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

THE CHOLERA OF 1867. 417
thing," The first house and the beginning of the first street
appeared in sight.
The people, who were fleeing in the direction
of the soldiers, turned in part at the sight of them and
ran back to the town, shouting as if they were announcing an
assault of the enemy the rest dashed
; right and left into the
fields. On first entering the street they
stretched on the ground
saw two bodies
before the door of an uninhabited
house. Hardly had they entered, when there was a speedy
disappearance of the people in the houses, a hasty closing of
doors and windows, the sharp cries of women, the weeping of
children, and at the end of the street a rapid gathering and
noisy mingling of people, then a general flight. "Quick!"
"
shouted Cangiano ; ten soldiers go around the place and
stop these people." Ten soldiers detached themselves from
the squad and ran through a side street.
The others went on.
The frightened people continued to shut themselves up
in their
houses.
"
We do not wish to
"
harm any one ! shouted Cangiano, in
a
loud voice.
" We have come to help you ;
we are your
friends ;
come out, good people ;
come out of your houses ! "
A few doors and windows began to open ;
a few people behind
the soldiers began to appear ;
in the houses they heard
the weak voices of complaint ;
in the street, in front of the
doors, lay many
unfortunate creatures weak and exhausted
from hunger, or seized by the epidemic, motionless and torpid
as if dead. Here and there were household goods abandoned
in the door-ways, or in the middle of the road, and at every
step, scattered straw and heaps of rags. In every side alley
which lead to the fields were one or more bodies, some covered
with straw, some with earth, some with a few rags, among