and knowing that the heavily laden boats would
not live in any kind of rough weather, he warned them and begged
them to go ashore; but very few heeded him. Scarcely had he landed when
an Italian officer rushed in to where he was undressing, excitedly
shouting:

"Oh, go back. Go back. They are drowning out there."

As quickly as possible, Paul returned to the lake and saw that one of
the boats had swamped. The three men who occupied it were drowned and
could not be found. The accident put a damper on the festivities of the
day. The bands of music were hushed and much sorrow expressed for the
unfortunates. The Syndaco, however, invited Boyton to a dinner, and they
were enjoying themselves very well, considering the circumstances,
when a delegation of the people called and made the statement that a
majority of the crowd was dissatisfied. Many were from a great
distance, and demanded to see L'uomo Pesce, a name they had given to
Boyton, meaning "Man Fish." Some of the leading men of the town advised
Paul that it would be better for him to give some kind of an
entertainment, otherwise there might be a riot. So much against his
will, he went out and gave an exhibition, before the bodies of the poor
fellows were recovered. The mountaineers were satisfied, however, and
went to their homes with all sorts of ideas of the "Man Fish." That
night after sundown, the bodies were found and the weird cries of the
relatives rang dismally through the streets until morning.

Next day Paul and his agent remained over to pay their last respects and
attend the funeral. They witnessed the peculiar ceremonies of the
Misericordia, a society that has for its object the burial of the dead.
They wear long, white robes, covering their entire person, with holes
cut for the eyes, nose and mouth. They formed a grim looking procession,
and as they turned those expressionless faces toward one, they sent a
cold shiver down the spine. Regardless of this uncanny feeling, Boyton
and his friend followed the procession into the church and by so doing,
gained the good will of the villagers, who assured them that they were
in no way to blame for the accident. The entire receipts of the
entertainment, with a liberal addition, were presented to the families
of the drowned men.

CHAPTER XIV.

Exhibitions followed in Milan, Turin, Genoa and other cities of northern
Italy, then the travelers passed into France, to th