colouredcostumeschafferingovertheirproduce。Ilookedabovethemtothetallcampanileofthechurchwhichfilledonesideofthesquare。Irecededastepandadjustedmygunontheledgeofthewindowtomysatisfaction。Ithenlookeddownthestreetinwhichtheprisonwassituated，andwhichdebouchedonthesquare，andawaitedevents。AttenminutespasttenIsawthesoldiersatthedooroftheprisonformup，andthenIknewthatthetwentyprisonersofwhomtheyformedtheescortwerestarting;butthemomenttheybegantomoveI
firedatthebigbellinthecampanile，whichrespondedwithaloudclang。Allthepeopleinthesquarelookedup。Astheprisonersenteredthesquare，whichtheyhadbeguntocrossinitswholebreadth，Ifiredagainandagain。Thebellbangedtwice，andthepeoplebegantobuzzabout。\"Now，\"Ithought，\"Imustlettheoldbellhaveit。\"Bythetimefivemoreballshadstruckthebellwitharesoundingdinthewholesquarewasincommotion。Amiraclewasevidentlyinprogressorthecampanilewasbewitched。Peoplebegantorunhitherandthither;allthesoldiersformingtheescortgapedopen-mouthedatthesteepleastheclangourcontinued。AssoonasthelastshothadbeenfiredIlookeddownintothesquareandsawallthis，andIsawthattheprisonerswereattemptingtoescape，andinmorethanoneinstancehadsucceeded，forthesoldiersbegantoscatterinpursuit，andthecountrypeopletoformthemselvesintoimpedingcrowdsasthoughbyaccident;butnowherecouldIseeValeria。WhenIwasquitesureshehadescapedIwentdownandjoinedthecrowd。Isawthreeprisonerscapturedandbroughtback，andwhenI
askedtheofficerincommandhowmanyhadescapedhesaidthree——
Croppo’swife，thepriest，andanother。
WhenImetmycavalryfriendsatdinnerthateveningitwasamusingtohearthemspeculateupontheremarkableoccurrencewhichhad，infact，upsetthewitsofthewholetown。Priestsandvergersandsacristanshadvisitedthecampanile，andoneofthemhadbroughtawayaflattenedpieceoflead，whichlookedasifitmighthavebeenabullet;butthesuggestionthateightbulletscouldhavehitthebellinsuccessionwithoutanybodyhearingasoundwastreatedwithridicule。Ibelievethebellwassubsequentlyexorcisedwithholywater。Iwasafraidtoremainwiththeregimentwithmyair-gunafterthis，lestsomeoneshoulddiscoveritandunravelthemystery;