CHAPTER XI
A LONG JOURNEY
When Rico was so harshly dismissed by his aunt that Sunday evening, hewent up to his room and took a chair in the darkness. His intentionwas to stay there only until his aunt had gone to bed. It seemed asimple undertaking to him to find his lake, now that Stineli had toldhim her plan. He dreaded the aunt's interference, although he knewthat she would be glad to have him gone. His first thought uponreaching his room was, "I will go to-night, as soon as she has gone tobed."
A feeling of relief swept over Rico as he contemplated the future whenhe should be able to live for days without seeing the aunt. He thoughtof the beautiful flowers he would gather to bring back to Stineli, forthere was not the least doubt in his mind about his coming back toher. Then, as he walked in fancy on the sunny shore of the lake, andthought of its beautiful setting, he fell asleep.
His uncomfortable position awakened him at last. The violin still layin his lap, and as he felt it his plan came to his mind. The room wasstill as dark as when he had entered in the early evening. He wasglad that he was wearing his best suit. He put on his hat and, goingsoftly down the stairs, he quietly pushed back the bolt and lethimself out into the brisk morning air.
Over the hills he could see the first glimmer of morning. Soon heheard the cocks announcing the break of day, and he increased his paceso that he might get beyond the town before it was light enough forhim to be recognized. He very much enjoyed the walk, combined with thefeeling of freedom, as soon as he got to the open country. It wasfamiliar to him, for he and the father had many times walked theretogether. He had no idea of the distance to the top of the Maloja, butafter he had walked steadily for two hours, it began to seem like along way.
Bright daylight came at last, and after another hour of brisk walkinghe reached the summit of the mountain, where he and the father had sooften stood looking at the scenery about them. A sunny morning wasspread over the hills. The evergreen tops shimmered in the distance asif sprinkled with gold. Rico sat down by the roadside, a very tiredand hungry boy, and well he might be, for he had eaten nothing sinceSunday noon. Perhaps, he thought, he should find it much easier nowthat his way would be going downhill, and possibly it would not bemuch farther to the lake.
As Rico sat by the roadside, lost in thought, the large stagecoachcame rumbling by. Rico had often seen it and envied the coachman onthat high seat where he could look about him so well and have controlof those fine large horses. The coach halted in the driveway leadingto the inn at the summit. Rico came closer and watched the driver ashe came out of the inn; he had remained but a moment, and he was nowcarrying a huge slice of black bread and a large piece of cheese. Hecut these into strips and began to eat them, occasionally giving abite to the horses. While they were contentedly eating, the drivernoticed Rico's interested attention.
"Well, little musician," he said, "will you eat with us? Come nearerand I will give you some."
Rico had not realized how hungry he was until he saw the bread andcheese, but he quickly stepped forward at the invitation. The coachmancut such a large piece of bread and put such a thick slice of cheeseon it that Rico had to find a place to lay his violin in order to haveboth hands free to hold his liberal portion. It pleased the man to seethe way in which Rico attacked his breakfast, and he took the occasionto ask him a few questions.
"You are a very young musician. Can you play anything?"
"Yes, two new songs, and a few others."
"Is that so! And where do you expect your little legs to take you?"
"To Peschiera on Lake Garda," was Rico's prompt reply.
The coachman laughed so heartily at this that Rico was puzzled.
"That is great!" said he. "Don't you know that a little one like youcould wear out the soles of his shoes, and his feet too, before hewould see a drop of water from Lake Garda? Who sends you down there?"
"I go of my own accord," said Rico.
"Bless me, did you ever see such a child! Where is your home?"
"I don't know; maybe it is at Lake Garda," said Rico, earnestly.
The coachman looked thoughtfully at the boy. He did not look like arunaway, neither did he have the appearance of neglect. His blackcurly hair hanging over his Sunday frock was very pretty andchildlike. His attractive appearance and honest looks gained the man'ssympathy.
"You carry your passport in your face, my lad," he said. "It is allright, even if you don't know where your home is. What will you giveme if I put you on the high seat beside me and take you a long way onyour journey?"
Rico stared in amazement. To think of sitting on that high seat andriding down the valley! How he longed for the experience, but what hadhe to pay? "I haven't anything to give but my violin, and I couldn'tpart with that," he said at last.
"Well," said the coachman, laughing, "I shouldn't know what to do withthat if I had it, so you may keep it. Come, we will get on now, andyou can play for me anyway."
Rico scarcely dared believe that the man meant what he said, but itwas true, and he was hoisted up to the seat. The passengers wereinside the coach, with the windows down, as the morning was cool. Thedriver took up the reins and they started down the hill that Rico hadwanted to pass over for so long a time. In what a remarkable way washis desire fulfilled! He felt as if he were sailing between heaven andearth, and wondered how it had all come about.
"Tell me, little traveler," began the coachman, "where is yourfather?"
"He is dead," answered Rico.
"Is that so! Where is your mother?"
"She is dead, too," came the answer.
"That is too bad! How about grandfather and grandmother?"
"They are dead."
"Well, well!" exclaimed the man. "But you must have brother orsister?"
"They are dead," was again Rico's sad reply.
"What was your father's name?"
"Enrico Trevillo from Peschiera on Lake Garda."
This made the coachman conclude that the boy belonged rightfully toPeschiera and that possibly he had been kidnapped by a mountaineer.However that might be, he determined to help the boy to get back towhere he evidently belonged, and so he dismissed the matter from hismind.
After they had descended the first hill and were riding along on acomparatively level stretch of road, the driver said, "Now, littlemusician, play us a lively piece of music."
Rico tuned his instrument, and feeling very grateful to the good manfor letting him ride, he not only began to play but to sing with allthe strength of his bell-like voice, "Come down, little lambs, fromthe sunniest height."
It so happened that there were on the coach three students who weretaking a vacation trip in the hills. To them the music was mostwelcome, and Stineli's verses appealed to their sense of humor. Ricowas asked again and again to sing the song, and they joined in thesinging as soon as they had learned the words. Sometimes they laughedso hard that they had to go back to the beginning.
Thus the journey progressed merrily. If Rico stopped playing, theyasked him for more, and threw him pieces of silver until he had quitea sum in his hat which he held safely between his knees.
All the windows were now open, and some of the passengers were leaningout, trying to get a glimpse of the musician. The fun did not ceaseuntil the noon hour brought them to an inn, where they were to stopfor dinner. The driver helped Rico transfer the money from his hat tohis pockets, saying, "I am glad that you have that, for now you canbuy your dinner."
The students had not been able to see Rico from their position on thecoach, and were much surprised to find such a little boy. Their goodhumor increased, and they took him in their midst, giving him a placeat their table and waiting upon him as upon an honored guest. Ricocould not remember of ever having seen so pretty a table or of everhaving eaten so good a dinner.
"From whom did you learn that song?" asked one.
"From Stineli; it is her song, because she made it herself," answeredRico.
"That was clever of Stineli," said another. "Le
t us drink to herhealth and happiness, since her song has so richly entertained us thismorning!"
The noon hour was gone all too soon. As the passengers began takingtheir places in the coach, a large, heavily built man, clad in abrown worsted suit and carrying a heavy cane, came to Rico and said:"See here, little man, you sang very well this morning. I heard youfrom my window, and I want to tell you that I am in the business ofbuying and selling sheep, so I want to give you something, because yousang to us about the little lambs." Then he pressed a large piece ofsilver into Rico's hand.
The man entered the coach, and the sturdy driver tossed Rico to hisseat as if he were but a toy in his hands. A moment later they werespeeding down the valley.
Later in the afternoon Rico played again for them. He went over allthe tunes he knew and finally played the melody and sang the song thathe had learned from the grandmother the previous evening. This dreamyair must have lulled the students to sleep, for he heard nothing morefrom them. He put away his violin and watched the daylight fade andthe stars begin to twinkle. The evening breeze was cooling the air.Rico thought of Stineli and the grandmother, and wondered what theywere doing. In imagination he heard the vesper bells, and then hewondered no longer. He seemed to be with them as he folded his handsand, looking up to the star-sprinkled heaven, prayed as they hadtaught him.