road that led south a great
stream of people carrying every size of bundles, was hurrying along.
Lucia recognized some of them, but the faces she most longed to see
were not there.

She turned away, for the sight seemed to drain all her courage, and she
longed to run after them, but the memory of that moving mass of
soldiers made her true to her trust, and she hurried through the
convent, calling for aid.

At the farthest door she discovered several of the sisters hurrying
about and trying to clear the big ward filled with wounded soldiers.
They had been brought in that morning, and some of them were very ill
indeed. The sisters were carrying them out on improvised stretchers.
Those who were able to stand up staggered along as best they could by
themselves. Lucia saw one boy leaning heavily against the door, and
ran to him.

"Roderigo Vicello!" she exclaimed, when she looked up at him.

Roderigo swayed and would have fallen if she had not supported him.

"I can not go," he said weakly. "I am too tired, and I want to go. I
have watched her out of sight, but I am too tired to follow."

Lucia looked at him intently. It seemed to her impossible that a man,
and a soldier, could bother to think of a girl at such a time. She
took his arm firmly and shook him.

"Do you know how to blow up a bridge that is mined?" she demanded
excitedly.

"Yes, pull out the pin," Roderigo replied, "if it is a time fuse," he
spoke slowly and painstakingly.

"Pin?" Lucia exclaimed impatiently, "I don't understand, you will have
to come. Listen, the Austrians are just a little way off across the
river, they must not cross the bridge."

Roderigo was alert at once. The light came back into his eyes and his
body stiffened.

"What are you saying?" he demanded. "Do you mean, they are coming from
that side?"

"Yes," Lucia exclaimed, "there is no time to spare; hurry, I will help
you."

She put her strong, young arm about his waist, and by leaning most of
his weight on her shoulder he managed to crawl along. Lucia was half
crazy with impatience, but she suited her step to his, and helped him
all she could.

At last they reached the lower door. She opened it hurriedly and the
bridge was in sight, but so were the Austrians. They were so near that
what had seemed one solid mass now resolved itself into individual
shapes. To Lucia it seemed as if a great sea of men were rushing down
upon them.

The exertion from the walk mad