[The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Rudolph Erich Raspe]@TWC D-Link bookThe Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen CHAPTER X 3/5
My disguise was my protection; they suffered me to continue there, hearing everything that passed, till they went to their several beds.
When I found the whole camp, and even the sentinels, were wrapped up in the arms of Morpheus, I began my work, which was that of dismounting all their cannon (above three hundred pieces), from forty-eight to twenty-four pounders, and throwing them three leagues into the sea.
Having no assistance, I found this the hardest task I ever undertook, except swimming to the opposite shore with the famous Turkish piece of ordnance, described by Baron de Tott in his Memoirs, which I shall hereafter mention.
I then piled all the carriages together in the centre of the camp, which, to prevent the noise of the wheels being heard, I carried in pairs under my arms; and a noble appearance they made, as high at least as the rock of Gibraltar. I then lighted a match by striking a flint stone, situated twenty feet from the ground (in an old wall built by the Moors when they invaded Spain), with the breech of an iron eight-and-forty pounder, and so set fire to the whole pile.
I forgot to inform you that I threw all their ammunition-waggons upon the top. Before I applied the lighted match I had laid the combustibles at the bottom so judiciously, that the whole was in a blaze in a moment.
<<Back Index Next>> D-Link book Top TWC mobile books
|