The little girl put two of her fingers into her mouth and gave a shrill whistle, the dog came to her at once, fawned upon her, and then plunged swiftly into the thicket.

Soon two men, ill-dressed, but very well armed, rose up out of a clump of young wood a few paces from where Orso stood.

It was as though they had crawled up like snakes through the tangle of cytisus and myrtle that covered the ground.
"Oh, Ors' Anton', you're welcome!" said the elder of the two men.

"Why, don't you remember me ?" "No!" said Orso, looking hard at him.
"Queer how a beard and a peaked cap alter a man! Come, monsieur, look at me well! Have you forgotten your old Waterloo men?
Don't you remember Brando Savelli, who bit open more than one cartridge alongside of you on that unlucky day ?" "What! Is it you ?" said Orso.

"And you deserted in 1816!" "Even so, sir.