hear me tell-a Nicola Mullura my ancestor they belong-a to daCastellani. Mebbe you no understand-a me? I spik to him in da Italian. Ipoor gondolier now. My family good one. Da blood-a of da gentleman runhere in me-a. I no tell-a it ev'rybody. What da use? I tell-a you now.Da Mullura blood vera bad--vera bad. Da Mullura belong-a to daNicolletti--common class-a. My sist' she fine-a lady."
This was said with considerable effort, and suddenly Dick began tounderstand that this Venetian gondolier really believed himself and hissister of greater distinction than most of the foreigners he rowed aboutthe city in his boat. Indeed, there was something that carried theimpression that Reggio really believed he was unbending and bestowing onthem a favor by permitting them to meet his sister.
"No offense, Reg, old man," said Brad, in his frank, Western way. "I cantell that your sister is an aristocrat by looking at her. You don't haveto explain that any to me. She is all right, and so are you. I certainadmire the way you polished off old Mul, out on the front steps. All thesame, I didn't think you had cooked his hash when you sheathed yourknife in his dirty hide, and it was a surprise for the UnbrandedMaverick of the Rio Pecos when he failed to rise to the surface aftergoing in for that little swim."
"His shoulder," said Reggio; "I strike-a him in da shoulder. He noswim-a."
"Well, it was a right fine job, Reg."
The gondolier now questioned his sister in Italian, and she told him howshe had endured terror while Mullura was outside the door, on which heknocked and knocked, demanding admittance. At first, on hearing hisrapping, she took a candle and crept down to the door, asking who wasthere. He answered, saying it was a friend from her brother; but sherecognized his voice, and fled back to her room, where she remained,praying that the door would not yield until her brother returned. Aftera time he ceased to knock, and she hoped he had departed. Still, knowinghow bitterly he hated Reggio, she feared he was waiting to attack him atthe door, and therefore she had given the danger signal by flashing thelight when she heard her brother's whistle.
Reggio explained how Mullura had attempted to force his attentions uponTeresa. He was a reckless character in Venice at the time, with a veryblack reputation, and the girl had shrunk from him with the greatestaversion.
On discovering that Teresa feared him, the fellow became more and morepersistent in his annoying attentions. At last he insulted her, andthen, burning with fury, Reggio sought the scoundrel, intending to killhim. They fought, but were separated before either had been harmed.
Then and there Mullura swore to obtain possession of Teresa and to killReggio if he lifted a hand to prevent it.
But directly after that the authorities obtained conclusive evidencethat Mullura had been concerned in a number of crimes, the mostdastardly being a cold-blooded murder. The fellow was forced to fleefrom Venice, much to the relief of both Reggio and Teresa. He emigratedto America, but sent back word that some day he would return and secureTeresa, in spite of herself and her brother.
All this was explained in a broken manner to the boys, upon which Bradcried:
"Good riddance to old Nic! You won't have to worry about him any more,Reg. Both you and your sister are safe."
"No, no!" muttered the man, a dark shadow coming to his face. "NicolaMullura gone-a, but I have-a da iron ring-a."
At this Teresa, who understood a little English, gave a cry and caughther brother by the arm. In Italian she plied him with questions. Atfirst he tried to put her off, but his manner added to her alarm, andshe insisted that he should tell her the truth.
"I have-a to tell-a her!" he murmured sadly. "Mebbe bet' tell-a her now.She find-a out prit soon, best I can-a do."
Then he took her in his arms, looking sadly and lovingly down into herupturned face.
"Little sister," he said in soft Italian, "my heart is sore, for it istrue that the Ten have placed the death seal upon me."
She cried out in horror, clutching him and clinging to him.
"No, no, no! Oh, Reggio, my brother, my dear, good brother, why shouldthey do it? It cannot be true!"
"You know, little sister, that a Tortora never stained his hand withcrime. The Ten live and grow fat on the proceeds of crime. Every man whofails to contribute his share of loot at their command is sure in theend to get the iron ring. When that happens, unless he is able to fleefrom Venice at once, he is doomed to die. I have no money. I cannotflee. The ring was tossed at my feet. Within twenty-four hours from thetime it fell there I shall be dead. Poor, little Teresa! What willbecome of you?"
She put her slender arms round him and clung to him with fierceaffection, as if she would in some manner protect him from the blackperil that threatened. Again and again she cried that it could not be,this terrible thing. She drew him down, wound her arms about his neckand kissed him.
"Brad," said Dick, in a husky voice, "we must save Tortora somehow."
"Right you are, partner!" agreed the Texan heartily. "I was thinking ofthat some before getting a look at his sister; and I am thinking it aheap sight more since. However are we going to do it?"
"We must get him out of Venice before the blow is struck by the TerribleTen."
"Or take to the warpath and chaw up the Terrible Ten. That would suit mea heap better."
"That's out of the question. The only way is to smuggle Reggio out ofVenice. I have a way. The fishing boats! They start out for the fishinggrounds of the open sea before daybreak. We must find a man who, for asufficient bribe, will hide Reggio aboard his boat, take him out of thecity, and keep him until we can get along with a little steamer. It willcost a lot of money, but what is money when a human life is in thebalance!"
Reggio had been listening to Dick's words. He now put his sister gentlyaside, turning to the boy, placed his hands on Merriwell's shoulders,and spoke with deep feeling:
"A thousand times I thank-a you, my frien'! You good-a, kind-a! No useto try. No do-a it."
"Why not?"
The gondolier explained that in all Venice there was not one fishermanwho would dare smuggle him away on learning that he had been condemnedby the Ten, and had been given the iron ring. The man who did it wouldbe assassinated in less than a day and a night after his return to thecity.
"But why tell him that you have received the ring?" asked Dick.
For a moment Reggio's face brightened, and then the shadow returned andsettled upon it.
"Would you hav-a me getta poor feesh'man killed?" he asked. "That whatcome-a to him. You gent'man-a. You save-a me from da Ten, but you gittada in'cent man-a kill."
"Well, that sure takes the prize!" muttered Brad. "I'll never say againthat a dago has no sense of real honor and justice. How many men wouldthink of that? What would they care? To escape they would be willing tosacrifice a dozen innocent men. Pard, it sure is a whole lot amazing!"
Dick agreed that it was. Then he talked earnestly with Reggio, seekingto discover or invent some plan by which the escape could be contrived.
The gondolier insisted that all efforts were useless. Never had any manplaced beneath the ban of the Ten escaped. He seemed to think the powerof the Ten was almost infinite. In the old days the Council of Ten hadpossessed unlimited power, but even the original council, it seemed, hadnot been more dreaded than were the Ten of modern times.
At last Reggio said:
"You want-a do somet'ing for me-a? Good! You have-a da mon'. Youhonorable gent'man-a. See my little sister? I leave-a her all 'lone inda worl'. You take-a her to 'Merica? Over dere, in da cit' of New York-alive one Antonio Melino. He know-a me--know-a
my father--know-a my sister.You take-a her to him; he take-a care of her. What you say to dat?"
"It shall be done!" cried Dick.
Then, of a sudden, came a loud hammering on the door at the foot of thestairs, heavy blows that resounded crashingly through that part of thebuilding.
"They have come!" said Reggio, in Italian.