约翰叔叔带着三个孩子在那不勒斯的一家旅店安顿了下来。勇敢的孩子们和约翰叔叔决定继续他们的欧洲之行。约翰叔叔的朋友给他推荐的安杰利上校在他们遇到困难的时候帮上了大忙。
Some of Mr.Merrick's business friends in New York，hearing of his proposed trip，had given him letters of introduction to people in various European cities.He had accepted them—quite a bunch，altogether—but had firmly resolved not to use them.Neither he nor the nieces cared to make superficial acquaintances during their wanderings.YetUncle John chanced to remember that one of these letters was to a certain Colonel Angeli of the Twelfth Italian Regiment，occupying the barracksa on the Pizzofalcone hill at Naples.This introduction，tendered by a relative of the Colonel's A m e r i c a n w i f e ，w a s n o w r e p o s i n g i n M r.M e r r i c k 's pocket，and he promptly decided to make use of it in order to obtain expert advice as to the wisdom of remaining in thestricken city.
Enquiring his way from the still dazed concierge，he found that the Pizzofalcone barracks were just behind the hotel but several hundred feet above it；so he turned up the Strada St.Lucia and soon came upon the narrow lane that wound upward to the forti？cations.It was a long and tedious climb in the semi—darkness caused by the steady fall of ashes，and at intervals the detonations from Vesuvius shook the huge rock and made its massive bulk seem insecure.But the little man persevered，and finally with sweating brow arrived at the barracks.
A soldier carried in the letter to his colonel and presentlyreturned to usher Uncle John through the vast building，up a flight of steps，and so to a large covered balcony suspended many hundred feet above the Via Partenope，where the hotel was situated.
Here was seated a group of officers，watching intently the cloud that marked the location of the volcano.Colonel Angeli，big and bluff，his uniform gorgeous，his dark，heavy moustaches carefully waxed，his handsome face as ingenuousa and merry as a schoolboy's，greeted the American with a gracious courtesy that made Uncle John feel quite at his ease.When he heard of the nieces the Italian made a grimaceb and then laughed.