The National tribune., 1898-06-23

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| open 1t again, as t1make it at all passable.
/ But - days Macdoaald could not spare
independent Of the urgency OF his com
mands, there was 40 way to provision his
army IN these savage .solitudes, and he
must proceed. He ordered four of the
| .strongest oxen that could be found to be
led IN advance by the best guides. Forty
| peasants followed behind clearing away
and beating down the snow, and two com
panIes OF sappers came after to give still
| greater consistency to the track: while on
| their heels marched the remnant of the
company of Dragons part of which had
I been borne away by the avalanche three
days before. The post of danger was
gwen them at their own request. They
/ presented strange sight amid those
! Alpine SolitudeS. Those oxen, with their
horns Just peering above the snow,
toiled slowly on, pushing their unwieldy
DodieS through the drifts, while the sol
! d!erS, up to their .arn-pits struggled be
hihd. Not d drum or bugle note cheered
| the solitude or aWoke the echoes OF those
! silent peaks. The football gave back no
/ sound IN the soft snow, and the words of
command seemed Smothered in the
very atmosphere. Silently, noiselessly
1 the vast but diS0rdercd line stretched it
sen upward, with naught To break the
deep stiffness Of the wintry noon save the
! iierce paintings OF the horses and animal ,
| as with reeking sides they strained up the
I ascent.
! This day and the next being clear and
/ frosty, the separate columns passed in
safety, with the exception Of those who
! sunk IN their footsteps overcome by the
cold. The successful efforts of the col
I umns, these two days, induced Mac
donald 10 march all of the remaining
/ troops over the next day; and so ordering
1 the whole army 70 advance, commenced
4 on the 9th OF Decemb Der the passage But
u fresh snow had fallen the night previous
i hiling up the entire track, so that it had
E all 70 be made over again. The guides
z expecting wind and avalanches after
p this fresh fall Of snow, refused 10 90, till
d they were compelled 10 bv Macdona Id.
BreaSt-deep the army waded I'D the diff
i cult and desolate path, making in six
hours but SIX miles, or one mile an hour.
| They had not advanced far however
when they came upon q huge block oi
ice and Il newly-faiien avalanche that
entirely fitted up the way. The guides
halted before these new obstacles and re-
fused 10 proceed, and the head of The
column wheeled about and began its
march down the mountain. Macdonald
Immediately FASTENED forward and plac-
ing himSeli at the head Of his men walked
on foot, with a Tong pole in his hand Ia
sound the treacherouS mass he was
treading upon while he revived the droop
ing spirits OF The soldiers with words OF
encouragement.
Soldiers, said he, your destinies call
you into Italy; advance and conquer first
the mountain and the snow-then the
plains and the aTfffes." Ashamed TO see
their General hazarding his life at every
step where they had refused TO go. they
returned cheeriuiis no their toll. But be-
fore they could fsffect the passage the
voice OF the hufri&aHe was again heard on
its march, and TIE ipext moment IL cloud
of driving SNOWY Ghlterated everything
from view. The lath was filled up, and
all traces OF 1t sY4p4 utterly away. Amid
the screams OF the guides, the confused
commands OF the officers, and the bowling
OF the storm waSAhe4ird in rapid success
sion the thunderadash of avalanches.
Then commenced again the stern strug-
gle Of the army f6riliie. The foe they had
to contend with Tasinot one of flesh and
blood. 70 sword cat bayonet-thr,1st and
the biaze Of ARTILLERY the strong Alnine
storm was alike, fnvulnerable. On the
serried column and struggling line Il
Numbered with the same reckless power
while over all the drifted snow lay like one
vast winding sheet.
| No one who has not seen an Anime
| storm can imagine the fearful energy with
| which it RACES through the mountains.
| The light snow, borne aloft on its bosom.
| is whirled and scattered like an ocean of
| mist over all things. Such a storm now
piled around them the drifts which seemed
to form instantaneously, as by the touch
| of magician's wand. All was mystery
| and darkness, gloom and alright. The
storm had sounded its trumpet for thu
! charge, but no note of defiance replied.
| The heroes of so many battlefieIds stood
/ in still terror before this new and mightierI
| foe. Crowdlng together, as though prox-.
| unity added to their safety, the frightened
| soldiers crOuched and Shivered to the
blast that seemed TO pierce their very
| bones with Its chilling cold. But the
piercing cold, and drifting snow, and rag