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

DEAD ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE. 3/1
The dying son had kissed it on the mouth.
" Here
"
! here !
shouted the captain, striking the mouth with his hand. The
father stretched his arms toward the mouth, pressed
it to his
breast, and let his face fall affectionately on it, sobbing as he
did so.
" Oh, my son !
oh, my son ! "
Meanwhile, at a sign from the captain,
the lieutenant had.
dismounted, and the two cannoniers who had held the
dying
sergeant had got down from their seat, and all three placed
themselves behind the old man, the officer in the middle and
the two soldiers at his side.
" Sir !
" exclaimed the lieutenant.
The father, without taking his arms from the cannon, turned,
caught a glimpse of the three ;
the scene which the captain had
narrated flashed through his mind he
; sprang to his feet, threw
his arms around the two cannoniers' necks and laid his head
on the lieutenant's breast. The latter, deeply moved, pressed
the old man's head between his hands, and gave him on his forehead
the kiss which he had given to his son on the battle-field.
"All my sons ! " cried the poor father.
The captain made a sign ;
all the soldiers rose to their feet
and gave him a military salute.
The good old man felt his knees giving away under him, and
fell into the arms of his sons.
A few moments after, the last cannon of
the battery was disappearing
at the end of the street, and the father, leaning on
his
sons' arms and standing at the house door, saluted it with
his hand as if his dead son were really leaving with it.
" " " Oh, father ! said one of the young men, our brother is
not dead !
"
And he, raising his head proudly, replied
:
"
die !
" And will never