They were in no great danger, for only an occasional shell burst near them. The fighting was going on below the east wall. Lucia and Garibaldi toiled up the hill, each one using every bit of their strength.
[Illustration: "Lucia and Garibaldi toiled up the hill,
each one using every bit of their strength.">[
The soldier was limp and lifeless, his head rolled with every bump. He looked like one dead, but Lucia refused even to consider such a possibility. She urged Garibaldi on and tugged with determined persistence.
They were just below the wall when Lucia stopped to rest. The little goat was staggering from the exertion, and she was out of breath. She looked at the gate, it was only a little way off, but it seemed miles, and she wondered if she could go on.
She looked up at the wall. A man dressed in a uniform unlike the Italian soldiers was looking down at her. Lucia called to him just as he jumped to the ground. She held her breath expecting to see him hurt, but he landed on his feet and ran to her.
"For the love of Pete, what have you got there?" he asked in a language that Lucia did not understand.
She looked up at him bewildered.
"I do not understand what you say, but the soldier is very sick. Please help me carry him to the convent," she said hurriedly.