The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-08-21
skobeIeg's D,uncr TO Teak Bey.

This affair is described by a cores
pendent OF the London Daily NeTs
I bad attached myself to General
SkobeleiT. and while riding through
the streets on our way to our old
quarters on the Loftcha road we met
TeGk Bsy, Osman's chief Of staff, the
same who bad come over the bridge
TO Us with the white flag. he had
become separated from Osman and
was wandering about with bis escort
through the muddy streets No
body seeming to know where TO take
him or where to go. General Sko-
beleg Immediately invited him TO
dine and pass the night at his head
quarters on the Loftcha road. Tehk
Bey at first hesitated, al be thought
be ought to endeayor to join Osman,
but nobody knew where Osman was.
1t seemed then probable that be had
accompanied the Grand Dake to Bo-
got, and at any rate if be were in
Plevna, the task of finding him might
be one Of hours in the darkness.
General Skobeleff's p~ersuasions, join
ed to those Of Colonel Galliard, whom
Skobeleff bad likewise invited, finally
prevailed. A warm fire burning
gayly in General Skobeleffs mud but,
a glass of vodka and some hot soup,
at once thawed out our benumbed
hands and feet, and we were soon
enjoying a hot dinner, with the ap-
petite of men who bad been in the
saddle since daylight, with not a
morsel to cat. Teik Bey seemed
much depressed and downeast. He
spoke little, aud was at first almost
as taciturn as be had been on the
bridge He frightened up, however,
az the meal progressed, drank a glass
of red wine, a glass of sherry and a
couple of glasses of champagne,
when General Skobeleff proposed the
health Of 0sman Ghazi, and drank to
the brave defenders of Plevna.
A merry smile overepread his face
when Skobeletf 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
entertainer was Skobeleif, the inde-
fatigable, restless, daring spirit with
whom he had exchanged so many
hard blows on the Loftcha road and
Green Hill. Nobody had mentioned
Skobeleffs pane in his presence, nor
had Skobeleif told him who be was /;
but the fact that be had come out Of
the Loftcha road, together with
Skobelef7s question about the Green
Hill was quite enough to enlighten
him. So lie said, with a smile, "Ah,
it is you who gave VI such tough
work on The Green Hill all this time Z
You are General Skobeleff ?" He
laughed and said, YES" That was
a very good attack of yours that
evening in tho fog and darkness.
Very well done. But you did not
get. it all" Mo- said Skobeleff
II did not want it ALL" And they
both laughed. But after this momen-
tary fit of sunshine Tefk Bey soon
again relspsed into melancholy and
gloom. 1t was partly the despond-
ency and sadness natural under the
circumstances, partly the reaction on
the extreme excitement and tention
OF nerves during the last few days
when preparing for the %sortie, and
partly extreme lassitude aud fatigue.
We had hardly swallowed our coffee
when Skobeleff, taking pity on him,
turned US all out, gave up his bed to
Te6k, had another hastily made up
for Colonel Galliard, and then retired
and passed the night in a hut of one
of his officers; SO ended this event
ful day on our side Of Pleyna.