ossing his legs--the wooden
one over the good one. "At that time our army in Italy was destitute of
everything. We had nothing--no bread, no ammunition, no shoes, no coats.
Ah, it was a poor army we were then! The people at Paris, called the
Directory, were worried over our condition. The army must have bread,
ammunition, shoes, coats, they said. We must send one to look after
this. And, as I told you, they sent Napoleon. It was in March, in the
year 1796, that he came to us at Nice. We were near by, in camp at
Abbenya. There the new general held his first review. He looked at us;
he pitied us. 'Soldiers!' he said to us, 'you are naked; you are badly
fed. The government owes you much; it can give you nothing. You are in
need of everything,--boots, bread, soup! Well, I will lead you into the
most fertile plains in the world. I have come to take you into a country
where you will find everything in plenty,--dollars, cattle, roast-meat,
salads, honor, palaces, what you will. Soldiers of Italy, how do you
like that?'"

"Ah! but that was grand," cried the youngster; "and you said?"

"We said, 'How do we like it, my general? Ten thousand bullets! March
you at our head, and you will see how we like it.' His words gave us new
heart; his promises seemed already to clothe us. We were ragged and
tired; but it seemed, after that speech, as if we walked on air, and
were dressed in silken robes. Forward, march! Boom--boom--boom! Ta-ra,
ta-ra-ra! Hear the drums! See us marching! We marched through the day;
we marched through the night. We were faint with hunger, but we marched.
We were at Montenotte on the eleventh of April. We whacked the
Austrians,--famous men, nevertheless; well furnished, good fighters!
But, bah! what was that to us? We whacked them at Montenotte. They ran;
we after them. We fell upon then at Millesimo, at Dego, at Mondovi, at
Cherasco. We had a taste of the glory of being conquerors. We routed the
Austrians in those fights that were called 'the Five Days' Campaign.' We
had brave generals with us; and we had Napoleon! From the heights of
Ceva he showed us the plains of Italy,--the rich, well-watered land
which he had promised us. Then we crossed the Alps. Mighty mountains!
Bah! what of that? We were Frenchmen; we had Napoleon! We turned the
flank of the Alps. We fought at Fombio; we fought on the bridge of Lodi;
we marched into Milan. We were Frenchmen; we had Napoleon! In fact, we
conquered Italy! We fought at Ar