er they came.

At last they reached the arch.

They rushed through it, and beyond it.

There was nothing there!

No carriage! No horses! No driver!

At this they all stopped, and stared at one another in silent
consternation.

"He's gone," cried Clive. "He's left us here--to get back the best
way we can."

"He swore last night," said David, "that he'd pay us up; and this
is the way he's done it."

"Yes," said Bob; "he's been sulky all day. He's been concocting
some plan."

"I don't see what good it'll do him," said Frank.

"He'll lose his fare. We won't pay him."

"O. he'll give up that for the pleasure of revenge," said Clive.

"Wal, wal, wal," cried Uncle Moses, looking all around with a face
of dark and doleful perplexity. "This here doos beat all I ever
seen in all my life. An now, what upon airth we can do--I'm sure
I can't tell."

"Whatever we do," said Frank, "it won't do to wait here. It's too
late now."

"Perhaps he hasn't run off at all," said David, who always was
inclined to believe the best of people. "Perhaps he has driven up
the road, and intends to return."

Frank shook his head.

"No," cried he. "I believe the scoundrel has left us. We paid him
half of his fare at Sorrento; the rest was to be paid at Naples;
but he has thrown that up, in order to have the pleasure of being
revenged on us. And where he's gone to now is a mystery to me."

"O, I dare say he's driven off to Naples."

"Perhaps so. But he may intend something more. I've heard that
there are brigands about here."

"Brigands!"

"Yes. And I shouldn't wonder if he has gone off with the intention
of bringing some of them here to pay their respects to us. He may
have started off immediately after we left him; and, if so, he's
had two hours already--time enough, as I think, to do a good deal
of mischief."

"Brigands!" cried Uncle Moses, in a voice of horror. He stared
wildly around, and then looked, with moistened eyes, upon the boys.

"O, boys," he sighed, "why did we ever ventoor out so far in this
here I-talian land, or why did we ever come to Italy at all?
Brigands! It's what I've allus dreaded, an allus expected, ever
sence I fust sot foot on this benighted strand. I ben a feelin it
in my bones all day. I felt it a comin over me yesterday, when the
mob chased us; but now--our hour hev come!"

"Nonsense, Uncle Moses!" cried Frank, in a hearty, joyous voice.
"What's the use of giving up in that fashion? Cheer up.