rses dashed on at a furious gallop.

[Illustration: Dick In His Glory.]

This was all. Nothing more occurred, for Pietro drove the remainder
of the way, and Dick's trombone was tabooed.

On the following morning the welcome departure was made. To their
inexpressible joy they found that the coach was this time a strong
one, and no ordinary event of travel could delay them. They had lost
two days, however, and that was no trifle. They now entered upon the
second stage, and passed on without difficulty.

In fact, they didn't meet with a single incident worth mentioning
till they came to Perugia. Perugia is one of the finest places in
Italy, and really did not deserve to be overhauled so terrifically
by the Papal troops. Every body remembers that affair. At the time
when the Dodge Club arrived at this city they found the Papal party
in the middle of a reaction. They actually began to fear that they
had gone a little too far. They were making friendly overtures to
the outraged citizens. But the latter were implacable, stiff!

What rankled most deeply was the maddening fact that these Swiss,
who were made the ministers of vengeance, were part of that accursed,
detested, hated, shunned, despised, abhorred, loathed, execrated,
contemptible, stupid, thick-headed, brutal, gross, cruel, bestial,
demoniacal, fiendish, and utterly abominable race--_I Tedeschi_
--whose very name, when hissed from an Italian month, expresses
unutterable scorn and undying hate.

They left Perugia at early dawn. Jogging on easily over the hills,
they were calculating the time when they would reach Florence.

In the disturbed state of Italy at this time, resulting from war
and political excitement, and general expectation of universal
change, the country was filled with disorder, and scoundrels
infested the roads, particularly in the Papal territories. Here
the Government, finding sufficient employment for all its energies
in taking care of itself, could scarcely be expected to take care
either of its own subjects or the traveller through its dominions.
The Americans had heard several stories about brigands, but had
given themselves no trouble whatever about them.

Now it came to pass that about five miles from Perugia they wound
round a very thickly-wooded mountain, which ascended on the left,
far above, and on the right descended quite abruptly into a gorge.
Dick was outside; the others inside. Suddenly a loud shout, and a
scream from Pie