urial place. I tried to realise my
situation. Where was I? I was in the centre of a very arid plain with
blue mountains on the horizon and lines of ruined aqueducts in the
middle distance. Not a hut within sight. The sun was intolerable, and I
felt ready to faint from hunger and exhaustion. I gathered some broad
green leaves to protect my head, and then looked around me for
something to assuage the pangs of hunger.

I recollected that the brigands had been carousing close to the opening
of my cave, so I returned thither to inspect the spot. To my intense joy
I discovered some broken victuals. There were sundry crusts of bread,
some cheese parings, a few slices of raw ham, a whole leg of a chicken,
besides other bones not quite bare, which I devoured ravenously. Also a
hard-boiled egg and half a flask of good wine. All this I put away in
very short time, but I wanted more. It was barely enough to whet my
appetite. However, I felt better, and could now contemplate my past
adventures with great complacency.

The next question was, in what part of the world was I? Which course
should I steer? North, south, east, or west. I feared being benighted
and losing my way altogether. I sat down on a clump of ancient ruin to
collect my ideas. Presently I heard faintly in the distance the peculiar
cry of a Roman bullock driver, as he goaded on his sluggish team. I
raised my eyes, and saw about half-a-mile off one of those drays drawn
by buffaloes and laden with large blocks of white marble from the
mountains for the use of sculptors. I hastened my steps and hailed the
driver.

"_Accidentaccio!_" cried the man in amazement and horror at the sight of
my bleeding head and general woe-begone appearance.

"What a sight! _Che diavolo!_----"

Here followed a string of questions which I felt in no humour to answer,
so I cut him short by asking him to let me get upon his dray, as I
wanted a little sleep, and that I would remember him as soon as we
arrived at the gates of Rome.

"Certainly, signore," said the man, brightening up, "and if you would
like a covering for your head from the sun----"

Here he produced some sort of light drugget--there was no other
covering, for the dray was only constructed to carry marble and not
passengers.

So I mounted, and flung myself full length on a large block of marble,
covering my head well up and endeavouring to sleep. So complete was my
state of utter exhaustion that even my uncomfortable posit