I'll wager that bullet isn't far from his heart--a right and
left! Ah! I'll never talk about shooting again. Two with two shots, and
bullets at that! The two brothers! If he'd had a third shot he'd have
killed their papa. Better luck next time. What a shot! Ors' Anton'! And
to think that an honest poor chap like me will never get the chance of a
right and a left two gendarmes!"
As he talked the bandit was scanning Orso's arm, and splitting up his
sleeve with his dagger.
"This is nothing," said he. "But this coat of yours will give Signorina
Colomba work to do. Ha! what's this I see? this gash upon your chest?
Nothing went in there, surely? No! you wouldn't be so brisk as you are!
Come, try to move your finger. Do you feel my teeth when I bite your
little finger? Not very well? Never mind! It won't be much. Let me take
your handkerchief and your neckcloth. Well, your coat's spoilt, anyhow!
What the devil did you make yourself so smart for? Were you going to
a wedding? There! drink a drop of wine. Why on earth don't you carry a
flask? Does any Corsican ever go out without a flask?"
Then again he broke off the dressing of the wound to exclaim:
"A right and left! Both of them stone dead! How the Padre will laugh! A
right and left! Oh, here's that little dawdle Chilina at last!"
Orso made no reply--he was as pale as death and shaking in every limb.
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