Little Tony of Italy Part 14

But the beggars laughed at him.

"Stuff!" said one.

"Liar!" cried another.

Then they went back to sleep.

"You must believe me," cried poor Tony. "Run away before it is too late!"

"Stop your silly talk," said one of the beggars. "If you do not let us sleep, we shall have you arrested as a mad sorcerer!"

Tony stole away with Tina under his arm. There was only one thing for him to do. He must wake the town.

Soon dawn would come. Then the mountain would begin to shoot flames and the whole city would rock.

He knocked at doors and tried to arouse the people. But angry, sleepy voices told him to go away. n.o.body would believe him.

Tony began to wonder whether anyone would ever believe him again. He had lied so often. And now he was a thief besides!

He thought of little Anna. He had lied to her and he had stolen her pet.

He would be punished by the fire-mountain for all his wickedness!

[Ill.u.s.tration: SORRENTO _Photo by Courtesy of Italian Tourist Information Office_]

But he and everyone else in Pompeii could still be saved if they would only listen to him.

He began to cry out in the streets and to run back and forth. A young Paul Revere!

"Awake! Awake! Vesuvius will erupt today! Pompeii will be buried! Run and save yourselves!" he cried.

"Go home to bed, stupid boy!" growled the people.

But Tony would not go. He screamed louder and louder.

"To jail with him," said someone. "He must have an evil spirit!"

So poor Tony and his dream were thrown into jail in ancient Pompeii.

Morning came. Over the top of the volcano hung a dark cloud. The leaden sky frowned down. Tony kicked at the bars of the jail. He screamed. He pleaded. He cried.

"Quiet, foolish child," said one of the prison guards. "If you keep your peace, you will be free tomorrow."

"There will be no tomorrow!" wailed poor Tony. "Oh, believe me and let us all run! Run from Pompeii!"

"Ha! Ha!" laughed the guard. "You are only a lying little beggar! n.o.body believes lying little beggars!"

"But I am telling the truth!" insisted poor Tony. "I am! I am! You must believe me!"

But it was useless.

As time went on the black cloud grew larger. Suddenly, a great rumbling started. An immense wall of fire-red stones came crashing down the mountain, destroying everything in its path.

The city was plunged into darkness. People began screaming and running from their houses. Everything rocked back and forth.

"Let me out!" cried Tony. "Oh, save me! Madonna mia, never again will I lie or steal! Oh, never! Save me! Save me!"

He held Tina tightly. She wriggled and tried to break away. All at once she began to squeal. He had never heard a dog squeal like that!

Stones came hurtling against the prison wall. Some entered through the bars and hit Tony in the face. He closed his eyes. He put up his arm to ward them off.

Then the roar of the mountain ceased and the quaking of the earth stopped. But that strange squealing went right on. A few small pebbles still came flying.

He opened his eyes. The sun was shining. The sky was blue overhead.

Grey ruins lay all about him. Old, old ruins! Tony was in the modern world. He had awakened from his dream!

But what was that something squirming to break away from him? It was not Tina. It felt fat and slippery and.... He looked.

He was holding, by one leg, a frisky, pink pig! Its piteous shrieks filled the silent, ruined city of Pompeii.

Where was Tina?

Just then, a shower of stones from a near-by wall hit him. He turned.

There was Tina, standing upon the wall, digging with her two busy, front paws. She was scattering ruined Pompeii in Tony's eyes as fast as she could scatter!

He freed the pink pig. It hurried off to its neighboring farm, a wiser but sadder pig. It would never again go sight-seeing!

"Here, Tina!" he called.

She stopped her morning's work. She looked at her master.

"Good-morning," wagged her tail.

She jumped down into his arms and started to lick his cheek.

"Oh, Tina, Tina," he sighed, as he hugged her close. "All this time I have been asleep! I have been dreaming about old Pompeii! It was not true. It was a dream. Dio mio, how happy I am!"

CHAPTER XI

TONY, ANNA, AND TINA

Tony sat up and stretched. He felt very weak but the fever had pa.s.sed.

The day was young. n.o.body stirred in the streets of Pompeii. It was too early for the gates to open.

Tony arose. "Come," he said to his dog. "Let us go. We can crawl through the fence. We shall have breakfast. Then, I know what I shall do."