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

DEAD ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE. 369
The captain
trembled.
"It is
your battery."
" Nonsense ! It cannot be ; you are mistaken ;
that is not
my battery, I assure you."
" It is
your -battery, I tell you
me the truth, captain."
! I hear it ! I see it ! Tell
His voice and his face had something
imperious in them.
" " But no ! repeated the captain, raising his voice to drown
the noise, and they all did the same.
" It is not possible, I tell
you ;
I came here alone ; my battery has been two days at
Turin ;
what you hear is a train of military supplies ;
do believe
me what reason could I have for "
; deceiving you ?
" Do be quiet all of you ! " shouted the old man imperiously
as he released himself from his sons, who were holding him.
" Will you all be quiet ! "
It was impossible to disobey ;
distinctly hear the noise of the wagons, the
all were silent, and they could
tread of the horses,
and the different voices of the commanders.
" Ah ! I told you so " shouted the old man in a tone of
!
triumph, almost beside himself with joy ;
" I told you so ! I
felt in my heart that they were cannon ! I saw them. . . .
Here, quick, give me my clothes, I wish to get up,
I wish to
go down. . . ."
" " But no, father, no ! no ! broke out the sons together ;
"
you cannot get up, you are ill,
it
might do you harm," and
they tried to keep him in bed. But he, opening his arms
vigorously and pushing them all away from him, shouted :
" Leave me, in heaven's name ! Do you wish to kill me !
Here, give me my clothes immediately, I wish them ! " and he
started to throw himself from the bed. They prevented him