But the details of the fight at the factory must be given. The assault
was imminent. "Ready, boys!" exclaimed in one voice Orazio, Attilio,
and Muzio; "Ready!" and the summons was scarcely pronounced when the
Papalists threw themselves upon the front door of the manufactory. In
the interior all the lights had been extinguished. On this account
the Government troops, though seen by our side, could not distinguish
individually any of the sons of liberty, and the first who attempted to
scale the barricade fell back, their skulls split open by the terrible
axes of Orazio and Muzio, or the sabre of Attilio, as well as by the
different instruments of defense used by their valorous companions.
Yet, although they repulsed the enemy, the besieged sustained an
important loss in that first assault. A shot from a revolver pierced
the heart of the gallant and intrepid Orazio, who, despising cover, had
exposed his person at the top of the barricade to the enemy, and fell as
he clove one of them with his axe.
The "Prince of the Campagna of Rome" fell like an oak of his own forest,
and his strong right hand grasped his weapon tightly even in death.
"Irene" was his last thought, and the last word that escaped from his
lips. Ah! but Irene's soul was pierced by that dying voice! for the
three women, although they took no part in the defense, remained at a
short distance only from those whose hearts beat in unison with their
own.
Irene first reached him whose beloved voice had called her, and her two
companions soon followed. As Orazio's body remained upon the barricade
where he fell, the noble woman, heedless of her danger, had directly
scaled it, and her beautiful forehead was struck at that moment by a
ball from a musket; for the mercenaries, enraged at their bad success,
were firing at random through the open door. It may be imagined with
what feelings the two surviving friends and their beloved ones had those
precious bodies carried into the interior. The factory had indeed become
a charnel-house, it being useless for the chiefs to admonish their men
to keep under cover.
There are moments when death loses its horror, and when those who would
have fled before a single soldier take no heed of a shower of shots
falling in every direction. Such was the case now with those poor and
courageous working-men. Not counting the large number of troops by whom
they were surrounded, nor the multitude firing in the direction of
the door, they stood to their defenses without precaution, and allowed
themselves to be needlessly wounded. In this way the number of the
defenders became lessened, whilst that of the dying and killed was
momentarily augmented.
Attilio and Muzio saw at a glance how matters stood, and that there
was nothing for it but to confront the enemy till death. Yet Clelia and
Julia! why should they also die, so young, so beautiful!
"Go thou, Muzio," said Attilio, "and persuade them, while there is yet
time, to escape by the back entrance, and place themselves in safety.
Tell them that we will follow a little later."
In this last part of his speech the generous Roman prevaricated. He
had already tasted all the glories of martyrdom, and would not have
relinquished it even for Clelia's love.
But at this juncture who is it that has arrived as by a miracle,
climbing like a squirrel in at a window, and appearing in the midst of
that great desolation in these last sad moments? It is no other than
Jack, our brave sailor Jack, saved from shipwreck by Orazio, to whom he
had ever since been much attached! He found himself in Rome during the
terrible occurrences which we have related, and at the first occupation
of the factory was sent to ascertain the result of the insurrection in
various parts of Rome. Jack returned with sad news. He, with his English
resolution, and with the agility that characterized him, had assisted at
nearly all the fights, and shared in the bad result's.
Attilio and Muzio were now fully aware of the fate that was reserved
for them, and they also learned that it was impossible for the women
to escape by the back premises of the factory. To accomplish this they
would have needed the nimbleness and agility of the young sailor. Muzio,
therefore, replied thus to his friend's injunctions:
"I will tell the ladies what you say; but I believe first, that it is
impossible for them to leave; and, secondly, that they would not leave
us if they could."