Thegreenturfwastheirbed，astonetheirpillow;nevertheless，theyhadbeenabletoenjoyafewhoursofpeacefulslumber，fortheywerefamiliarwiththehabitsoftheTyrolese;theyknewthattheyneverundertookanything，notevenahunting—excursion，inthedeadofnight，andthattheyhadnothingtofearfromthemuntilsunrise。
Butnowthefirststreaksofdawnilluminatedthesky;itwastime，therefore，tocontinuethemarch。Lieutenant—ColonelvonWredenrosefromthecouchwhichthesoldiershadpreparedforhimofmossandbranches，andreviewed，accompaniedbyhisofficers，hissmallforce，whichbegansullenlyandsilentlytoforminline。AclouddarkenedWreden\'sfacewhen，marchingthroughtheranks，hecountedthenumberofhissoldiers。HehadarrivedyesterdayatthebridgeofSt。Lawrencewithnearlyfourhundredmen;scarcelyone—halfofthemwereleftnow;theotherhalflayslainatthebridgeofSt。
Lawrence，or，exhaustedbythelossofbloodandbythepainsofgapingwounds，hadsunkdownontheroadandbeenunabletocontinuethemarch。
\"Andthesepoormenwilllikewisebekilledto—dayunlessspeedysuccorcomes，\"murmuredtheLieutenant—Coloneltohimself;\"wearealllostifthemiserablerabbleofpeasantsreachthegapofBrixenbeforeus。Wearealllost，forweshallbeentirelycutofffromourfriendsandsurroundedbyourenemies，whoareabletoavailthemselvesoftheirmountainfastnessesandhiding—places，whilewemustmarchthroughthevalleyandacrosstheopenplain。Butallthesecomplaintsareuseless。Wemustdoourduty！Thesoldier\'slifebelongstohisoathandhisking;andifhefallsintheservice，hehasdonehisduty。\"
Andwithstrongdeterminationandboldcouragethelieutenant—