"They've been very quiet for ever so long," said Mr. Figgs; "perhaps they've gone away."
"I don't believe they have, for two reasons. The first is, they are robbers, and want our money; the second, they are Italians, and want revenge. They won't let us off so easily after the drubbing we gave them."
Thus Buttons, and the others rather coincided in his opinion. For several miles further on the road ran through a dangerous place, where men might lurk in ambush, and pick them off like so many snipe. They rather enjoyed a good fight, but did not care about being regularly shot down. So they waited.
It was three in the afternoon. Fearfully hot, too, but not so bad as it might have been. High trees sheltered them. They could ruminate under the shade. The only difficulty was the want of food. What can a garrison do that is ill provided with eatables? The Doctor's little store of crackers and cheese was divided and eaten. A basket of figs and oranges followed. Still they were hungry.
"Well," said Dick, "there's one thing we can do if the worst comes to the worst."
"What's that?"
"Go through the forest in Indian file back to Perugia."
"That's all very well," said the Senator, stubbornly, "but we're not going back. No, Sir, not a step!"
"I'm tired of this," said Buttons, impatiently. "I'll go out as scout."
"I'll go too," said Dick.