segars, walked up to the Pianillo, where the
rising moon gave them a splendid view of the Campagna and
mountain-bounded horizon. Thus ended their first day in Segni, and their
first Sunday in the Campagna.

LA TRIGLIA.

The sickles were flashing in the sunlight, felling the ripened wheat in
the valley, when our three artists, having previously arranged the
matter with a certain Segnian named Bruno, stood one morning early,
waiting his appearance with horses, to carry them down the mountain to a
farm belonging to Prince Doria, called the Piombinara. There they were
going to see a _triglia_ or threshing of wheat with horses.

'Here he comes,' said Caper, 'with a piebald horse and a bay mare and an
iron-gray mule. Let's toss up for a choice.'

The mule fell to Caper: mounting him gayly, and calling to the others to
follow, he led the way with their guide down the steep street of the
town until they reached the road outside of the gate, when the others
coming up, the party ambled along down the mountain road. In about an
hour they reached the plain, and fifteen minutes more brought them to
the old, ivy-covered, ruined fortress of the middle ages, called the
Piombinara: passing this, they soon reached an open field, in the centre
of which, near a small cabin, they found quite a number of harvesters
engaged piling up sheaves of wheat in a circle on a spot of ground
previously leveled and hardened until it presented a surface as even as
a barn-floor.

While they were inquiring of the harvesters as to the time when the
threshing would commence, a fine-looking man, mounted on a fiery,
full-blooded chestnut horse, rode up, and politely saluting the three
artists, inquired of them if they were not desirous of seeing the
_triglia_.

Rocjean answered that it was for that purpose they had come there,
having learned in Segni that the horses would begin the threshing that
morning.

The horseman then introduced himself as Prince Doria's agent for the
Piombinara and farmer of the estate, and gave them a warm welcome; being
very glad, he said, that the _triglia_ would not begin until the
afternoon, since he hoped it would give him in the mean time the
pleasure of showing them the estate, and extending the rough hospitality
of the Campagna to them.

Our artists, acknowledging his politeness, accepted the invitation of
Signor Ercole, as he was generally called, and upon his proposing a ride
around the estate, accompanied him.