The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-09-05
skoDelefi's Dinner to Tedk Bey:

This affair is described by CORES
pOndent of the London Daily Ne,cs II
had attached myself to General Skobe-
left, and while riding through the
streets on our way to our old quarters on
the Loftcha road we met Tefik Bey,
Osman's chief of staff, thesame who had
come over the bridge to us with the
white flag. lie had become separated
from Osman and was wandering about
with his escort through the muddy
streets. Nobody seeming to know
where to take h i'm or where to go.
General Skobelelf Immediately invited
him to dine and pass W night at his
headquarters on the-Koftcha road. Te-
fix Bey at first hcsitated, as he thought
he ought TO endeayor to join Qsman,
but nobody knew where Osman was. IL
seemed then probable that he had ac-
companicd the grand duke to BOgot,
and at any rate if he were in Plevna,
the task Of finding him might he one of
hours in the darkness. General Skobe-
leil7s persuasions, joined TO those Of
Colonel Galliard, whom Skobeleff had
likewise invited, finally prevailed. A
warm fire burning gayly in General
Skobeleti's mud hut, glass of vodka
and some hot soup, at once thawed out
our benumbed hands and feet, and we
were soon enjoying hot dinner, with
the appetite of men who had been in
the saddle since daylight, with not a
morsel to eat. Teik Bey seemed much
depressed and dOwncast. He spoke lit
tie, and was at first almost as taciturn
as he had been on the bridge. He
frightened up, however, as the meal
progressed, drank glass of red wine, Il
glass Of sherry and Il couple of glasses
of champagne, When General Skobe-
left proposed the health of Osman
Ghazi, and drank to the brave defenders
of Plevna.
a merry smile Oyerspread his face
when Skobeletl' inquired of him who
had commanded the Turks on the Green
Hill, and believe it occurred TO him
now for the first time that his enter
tainer was Skobeleti, the interchangeable,
restless, daring spiritwith whom he had
exchanged so many hard blows on the
Loftcha road and Green Hill. Nobody
had mentioned Skobcleti's name in his
presence, nor had SkObeleif told him
who he was but the fact that he had
come ont of the Lottcha road, together
with SkObelofl7s question about the
Green Hill was quite enough to en-
Tighten him. So he sand, with a smile,
" All. it is you who gave us such tough
work on the Green Uill all this time :
You are General SkObelefiE" He laughed
and said, "Yes." "That was very
good attack of yours that evening in
the fog and darkness. Very well done
But you did not get. it ALL" No."
said Skobelefl; " did not want it all"
And they both laughed. But after this
fit of sunshine Tefik Bey
soon again relapsed into melancholy
and gloom, 1t was partly the despon-
dency and sadness natural under the
partly the reaction on
the extreme excitement and tension of
nerves during the last few days when
for the sortie, and partly !
extreme lassitude and fatigue. We had
hardly swallowed our coffee when Sko-
belief, taking pity on him, turned us all
out, gave up his bed to Telik, had an
other hastily made up for Colonel Gal
lard, and then retired and passed the
night in a hut of one of his officers !;
so ended this eventful day on our side
Of Plevna.