Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-03-29

as fast as We could to the great square. The
people were swarming out of the houses,
and the streets were full of a hurryine
throng. all directing their steps to the point
whence we could hear the believing of the
mob, echoed with answering cheers by those
making towards the place of assembly,
Around us there was murmur like that O!
millions OF bees, as men, women and chill.
dren jostled their way to the Palace of the
Slgnory. My companion, who stopped every
now and again to open his jaws as wide as
the mouth of saddle-bag, and give forth a
yell, hustled along at great pace, and
made after him with scarcely less speed
BY good fortune, and a considerable
amount OF pushing, we made our way
through the press, which appeared to me
to be composed entirely of elbows, and at
last reached the market place. Here the
crowd behind us slowly drove us forwards,
and finally gave us the advantage of good
position. The square was lined with men at
arms and stout citizens with boar spears in
their hands,
All at once there went up shout louder
than ever, the crowd swayed backwards and
forwards, then opened out, and admitted
the Carroccio or war-car in Florence. It
was painted red, and drawn by oxen housed
| in red trappings. The great beasts had
dragged the car slowly from the chapel of
st. Johns, where it stood in times of peace,
and labored along under it's weight. From
the car itself projected two poles on which
hung the banner of the Commonwealth, u
red CYCLIC on white field Immediately be.
hind this came another car, bearing the
Martlnello or war-bell, which was incessant-
ly changing out It's angry notes. 1t was to
ring now for a full month, without ceasing.
Around the cars were the principal mobiles
of the city, and the oxen being guided to
the bankrupt stone," were there unhar.
messed. Pietro Soderini, the brother of his
eminence of Volterra, who was then Con
faloniere for life, raised his hand. In mo-
ment there was silence, and the vast audi
ence listened to the brief Grafton that fell
from the lips of their chief magistrate He
painted in stirring words the dangers of the
times; he called to the people to forget
party hatreds in the face of the common
| crisis; he appealed to their past, and then
| conc1uded: '"Therefore," said he, "for the
safety of this state, have we to whom that
safety is intrusted put our hope in God, and
our hands to the sword. Citizens, we give
| to our enemies, to Rome, and to Spain, war,
red var-and God defend the right" With
that, he drew off his glove of mail and flung
it on the pavement, where it fell with sud
den crash.
The silence of the crowd continued for a
little, and then, from DO, 900 Threats rang out
cheer after cheer, as the sturdy citizens
| roared out their approval of the gage thrown
down.
In the midst of all this some partisan OF
the Medici, Historically excited, raised a
shout of Pale! Pale!
"Blood of St. John!' exclaimed Ceci
"who is that fool? He will die
1t was the well-known cry of the exiled
Medici, and it drove the crowd to Madness
Instantly there was an answering yell
*Popolo! Popolo! Death to tyrants!"
/ cannot tell what happened exactly; but in
the distance | saw man being tossed and
torn by the mob. For moment, his white
face rose above the sea of heads, with all the
despair in it that the face of a drowning
| man has, when it rises for the last time
above the waves; then it sank back, and
| something mangled and shapeless was flung
out into the piazza, where it lay very still
stood awestruck by this vengeance.
"1et the Medici will come back, signore!'
Ceci whispered this in my ear, as he stood
with his hand on my shoulder.
ITO BE CONTINUED