He could have gone on walking till sunset if he had chosen, all the way to his little stone house near Ardea, stopping by the way to get a meal; and then he would not have slept much longer than usual.

A Roman peasant in his native Campagna, with enough to eat and a little wine, is hard to beat at walking.

Ercole had not stopped to rest, but to think.
When he had thought some time, he looked about to see if any one were looking at him, and he saw that the only people in sight were a long way off.

He took his big clasp-knife out of his pocket and opened it.

As the clasp clicked at the back of the blade Nino woke and sat up, for the noise generally meant food.
The blade was straight and clean, and tolerably sharp.