Page:De Amicis - Heart, translation Hapgood, 1922.djvu/309

Rh your services; perhaps he will give you a place on his wagons: go at once.”

The lad grasped his bag, thanked her as he ran, and two minutes later found himself in a vast courtyard, lighted by lanterns, where a number of men were engaged in loading sacks of grain on certain enormous carts which resembled the movable houses of mountebanks, with rounded tops, and very tall wheels. A tall man with moustaches, enveloped in a sort of mantle of black and white check, and with big boots, was directing the work.

The lad approached this man, and timidly proffered his request, saying that he had come from Italy, and that he was in search of his mother.

The capataz, which signifies the head (the head conductor of this convoy of wagons), surveyed him from head to foot with a keen glance, and replied drily, “I have no place.”

“I have fifteen lire,” answered the boy in a supplicating tone; “I will give you my fifteen lire. I will work on the journey; I will fetch the water and fodder for the animals; I will do anything. A little bread will suffice for me. Make a place for me, signor.”

The capataz looked him over again, and replied with a better grace, “There is no room; besides, we are not going to Tucuman; we are going to another town, Santiago dell' Estero. We should have to leave you at a certain point, and you would still have a long way to go on foot.”

“Ah, I would make twice as long a journey!” exclaimed Marco; “I can walk; do not worry about that; I shall get there by some means or other: make