was piqued. Women will get piqued sometimes. At
any rate she gave him marked encouragement. I scolded and threatened.
No use. She told me she was tired of me; that I was too tyrannical.
In fact, she dared to turn me off and take the other fellow. Maffeo
was a good fellow. I was sorry for him, but I had to keep my word.

"The third time was only a month ago. I robbed a Frenchman, out of
pure patriotism--the French, you know, are our oppressors--and kept
what I found about him to reward me for my gallant act. The
Government, however, did not look upon it in a proper light. They
sent out a detachment to arrest me. I was caught, and by good
fortune brought to an inn. At night I was bound tightly and shut
up in the same room with the soldiers. The innkeeper's daughter, a
friend of mine, came in for something, and by mere chance dropped
a knife behind me. I got it, cut my cords, and when they were all
asleep I departed. Before going I left the knife behind; and where
now, Signore, do you think I left it?"

"I have no idea."

"You would never guess. You never would have thought of it yourself."

"Where did you leave it?"

"In the heart of the Captain."

CHAPTER XLI.

FINAL ATTACK OF REINFORCEMENTS OF BRIGANDS.--THE DODGE CLUB DEFIES
THEM AND REPELS THEM.--HOW TO MAKE A BARRICADE.--FRATERNIZATION OF
AMERICAN EAGLE AND GALLIC COCK.--THERE'S NOTHING LIKE LEATHER.

"It is certainly a singular position for an American citizen to be
placed in," said the Senator. "To come from a cotton-mill to such
a regular out-and-out piece of fighting as this. Yet it seems to me
that fighting comes natural to the American blood."

"They've been very quiet for ever so long," said Mr. Figgs; "perhaps
they've gone away."

"I don't believe they have, for two reasons. The first is, they are
robbers, and want our money; the second, they are Italians, and want
revenge. They won't let us off so easily after the drubbing we gave
them."

Thus Buttons, and the others rather coincided in his opinion. For
several miles further on the road ran through a dangerous place,
where men might lurk in ambush, and pick them off like so many
snipe. They rather enjoyed a good fight, but did not care about
being regularly shot down. So they waited.

It was three in the afternoon. Fearfully hot, too, but not so bad
as it might have been. High trees sheltered them. They could
ruminate under the shade. The only difficulty was the want of
food. What