Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-02-26

seen nom the midst OF "a bivouac, itself
always so curious and so attractive.
The sentinels watch as they pace to
and fro. The mules browse the scant
but tasty grass ef the high plateaus.
Seated on old tree trunks the officers
finish their itineraries. complete their
notes, draw up reports on the country
they have traversed, make sketches of
the distant mountain silhouettes. The
soldiers sing ms they clean their arms,
shout, run and amuso themselves with
games. To see their movements and
their activity you would never think
that they had marched twenty-five
miles and accomplished maneuver
amid all the obstacles Of mountainous
ground. The Italians have reason to DO
proud Of their Alpine companies. Our
chasseurs do montague are not one whit
Inferior to them in tcnacity and endur-
ance.
Night closes in. Dinner is served on
a table formed Of wattled branches COW
cred with fiowcry turf. Old pine trunks,
cut down in time or former wars, serve
as seats. a big fire and torches formed
Of pine branches light the guests at this
original and rustic feast. At such an
altitude frugality is obligatory, never
theless the fare is quite respectable. Tho
chief dishes are red partridges and civet
de chamois. pine mushrooms, an ice
made with ewes milk and snow, while
strawberries. arbntus berries and wild
forest fruits, served in nests OF moss,
formed the dessert. The tourists are de-
lighted, and thank tho officers by drink
ing their health, and soon all retire 10
rest
AT daybreak the battalion resumes its
march along the ridge, alternately
through woods AMI across meager pas
turages. The solitude is absolute except
for some pastorullo guarding his goats,
which seem literally to cling TO the noun.
tain side. The view is marvellous when
the distance appears through rent in
the opalinc morning mist.
The road gc,a worse and becomes alb.
solutely rX""rahlc at tho point where
H." .;rlD'i 'ir sgnt begins, and where the
t..ck Is scarcely marked out Of the
slluoaiti". al the rocks. At one point
gr..u hHaSE nTerhang: at another sharp
projections nave TO be turned; almost
all the way the road follows the edge Of
prucipice.
One cannot imagine how the mules
will pass with their burdens, or how
they can even get footing in this danger
GUS pass. The battalion passes without
winking, as ii it were the simplest
thing in the world, and the mountain
battery follows in its turn. But not the
tourists; they find the danger too immi.
nent and dismount, preferling 10 trust
10 their feet. Meanwhile they wait till
the path is free. sitting on granite
prumontory, and watching the whole bat
terry defile along this track. which seems
impracticable even for the goats them
selves. IL is II work Of strength and pa
tience and requires as much skill rs it
does coolnCSs.
The soldiers hold up the mules and
even their burdens by means of ropes.
Thus relieved. the animals glide along
rather than walk, stiffening their fore
legs and almost touching the ground
with their hind quarters. A few acci.
dents happen, but. thanks to the mani
fold precautions and to the care of tho
urINerS, tney a'c rarely serious; tno
mules that fall are soon put on their
feet again. At last this long and perilous
pass is cleared the battery and the
ambulance rcjoin the battalion, and
after short halt the march is resumed
and La Bolene is reached.
The Tourists rushed into the hotel, de-
lighted to find themselves once more in
a civilized place, and to be able TO rest
for few hours. The column. however,
continued its march. Later on tho
tourists started for Nice in carriage.
Toward the end OF the day they over
took the indcfatigable chasseurs, who
were still marching along, although
moro than twelve hours had passed since
they had begun their days work.-From
"The French Army" by General Lewal,
in Harper's Magazine.