[Great sensation among the bandits at the formidable arms of American marines.]

[What the Senator said.]

"Look at me. There are six. I will take two; each of you take one--the man on your right, remember. As d.i.c.k, in singing, comes to that word, each of you go at your man. b.u.t.tons, you hear, of course."

[_Club_.--"Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!"]

[What b.u.t.tons said he said.]

"They think in town that he is the Devil, because he has killed seven men in duels since he came, and has never been wounded. People don't know the great American invention, worn next the skin, which makes the body impervious to bullets."

[_Captain_, sneering.--"I don't believe it."

Bandit No. 3.--"I don't know. They invented the revolver. If only I had one."]

[What the Senator said.]

"Boys, arrange to your minds what to do. Grab the gun, and put your man down backward. I'm almost ashamed of the game, it's so easy. Look at these b.o.o.bies by me. They are like children. No muscle. The fellows at the end won't dare to shoot for fear of wounding their own man."

[_Club_.--"Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!"]

[What b.u.t.tons said he said.]

"He's made up his mind to go and take part in the war in Lombardy.

He will raise a band of Americans, all clothed in the great shot-proof shirt, and armed with revolvers like ours, that shoot twelve times, and have bullets like bomb-sh.e.l.ls, that burst inside of a man and blow him to pieces."

_Captain_, coldly,--"That crow didn't blow up."

_b.u.t.tons_.--"Oh yes it did. It was dark, and you didn't notice.

Go get it to-morrow, examine it, and you will find traces of the exploded sh.e.l.l."

_Bandit No. 4_.--"Santa Maria! What lies this giant tells his friends!

and they all laugh. They don't believe him."

_Bandit No. 3_. "Well, that revolver is enough for me; and they all have them."

The above conversation was all carried on very rapidly, and did not take up much time.

At once the Club proceeded to carry out the Senator's plan. First they talked nonsense, and roared and laughed, and perfected their plan, and thus pa.s.sed about ten minutes. Then b.u.t.tons asked the Italians if they wished more music.

"Answer, gallant Captain of these Kings of the Road. Will you hear our foreign songs?"

"Most gladly," said the gallant Captain. "There will yet be time before we get our supper."

A sinister gleam in his eye as he said this about the supper did not escape the notice of b.u.t.tons. Thereupon he handed the guitar to d.i.c.k, and the latter began to sing once more the strains of "Ole Virginny."

The Italians showed the same delight, and joined in a roaring chorus.

Even the men by the door stood yelling or whistling as d.i.c.k sang.

Lastly, d.i.c.k struck up the final song. The hour had come!

"Yankee Doodle came to town To buy himself a pony, Stuck a feather in his hat And called it--_Maccaroni_!"

As the song began each man had quietly braced himself for one grand effort. At the sound of the last word the effect was tremendous.

The Senator threw his mighty arms round the Captain and the other bandit. They were both small men, as indeed Italians are generally, and beside his colossal frame they were like boys to a grown man. He held them as if a vice, and grasping their hands, twisted them back till their guns fell from their grasp. As he hurled the affrighted ruffians to the floor, the guns crashed on the stone pavement, one of them exploding in its fall. He then by sheer strength jerked the Captain over on his face, and threw the other man on him face downward. This done he sat on them, and turned to see what the others were doing.

b.u.t.tons had darted at No. 5 who was on his right, seized his gun and thrown him backward. He was holding him down now while the fellow was roaring for help.

d.i.c.k had done about the same thing, but had not yet obtained possession of the gun. He was holding the Doctor's pistol to the bandit's head, and telling him in choice Italian to drop his gun, or he would send him out of the world with twelve bullets.

The Doctor was all right. He was calmly seated on Bandit No. 3, with one hand holding the bandit's gun pointed toward the door, and the other grasping the ruffian's throat in a death like clutch. The man's face was black, and he did not move.

Mr. Figgs had not been so successful. Being fat, he had not been quick enough. He was holding the bandit's gun, and aiming blows at his face.

"Doctor," said the Senator, "your man's all right. Give it to Figgs's man."

The Doctor sprang up, seized Figgs's man by throat, just as he staggered back, and brought him down.

The whole thing had been done in an incredibly short time. The robbers had been taken by complete surprise. In strength they were far inferior to their a.s.sailants. Attacked as they were so unexpectedly the success of the Americans was not very wonderful.

The uproar was tremendous. The women were most noisy. At first all were paralyzed. Then wild shrieks rang through the hall. They yelled, they shouted, they wrung their hands.

The four bandits at the end of the hall stood for a moment horror-struck. Then they raised their guns. But they dared not fire.

They might shoot their own men. Suddenly d.i.c.k, who had got the gun which he wished, looked at the door, and seeing the guns levelled he fired the revolver. A loud scream followed. One of the men fell.

The women rushed to take care of him. The other three ran off.

"Doctor," said the Senator, "have you a rope? Tie that man's hands behind him."

The Doctor took his handkerchief, twisted it, and tied the man's hands as neatly and as firmly as though they were in handcuffs. He then went to b.u.t.tons, got a handkerchief from him, and tied up his man in the same way. Then d.i.c.k's man was bound. At that moment a bullet fired through one of the windows grazed the head of Mr. Figgs.

"d.i.c.k," said the Senator, "go out and keep guard."

d.i.c.k at once obeyed. The women screamed and ran as he came along.

Then the two men whom the Senator had captured were bound. After a while some pieces of rope and leather straps were found by b.u.t.tons.

With these all the bandits were secured more firmly. The men whom the Senator had captured were almost lifeless from the tremendous weight of his manly form. They made their captives squat down in one corner, while the others possessed themselves of their guns and watched them.

The wretches looked frightened out of their wits. They were Neapolitans and peasants, weak, feeble, nerveless.

"It's nothing to boast of," said the Senator, contemptuously, as he looked at the slight figures. "They're a poor lot--small, no muscle, no spirit, no nothing."

The poor wretches now began to whine and cry.

"Oh, Signore," they cried, appealing to b.u.t.tons. "Spare our lives!"