AUTHOR ATTACKED BY SBIRRI.

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afterwards attended at the ffite at San Leucio , returned tomy supper and buggy bed, and next morning, after break-fasting on provoli, ova di buffalo, ^.nd coffee, I determined towalk back to Naples, instead of returning to the silk factoryof La Fragola.

The distance from Caserta to Naples is eighteen Englishmiles,—the weather very hot,—the road dusty and dazzlingwhite. Such could not be called a walk of pleasure. ButI was always prone to extravagant feats of exercise, andviolent exertions. About mid-day, when more than threeparts of my way, feeling rather oppressed by the heatand dust, I crept into the shady shelter of a pile of planksset up to dry, by the road side, and fell asleep. I sleptabout an hour, and when about to make my exit from tirenook, I spied one of those cursed yellow thieves I had sonarrowly escaped from the day before, peeping at me fromthe road, just as we often see a cat looking at a sparrow.Without seeming to notice him, I slowly rose, and privatelycocking both barrels of my pistol, which I placed ready inmy breast-pocket, I proceeded onward, apparently, thoughnot really, unconcerned. The sbirro, who had retired somefifty paces from me, was standing on a little bridge whichcarried the road across a brook. Partly from thirst, andpartly through bravado, I first drank of the limpid water, andthen proceeded across the bridge on which the sbirro stood.He now suddenly got before me, and more in a tone of demandthan of request, asked me for “ something to drink.”Being very loath to yield to such a tone, I made reply, thatI had no change, and bid him, if he were thirsty, follow theexample I had given him, by drinking of the stream athand. “ Change! change!”—cried the myrmidon—“ nevermind change, give me something. I am placed here toguard, and have a right to demand a compliment frompassers-by, and you must pay me.” While uttering these