“No Rome for us now,” declared Hal.  “Come on.”

He led the way out of the station and directly stood in the train shed.  The boy heard a cry of “All aboard” and saw that a train was about to pull out.

“Don’t know where it is going, but we’ll get it!” he cried, and Uncle John followed him in his mad dash.  By a hard run they succeeded in climbing into an unoccupied compartment even as the guard would have closed the door.

“Where do you suppose we are bound?” asked Uncle John, as he sat down, panting.

“Don’t know,” was Hal’s reply.  “We’ll find out directly.”

A few minutes later the conductor enlightened them.

“Milan,” he said.

CHAPTER XIX.

With the army.

“Milan!” echoed Hal.  “Good night!”

“Oh, well,” said Uncle John, with rare optimism for him, “I guess we can double back from there, can’t we?”

“I suppose it can be done,” agreed Hal.  “But we haven’t any business wandering all over this country.  We want to get to Rome.”

“We’ll get there, all right,” said Uncle John.

“Yes; but if they happen to nab us we are likely not to get there whole,” declared Hal.

When the train arrived in Milan, Hal and Uncle John were among the first to alight.

“Well, here we are; now what?” demanded Uncle John.

“You’ve got me,” declared Hal.

They made their way to the street and there they halted suddenly, for a wonderful sight had met their gaze.

Passing along the street were thousands and thousands of soldiers, mounted and afoot, fully equipped for the field.  They passed by in a steady stream.  For an hour Hal and Uncle John watched the imposing sight and still the long line wended its way along.  Hal’s heart beat faster as his eyes rested upon this imposing array of fighting strength.

“By Jove!  I’d like to go along,” he muttered to himself.

And it was to be so, even sooner that he could possibly have hoped.  But the suggestion came from an altogether unexpected source.

“Tell you what, Hal,” said Uncle John suddenly.  “As long as we are here we might as well see a little something.  What do you think?”

“Just what do you mean?” asked Hal.

“Well, let’s go along to the front with these fellows; that is, if we can make it.  We may see something that we will never have another chance to see.”

“Suits me,” declared Hal.  “Let’s see if we can get a couple of horses—­it’s pretty tough walking and we don’t know how far we may have to go.”

This was easier than could have been expected; and an hour later found them riding slowly along in the direction taken by the Italian troops.

“Don’t suppose the authorities here have been apprised of our escape from Milan,” said Hal.  “I guess we are safe enough.”