A short time later, after a brief but difficult climb, the two brothers found themselves standing in front of a very old stone building, a small rough-hewn house with a single doorway and no windows. To all appearances it had been abandoned for ages. The house sat on the edge of a grassy step on the slope of the mountain. Concealed as it was behind the rock and trees far off the trail, it was sheer luck that Giancarlo had spied it. Though it had most likely been the shelter of a goat herder or a hunter or someone who simply preferred to live high up on the mountain, there was no denying that, for whatever reason it had been built, it made a perfect hideout.

Giancarlo and Giorgio exchanged glances. There was no need to speak, for each already knew the other’s thoughts. The two stepped closer and peered in through the doorway. All within was lost in shadows, save for what fell in the path of a slanted rectangle of sunlight beaming in through the doorway and onto the hard dirt floor. Giancarlo looked about at the walls and up at the slanted ceiling with its ancient wooden beams. It looked sturdy enough, but who could tell? For all they knew, the whole place might be on the verge of crumbling at any minute.

“Better be careful,” warned Giancarlo as Giorgio led the way inside.

To their keen disappointment, the interior of the house was completely empty save for spiderwebs and a bird’s nest tucked up in one corner where the ceiling and walls met. Sadly, there was no brigands’ treasure to be found anywhere.

Giorgio kicked at the dirt and looked about with a disconsolate air.

“Niente,” he sighed. “Nothing. We should have known better than to bother.”

With that he walked out to check the grounds around the building, while Giancarlo remained inside, passing his hands over the cold, clammy walls, testing to see if any of the stones would give. He was hoping he might find some secret nook where a brigand might have squirreled away his money. The walls, however, seemed as hard and firm as the day they were built. With a sigh of his own, Giancarlo gave up the search and was just heading out the door when he heard Giorgio cry out in a loud voice. Had he found the treasure?

Giancarlo rushed outside and looked about, but Giorgio was nowhere in sight. Then he heard his brother cry out again, and he realized that his voice had come from somewhere on the other side of the house. Giancarlo ran at once to find him.When he rounded the back corner, he was startled at first to find Giorgio on his knees, his arms spread wide.Then he looked at the ground and began to laugh.