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

1
4 6 MILITARY LIFE.
die of . . .
hunger. Oh, come come
"
immediately
!
The squad was instantly armed, a message sent
to the syndic,
a despatch to
the military command at Caltanisetta, a notice to
the sergeant to stop there with a few soldiers, and away the
rest go toward Campofranco. They had to walk a mile or
more through a winding path across the fields. The sun was
shining brightly.
The soldiers, dripping with perspiration, before
leaving the town, proceeded
one behind the other in a
long file, half walking, half running, listening attentively to
the peasant, who, in broken words, described to Cangiano the
sad state of the place.
"
Courage
!
courage ! " the latter replied
from time to time ; "nothing is done by complaining ;
this is a
time for deeds." He kept quickening his pace, and the soldiers
with him, until they ended by actually running.
At a certain
point they began to see in the distance men, women, and
children wandering uncertainly through the fields, pointing the
soldiers out to each other, stopping, fleeing, running backward
and forward, calling loudly to each other, gathering and dispersing,
like people who were being pursued and quite out of
their senses from fear. As the soldiers approached the village
the fugitives became more numerous, the agitation and shouting
increased ;
entire families roamed about the country carrying
or dragging behind them all their worldly possessions ;
some had put their things on the ground in order to rest ;
at
the sight of the soldiers they took them hastily
up and moved
off, turning timidly back as they did so. Others fell down,
quite worn out ;
others rose ; many farther away, turning toward
the soldiers, shouted and waved their arms cursing. " Ah !
"
Mr. Officer ! exclaimed the peasant, "this is !
nothing
" " No
matter," replied Cangiano ;
" we are prepared for every