, trudge, and remember
that the first sign you make of attempting to run away means four
bullets through you."

As I did not anticipate any real danger, and as a prolonged detention
was a matter of no consequence to a man without an occupation, I
stepped forward with a light heart, rather pleased than otherwise with
anticipations of the brigand's cave, and turning over in my mind whether
or not I should propose to join the band.

We had walked an hour and it had become dark, when we turned off the
road, up a narrow path that led between rocky sides to a glade, at the
extremity of which, under an overhanging ledge, was a small cottage,
with what seemed to be a patch of garden in front.

"Ho! Anita!" called out the man who appeared to be the leader of the
band; "open! We have brought a friend to supper, who will require a
night's lodgings."

An old woman with a light appeared, and over her shoulder, to my
delight, I saw the face I had asked to be allowed to paint so shortly
before. I was about to recognise her with an exclamation, when I saw a
hurried motion of her finger to her lip, which looked a natural gesture
to the casual observer, but which I construed into a sign of prudence.

"Where did you pick him up, Croppo?" she asked, carelessly. "He ought to
be worth something."

"Just twelve bajocchi," he answered, with a sneering laugh. "Come,
_amico mio_, you will have to give us the names of some of your
friends."

"I am tolerably intimate with his Holiness the Pope, and I have a bowing
acquaintance with the King of Naples, whom may God speedily restore
to his own," I replied, in a light and airy fashion, which seemed
exceedingly to exasperate the man called Croppo.

"Oh, yes, we know all about that; we never catch a man who does not
profess to be a Nero of the deepest dye in order to conciliate our
sympathies. It is just as well that you should understand, my friend,
that all are fish who come into our net. The money of the pope's friends
is quite as good as the money of Garibaldi's. You need not hope to put
us off with your Italian friends of any colour; what we want is English
gold--good, solid English gold, and plenty of it."

"Ah," said I, with a laugh, "if you did but know, my friend, how long
I have wanted it too! If you could only suggest an Englishman who would
pay you for my life, I would write to him immediately, and we would go
halves in the ransom. Hold!" I said, a bright idea suddenly striking m