Lucia Rudini: Somewhere in Italy

t, dropped to sleep in spite of the noise. Lucia's tired little b

illuminate the high mountains. Towards midnight there was an extra loud e

s gone, and she supposed this was the town hall. It look

h sides was being concentrated towards the south. The shells near them lessened,

ot answer; he was so exhausted t

din, but she could be sure of nothing. She remembered Roderigo's words, 'She is safe,' and knew that h

er in all the terrors of yesterday? Lucia could not remember having noticed her after

she would not understand, and

glected, seemed to be more than she could bear. She buried her head in her arm and cried softly. T

en until the east was streaked with gray. She might not have awakened then, had it

looking very woe-begone, standing beside her. Regardless of the mud Lucia threw her arm

She got to her knees slowly and looked about her. The guns were booming back and forth, but their position see

e there the night before could be heard. With a throb of

uring the night?" The very idea was so exciti

light. She walked up the hill a little way, rubbing her eyes as she went. Something

the cover of the wall near the ruins of the church, for so quietly had the great monster arrive

d. Then the work at hand took the place of her surprise, and she ran back to her wounded soldier

. He was very big, and she could not p

oke and flame. Nothing that had happened during the day before equalled it. The big guns b

er face again, and Gari

l near them as she had expected, and after her f

forming in her mind. She ran as fast as she could up

over the goat's head. Then with two long pieces she contrived a harness and hitched the door to it. One end dragged on the ground, and the other was about a foot above it. The rope was crosse

m, but he was so weak that it was an easy mat

ft, and with Garibaldi pul

y climb, but at last t

e way, and from time to time a groan escaped him. But when he was in the house he di

ugly wound in his thigh. Her fingers, only used to rough work, moved clumsily, bu

And Lucia, after she saw his head sink back on the pillow, f

knapsack and told her to ea

f my emergency rations

k of water. She gave it to him, but his eyes closed and his head fell back as he drank. She a

s were barking, and little spurts of white smoke seemed to punctuate e

try to get help until there was a lull. She returned to the room and looked down