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

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MILITARY LIFE.
battalions.' 'Or one?' 'No, no, two.' 'Three.' 'They
look like sharp-shooters.'
'
No,
infantry.'
'
Sharp-shooters.'
'But, no.' 'But yes ;
see their feathers.' 'They are stopping.'
'
Do you think so ? ' ' Yes, they have stopped, I tell ' '
you No,
!
'
see how they move ! Meanwhile the ground between the two
bodies was diminishing. We measured it from moment to moment.
Our eyes ran, without stopping, from one troop to the
other, from the latter back with the rapidity of thought, hungrily
and expectantly ;
all our life was in our eyes ;
all our soul was
up there.
The ground between the two went on diminishing,
and the two bodies were very near, and marched rapidly, a
trifle disordered and confused.
We, with our eyes dilated, motionless,
nailed to the spot, our hearts beating, and our breath
bated.
"Suddenly, almost instantaneously, a bright light flashed from
those two bodies, fell, and was extinguished ; they had lowered
their bayonets, and instantly thereafter began running. A
shout, that must have been tremendous, came faintly to our
ears.
"
We replied with a shudder.
" Ah, they are within a few steps of each other ; they will
clash ;
have done so ;
one gives way, spreads, draws back,
breaks, and scatters to right and left ; it is a rout.
"
A fresh shout, a cry of joy reaches us ;
and this time we respond
too. Our shout, ready for so long a time, but suppressed,
suffocated, and strangled, came up and burst out from
the depths of our souls, and was savagely long and sharp.
" The victorious band stopped an instant, then continued its
run, caught up with the fugitives, moved off behind them, became
only a black point, and then disappeared.