anything of Garibaldi
and his men?"

Giuseppe stood quite still, but replied not a word. The officer drew
his sword and threatened him with instant death, yet still he would not
speak. But poor Lucia could not see her brother murdered; she flung
herself between him and the officer, crying out, "Yes, we _did_ see
him; but please don't hurt him, or any of his brave soldiers."

[Illustration: Giuseppe and Lucia]

The Austrian laughed a cruel sort of a laugh, and asked, "Which way did
they go?"

Poor Lucia could not say any more for sobbing, but pointed with her
hand up the road,--never in her innocence thinking of misleading him.
It was enough; in another moment he was leading on his men, with the
hope of soon surprising and destroying the Italians.

When they were out of hearing, Giuseppe flung himself on the ground,
crying bitterly. "Ah, little Lucia," he said, "how could you betray
our General, the hope of Italy? Why did you not let the Austrian kill
me?"

"O brother, brother," replied the child, weeping, "how _could_ I let
him? I love _you_ better even than Garibaldi; besides, he is such a
great fighter, may be he will kill them all."

"No, no," groaned the poor lad, "they are too many for him, if they
take him by surprise."

Suddenly he sprang up, his face looking all bright and eager, and said,
"Little sister, now you have done our General so much mischief, are you
brave enough to try to save him?"

"Why, what can such a little thing as I do?"

"I will tell you. You can stay here with the pipes and marionettes,
while I run over the mountain by a little path,--a cross-cut I
know,--and warn Garibaldi that the Austrians are after him. I will be
back by midnight, I hope, but you must stay here till I come; there
will be moonlight, and it will not be cold. Dare you stay alone?"

"Yes," answered Lucia, firmly, though turning quite pale; "the blessed
Mother of our Lord will watch over me, and may be our mother will come
with her. I think she 's a saint; I am sure she ought to be made one."

With a tender kiss on the lips of his heroic little sister, Giuseppe
sprang away and soon disappeared over a ridge of the mountain. After
some narrow escapes in pursuing his perilous path along precipices and
over torrents, he reached Mancini in time not only to warn Garibaldi,
but to allow him to march back through a deep ravine and intercept the
Austrians. Taken by surprise, and in the dim evening light mista