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A First Latin Reader/59

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Lesson 59
A Battle against Great Odds
1912
 58. A Fresh Supply of Powder 60. A Night Attack 
LESSON 59
A Battle against Great Odds

In quōdam lacū maximō, cuius in lītore positum est oppidum Taeconderoga, ācriter quondam ab Americānīs cum Britannis pugnātum est. Americānīs parvae erant nāvēs et paucae; at dux Britannicus, quī facile ē Canadā cōpiās adferre poterat, multās nāvēs longās summā diligentiā īnstrūctās parāverat; sē enim Taeconderōgam brevī expugnātūrum spērābat.

Imperātor tamen colōnōrum, vir maximae virtūtis, etsī numerō erat multō īnferior, committere proelium minimē dubitāvit; sed cum hōrās multās esset pugnātum noxque iam adesset, nāvēs vix nābant Americānae, tēlaque paene dēfēcerant. Quō quidem tempore Britannī, noctem veritī, proeliō dēstitērunt; sed ad ancoram haud procul cōnsistēbant, nē colōnī per tenebrās effugere cōnārentur.

At Americānī nocte intempestā, lucernls extīnctīs, silentiō dedērunt vēla, et magnō circuitū hostēs vītāvērunt. Itaque māne, cum Britannī proelium redintegrāre vellent, vix in cōnspectū erat nāvis ūlla; quārē illī, ancorīs sublātīs, summā celeritāte īnsequī coepērunt. Postquam autem Americānōs fugientēs paene adsecūtī sunt, cōnstitit ea nāvis, quā vehēbātur dux ipse colōnōrum, et sōla hostium sustinuit impetum, dōnec reliqua classis Americāna in portum mūnītum pervenīre potuit; quīn etiam nē illam quidem praedam cēpērunt Britannī; nam suō nāvigiō, cum ad lītus appulsum esset, AmericānI ipsī ignīs admōvērunt.

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