ts jerkily.

"Go on!" the Italian's eyes flashed.

"The beggar gave the Austrians a paper, and they left with it and
climbed up into the mountains across the river. I could not follow
without being seen, and when I tried to find the beggar he had
disappeared. The river runs right under the wall."

"Oh, look!" She stopped abruptly and put her hand over her eyes.

A great cloud of fire followed a terrific report, and from the distance
of the hill it looked as if the whole town of Cellino was in flames.

The Italian snatched a field glass that lay on the ground beside the
wounded man, and put it to his eyes. Then without a word he dashed
off. Lucia followed him. A giant tree grew between two huge rocks a
little further up the mountain, and the Italian climbed up it.

Lucia watched him, and for the first time she noticed that several
wires were strung along and ended high up in its branches. She heard
the Italian calling some directions, and knew that a telephone must be
hidden somewhere in the tree. She could make nothing of the orders;
they were mostly numbers, and she waited impatiently until he returned
to her.

"Stay here," he said quickly, "and lie down flat--don't move. The
Austrians are advancing on the other side of the river, and Cellino
will fall if the bridge is not blown up."

"But who can get to it?" Lucia demanded.

"I can; it is mined. If I can reach it we may drive them back."

He did not wait to say more.

Lucia watched him impatiently as he stumbled and slid clumsily down the
rough trail below her. The shells were coming nearer and nearer, and
the air was filled with brilliant fire.

She watched the man every second, afraid to lose track of him. At the
base of the rock he fell. She caught her breath and shouted aloud when
he picked himself up and stumbled on. He reached the road and was just
starting across the little path that led to the river, when a shell
exploded so near him that the smoke hid him completely from view.

CHAPTER IX

THE BRIDGE

It was several minutes before Lucia saw him again; he was lying flat, a
little to one side of the road, and he was very still. She waited,
hoping against hope to see him move, and fighting against the horrible
thought that filled her mind.

"He is dead," she exclaimed, terrified, "and they are moving; and the
bridge!"

Without another thought she got up and very carefully started down the
descent, her mind concentrated