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112
PIETRO MICCA.
AUGUST 30, 1706.
“There is no time to lay the train!
The French are pouring in!
Away, away! 'tis all in vain,
And nought can save Turin!”
The French are pouring in!
Away, away! 'tis all in vain,
And nought can save Turin!”
Like bloodhounds suddenly at fault,
The sappers stood in doubt:
They heard from that dark bastion-vault
The foe's exulting shout;
The sappers stood in doubt:
They heard from that dark bastion-vault
The foe's exulting shout;
They heard, upon the upper floor,
A sound of many feet;
The French were thundering at the door,
To cut off their retreat.
A sound of many feet;
The French were thundering at the door,
To cut off their retreat.
'Twas then the sapper Micca said
Unto the other two:—
“Ye see the train could ne'er be laid;
Without a train we'll do.
Unto the other two:—
“Ye see the train could ne'er be laid;
Without a train we'll do.
113
“The naked match will do as well,
And I will be the man;
The French are on us! quick! farewell!
Escape while still ye can.”
And I will be the man;
The French are on us! quick! farewell!
Escape while still ye can.”
His fellow-soldiers wondering heard
His speech with bated breath.
Small time there was to speak a word;
They left him to his death.
His speech with bated breath.
Small time there was to speak a word;
They left him to his death.
Yet, one upon his steps returned,
To shake his purpose wild;
And bade him, ere the match he burned,
Give thought to wife and child.
To shake his purpose wild;
And bade him, ere the match he burned,
Give thought to wife and child.
But Micca dragged him from the spot,
And cried, “'Twill be too late!
Run, while the minutes thou hast got,
Or thou shalt share my fate!”
And cried, “'Twill be too late!
Run, while the minutes thou hast got,
Or thou shalt share my fate!”
The man obeyed; and one by one
The fatal minutes fled,
And Micca, with his match alone,
Could hear the French o'erhead.
The fatal minutes fled,
And Micca, with his match alone,
Could hear the French o'erhead.
He heard them working at the wall;
Two companies were there.
Himself, the bastion, and them all,
He hurled into the air!
Two companies were there.
Himself, the bastion, and them all,
He hurled into the air!
All, all into the sky were hurled,
And as a fiery rain,
Upon the rent and quivering world,
Descended back again.
And as a fiery rain,
Upon the rent and quivering world,
Descended back again.
114
And then a silence filled the air,
A silence strange and long;
Afraid the birds that morning were,
To sing their morning song.
A silence strange and long;
Afraid the birds that morning were,
To sing their morning song.
Above the town there hung, up high,
A single cloud of smoke,
Which slowly sailed across the sky,
As soft Aurora woke.
A single cloud of smoke,
Which slowly sailed across the sky,
As soft Aurora woke.
It passed away. All looked the same
The sun in splendour rose.
No vestige of that deed of flame,
Its author or his foes!
The sun in splendour rose.
No vestige of that deed of flame,
Its author or his foes!
But time was gained by Micca's deed;
The French were beaten down;
And Prince Eugene arrived and freed
The long-beleaguered town.
The French were beaten down;
And Prince Eugene arrived and freed
The long-beleaguered town.
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