The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-08-22

cross each other iist at this bridge; and
o. course there was good deal o
chafin' among 'em, and some fghtin',
too, now and then; for l needn't tell
you that Roeshan and Tartar are iist
about as fond of each other as a Rooshan
and Turk. Nowadays, the masters
have had the gumption to change the
hours of work, and keep 'em out of each
others way; but in my time there was
scrimmage nearly every week, though
nothin' like this 'un Pm tellin' of.
"Well, sir, I'd knocked off early that
evenin', and strolled back to my place
with a young Rooshan merchant as |
knowed-a right good fellar, name O
Michael Feodorof. Just at the bridge
we stopped to have look at the sunset,
and rare sight it was. There was the
dark-red tower of the old Tartar gate
way standin' out ag'in the bright
evenin' sky, and the citadel-wall with
all its turrets and battlements, and the
gilt cupolers of the churches in the
town, and the great green plain of the
Volga away below US, and the broad
river itself shinin' wherever the bright
light fell on it, and the purple hills be-
yond tipped with the gold every here
and there, jist like the Delectable Noun
tains as mother used to read about on
Sundays when was boy.
While we were standin' lookin' at it
up comes half dozen Rooshan work
men, a-goin' home from their work, and
four or five Tartars from 'tother side,
a-goin' home from their'n, and they
meets jist at the bridge. As they crossed
each other one O. the Rooshans pulls a
bit O. sassage out of his pocket and holds
it up to the foremost Tartar "a great,
ugly-lookin' bruiser with one eye), and
says to him, chafin' like, "Hollo,
MOurad; dye want bit O. grease to
make yer beard growp'
Now, needn't tell you that offerin'
pork to a Mussulman is like drinkin'
Dutch Williams health at an Irish fair
and the words warn't well out O the
Rooshan's mouth afore the Tartar had
him by the throat and was bangin' his
head agin the bridge rails as if he was
drivin' nail with it.
Then, all in one minute, whole
crowd of 'em seemed to start up out O
the very earth, and we found ourselves
right in the middle of a reg lar tearin
| tight-tossin' arms and fierce faces
| NAlllln oil IOuHu ultu SIIlhlu dIO
grapplin' and clawin' like fury, the
broad, bearded faces of the Rooshans
and the fiat, sallow mugs of the Tartar
all blurred up together; and sich {
yellin' and cursin' and screechin' a-goin
on that l Almost thought myself one o
them old Roman Hemperors a lookin
on at wild beast fight in the Call-and
see-'em.
l was so took aback that l jist stooc
anG stared like a fool; but Feodorot
had his wits about him, and dragged MI
into a corner where we could see it al
without bein' swept in. l saw d'rectl,
that it was more than a plain bout O
tisticuffs, for several of the Rooshan
had got out their knives, and wer
slashin' about like one o'clock; and tn
Tartars on their side had begun to tea
out the rails O. the palisade, and t.
crack the skulls of the Rooshans witt
them. Just then Ivan Marchenkof
} one of my best men, came tumblin
: down at my feet with half dozen Tai
| tars atop of him; and as he fell h
, caught sight O. me, and cried to me fo
. help.
: Well, that was more'n | could stand
: l busted loose from Feodoroff (who trie
: to hold me), and leapt right among 'em
! 1 cotched the uppermost Tartar b
the scuff O the neck, and chucked hir
away like a kitten; and the second l hi
sich a dollup behind the ear as mad
l him look five ways at once; but jus
then two O. the rips jumped upon m
from behind, and down went. The
5 Feodoroff few to save me, but the crow
! closed upon him, and down he Went
too; thought it twas all up with u
Q both.
Jist then l heerd a rumble of wheel
up the sloop leadin' to the bridge, an
; then great shout of I" Sodalti! sodali! !
D (" The soldiers! the soldiersl")
|, Then l lay close to the ground an
made myself as small as l could, for
e knowed that if they fired into sich
I 7 crowd with cannon, it 'ud just NOW 'er
I down like grass. The next minute
heerd an orfcer's voice singin' ou
e Halt! front! fre!' But instead c
the bang of cannon there cum hi:
3 like fifty tea-kettles a-bilin' over, an
i then great splash, and then the crow
scattered fifty ways at once; and
: found myself wringin' wet all in mil
e ute. Then somebody gripped hold
q !, me and pulled me up, and there W;
l, Feodoroff, and beside him Lieutena1
, Berezinski, of the garrison, laughin' f
n to burst. And when l looked aroun
rs the whole place was puddle O. waite
Is with dozens O men rsllin' in it like fiji,
,s in treacle; and at the end O. the brids
81 was ten or twelve sogers, and right
If front of 'em great steam fre-engint
n Then l understood it all, and bega
le laughin' as hearty as anybody.
le you've cooled their courage tn
q time, Mr.. Lieutenant" says I.
q 81 think l have" says thesLieute,
" ant; " and that, too, without wasting
70 cartridge or killing man. When yc
9, go home to England, Yakoy Ivanovitc
le (James, son of John), you can say tn
u if you hadn't stood fire, you've stoc
q water, and been at the battle of Voy
lie voda"*
a "This play upon UodG (t water'') and royeuod e
- General ') has no equivalent in English. Perha
~ the best rendering would be the battle of Vat
rs loo"
j, -
IS The Most Poisonous of Gases.