St. Landry democrat., 1878-01-26
Incidents of the Siege of Plevna.

but would have been we're it not on both
occasions when he was struck he was
wearing thick double sheepskin coat,
which turned the rife ball and prevented
the fragment of she'll doing more than
rip the flesh. Skobeleff rode away to
visit the czar, and I, having breakfasted
with his staff, sailed out with its chief,
Colonel Keroupat Kline, to view the po-
sitions so gallantly taken and; so obsti-
nately de'ended on the mig ght of the 9th
and morning of the 10th. As scram-
bled kneedeed in mud up the; steep sides
of the "Monte Vert" I could not won
der to myself how under the pitiless fire
of the Turkish regulars, the Russians had
succeeded at all in making good their
hold on the summit. Arriving on the
crest l had glimpse st corner of the
Turkish position, but as it was dangerous
work to lift even for moment ones
head above the cover of the pit, no view
could be got worth describing. Still,
what did witness and will:endeavor to
tell you of, was one of those little episodes
of war which strike home its terrors to
the heart more deeply than d days whole.
sale slaughter. From the Turkish lines
stole out five men, crouchSng, creeping
and running over the broken ground be-
tween the lines toward a field of maize,
distant some eight hundred yards from
their starting point. Their rifles were
in their left hands, and every new and
then, thinking themselves safe from Rus
sion ken, they would stop as though to
see who of them should go. On first, and
then went on again all of the em together.
Their object evidently waste gain corn
field about hundred and fifty yards
from the spot where Kerod E'at Kline and
l were lying, and gather Che standing
ears, then make back with them to
feast on with their comrades in their
trenches. But, alas for t hem, in this
very cornheld the Russians had their
rifle pits-it was all over i'm less time
than it takes to write AIS the five on
hands and knees got amid the corn the
Russians leaped from the trenches in
which they were hid, and, in moment,
four Turks were quivering under their
bayonets. The fifth had presence Of
mind enough to fling irons him his rife,
and such was his agony Of fear and the
strength lent by it that the piece flew
some fifty yards. He was pushed down
with the butt end of rifle and broug ght
in a prisoner. He told us that hunger
had compelled some fifty facing us with
in the Turkish trenches ito draw lots of
five as to who should 60 out and gather
from the field in their front bags full of
ears of Indian corn, and to these unlucky
five the chance had fallen.
In the earlier part Of the day whilst I
was breakfasting with the staff, as already
mentioned, little detail of war occurred
which, though of ne Importance in itself,
serves to mark the character of war, and
brings cut its suferings and the callous-
ness to the fate of others which it must
of necessity engender even in the kindest
of dispositions. i....
A young, good locking sub.lieutenant
of some twenty years or 80 presented
himself with military salute before eur,
breakfast table, holding in his hand his
coat-tail riddled with bullet-holes, and
explained that as junior artillery officer
Of his battery he had been ordered to
climb tree to direct and mark the fire
on a newly constructed redoubt thrown
up by the Turks and out of sight from
the ground level, that he had been up
there two hours, the latter part of which
he had been the target of some four
Turkish sharpshooters, who were gradu-
ally improving their practice, and he
thought he had enough of it and begged
to be relieved. Everybody laughed as
the colonel chief of the staff ordered him
back again to his post, to remain until
he fell or was called down. And as
laughed, too, in chorus, not quite under
torthe moment what the matter
was-sf life and death, he gave me as he
took himself off to obey, an "Et tn,
Brute" look that shall not forget. AS
ne rode back, few drops of rain began
10 fall, and a biting cold wind from the
sast to make itself ielt even through the
warm furs in which was wrapped. An
1our later and the whole country had
changed 80 as to be no longer recognizes
Die, the few drops having increased to a
steady downpour5 of driving rain and
,leet, turning the hollows Of the roads
nto very lakes, and the sides of the hills
nto miry-sodden mud, in which the
ightest treading horse sank to the knees.
Cor. London Standard. /
Young wife; " My dear, don't be
;sernally finding fault with the fashion.
f you don't like the style of my hair
len't dress yours in that way, that's all.
f [ were to follow your example
hould have to wear my hair bald-headed.
Puck.