Year: 1875

time for the enemy. They were longer in
coming than he had expected and for a
while he was tempted to believe that they
had abandoned the expedition. About
midnight, however, his prncti.ed ear caught
the distant tramp of feet Every moment
tue sound came nearer, and at last he heard
them entering the defile. Immediately he
discharged a couple of muskets into the
darkness to let them know that he knew of
their presence and intentions, and he heard
the quick, commands of the officers, and
from the sound, he supposed the. troops
were retiring from the pass: Until the
morning he was undistu1bed The Aus
trian commander feeling sure that the
garrison had been Informed Of his move
ments, and was prepared to receive him,
saw that he could not surprise ths pest, as
he had hoped TO do; and deemed it prudent
to wait until daylight before making the


1t sunrise he summoned the garrison to
surrender. A grenadier answered the
summons.


''Say to your commander" he said in re-
ply to the messenger. "that the garrison
will defend this post to the laft extremity"


The officers who had borne the flag of
truce retired, and in about ten minutes, a
piece of artillery was brought into the pass,
and opened on the tower. But to effect
this, tie piece had to be placed directly in
front of the tower, and in easy musket
range of i. They had scarcely gotten the
gun In position when a rapid fire was
opened on it from the tower, and continued
with such marked effect that the piece was
withdrawn, after the second discharge,
with loss of five men.


This was bad BEGINNING; so, half en-
hour after the gun was withdrawn, the
Austrian colonel ordered an assault. As
the troops entered the defie they were re-
celved with rapid and accurate fire, so that
when they had passed over half the distance
they had to traverse, they had lost fifteen
men.


Disheartencd By this, they returned to
the mouth of the defle.


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


The firing from the tower had been rapid
and accurate, but the Austrian commander
had noticed this peculiarity about 1t every
shot sermed to come from the same place.
For while this perplexed him; but at last
he came to the conclusion that there were
a number of loop holes close together in
the tower, SO constructed as to command
the ravine perfectly. t..-


At sunset the last assault was made and
repulsed, and at dark the Austrian com
mander sent second summons TO the gar.
rison. This time the answer was favorable
The garrison offered to surrender at sunrise
the next morning if allowed to march out
with their arms, and return to the army
unmolested. After some hesitation the
Terms were accepted.


Meanwhile La Tour d'Auvergne bad
passed an anxious day in the tower. He
had opened the fight with an armament of
thirty loaded muskets, but had not been
able to discharge them all. He had fred
with amazing repidity, and with surprising
accuracy; for it was well known in the
army that he never threw away a shot. He
had been determined to stand at his post
until he had accomplished his end, which
was to hold the place tw wen.y-fuur hours, in
order TO give the French army time to com
plete the mar 9uver. After that he knew
the pass would be no consequence to the
enemy. When the demand for surrender
came to him after the last assault, he con-
sented to it upon the condition I have
named.


The next day, at sunrise, the Austrian
trcoEs lined the pass IN two files, extending
from the mouth to the tower, leaving place
between them for the garrison to pass


The heavy door of the tower opened





SCARED grenadier, literally loaded down
with muskets, came out and passed down
the lines of troops.


He walked with difficulty under his heavy
load, but there was a proud and satisfied
LOOK on bis face.
To the surprise of the Austrians no one
followed him from the tour. In as:onish
ment the Austrian colonel rode up to hlm
and asked in French why the garrison did
not core.


'T am the garrison, colonel said the
soldier proudly.
"Whatr exclaimed the colonel. edo you
rnean to tell me that you aIone have held
that tower against me?"


| 81 have had tie honor colonel" was the
reply.


"What possessed you to make such an
attempt, grebadier?"


| 'The hcnor Of France was at stake"
The colonel gazed at him for moment
with undisguised admisaticr. Then raising 9
his cap he said warmly:


"Grenader, / salute you. You have
proved yourself to day the brasest of the
brave"


The oqceT caused all the arms which La
! Tour d 'Auvergne could not cary to be col
lected, and sent them with the grenadler
into the French lines, together with note
/ relating the whole affair. Wien the
knowledge of it came to Napoleon, he
offered to promote La Tour dAuvergne;
but the latter declined to accept the promo
ton, saying that be preferred to remain
where be was.


4 The brave soldier met his death in an
action at Ouerhausen, in Bavaria, in June.