“What’s that, Jack?”

I followed the line of her finger and made out a row of figures standing motionless and still on the very edge of the wood.  It was too dark to distinguish individuals; but, even as we looked, the silent air wafted to our eager ears a low-voiced word of command: 

“Mind, not a sound till I give the word.”

“The President!” exclaimed the signorina, in a loud whisper.

“Hush, or he’ll hear,” said I, “and we’re done.”

Clearly nothing would happen from that quarter till it was called forth by events in the opposite direction.  The signorina was strongly agitated; she clung to me closely, and I saw with alarm that the very proximity of the man she stood in such awe of was too much for her composure.  When I had soothed, and I fear half-frightened, her into stillness, I again turned my eyes toward the Piazza.  The fire had at last flickered out and the revels seemed on the wane.  Suddenly a body of men appeared in close order, marching down the street toward the bank.  We stood perhaps a hundred yards from that building, which was, in its turn, about two hundred from the Piazza.  Steadily they came along; no sound reached us from the wood.

“This is getting interesting,” I said.  “There’ll be trouble soon.”

As near as I could see, the colonel’s band, for such it was, no doubt, did not number more than five-and-twenty at the outside.  Now they were at the bank.  I could hardly see what happened, but there seemed to be a moment’s pause; probably someone had knocked and they were waiting.  A second later a loud shout rang through the street and I saw a group of figures crowding round the door and pushing a way into my poor bank.

“The gods preserve Jones!” I whispered.  “I hope the old fool won’t try to stop them.”

As I spoke, I heard a short, sharp order from behind, “Now!  Charge!”

As the word was given another body of fifty or more rushed by us full tilt, and at their head we saw the President, sword in hand, running like a young man and beckoning his men on.  Up the street they swept.  Involuntarily we waited a moment to watch them.  Just as they came near the bank they sent up a shout: 

“The President! the President!  Death to traitors!”

Then there was a volley, and they closed round the building.

“Now for our turn, Christina,” said I.

She grasped my arm tightly, and we sped across the road and into the wood.  It seemed darker than when I came through before, or perhaps my eyes were dazzled by the glare of the street lamps.  But still we got along pretty well, I helping my companion with all my power.

“Can we do it?” she gasped.

“Please God,” said I; “a clear quarter of an hour will do it, and they ought to take that to finish off the colonel.”  For I had little doubt of the issue of that melee.

On we sped, and already we could see the twinkle of the waves through the thinning trees.  Five hundred yards more, and there lay life and liberty and love!