plied firmly. "The order may come
too late, as it did before. What do those boys who swagger about in
men's places know about the enemy? There is not one that can remember
them. But I, old Nana, have known them and their ways, and I say we
must go at once."

Lucia looked at the new light of determination in her grandmother's
eyes, and realized with a shock of surprise that to protest would be
useless.

"Where is Beppi?" she asked. "I will go and find him."

"With the goats," Nana replied. "Call him, I will go in and start
packing."

Lucia ran around the house and off to the sunny slope where she had
left Beppi a few hours before. She saw the flock of goats grazing, and
called, "Beppino mio, where are you?"

No one answered her. She hurried on, believing him to have fallen
asleep.

"Beppi!" she shouted, "I have something exciting to tell you. Stop
hiding from me."

She waited, but still no answer came.

In a sudden frenzy of fear she began running aimlessly up and down the
hillside, and looking down into the tall grasses, but there was no sign
of Beppi. There were no trees or houses in sight, no place that he
could hide behind, nearer than the mountain path at the foot of the
valley.

Lucia looked about her despairingly, then she went over to the goats.
Garibaldi was not there.

"She has strayed away, and Beppi has gone after her," she said aloud in
relief, and returned to the cottage.

Nana nodded when she explained. She was busy tying up the household
treasures in sheets, and Lucia helped her.

Every few minutes she would go to the door and call, but Beppi did not
reply. The afternoon wore on slowly and a bank of rain clouds hid the
sun. Lucia's confidence gave way to her first feeling of terror, and
Nana was growing impatient.

"Where can he be?" Lucia exclaimed. "I am frightened, he has been gone
so long."

Nana shook her head. "He was off after the soldiers, I suppose," she
replied. "He is always disobeying--no good will come to him and his
naughty ways."

Lucia's eyes flashed.

"He is not naughty," she protested angrily, "and he may be lost this
very minute. Anyway I am going to find him and I am not coming home
until I do. If you are afraid to stay here go to Maria, she and aunt
will look after you, and when I find Beppi I will meet you there."

Nana Rudini protested excitedly, but Lucia did not wait to hear what
she said. She ran out of the house and down the road towar