Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-09-12

ne hdu HOl pTOceeueu Iar DeI0re ne
heard the jabber Of voices, the rattle Of
side arms against canteens and tin
cups. denoting that some soldiers of
the retreating army were ahead of
him. Thinking they would afford him
a good opportunity to make his expert
ment OF playing ghost. he urged his
charger on till he came in sight of four
men, whom he suspected to be those
who had been sent back to find him.
Hearing the patter of the donkey's lit
tie hoofs on the road. they turned.
For a moment they stood paralyzed.
Santa Mariaw whispered one to the
other. tits the miller. He must have
been murdered"
GO back" cried out Guardet. land
bury me! King Bomba's men have left
my body in a thicket near my mill.
will haunt you till you place it under
ground and put cross over it."
AS he spoke he kept on at the same
pace. The soldiers recciled before
him to the side of the road and as
soon as he had passed began to con-
suit as to what they should do. Not
one Of them dared to stand against the
threat he had made in, the miller's
name. and. trembling. they retraced
their steps and spent hours in fruit
less search for his body.
Meanwhile Guardet, encouraged at
his success, rode on, keeping at a safe
distance behind the advance of the re-
treating army, till he came to the top
of decivity from which he could look
down on Palermo. He saw King Bom-
ba's flag flying over the palace, the
Neapolitan ships of war in the harbor,
besides several war vessels flying the
British flag. He noticed the enemy's
camps and, considering their extent,
could not conceive how his general
could prevail against them. He OBJ
served their positions and saw that
they We're on the farther side of the
city, while the declivity on which he
stood led down to the narrow streets
on the hither side that had been left
without protection. All this he consid-
cred. and it occurred to him that it
would be well for his general to know
what was before him.
By this time darkness had come on,
and he determined to take advantage
of it to ride back to inform Garibadi
of what he had seen
There was another road leading to-
ward the revolutionists which Joined
the one on which they were advancing.
Guardet made for this road. Just as
he was about to ride into it. looking
over an open space, he saw the dark
forms of men marching westward.
"Ahaw exclaimed Guardet to him
self. "A force is moving by this road
either to strike the general on the
flank or cut him off. We shall see
about this"
For some distance the road on which
these troops were marching lay over
; partly open ground, and Guardet how
cred on their flank. He appeared now
! and again to the soldiers as a white
mass moving in the same direction as
I themselves. He was minded to block
the road before them to delay or turn
, them back, but he remembered that
! their leader would be at their head
and, being of superior intelligence, was
not likely to be frightened by an ap-
partition. So he fell back to the rear
with view to detaching some portion
| of the force When the dawn was
far enough advanced to enable the
troops to see him he put himself on the
road between the main body and a
company marching short distance In
the rear. A bomb dropping among
them could not have more effectually
scattered them.
Without waiting for them to investi-
gate him Guardet, who every moment
was becoming more convinced of the
Importance of bearing the information
! he possessed to his general, crossed
from the road on which the Neapoli-
tans were marching to the one OH
which Garibaldi was advancing and
during the morning took position at a
point where the general must pass. He
had not waited long when the head
Of the revolutionary column came In
sight. Guardet rode to meet them.
and the skirmish line melted away
like ice under the rays of hot sun.
Guardet kept on causing commotion
in the little army till he approached
the general and his staff.
whats this?" the general demand
ed. who are you who have rugged
yourself like phantomW
II am Private Giuseppe Guardet,
taken in yesterdays fight by King
Bombas men. escaped and hid in a
mill. That's what gives me ghOstly
appearance. have been to the crest
of the hill overlooking Palermo and
have noted several features that it
may be well for you to know"
"What are they?"
There must be 20.500 troops in Pa
lermo, but they are all near the palace
at the other end of the city. There is
q fleet of war vessels in the harbor,
some Of them bearing the English
| flag"
"English?"
"Yes, general"
go on"
''The part of the town nearest the
foot of the declivity is unguarded.
You may find an entrance on that side"
"AnythinC plSpW