She started to ascend, and the soldier followed in silence. When they reached the cave she pointed to the back wall and said: "Listen there."
The soldier was so tall that he had to stoop down before he could enter, but he was very careful to be quiet and not disturb the still sleeping Beppi.
He put his ear to the wall and Lucia watched him excitedly. By the expression of his face she knew he was hearing the "rat, tat, tat."
"Can you show me the place where you thought you heard the explosion?" he whispered.
Lucia nodded and beckoned to him to follow. In her eagerness she forgot that he could not climb as nimbly as she could, and she was on the roof of the cave before he had started to ascend.
It was fortunate that she was, for not ten feet ahead of her, crawling along the ground, his helmet shining in the sun, was a soldier in the Austrian uniform.
CHAPTER V
IN THE TOOL SHED
At sight of her he jumped to his feet.