She crouched down lower and lower, trying to enter the ground and hide; she hoped they would go onward, and then she could run —­ faster than they —­ and reach the hollow, and warn Adone and his fellows.  She had no doubt that they came to surprise the meeting; but she hoped from their pauses and hesitating steps that they were uncertain what way to take.

“If you come to me to lead you —­ aye!  I will lead you! —­ you will not forget where I lead!” she said to herself, as she hid under the heather; and her courage rose, for she saw a deed to be done.  For they were now very near to the place of meeting, and could have taken the rebels like mice in a trap, if they had only known where they were; but she, watching them stand still, and stare, and look up to the stars, and then north, south, east, and west, saw that they did not know, and that it might be possible to lead them away from the spot by artifice, as the quail leads the sportsman away from the place where her nest is hidden.

As the thought took shape in her brain a sixth man, a sergeant who commanded them, touched her with his foot, stooped, clutched her, and pulled her upward.  She did not try to escape.

“What beast of night have we here?” he cried.  “Spawn of devils, who are you?”

Nerina writhed under the grip of his iron fingers, but she still did not try to escape.  He cursed her, swore at her, shook her, crushed her arm black and blue.  She was sick with pain, but she was mute.

“Who are you?” he shouted.

“I come down from the mountains to work here in summer.”

“Can any of you speak her dialect?” cried the sergeant to his privates:  the sergeant was a man of Milan.

One man answered, “I come from Paganica; it is much the same tongue there as in these parts.”

“Ask her the way, then.”

The soldier obeyed.

“What is the way to the Three Pines? —­ to the tomb of Asdrubal?”

“The way is long,” said Nerina.

“Do you know it?”

“I know it.”

“Have you heard tell of it?”

“Yes.”

“That men meet at night there?”

“Yes.”

“Meet this night there?”

“Yes.”

“You know where the tomb of Asdrubal is?”

“Have I not told you?”

The soldier repeated her answer translated to his sergeant; the latter kept his grasp on her.

“Ask her if she will take us there.”

The soldier asked her and translated her answer.

“If we give her two gold pieces she will take us there.”

“Spawn of hell!  I will give her nothing.  But if she do not lead us aright I will give her a bullet for her breakfast.”

The soldier translated to Nerina:  “He will give you two gold pieces if you guide us aright; and you need have no fear; we are honest men and the king’s servants.”

“I will guide the king’s servants.”