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Updated: May 18, 2025
An thou wilt not, needs must I take him here and for that I mean not to let this affront go unpunished, I will play him such a turn that neither thou nor he shall ever again be glad. The lady, hearing this and believing what Zeppa said, after many affirmations made her of him, replied, 'Zeppa mine, since this vengeance is to fall on me, I am content, so but thou wilt contrive, notwithstanding what we are to do, that I may abide at peace with thy wife, even as I intend to abide with her, notwithstanding this that she hath done to me. 'Assuredly, rejoined Zeppa, 'I will do it; and to boot, I will give thee a precious and fine jewel as none other thou hast. So saying, he embraced her; then, laying her flat on the chest, there to his heart's content, he solaced himself with her, and she with him.
But on her bulwarks at the bow and on the heel of the bowsprit was gathered a group that well deserves notice, for there, foremost of all, and towering above the others, stood Antonio Zeppa, holding on to a forestay, and gazing with intensity and fixedness at the speck of land which had just been sighted.
When the first shriek ran among the cliffs, it seemed to startle the maniac out of the depressing lethargy under which he had laboured so long. He sprang up and listened, with dilated eyes and partly open mouth. Again and again the shrieks rang out, and were echoed from cliff to cliff. As a tigress bounds to the rescue of her young, so sprang Zeppa down the hillside in the direction of the cries.
"Slay me, in God's name, kill me at once, Zeppa," he gasped, "and put me out of torment." "Poor man! poor Rosco!" returned the madman in a gentle voice, "I thought to have punished thee, but God wills it otherwise." He said no more, but rose hastily and went into the bush. Returning in a few moments with a bundle of herbs, he gathered some sticks and kindled a fire.
"I will do my best to avoid that fate," returned Rosco, with a touch of sarcasm. "Ho! lads! come down." Three powerful seamen, who had stood at the hatchway awaiting the summons, descended, and at once laid hold of Zeppa. To their surprise, he made no resistance. To every one but the captain he behaved liked a lamb.
It would have been more merciful than leaving me to die of hunger here." "Are you prepared to die now?" "Yes, but for God's sake give me something to eat first. After that I care not what you do to me." "Miserable man, death is sufficient for you. I have neither command nor desire to torture. You shall have food immediately." So saying, Zeppa re-entered the bush.
True, they did not fall into the mistake of supposing that Rosco was the awful giant who had chased and belaboured them so unmercifully with a long stake, but they at once concluded that he was a comrade of Zeppa perhaps one of a band who had joined their foes. Besides, whether he were a comrade or not was a matter of small moment.
Sufficient for them that his face was white, that he belonged to a race which, in the person of Zeppa, had wrought them evil, and that he was now in their power. Of course, the Raturans had not during all these years, remained in ignorance of the existence of Zeppa.
Having been placed in the bottom of the boat alongside, with his hands still bound, they shoved off, and Rosco, taking the tiller, steered for the little creek. The instant the keel touched the land two of the men jumped out and hauled the boat ashore. The others assisted Zeppa to land. They led him to a grassy bank, and bade him sit down.
But Spinelloccio, coming forth of the chest, said, without more parley, 'Zeppa, we are quits; wherefore it is well, as thou saidst but now to my wife, that we be still friends as we were, and that, since there is nothing unshared between us two but our wives, we have these also in common. Zeppa was content and they all four dined together in the utmost possible harmony; and thenceforward each of the two ladies had two husbands and each of the latter two wives, without ever having any strife or grudge anent the matter."
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