same determination that had
resulted in her blowing up the bridge, she added to herself:

"He shall not die!"

CHAPTER X

GARIBALDI, STRETCHER-BEARER

The long night set in, and the soldier, wearied from his long wait,
dropped to sleep in spite of the noise. Lucia's tired little body
rested, but her eyes never relaxed their watch in the darkness.

The fire kept up steadily, and at irregular intervals a star-shell
would illuminate the high mountains. Towards midnight there was an
extra loud explosion, and once more the terrifying flames seemed to
encircle Cellino.

Lucia wondered dully what had been struck. The church was gone, and
she supposed this was the town hall. It looked too near, as far as she
could judge, for the convent.

Her ears were becoming accustomed to the sound, and she thought the
fire from both sides was being concentrated towards the south. The
shells near them lessened, and at last stopped. Before dawn the
Italian stirred, and called out in his sleep.

Lucia spoke to him, but he did not answer; he was so exhausted that he
was soon unconscious again.

Lucia watched the east, and tried to imagine Beppi safe and sound in a
town far away from this terrible din, but she could be sure of nothing.
She remembered Roderigo's words, 'She is safe,' and knew that he must
have meant Maria. Surely Beppi and Nana were with her and Aunt Rudini;
it could not be otherwise.

With a guilty start she remembered Garibaldi. Where was she, and what
had become of her in all the terrors of yesterday? Lucia could not
remember having noticed her after she left the footbridge. Was she
safe in the mountains, or lying dead in a shell hole?

"My Garibaldi, poor little one, she would not understand, and she will
think I neglected her."

Tears of pity and weariness stung Lucia's cheeks. The thought of her
little goat, suffering and neglected, seemed to be more than she could
bear. She buried her head in her arm and cried softly. The tears were
a relief to her, and long after she had stopped sobbing they trickled
down her cheeks.

She fell into a light doze now that her watch was so nearly ended, and
did not waken until the east was streaked with gray. She might not
have awakened then, had it not been for a cold, wet nose burrowing in
her neck, and a plaintive, "Naa, Naa!"

She sat up suddenly to discover Garibaldi, covered with mud from her
ears to her tail, looking very woe-begone, standing bes