"
"And my father? He'll be so anxious!"
"He knows you are with me. Come! Make up your mind. You were looking at
his picture this morning," she added, with a sly smile.
"No! Really and truly, I don't dare, Colomba! Think of the bandits who
are there."
"Well, what matter? The bandits don't know you. And you were longing to
see some."
"Oh, dear!"
"Come, signorina, settle something. I can't leave you alone here. I
don't know what might happen to you. Let us go on to see Orso, or else
let us go back to the village together. I shall see my brother again.
God knows when--never, perhaps!"
"What's that you are saying, Colomba? Well, well, let us go! But only
for a minute, and then we'll get home at once."
Colomba squeezed her hand, and without making any reply walked on so
quickly that Miss Lydia could hardly keep up with her. She soon halted,
luckily, and said to her companion:
"We won't go any farther without warning them. We might have a bullet
flying at our heads."
She began to whistle through her fingers. Soon they heard a dog bark,
and the bandits' advanced sentry shortly came in sight. This was our old
acquaintance Brusco, who recognised Colomba at once and undertook to be
her guide.
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