 Lesson 49. The Attempt to surprise Detroit (continued) |
51. How the Town was Saved  |
Colōnī, cum bellum gererent, hostīs saepe fallāciīs[1] ēlūsērunt. Sīcut[2] dux quīdam Americānus, quī mēnsēs multōs cum exercitū fuerat, uxōris conveniendae causā[3] ōlim clam domum profectus est. Cuius adventū cōgnitō, oppidānī[4], quī paucī[5] hostibus favēbant, certiōrem fēcērunt lēgātum Britannicum, quī castrīs praeerat[6] proximīs, ducem illum in oppidō latēre.
Itaque sine morā cum legiōne[7] noctū profectus, lēgātus ad oppidum celeriter contendit; ubi statim aedibus Americānī[8] ignēs[9] admotī sunt. Quō[10] animadversō, ille scīlicet crēdēbat spem omnem iam esse sublātam: sed fīlia ex aedibus fortiter ēgressa lēgātō, “Māter mea,” inquit, “aegra est. Dā mihi, obsecrō[11], salūtem eius saltem miserae.”[12]
Quā rē impetrātā, mulier cum lectō lēniter ēlāta est; mīlitēs autem, nē dux ipse ullō modō effugere posset, aedēs interim omnibus ex partibus circumstābant quīn etiam haūd procul sunt morātī, dōnec aedēs tōtae ignī cōnsūmptae sunt. Tum laetī ad castra sā recēpērunt, inter sē glōriantēs ūnum saltem Americānum scelerātum poenās dedisse. At incolumis erat ille; nam, cum uxor efferrētur, sub lectō manibus genibusque ambulāverat, neque eum vīderat quisquam. Sīc astūtiā fīliae servātus mox ad exercitum tūtō rediit.
- ↑ fallāciīs: tricks or trickery (fallācia, -ae, f.).
- ↑ sīcut: as, for instance.
- ↑ causā: cf. the note on p. 48, l. 6.
- ↑ oppidānī: (his) townsmen.
- ↑ quī paucī: cf. quī omnēs, p. 57, l. 8.
- ↑ praeerat: cf. p. 56, l. 15. The word means literally “to be before” or “to be over,” notions which, in Latin, call for the dative.
- ↑ legiōne: (his) regiment.
- ↑ Americānī: as noun, gen. sing.
- ↑ ignēs: translate as sing., and turn the whole phrase into the active form.
- ↑ quō: neuter.
- ↑ obsecrō: I beg (you) (obsecrō, I).
- ↑ eius … miserae: of her, poor woman.