Among the Brigands

y.-The Language of Signs once more.-The Mountain. Cavalcade.-Bob's Ambition.-Its Results-

effect upon the whole party, and after Uncle Moses' wail o

seeing anything of the kind, and why should we? For my part, I still think it very likely that the driver has driven

said Frank. "There is

. I dare say he'll soon be back. From what I've seen of the Italians, I think they'd stand a great dea

start off at once. There's no use waiting here any longer. We can foot it, af

uld be done, and so they all at once set

e grass. They had eaten a good lunch before leaving the carriage, and had not had time yet to feel hungry. The weather was mild and pleasant. The sun shone brightly, without being too hot, and everyth

ided with this view. David, on the other hand, believed that he had merely driven away to find refreshment, and would return, and Clive sided with him. But, as mile after mile was traversed, and still no signs of the driver appeared, David's theory grew weak, and Frank'

he road now became wider, and quite free from grass, giving every indication of being a well-trodden thoroughfare, and exciting the hope

saw before them some moving objects, the si

ys!" he cried.

ood are they

the world. We can hire them, or bu

at delight. "I hoped to find wine carts, or

n conveying to the old man's mind the requisite idea. On this occasion he felt most strongly the benefit which he had received from his intercourse with Paolo. Frank thus pointed to his feet, and then backward, and then

signs which seemed to

red out, in stentori

dollar in Frank's hand, in loose change, the charge seemed to him to be very reasonable, and even, as he expressed it, dirt cheap. So thought all the rest, and they all proceeded to bring forth their loose change, and pass it over to the old-man. The hands of the latter

ll matter, however, and was not the real difficulty. The real difficul

ulders, and then pointed to his boy, and waved his band in the direction they wished to go. The boy also smiled and nodded, and made s

t; but none of them complained. Frank secured a solid animal, that had a matter-of-fact expression, and looked as though he had no nonsense in him. Clive chose one that had a slight shade of melancholy in his face, as though he had known sorrow. David's donkey was a shaggy, hard-headed, dogged-looking animal, that seemed bent on having his own wa

ight chaff arose, and the boys found no end of fun in this new adventure. But Uncle Moses wasn't able to see any fun in it at all. He sat with an expre

asily by his side. The other donkeys followed. As they had no bridles and no saddles, some of the party had a little difficulty in preserving their balance, but managed to do so by grabbing the co

ength he became discontented with the subordinate position that he was occupying, in merely following in the rear of a leader like David. He was a far better rider than David, and his donkey a far better donkey than the leading one. With the ambitions desire to obtain the post of honor for himself, he beat, pounded, and kicked at his d

Bob's donkey had reached its farthe

and in three paces had cleared the way to the

d for speed as the limbs of an antelope. His head was down, his neck arched, his tail in th

the others did the same. The Italian boy looked with a face of consternation after the runaway. All the rest

derstand Italian, yet there was something in his tone, and look, a