CHAPTER III

BEFORE DAYBREAK

Lucia found Beppi asleep in the grass, curled up in the same position
that he had been in earlier in the day. One of his little hands had
tight hold of the precious pink bag, and a sticky smile of blissful
content turned up the corners of his full red lips.

Lucia looked at him and shook her head. There might have been
twenty-seven instead of seven years between them, for there was
something protective in her expression.

"Little lazy bones, asleep again!" she said, shaking him gently.

Beppi stirred, one eye opened, and then with a sudden rush of memory he
sat up and began excitedly: "I just this minute fell asleep, just this
very second, truly, Lucia! I have watched the goats, oh, so carefully,
and they have not stirred,--see there they are only a little farther
away than when you left. I only closed my eyes because I thought I
might go on with that nice dream, but I didn't," he finished
sorrowfully.

Lucia laughed.

"Look at the sun," she pointed. "It is late, you should have driven
the goats home long ago. But I knew you would go to asleep after you
ate up all the candy, such a naughty little brother that you are. What
kind of a soldier would you make, I'd like to know, dreaming every few
minutes? Come along, get up,--we must hurry back to Nana, or she will