The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-06-28

heather dogs no chance. All they could
do was to hover about us as we marched
just as The crows used to do round me
when went ploughing at home, and per-
haps one OF them would ride past at full
gallop within cay rifle range, and take
flying shot III passing. But our Cossacks
knew that game as well as they did, and
gave EN- pepper to their soup till they
had enough. Once or twice they tried to
surprise us by night, but our general al
ways slept with his eyes open, and SO the
scythe came upon a stone ca Russian
proverb, answering to our phrase of
catching tartar0 every time they tried
it, and after bit they thought it better to
leave us alone. Here, landlord, another
half-pint"
Dmltrl's narrative is again interrupted
for few seconds, the landlord surveying
him meanwhile with an air of tatherly
admiration.
Now, should tell you,0 lie resumes
at length sc that my great chum IL our
company was one Nikolai Petrovitch Mas
loft, from the town of Khvalinsk, on the
Volga Such merry fellow as he was
always laughing and joking, and telling
funny stories, and with his tales, and his
songs, and his Jokes, he kept us all merry
as boys at "a carnival But the morning
after we got to Ouran-Toubeh, which is
about halfway from Khodient to Samar-
cand, | noticed that keIia (Nikolail, in
stead OF looking bright and Jolly as he
generally did, was as dumpish rs peas
ant who has Just been drawn for the con
scription--and well he might! Did You
ever have dream, master ~
His voice sinks to a whisper at the
question; and a sudden look of solemnity,
almost amounting to awe, darkens his
lovial face.
"a dream, eh ?" answer |, laughing :;
"why Pm always having them. | had
very funny one last night, after having
mutton -pilaf and green tea"
All | don't mean that sort; this was
quite a different thing. Listen, and you
shall hear. | had expected to find Kolia
loilier than ever, for our general had just
got word that the unbelievers were en-.
camped with great army in front of
!Samarcand, meaning to fight; and we were
all rejoicing at it; but when looked into
kolIa's face, it struck upon me like chill
w lily bIDlHcI, ettll W ulJS WRONG
with you' It's just the time to be jolly,
when we're going to square accounts with
the unbelievers and here you're looking
as if you'd met the Domavoln (the Russian
Puck
"Meetya Omitri) my lad,p says he,
take this little cress Of mine, and swear
upon it that you'll give it with your own
hands to my father, Petor Iaanitch Masloff,
at Khyalinsk. You will return to Holy
Russia some day but as for me, it is lated
that should leave my bones here---I have
had dream"
"At that word, master, / felt colder
than ever, for | knew that Lola was a
| 'znacharr' (fortune-teller), and that his
dream conld not lie. | said nothing, and
he went on:
81 dreamed that he was lying on the
bank of u swollen river, beyond which
were steep hills and on those hills lay
the army of the unbelievers, and in the
middle of all there rose up one big rock
like the face of Il man. And suddenly,
like rising mist, came the figure Of my
patron saint. SAINT Nicholas, right by to
where we two lay; and he stopped down
ard touched you on the f0rehead-but
drew back his hand directly as if he had
made a mistake, aud laid it on my neck !;
and it was cold as ice. Then he disap.
peared; and as | awOke | heard a strain
Of music Just like Panikheeda Funeral
hvmn)."
Just then came the signal TO fall III,
and we had no more talk till the evening
before the battle. We had been marching
all day over great plain overgrown
with wooding, but Just about sunset we
came out upon the bank of the Ear
Agshan, and saw what was in store for us.
The river was in full food, running like
the olga after a spring thaw, and above
it the heights of Tehepan.Atin rose up
like "a wall, steep and dark against the
sky, and, scattered al over the slopes, like
sugar on al Easter cake. were helmets,
and spearheads, and gun barrels, and
embroidered dresses, and all the array of
the heather host, and their guns were
pointed right down upon the river ALREADY
to pepper us if we tried to cross | was
just looking up at them when | felt hand
on my arm, and heard Nikolai's voice
saying, Look do you remember 2"
81 looked, and 1t was as if some one
had struck me on the face, for there, as be
had seen them in his dream, were the
S,eep hills and the swollen river, and the
array Of the heather army, and the big
rock, like mans face, and all Then |
set my teeth hard, for [ knew that he
must die; but he just took off his little
cross, and gave 1t to me, saying, Remem-
Der your promise We gripped each
others hands, and said nothing more
{" The next morning, in the grey of the
early dawn, we mustered for the assault,
for the General had taken a good look at
their position, and had decided to try it
on the right, where tie ridge was not
so steep. My regiment was to lead. aud
the Colonel stepped to the front, and SAID,
in bis old CHEEKY way, looking as jolly as
if he were just going to dinner My lads,
our father the General has ordered Us to
carry that position, and so, of course we
can do it. Forward !"
The next moment we were breast deep
in the river, holding our pieces over our
heads. The minute we leaped in the
batteries opened apon us, and all over the
hills 1t was fash, bang, flash, bang, like a
thunderst orm, and the water splashing
and ioaming under the shot, as if under
bail but God blinded the eyes Of the
idolaters, SO that only few of us got hit.
We struggled through, and charged up
the heights and, to look at Us and them,
you'd have the thought that they would
only have to open their mouths and swal-
L.. Il l..