Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-09-13

and. as their first step, ordered the PRIMER %
the Zeitang to Jail, with declaration, that the
first merchant or traveller suspected OF com
promising with "the banditti" should follow
the printer. This had Its effect for few days,
aud the advertisements were stopped but a
Bolognese jeweller, who had come to the TAR OF
Idria, and after lingering impatlenlly for some
weeks in the city, was anxious to reailze MS
produce on the other side OF the iyrol, had not
left Laybach halfa German mile. when ne was
met by party of armed ''peasantry VINO Of
dered him back. They took nothing from nim'
and when he offered them money, refused IT,
stating that they were paid by their own "sove-
reign:' and ordered merely to prevent any
mans going through has territory without ms
passport. Some other attempts had the same
result: until at length the French commandant
determined to take tn. field against the unseen
nsnrner. He gathered about FIVE hundred
troops of different arms, and called out the bur-
eherguard TO make up his army. But the cit
liens had long since settled their MINDS upon
the point, and they, one and all, discovered SO
MANY personal reasons for directing to noun
tain campaign. that NJ. lie Colonel de lalmot
was at last, with infinite indignation, Obliged 10
compromise the affair, and leave the whoe>ol
the gallant burgher-guard for the defence oil
the gates and bitches.
The colonel was bold fellow, a rieur NOUS
toche, who had served from the time OF Moreau,s
march into Swabia, and was soldier all over.
The idea that his communication should be IN
,ercepted by "mountain thief, pedlar,a goat
hunter" was at once intoerable and Mdlcrous;
and he promised the civic council, that, before
twelve hours were over they should see the
"robber' with rope round his neck For the
purpose of more complete surprise, the expe-
dition was to wait for nighifall. About seven
in the evening patrol which had been order
ed to search the market peasants as they pass
ed out of the gates, for the honest Carniolans
were strongly suspected of carrying on the cor
respondence of the disafected within and with
OUT brought in an old seller ofeggs, in whose
basket they had found some gunpowder. his
was of course contrab and Of war, and the peas
ant was brought to headquarters. A farther
search discovered letter 10 the Mountain
King" He was extremely decrepid, and so
deaf. that he could scarcely be made to under
stand that a court-martial was about 10 be held
upon him. His Carniolan jargon was equally
lost upon the Colonel To shoot him however
REQUIRED some consideration. Trial was inn
possible, with man destitute of all faculty oil
explanation, or understanding; his age rendered
him harmless; and cruelty might irrita,e the
country people (who had crowded back on his
seizure and deprived the city Of its provisions.
Finally, as the best alternative, it was deter
mined to make use OF the old man guide TO
the haunt Of the insurgent chief.
This, however, he positively refused to be,
under fifty pleas of ignorance, feebleness, and
fear; he was at last induced 10 give way, was
seated on baggage mule, and with baso
at his back, was marched out with the troops
The peasantry hung their heads, with no very
measured expression of wrath at the hoary trail
tor. but as the French never condescended TO
know any language but their own, all this was
lost upon them. Night fell-the expedition
proceeded-and the old man and his ass were
put in front of the column, watched by hait-a-
dozen Chasseurs as the advance OF the whole
The mountaineering that overhangs the drl-
an Mine ountry is, though not very elevated,
remarkably rugged. Short, sharp descents, &
nights where every rock seems pointed Tor the
express purpose of repulsion, make 1t an ex-
tremely arduous business to work ones way
through it in the day time-what must 1t be IN
the night. To add 10 its difficulties, one OF
those storms, so common and so violent IN the
summer Of the south Of Germany, came Oh
The whole expedition, the general camp, pho.
neers and all,' were drenched in moment, and
after faint struggle to get on, the whole scat
tered themselves under the pine trees that cover
every spot where root can cling. The Colo
mel fearful of losing his guide, now ordered him
to be doubly watched; but he wa: SO far from
attempting escape that, to avoid the storm, he
was already making his way back to the clump
where the Colonel had taken his stand.
The storm had now risen TO a pitch OF Jury
that made the shelter Of the forest more peril
Gus than even the open air; the trees were torn
u, by the roots-huge branches were lying a
bout. to the infinite peril every one who came
in their way-sheets Of gravel, and the lighter
stones from the side Of the limestone cliffs, hill
ed the air: and when to this were added thunder,
that absolutely deaiened the ear, and flashes
that burst like shells from rock to rock, split
TING whatever they touched, it may be believed,
that the French wished themselves Tar enough
that NIGHT from the mountains OF ldrla.
twas now between twelve and one; the troops
had been out four hours, and as no symptoms
of the insurgents had appeared, and every soul
was heartily tired, the order was given 10 re-
turn. The whole corps was instantly en- route
with pladdened hearts; but even this had now
become no trivial matter. The road, bad enough
bfor, ,v.s now ten times worse; the accents