The King passed the night in great anxiety ; the
skies had threatened rain throughout the day, and the
Taro overflowed its banks on such slight provocation,
that though it was fordable then, it might become an
impassable obstacle on the morrow ; and perhaps the
delay was intended for no other purpose than to make
the position of the French army worse than it was. As
it turned out, it was hardly dark when a terrible storm
broke over their heads, and the thunder roared among
the Apennines, and the heavens were ablaze with light-
ning all night long. At daybreak it seemed to abate a
little ; but the Taro, which was nothing but a brook the
night before, had become a roaring torrent and was rap-
idly rising to the top of its banks.
At six in the morning, the King, fully armed and
mounted, summoned Commines, and ordered him to re-
pair to the rendezvous appointed by the Venetian offi-
cers. But the words were barely out of his mouth when
a great uproar arose at the extreme right of the French
army. The Stradiotes, creeping along under cover of
the woods, had surprised one of the outposts, and after



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THE BOEGIA.S. 109

putting every man to the sword were riding off, each
man with a head at his saddle-bow, as their custom was.
A detachment of cavalry started in pursuit, but, like
wild beasts, they disappeared in the woods which were
their lurking-place.
