Military life in Italy : sketches - Societa italiana di storia militare

A MEDAL. 263
houses, talking all the time in a low voice, and taking up the
conversation from time to time as if to explain things more
clearly.
After a short time they both rose, and the captain, on going
away, added:- "Third house to the right, second door?"
" Third house to the right, second door."
" Are you quite
"
sure ?
to say:
The quartermaster-sergeant made a sign as much as
" Go right on, you cannot mistake it."
An hour later the captain was on horseback on the road leading
from Ascoli to Acquasanta, a small place on the bank of
the Tronto, half way, I believe, between Ascoli and Arquata.
He reached Acquasanta at sunset. Before entering, he unbuttoned
his coat to hide the number of buttons, and pushed up
the visor of his cap. Then he entered. On hearing the
sound of the horse's step, some people came to the doors of
the first houses, others approached the windows, and the boys
gathered in the street. The captain looked uncertainly
to the left and right, then moved toward a door where
there was a group of women, who drew up timidly against the
wall at his appearance, and looked at him in astonishment.
11
Who will give me a glass of water, my good women ? " said
the captain, reining in his horse, and affecting a careless air.
"
I," replied one of the women quickly. And she disappeared.
else."
" It is she," thought the captain ;
"it can be no one
The woman returned a moment later with a glass of water,
and handed it to the captain. The latter looked at her attentively,
and began to drink it in slow sips. The woman, meanwhile
glanced at him from head to foot, twisted her head from
side to side, got on tiptoe in order to discover the number of