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andreas hofer-第41部分

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all around; the Tyrolese were firing at the soldiers; who; gnashing
their teeth with rage and grief; did not even enjoy the satisfaction
of wreaking vengeance on them; for their enemies were concealed
behind the walls and pillars; while the soldiers were defenceless;
and had to allow themselves to be laid prostrate by the unerring aim
of the sharpshooters。

Angry; scolding; imperious voices were now heard at General Kinkel's
window; and a strange sight was presented to the eyes of the
dismayed soldiers。 Teimer's face; flushed with anger and excitement;
appeared at the window。 He was seen approaching it hastily and
thrusting General Kinkel's head and shoulders forcibly out of it。

〃Surrender!〃 threatened Teimer; 〃surrender; or I shall hurl you out
of the window!〃 'Footnote: Hormayr's 〃History of Andreas Hofer;〃
vol。 i。; p。 249。'

〃Colonel Dittfurt;〃 cried General Kinkel; in a doleful voice; 〃you
see that further resistance is useless。 We must surrender!〃

〃No!〃 shouted the colonel; pale with rage; 〃no; we shall not
surrender; no; we shall not Incur the disgrace of laying down our
arms before this ragged mob。 We can die; but shall not surrender!
Forward; my brave soldiers; forward!〃

And Dittfurt rushed furiously; followed by his soldiers; upon the
Tyrolese who were approaching at this moment。

Suddenly he reeled back。 Two bullets had hit him at the same time;
and the blood streamed from two wounds。 But these wounds; instead of
paralyzing his courage; inflamed it still more。 He overcame his pain
and weakness; and; brandishing his sword; rushed forward。

A third bullet whistled up and penetrated his breast。 He sank down;
blood streamed from his mouth and his nose。

The Tyrolese burst into deafening cheers; and approached the fallen
officer to take his sword from him。 But he sprang once more to his
feet; he would not fall alive into the hands of the peasants; he
felt that he had to die; but he would die like a soldier on the
field of Honor; and not as a prisoner of the peasants。 Livid as a
corpse; his face covered with gore; his uniform saturated with
blood; Dittfurt reeled forward; and drove his soldiers; with wild
imprecations; entreaties; and threats toward the hospital; whence
the Tyrolese poured their murderous fire into the ranks of the
Bavarians。 But scarcely had he advanced a few steps when a fourth
bullet struck him and laid him prostrate。

His regiment; seized with dismay; shouted out that it would
surrender; and; in proof of this intention; the soldiers laid down
their arms。

The Bavarian cavalry; to avoid the disgrace of such a capitulation;
galloped in wild disorder toward the gate and the Hofgarten。 But
there Speckbacher had taken position with the peasants; who; mostly
armed only with pitchforks; had hurried to the scene of the combat
from the immediate environs of Innspruck。 But these pitchforks
seemed to the panic…stricken cavalry to be terrible; murderous
weapons; cannon would have appeared to them less dreadful than the
glittering pitchforks; with which the shouting peasants rushed upon
them; and which startled not only the soldiers but their horses
also。 The soldiers thought the wounds made by pitchforks more
horrible and ignominious than utter defeat; and even death。
Thunderstruck at their desperate position; hardly knowing what
befell them; unable to offer further resistance; they allowed
themselves to be torn from their horses by the peasants; to whom
they handed their arms in silence。 The Tyrolese then mounted the
horses; and in a triumphant procession; headed by Joseph
Speckbacher; they conducted their prisoners back to Innspruck。
'Footnote: Hormayr's 〃History of Andreas Hofer;〃 vol。 i。; p。 250。'

There the enemy had likewise surrendered in the mean time; and the
barracks which; until yesterday; had been the quarters of the
oppressors of the Tyrolese; the Bavarian soldiers; became now the
prisons of the defeated。 Escorted by the peasants; the disarmed and
defenceless Bavarians were hurried into the barracks; whose doors
closed noisily behind them。

Innspruck was now free; not an armed Bavarian soldier remained in
the city; but the Tyrolese; to the number of upward of fifteen
thousand; poured into the streets; and the citizens joined them
exultingly; and thanked the courageous peasants for delivering them
from the foreign yoke。 The city; which for three hours had been a
wild scene of terror; havoc; bloodshed; and death; resounded now at
the hour of mid…day with cheers and exultation; nothing was heard
but hurrahs; songs; and cheers for the Emperor Francis and the
beloved Tyrol。

Every minute added to the universal joy。 The victorious Tyrolese;
mounted on the horses of Cite Bavarian cavalry; and headed by the
proud and triumphant Speckbacher and a rural band of music; appeared
with their prisoners。 Two badly…tuned violins; two shrill fifes; two
iron pot…lids; and several jews'…harps; were the instruments of this
band。 But the musicians tried to make as much noise with them as
possible; and the citizens considered their music sweeter and finer
than the splendid tunes which the bands of the Bavarian regiments
had played to them up to this time。

New cheers rent the air at this moment。 A squad of peasants brought
the great imperial eagle; which they had taken down from the tomb of
Maximilian in the High Church of Innspruck。 They had decorated it
with red ribbons; and carried it amid deafening acclamations through
the streets。 On beholding the eagle of Austria; the excited masses
set no bounds to their rejoicings; they flocked in crowds to gaze at
it; citizens and peasants vied in manifesting their devotion to the
precious emblem; they blessed it and kissed it。 No one was permitted
to stay a long while near it; for the impatience of his successor
compelled him to pass on。 But an aged man; with silvery hair; but
with a form still vigorous and unbent; would not allow himself to be
pushed on in this manner。 An hour ago he had fought like a lion in
the ranks of the Tyrolese; and anger and rage had flashed from his
face; but now; at the sight of the Austrian eagle; he was as mild
and gentle as a lamb; and only love and blissful emotion beamed from
his face。 He encircled the eagle with both his arms; kissed the two
heads and gilded crowns; and; stroking the carved plumes tenderly;
exclaimed: 〃Well; old eagle; have your plumes really grown again?
Have you returned to the loyal Tyrol to stay here for all time to
come? Will〃

Loud cheers interrupted him at this moment。 Another crowd of
Tyrolese came up the street; preceded by four peasants; who were
carrying two portraits in fine golden frames。

Deafening acclamations rent the air as soon as the people beheld
these two portraits。 Everybody recognized them as those of the
Emperor Francis and the Archduke John。 The peasants had found them
in the old imperial palace。

〃John!〃 shouted the people in the streets; and in the houses which
the procession passed on its march through the city。 Even the
Austrian eagle; which had been greeted so tenderly; was forgotten at
the sight of the two portraits; and all accompanied this solemn
procession of love and loyalty。

This procession moved through the whole city until it finally
reached the triumphal arch which Maria Theresa had ordered to be
erected in honor of the wedding of her son Leopold。 The Tyrolese
placed the portraits of Leopold's two sons on this triumphal arch;
and surrounded them by candles kept constantly burning; every one
then bent his knee; and exclaimed: 〃Long live the Emperor Francis!
Long live our dear Archduke John!〃 Woe unto him who should have
dared to pass these portraits without taking off his hat! the
Tyrolese would have compelled him to do it; and to bend his knee。

〃Well;〃 they exclaimed; 〃there is our Francis; and there is our
John。 Look; does it not seem as though he were smiling at us; and
were glad of being here again and able to gaze at us? Long live our
dear Archduke John!〃

And they again burst into cheers which; if the Archduke John had
been able to hear them; would have filled his heart with delight and
his eyes with tears。

These rejoicings around the eagle and the portraits lasted all day。
The whole city presented a festive spectacle; and the overjoyed
Tyrolese scarcely thought to…day of eating and drinking; much less
of the dangers which might menace them。 They sang; and shouted; and
laughed; and when night came they sank down exhausted by the efforts
of the fight; and still more by their boundless rejoicings; to the
ground where they were standing; in the streets; in the gardens; in
the fields; and fell asleep。

Profound silence reigned now in the streets of Innspruck。 It was
dark everywhere; bright lights beamed only from the portraits of the
emperor and the Archduke John; and the stars of heaven looked down
upon the careless and happy sleepers; the victors of Innspruck。

They slept; dreaming of victory and happiness。 Woe to them if they
sleep too long and awake too late; for the enemy does not sleep! He
is awake and approaching; while the victors are sleeping。




CHAPTER XIX。

THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU。


The Tyrolese were still asleep; and profound stillness reigned yet
in the streets of Innspruck; although it was already after daybreak;
and the first rays of the rising sun shed a crimson lustre on the
summits of the mountains。 All at once this silence was broken by a
strange; loud; and plaintive note which seemed to resound in the
air; it was followed by a second and third note; and; as if
responding to these distant calls; the large bell of the High Church
of Innspruck aroused with its ringing voice the weary sleepers to
renewed efforts。

They raised themselves from the ground; they listened; still drowsy;
to these strange notes in the air。 Suddenly two horsemen galloped
through the streets; and their clarion voices struck the ears of the
Tyrolese。

〃Up; sleepers!〃 cried Joseph Speckbacher; 〃do you not hear the
tossing? Rise; rise; take your rifles! the French and Bavarians are
at the gates of the city; and we must meet them again。〃

〃Rise; Tyrolese!〃 shouted Major Teimer; 〃the French and Bavarians
are coming

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