Year: 1867

not destroyed. For moment he was in
despair, but then, with grim smile, he
began to fasten the main door and pile
against itsuch articles as be could find
When le had done this he loaded all
the guns be could find and placed them,
together with new supply Of ammunition,
under the loop holes that commanded the
road by which the enemy must advance.
Then he ate heartily of the provision
re had brought with him, and sat down
to wait. lie had absolutely formed the
heroic resolution to defend tho tower
alone against the enemy.


There we're some things in his favor in
such an undertaking. The pass was steep
and narrow, and the enemy's troops could
enter It only in double file, and in doing
this would be fully exposed to the fire
from the tower. The original garrison of
thirty men could easily have held it against
division, and now one man was about to
ttt'dd;it agains, a regiment.


1t was dark when La Tour d d'Auvergne
reached the tower, and he had to wait
for some time for the enemy. They we're
longer in coming than he expected, apd
for While he vas tempted to believe they
had abandoned the expedition.
About midnight. however, his practiscd
ear caught the tramp Of feet. Every mo-
ment the sound came nearer, and at last
he heard them entering the delle. I'm
mediately he discharged several muske:s
into .he darkness to let them know taai
be knew Of their presence and intentions,
aud he heard the quick short commands
Of the officers, and, from the sounds, he
supposed that the troops were retiring
from the pass. Until the morning he
was undistUrbed. The Austriaa COM
mandcr, feeling assured that the garrison
had been informed Of his movements. and
vas prepared 10 receive him, saw that he
could not surprise :he post. as he had
hoped to do, aud deemed it prudent TO
wait till daylight before making hi. attack


AT sunrise he summoned the garrison
to surrender. A grcpadier answered the
summons.


"Say to your commander" he said, in
reply to the messenger, "that this garrison
will defend this pass to the last extremi-
ty"


The officer who had born the dag of
truce retired, aud in about ten minutes
piece of artillery Vas brought into the
pass and opened on the tower. Bui to
effect this, the piece had to be placed d.
reotly in front Of the tower, and within
easy musket range of it. They had
scarcely got the gun il positien, when
rapid FIRE was opened on !; from the toy
or, aud continued with such marked effect
tha: the piece was withdrawn after the
second discharge, with loss Of five men


This was bad beginning; so half an
Aour after the gun was Withdrawn, the
Austrian Colonel ordered an assault.


As the troops entered the deflo they
we're received With rapid and accu-
cate fire, SO that when they had passed
over half the distance they had to trev-
crse, they had lost fifteen men, Dishcart
ened by this, they returned to tie mouth
of the defile.


Three more assaults were repulsed in
this manner and the enemy by sunset had
lost forty five men, of whom ten were
killed.


The firing from the tower had been
rapid and accurate, bu. the Austrian com.
mander had noticed this peculiarly al out
shot seemed to come from the
same place. For awhile this perplexed
him, but at last he came 10 the conclusion
that there was number of loop holes
close in the tower, SO constructed as to
command the rayine perfectly


At sunset the last assault was made and
repu.sed, and at dark the Austrian com
mander sent second summons to the
garrison.


This time the answer was favorable.
The garrison offered to surrender at sun
rise the next morning, if allowed to march
cut With their arms and return to the
army unmolested. After some hesitation
the terms were accepted.


Meantime La Tour'd Auvergne had
passed an anxious day in the tower. He
had opened the fight with thirty muskets,
but had not been able to discharge them
all. lie had fired with surprising rapid
ity, and with surprising accuracy, for it is