Part 28 (1/2)
All was still
What did it mean?
”WHO'S THERE?” cried Frank a third ti tone that he could compass, ”SPEAK, OR I'LL FIRE!!!!!!!!!”
This tremendous threat could not have been carried out, of course, with the knives, chairs, and razor of the party below; but at any rate it brought a reply
”Alla raight!” cried a voice ”O, yais It's onalee et soht I haf joosta come back from Velletre Haf brot de oder vettura Scusa de interruption, but haf to-get de straps; dey up here Alla raight!”
It was the voice of their driver!
At the first sound of that voice there was an instantaneous and i The dark terror of a moment before was suddenly transfor fools of themselves They felt this very keenly The chairs were put quietly upon the floor; the knives were pocketed very stealthily; and Uncle Moses' razor was slipped hurriedly into the breast pocket of his coat
”O!” said-Frank, trying to speak in an easy, careless, matter-of-fact tone ”We didn't know Shall we leave in the ht,” said the driver
Soon after the party descended the ladder, and took it away The boys and Uncle Moses made no remark whatever They all crept silently, and rather sheepishly, back to their beds, feeling very much ashamed of themselves
And yet there was no reason for sha it to be real, they had not shrunk, but had faced it with very commendable pluck
This was the end of their troubles on the road For the re they awaked refreshed, and found a good breakfast waiting for thee, in which they entered and resumed their journey
CHAPTER XXIV
_A beautiful Country--Magnificent Scenery--The Approach to Albano--Enthusiasy versus Appetite--The Separation of the Boys--The Story of the Alton Lake and the ancient subterranean Channel_
As they rolled along the road on this last stage of their eventful journey, they were all in the highest spirits On to Rolorious day; the sun shone brightly froenial, and it also had such a wonderful transparency that distant objects seemed much nearer from the distinctness hich their outlines were revealed The road was a h for so, yet the ascent was made by such an easy slope, that it was really i as easily and as round Moreover, the scenery around was of thethe h there were no snow-clad summits, and no lofty peaks lost a forrandeur and sublimity Amid these the road wound, and, at every new turn sonificence was disclosed to their ad eyes Noas a sequestered valley, with a streareen of its surface diversified by one or thite cottages, or the darker hue of olive groves and vineyards; again it was soain so and almost inaccessible eminence--the remains of a feudal castle, the monument of lawless power overthrown forever Soh the street of a town, and have a fresh opportunity of contrasting the lazy and easy-going life of Italy with the busy, energetic, restless, and stirring life of their own far-distant America
On to Rome!
This day was to land theh they enjoyed the drive, still they were eager to have it over, and to find themselves in that place which was once the centre of the world's rule, and continued to be so for so es Their impatience to reach their destination was not, however, excessive, and did not at all prevent the as it lasted Uncle Moses was the only exception
He was er to have it over, and reach some place of rest
True, no accident had happened; but he had gone through enough tribulation, both in body and in , eneral effect produced upon hiht have resulted froth they arrived at the town of Albano, where they intended to remain two hours, and afterwards resume their journey The town stood on the side of a hill, and the hotel at which they dreas so situated that it coer local pride than Albano Tradition identifies this toith no less a place than Alba Longa, so fa to the old accounts, Tullus Hostilius destroyed the city proper of Alba Longa, yet afterwards another town grew on its site, and all around rose up the splendid villas of the Roman nobility Here, too, Tiberius and Doht relaxation from the cares of e this place, their first care was to order dinner, and then, as there would be some time taken up in preparation for that meal, they looked about for some mode of pastime The landlord recommended to them a visit to a convent at the top of the hill
He informed them that it stood on the site of a fae nuuide-book, the boys learned that the temple referred to by the landlord was that of the Latian Jupiter
As they had nothing else to do, they set out for the convent, and soon reached it Arriving there, they found spread out before the that they had ever seen in their lives Far down beneath them descended the declivity of the Alban hill, till it terna Then, far away before their eyes it spread forblue line, which it needed not the explanation of the nize as the Mediterranean; and this blue line of distant sea spread far away, till it teruide told them was the Cape of Terracina But their attention was arrested by an object which was ray hue, the result of waste and barrenness, seeh this there ran a silver thread, with leaht
”What is this?” asked David
”The Tiber!” said the ust historic nah them The Tiber! What associations clustered around that word!