Part 6 (1/2)

”Enrico Trevillo from Peschiera on Lake Garda.”

This made the coachman conclude that the boy belonged rightfully to Peschiera and that possibly he had been kidnapped by a mountaineer.

However that might be, he determined to help the boy to get back to where he evidently belonged, and so he dismissed the matter from his mind.

After they had descended the first hill and were riding along on a comparatively level stretch of road, the driver said, ”Now, little musician, play us a lively piece of music.”

Rico tuned his instrument, and feeling very grateful to the good man for letting him ride, he not only began to play but to sing with all the strength of his bell-like voice, ”Come down, little lambs, from the sunniest height.”

It so happened that there were on the coach three students who were taking a vacation trip in the hills. To them the music was most welcome, and Stineli's verses appealed to their sense of humor. Rico was asked again and again to sing the song, and they joined in the singing as soon as they had learned the words. Sometimes they laughed so hard that they had to go back to the beginning.

Thus the journey progressed merrily. If Rico stopped playing, they asked him for more, and threw him pieces of silver until he had quite a sum in his hat which he held safely between his knees.

All the windows were now open, and some of the pa.s.sengers were leaning out, trying to get a glimpse of the musician. The fun did not cease until the noon hour brought them to an inn, where they were to stop for dinner. The driver helped Rico transfer the money from his hat to his pockets, saying, ”I am glad that you have that, for now you can buy your dinner.”

The students had not been able to see Rico from their position on the coach, and were much surprised to find such a little boy. Their good humor increased, and they took him in their midst, giving him a place at their table and waiting upon him as upon an honored guest. Rico could not remember of ever having seen so pretty a table or of ever having eaten so good a dinner.

”From whom did you learn that song?” asked one.

”From Stineli; it is her song, because she made it herself,” answered Rico.

”That was clever of Stineli,” said another. ”Let us drink to her health and happiness, since her song has so richly entertained us this morning!”

The noon hour was gone all too soon. As the pa.s.sengers began taking their places in the coach, a large, heavily built man, clad in a brown worsted suit and carrying a heavy cane, came to Rico and said: ”See here, little man, you sang very well this morning. I heard you from my window, and I want to tell you that I am in the business of buying and selling sheep, so I want to give you something, because you sang to us about the little lambs.” Then he pressed a large piece of silver into Rico's hand.

The man entered the coach, and the st.u.r.dy driver tossed Rico to his seat as if he were but a toy in his hands. A moment later they were speeding down the valley.

Later in the afternoon Rico played again for them. He went over all the tunes he knew and finally played the melody and sang the song that he had learned from the grandmother the previous evening. This dreamy air must have lulled the students to sleep, for he heard nothing more from them. He put away his violin and watched the daylight fade and the stars begin to twinkle. The evening breeze was cooling the air.

Rico thought of Stineli and the grandmother, and wondered what they were doing. In imagination he heard the vesper bells, and then he wondered no longer. He seemed to be with them as he folded his hands and, looking up to the star-sprinkled heaven, prayed as they had taught him.

CHAPTER XII

THE JOURNEY CONTINUED

Rico had fallen asleep. He was awakened by the coachman, who wanted to help him from the wagon. Everybody had hurried away except the students, who came to Rico to bid him good luck for the journey and ask him to tell Stineli about them. Then with a merry ”good-by” they too departed. Rico could hear them singing Stineli's song as they went.

”If we think not at all, Can we ever be sad?”

The next moment found Rico standing in the darkness, without any idea as to where he was or what he should do. It occurred to him that he had not thanked the coachman for having taken him so far, and he wanted to do so before going away. The man and the horses had disappeared, and it was too dark to see where they were. Soon Rico detected a faint glimmer to his left; this proved to be the light from the lantern in the barn, and he could dimly see the horses being led through the door into the stable. Rico hurried to the place, and finding that the large man who carried the cane was standing in the doorway, apparently waiting for the driver, the boy waited there also.

The sheep buyer could not have noticed Rico at first, for suddenly he exclaimed: ”What, you still here, little one? Where are you going to spend the night?”

”I don't know where,” answered Rico.

”You don't know where! at eleven o'clock at night--a little one like you! What does this mean?” the man's breath nearly failed him in his astonishment, but he had no chance to finish his exclamation, for the coachman came out just at that moment, and Rico immediately stepped up to him, saying, ”I forgot to thank you for bringing me so far, and I wanted to.”

”Good that you did!” said the driver. ”I was busy with the horses and forgot that I meant to hand you over to a friend.” The coachman turned to the other man, saying: ”Here, good friend, I intended to ask you if you wouldn't take this child with you down the valley, since you were going that way. He wants to go to Lake Garda, and he seems to be all alone in the world--you know what I mean.”