Military life in Italy : sketches - Societa italiana di storia militare

?6 MILITARY LIFE.
All the soldiers
began to laugh.
Where did they find you ? "
The boy replied with the greatest gravity
:
in the folds of the flag
!
"
" Who brought you to us ?
"
They found me
The soldiers burst out " laughing again. Your hand here,
"
comrade ! shouted the corporal, extending his hand. Carluccio
put out his and clasped it. " Give it to me too,"
said another soldier, and Carluccio pressed his also. Then
every one followed suit, and the boy shook hands with them
all. The "
last one said aloud : We are firm friends, are we
not, child ? " and he replied
:
"
Yes, firm friends." At that
moment the trumpet sounded, and the soldiers moved off laughing,
and I, appearing suddenly before Carluccio, asked him :
"Well, what have you to tell me "
? He looked at me, and
replied smilingly, in a tone of perfect content : " The soldiers
like me."
IV.
We arrived in camp about midnight ;
I do not remember
how many miles we made from Padua up, nor at what point
we pitched the tents. There must have been some village
near the camp ;
but there was not the top of a steeple to be
seen in any direction. The sky, which had been dark and
cloudy so that we could not see the stars, had become clear. The
field where the regiment was to encamp was all lighted by the
moon, and surrounded by great thick trees, which cast a dense
shade all around. It was a spot full of dark, gloomy beauty,
and in it
reigned a profound quiet ;
so struck were we by it,
that we all entered the camp without speaking, and drew
up in line in silence, looking with amazement here and there,
as if we were in an enchanted garden.