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

428 MILITARY LIFE.
the elder Lo Schiavo, was courageous enough to go to the window,
and from there, with clasped hands, weeping and sobbing
in a heart-breaking way, beg the crowd to spare
at least the
women and children. He was answered that they would all
be torn to bits. The poor father, in a fit of desperation,
fired into the street. This was the signal for assault. The
multitude, uttering a loud cry of fury, dashed with axes against
the doors and began to launch a shower of balls and stones
against the windows. The soldiers defended themselves from
within by shots. The struggle
lasted more than an hour.
Finally, seeing that all their efforts were in vain, the people set
fire to the barracks. A horrible scene followed. The flames,
which were already enveloping the entire building, and the
walls beginning to crack, played through the rooms ;
the air was
burning, and the beams of the roof bursting ;
from outside
came hisses and shouts of joy, inside were heard the despairing
cries of women and children ;
seven soldiers and Lo Schiavo
lay stretched in their blood. Reduced to this extremity, the
corporal, Albani, decided to attempt the only means of escape
that remained ;
he gathered the three families into one group ;
ordered his few soldiers to take the wounded on their shoulders
;
then he, and the others after him, hastily opened a door,
and, with lowered bayonets, dashed head downward into the
crowd. The latter, astonished at such incredible audacity,
gave way but
; hardly had they passed, when the mob fired and
killed several members of the unfortunate family ;
the others
saved themselves, partly in the houses, partly in the country ;
the soldiers were not overtaken. Two days after this three
companies of infantry from Gerace, Monteleone, and Reggio
arrived in Ardore and restored quiet. Captain Onesti, of the