She put her strong, young arm about his waist, and by leaning most of
his weight on her shoulder he managed to crawl along. Lucia was half
crazy with impatience, but she suited her step to his, and helped him
all she could.

At last they reached the lower door. She opened it hurriedly and the
bridge was in sight, but so were the Austrians. They were so near that
what had seemed one solid mass now resolved itself into individual
shapes. To Lucia it seemed as if a great sea of men were rushing down
upon them.

The exertion from the walk made Roderigo sway, and just before they
reached the bridge he fell forward. Lucia crouched down beside him,
and begged and pulled until he was on the bridge.

"Now where is it? Tell me what to do," she begged, "see they are
almost here."

With a tremendous effort Roderigo pulled himself to the edge of the
bridge and located the mine. In a voice that was so weak that Lucia
could hardly hear it he gave the directions. Lucia obeyed.

"When will it go off?" she demanded. "Will we have time to get away?"

Roderigo shrugged his shoulders.

"You will," he said. "Run as fast as you can, I don't know how long it
will take."