Part 5 (2/2)

This excited their surprise, and also their alarm They remembered that the sullenoff some malicious trick upon the before Could he have chosen this way to put his threats into execution? It seemed, indeed, very much like it

Still, there was one hope left It was just possible that the carriage had been drawn up more under the arch, so that it was hidden from view As this was the last hope that was left them, they hurried forth to put an end to their suspense as soon as possible Nearer and nearer they came

At last they reached the arch

They rushed through it, and beyond it

There was nothing there!

No carriage! No horses! No driver!

At this they all stopped, and stared at one another in silent consternation

”He's gone,” cried Clive ”He's left us here--to get back the best e can”

”He swore last night,” said David, ”that he'd pay us up; and this is the way he's done it”

”Yes,” said Bob; ”he's been sulky all day He's been concocting soood it'll do him,” said Frank

”He'll lose his fare We won't pay hie,” said Clive

”Wal, al,” cried Uncle Moses, looking all around with a face of dark and doleful perplexity ”This here doos beat all I ever seen in all my life An nohat upon airth we can do--I'm sure I can't tell”

”Whatever we do,” said Frank, ”it won't do to wait here It's too late now”

”Perhaps he hasn't run off at all,” said David, who alas inclined to believe the best of people ”Perhaps he has driven up the road, and intends to return”

Frank shook his head

”No,” cried he ”I believe the scoundrel has left us We paid him half of his fare at Sorrento; the rest was to be paid at Naples; but he has thrown that up, in order to have the pleasure of being revenged on us And where he's gone to now is a mystery to me”

”O, I dare say he's driven off to Naples”

”Perhaps so But he ands about here”

”Brigands!”

”Yes And I shouldn't wonder if he has gone off with the intention of bringing some of them here to pay their respects to us He may have started off immediately after we left hih, as I think, to do a good deal of ands!” cried Uncle Moses, in a voice of horror He stared wildly around, and then looked, with hed, ”why did we ever ventoor out so far in this here I-talian land, or why did we ever come to Italy at all?