ttiere, or other, guessing that I was
no friend of his, nor of the whole set of them, had thrown the jattatura
on me.

I alighted at the Colombina, after four hours' ride, to give the horses
time to rest a little. The Albergo della Colombina was a great
disappointment, for there was nothing there that could be eaten. I
decided upon waiting most patiently, but most unlike a few cavalry
officers, who, all covered with dust, and evidently as hungry and as
thirsty as they could be, began to swear to their hearts' content. In an
hour some eggs and some salame, a kind of sausage, were brought up, and
quickly disposed of. A young lieutenant of the thirtieth infantry
regiment of the Pisa brigade took his place opposite, and we were soon
engaged in conversation. He had been in the midst and worst part of the
battle of Custozza, and had escaped being taken prisoner by what seemed a
miracle. He told me how, when his regiment advanced on the Monte Croce
position, which he practically described to me as having the form of an
English pudding, they were fired upon by batteries both on their flanks
and front. The lieutenant added, however, rather contemptuously, that
they did not even bow before them, as the custom appears to be--that is,
to lie down, as the Austrians were firing very badly. The cross-fire got,
however, so tremendous that an order had to be given to keep down by the
road to avoid being annihilated. The assault was given, the whole range
of positions was taken, and kept too for hours, until the infallible rule
of three to one, backed by batteries, grape, and canister, compelled them
to retreat, which they did slowly and in order. It was then that their
brigade commander, Major General Rey de Villarey, who, though a native of
Mentone, had preferred remaining with his king from going over to the
French after the cession, turning to his son, who was also his
aide-de-camp, said in his dialect, 'Now, my son, we must die both of us,'
and with a touch of the spurs was soon in front of the line and on the
hill, where three bullets struck him almost at once dead. The horse of
his son falling while following, his life was spared. My lieutenant at
this moment was so overcome with hunger and fatigue that he fell down,
and was thought to be dead. He was not so, however, and had enough life
to hear, after the fight was over, the Austrian Jagers pass by, and again
retire to their original positions, where their infantry was lying down,