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Article EPISODES IN THE LIFE OF A FREEMASON. ← Page 9 of 17 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Episodes In The Life Of A Freemason.
ivho had retreated the evening after the battle , and taken up a new position some twelve or fifteen miles off . He started with his little troop iu great spirits , and felt doubtless very important at being employed on so delicate a service . They trotted along through a very picturesque and fertile country , till they came in sight of the enemy ' s advanced postswhereunder cover of a
, , friendly little thicket , they were able to make their observations without being seen by the Piedmontese videttes . After a careful survey , W ancl his men tied up their horses and proceeded to refresh themselves , as best as they could , with such provisions as their ration-bags afforded . This clone , thei r remounted , and were soon en route to join the main body of the
army . It w as now growing dusk , ancl the young commander disposed his men so as best to guard against any unforeseen ancl sudden attack . He well knew that the peasantry of the country were all either openly or secretly in favour of the Piedmontese cause , which they identified ivith their own ; so that , although the reconnoitring party were traversing a portion of country included in the Austrian territory , they were in reality surrounded by hostile natives , who hated the very name of the empire to which they belonged ; and to escape from the
dominion of ivhich was now their best and dearest hope . Accordingly , every care was taken to provide for whatever contingencies might happen . The twilight was fast melting into the obscurity of night as they approached a deep glen , through whicli lay the road to the Austrian camp . They had not gone more than a quarter of a mile when a sharp crack was heard ,
which most unmistakeably proceeded from some unfriendly rifle , but ivhich produced no other effect than to create an extra degree of vigilance on the part of the little troop . The ball passed harmlessly along , and but little notice was taken of the circumstance . I may here remark , that the Lombard peasants had acquired a singular facility of using a sort of sling , which
seldom failed of producing the most deadly effect ; the missile thus projected was either a large stone , or occasionally a sort of barbed spear , ivhich occasioned great annoyance to the Austrian soldiers . The Piedmontese army numbered comparatively few regular soldiers , the bulk of their forces being composed of raw levies of peasantrybadldrilledand worse armed ; ancl though
, y , their zeal for nationality and their hatred of the Austrians doubtless occasioned many isolated feats of valour , yet they Avere soon found to be wholly incompetent to resist the discipline and experience of veteran troops . The glen through , ivhich
W and his men had now to pass was about a mile in length , and the farther they advanced , the thicker became the wood
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Episodes In The Life Of A Freemason.
ivho had retreated the evening after the battle , and taken up a new position some twelve or fifteen miles off . He started with his little troop iu great spirits , and felt doubtless very important at being employed on so delicate a service . They trotted along through a very picturesque and fertile country , till they came in sight of the enemy ' s advanced postswhereunder cover of a
, , friendly little thicket , they were able to make their observations without being seen by the Piedmontese videttes . After a careful survey , W ancl his men tied up their horses and proceeded to refresh themselves , as best as they could , with such provisions as their ration-bags afforded . This clone , thei r remounted , and were soon en route to join the main body of the
army . It w as now growing dusk , ancl the young commander disposed his men so as best to guard against any unforeseen ancl sudden attack . He well knew that the peasantry of the country were all either openly or secretly in favour of the Piedmontese cause , which they identified ivith their own ; so that , although the reconnoitring party were traversing a portion of country included in the Austrian territory , they were in reality surrounded by hostile natives , who hated the very name of the empire to which they belonged ; and to escape from the
dominion of ivhich was now their best and dearest hope . Accordingly , every care was taken to provide for whatever contingencies might happen . The twilight was fast melting into the obscurity of night as they approached a deep glen , through whicli lay the road to the Austrian camp . They had not gone more than a quarter of a mile when a sharp crack was heard ,
which most unmistakeably proceeded from some unfriendly rifle , but ivhich produced no other effect than to create an extra degree of vigilance on the part of the little troop . The ball passed harmlessly along , and but little notice was taken of the circumstance . I may here remark , that the Lombard peasants had acquired a singular facility of using a sort of sling , which
seldom failed of producing the most deadly effect ; the missile thus projected was either a large stone , or occasionally a sort of barbed spear , ivhich occasioned great annoyance to the Austrian soldiers . The Piedmontese army numbered comparatively few regular soldiers , the bulk of their forces being composed of raw levies of peasantrybadldrilledand worse armed ; ancl though
, y , their zeal for nationality and their hatred of the Austrians doubtless occasioned many isolated feats of valour , yet they Avere soon found to be wholly incompetent to resist the discipline and experience of veteran troops . The glen through , ivhich
W and his men had now to pass was about a mile in length , and the farther they advanced , the thicker became the wood