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- II5 -

law it would take some three years to rid ourselves of these peasants and we now hope to be able to use more drastic measures against them. 

August 27th  Yesterday afternoon the peasants were taken to prison in the most impressive way imaginable. Antonio along with the gardener courageously went to the farm to overlook the threshing of the wheat. The atmosphere there proved however such that the gardener lose courage and fled. But Antonio stuck to his post despite the furious peasants who menaced him with scythes and pitchforks. Our neighbours watched the whole scene from their windows overlooking the farm. 

By a happy coincidence during this time, Major S. came up to see us. We informed him of what was going on in the farm-yard, adding that the peasant brothers were in the habit of fighting together and menacing each other with fire-arms. - 'If fire-arms are found, it will constitute a military offence for which two years in prison is the penalty,' said the Major. 'I shall send for my Carabinieri and have these men taken away and their farm searched for arms.' The Carabinieri arrived on the scene and at the opportune moment the three all but nude ruffians (Tomaline, his father and brother) in threshing clothes, were hauled through the garden and into the ground-room on their way to the prison van waiting outside. Antonio watched them triumphantly. Fire-arms were in fact found in the farm and the blond wife