which threw its ball so well; and if that did not
restore her courage, he pointed to a crow, perched on some dead branch,
took aim, touched the trigger, and the bird fell dead at the foot of the
tree. Time passed on, and the two young people had agreed to be married
when Vampa should be twenty and Teresa nineteen years of age. They were
both orphans, and had only their employers' leave to ask, which had been
already sought and obtained. One day when they were talking over their
plans for the future, they heard two or three reports of firearms,
and then suddenly a man came out of the wood, near which the two young
persons used to graze their flocks, and hurried towards them. When he
came within hearing, he exclaimed. 'I am pursued; can you conceal me?'
They knew full well that this fugitive must be a bandit; but there is an
innate sympathy between the Roman brigand and the Roman peasant and the
latter is always ready to aid the former. Vampa, without saying a word,
hastened to the stone that closed up the entrance to their grotto, drew
it away, made a sign to the fugitive to take refuge there, in a retreat
unknown to every one, closed the stone upon him, and then went and
resumed his seat by Teresa. Instantly afterwards four carbineers, on
horseback, appeared on the edge of the wood; three of them appeared to
be looking for the fugitive, while the fourth dragged a brigand prisoner
by the neck. The three carbineers looked about carefully on every side,
saw the young peasants, and galloping up, began to question them. They
had seen no one. 'That is very annoying,' said the brigadier; for the
man we are looking for is the chief.'--'Cucumetto?' cried Luigi and
Teresa at the same moment.

"'Yes,' replied the brigadier; 'and as his head is valued at a thousand
Roman crowns, there would have been five hundred for you, if you had
helped us to catch him.' The two young persons exchanged looks. The
brigadier had a moment's hope. Five hundred Roman crowns are three
thousand lire, and three thousand lire are a fortune for two poor
orphans who are going to be married.

"'Yes, it is very annoying,' said Vampa; 'but we have not seen him.'

"Then the carbineers scoured the country in different directions, but
in vain; then, after a time, they disappeared. Vampa then removed the
stone, and Cucumetto came out. Through the crevices in the granite he
had seen the two young peasants talking with the carbineers, and guessed
the subject of