CHAPTER VI.

by Alexandre Dumas

　　ALTHOUGH it was only the beginning of the month of March the weatherwas beautiful, and we should have said that it was hot, had it notbeen for a refreshing breeze which carried with it a savour of thesea.The moon was rising brilliantly behind Mount Cagna, and the cascadesof light were falling upon the southern slope which separates Corsicainto two parts, and in a measure forms two different nations, whichare always at war, or at least, detest one another heartily.As we mounted we could see the gorge in which the Tavaro was buried inprofound darkness, impossible to penetrate, but we could view the calmMediterranean, like a vast steel mirror extending into the horizon.There are certain noises one hears only at night, for during the daythey are overcome by other sounds, or it may be they awake only withthe darkness, and these produced not upon Lucien, who was familiarwith them, but upon me, who was a stranger to them, curious sensationsof surprise, and awoke in me a powerful interest in all that I saw.When we reached the place where the path united with another--onegoing up the mountain direct, and the other to the right, Lucienturned to me and said--"Are you anything of a mountaineer?""Yes, a little, as far as walking goes.""You are likely to get giddy, then.""I am afraid so. The precipice has an irresistible attraction for me.""Then we had better take this foot-path where there are no precipices,but merely rough walking.""I am quite equal to that.""Very well, then, we have three-quarters of an hour's walk before us.""Let us take the path."Lucien then went first, and crossed through a little oak wood, intowhich I followed him.Diamond trotted fifty or sixty paces away, beating right and left, andoccasionally coming back to us, wagging his tail as much as to informus that we might trust to him and continue our route in safety.I saw that as some people like to possess a horse, equally for ridingor driving, so Diamond had apparently been trained to hunt the bipedor the quadruped, the bandit or the boar. I did not wish to appearaltogether strange to Corsican manners, so I said as much to Lucien."You are mistaken," he replied; "Diamond is very useful in hunting menor animals, but he never chases bandits. It is the triple red of thegendarmes, the voltigeur, and the volunteer that he hunts.""Then I suppose Diamond is a bandit's dog?""He is. He belongs to an Orlandi, to whom I sometimes used to send himinto the country with bread, powder, bullets, or whatever he required.He was shot by a Colona, and the next day the dog came to me, forbeing accustomed to come to the house, he looked upon me as a friend.""But," I said, "I fancied I saw another dog at your house.""Yes, that is Brucso, he possesses the same qualities as Diamond, onlyhe came to me from a Colona who was killed by an Orlandi, and so whenI pay a visit to a Colona I take Brucso, but when I have business withan Orlandi I take Diamond. If I were to make a mistake and loose themboth together they would kill each other. So," continued Lucien, witha bitter smile, "men can make it up, and will receive the sacramenttogether; the dogs will never eat from the same platter.""Well," I said, laughing; "here are two regular Corsican dogs, but itseems to me that Diamond, like all other modest creatures, has goneout of earshot while we are speaking of him. I am afraid he has missedus.""Oh, do not be alarmed," said Lucien, "I know where he is.""May I inquire where?""He is at the Mucchio."I was about to hazard another question, even at the risk of tiring mycompanion, when a long howl was heard, so lamentable, so sad, and soprolonged, that I shivered and stopped."What can that be?" I said."Nothing, it is only Diamond crying.""What is he crying for?""His master. Do you not know that dogs do not forget those they haveloved?""Ah, I understand," I said, as another prolonged howl rose through thenight."Yes," I continued, "his master was shot, you say, and I suppose weare approaching the place where he was killed?""Just so, and Diamond has left us to go to Mucchio.""That is where the man's tomb is?""Yes, that is to say, the monument which passers-by have raised to hismemory, in the form of a cairn; so it follows that the tomb of thevictim gradually grows larger, a symbol of the increasing vengeance ofhis relations."Another long howl from Diamond's throat made me shudder again, thoughI was perfectly well aware of the cause of the noise.At the next turn of the path we came upon the wayside tomb or cairn. Aheap of stones formed a pyramid of four or five feet in height.At the foot of this strange monument Diamond was lying with extendedneck and open mouth. Lucien picked up a stone, and taking off his capapproached the mucchio.I did the same, following his example closely.When he had come close to the pyramid he broke a branch from a youngoak and threw, first, the stone and then the branch upon the heap. Herapidly made the sign of the cross.I imitated him exactly, and we resumed our route in silence, butDiamond remained behind.About ten minutes afterwards we heard another dismal howling, and thenalmost immediately Diamond passed us, head and tail drooping, to apoint about a hundred paces in front, when he suddenly resumed hishunting.