Early the following morning Rico was aroused from a sound slumber by
his friend, who stood before him, cane in hand, ready for the journey.
A few moments later Rico joined him in the breakfast room, where
their coffee was awaiting them. The man helped Rico to an abundant
breakfast, telling him that they had a long journey before them, so
that they must be fortified against hunger on the way. "A part of our
trip to-day will be taken on the water, and that always sharpens a
person's appetite," said he.
The breakfast over, the travelers started on their way. They walked a
short distance and then turned a corner, where Rico caught his breath
in surprise, for a beautiful lake lay before them. "Aren't we at Lake
Garda?" he asked.
"No, no, we are a long way from it yet," replied his friend. "This is
Lake Como, where we take a steamer."
They were soon at the steamship landing, where they entered a small
vessel. The sunny shore seemed to speak a welcome to Rico. He and the
man had taken chairs at a table. Rico took his largest piece of silver
and laid it on the table in front of his friend, who was sitting with
his hands resting on his cane.
"What is that for?" he asked. "Have you too much money to suit you?"
"You told me that I must pay to-day," said Rico.
"It is good of you to remember," said the man, "but you mustn't put
your money on the table like that. Let me take it and I will settle
the bill for you."
He went to the ticket agent, but when he saw how full his own purse
was, he could not bear to use the only large piece the child
possessed, so he gave it back to Rico with his ticket, saying: "There,
you had better keep this; you may need it to-morrow. I am with you
now, and there may be no one to look after you when I am gone. Who
knows how much you may have occasion to use later! When you get to
Peschiera have you some one to whom you can go?"
"I don't know of any one," answered Rico.
The man stifled his surprise, but he had a secret fear that all might
not go well with the child. He resolved to find out more about the boy
on his return trip, thinking that the coachman would be able to tell
him, and so he asked Rico no more questions.
When the steamer had landed her passengers, the man said, "We must
hurry across to the railway station to catch our train, Rico, and I am
going to take you by the hand; then I shall be sure not to lose you."
Rico had all he could do to keep up with the man, who walked on
rapidly. He wished for time to look about him, but he had to wait
until they reached the train, which was the first one he had ever
seen. He felt very strange in it, even with the man at his side. He
was glad that he was near a window, where he could look out, as
everything was of interest to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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