two o'clock
Not once did he take his eyes from the car window save occasionally to look through the cracks of the basket into Chico 's bright eyes , as if to assure himself that the bird was still there . On , on they sped , catching glimpses of gnarled olive trees , silvery gray , while Roman walls , centuries old , silhouetted against the horizon , spoke of a civilization long past . There were rounded hill-slopes and ancient castles , while the broad Adige dashed madly along the sides of the track . It was two o'clock when they reached their destination and rumbled into the huge covered station of Verona . With beating heart , Andrea followed the business-like Pietro as he led the way out of the station and hailed a vettura -LSB- Footnote : Carriage . -RSB- to take them up the wide tree-shaded avenue . The boy paid little attention to the marble palaces by which they drove , but was overwhelmed at the experience of actually being behind a horse .