The proscribed, who were thoroughly acquainted with it, had begun to move at early dawn, so that when the sun rose they had already reached the summit of the mountain, from whence they could survey the whole country, and were reconnoitring, to see if any troops were advancing from the town. The coming of the troops was thus directly perceived.
Orazio—whose assumption of the command no one had disputed—dispersed about a hundred of his men, under Muzio's direction, as skirmishers over the low lands and amongst the underwood bordering upon the road on which the enemy was advancing. The remainder he arranged in column on the rising ground, ordering them to be in readiness to charge at the first signal. Having thus disposed his main force, he summoned Captain Tortiglio, and questioned him about the different officers in command of the enemy, who was still at some distance, ascending the mountain side.
"He who commands the vanguard," replied Tortiglio, "is Major Pompone, a brave officer, but a bully of the first order."
"If I do not deceive myself," said Silvio, who was watching the enemy's movements through his telescope, "that is the very fellow who wanted me to carry his luggage for him, for his nose is unmistakable."
"And who is that on horseback, leading what I suppose to be the principal body?" again asked Ordzio.
"Lend me your telescope," said Tortiglio, and, having pointed it at the individual in question, exclaimed, "Per Dio! that is the commander-in-chief of the Papal army; and see, his mounted staff is just appearing!"
"What is his name?"
"His name is Count de la Roche—de la Roche Haricot. These French Legitimists, representatives of the feudal times, have names nearly all commencing with de, which are very difficult for us, 'of the Si,' to pronounce."
"You, then, belong to the language of the Si, Signor Spaniard?" asked Orazio rather roughly.
"Como no!" (and why not?) articulated the captain in Spanish; "are you alone the sons of the ancient Latins, and the possessors of that universal language? Leant that there is as much in common between the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese languages as there is between the face of a Calabrian and that of an Andalusian, who indeed resemble each other like brothers."