The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-08-20

were coming down upon us. Az their nrSt
charge all the cavalrymen in our first line
were killed AT their second one, which
they directed with perfect knowledge Of
the place. we were defeated.
"Then all that followed was a frightful
massacre, hidden by the night, and lighted
up only by the rapid CLEANS of pistol-shots.
1--WE fought with our sabres and fired at
chance, and the men fell without knowing
who had struck them. received eight sa-
bre-cuts. Who gave them to me2 My
friends, perhaps as well as my enemies. My
horse was struck with u ball in his head,
and he fell on my right leg, aud nailed me,
bleeding, on the sand, and, without my be.
ing able to take part in the carnage, IL con
tinued above and around me-
"Our men defended themselves dcsper.
atcly, but every minute their numbers dimin-
ished the Turks, who were drunk with
opium, pitilessly continued their frightlul
massacre. Soon there was not a single Aus
| TRAN alive.
"Thc conquerors first took the horses, and,
tying together all those who could still walk,
drove them ahead Of them then they began
to rob the wounded and the dead, aud to cut
of their heads, which they threw one by one
into large bags that they had brought Tor
that purpose.
Being an officer of Czekler's Hussars,
understood the Turkish language, aud could
hear what they said. | heard them encourag-
ing each other to finish their horrible task as
quickly as possible before succor could
| arrive.
"'tt will be two hundred ducats,' they
said; there were two hundred mem. . =,
you see they were well Informed So il we
wish to lose nothing we must not miss n
| single head
GAS they uttered each of these dreadful
words they dccapitated either wounded or
a dead hussar My turn was coming, and
trembled with horror when heard some of
these iiends approach me, or when felt them
walking over my body. Ono of them even
stopped so near to me that held my breath
that he might not hear me. lie did not see
me, and went away. Before leaving, how
ever, and in order not to lose a sabre-cu he
thrust his weapon through my horses body.
| The poor animal had not moved fer long
| time, but she was still breathing when SHE
| received this last wound she made n con
vulsive bound, and fell dead. This move
ment disengaged my leg. | was free to fly,
and tried TO do so. The marsh was behind
me, twenty feet of, and | would bo saved if
| could throw myself into it.
81 gathered together all my strength, aud
| slowly, without making any noise, crept
along, sliding between the corpses, and wal
time | stopped and listened. Soon |
| thought I heard nothing more then
| raised myself and with 4 rapid bound
| jumped over the dead bodies both of men
| and horses.
" But was mistaken the Turks had not
| left, and felt several arms stretched out to
| seize me they tried to reach me with their
sabres, but I gained the marsh. l only
| buried myself in it at first as far as my
| knees, and then | took twenty steps more,
| and when the mud dame up to my hips.
| stopped.
However, the Turks cries had begun
again, Some of them said: A Christian
has escaped look for him; he is in tue
marsh
" II is impossible, replied some others.
81 do not know whether they continued
looking or not, for fell exhausted and
heard nothing more.
when came back to myself the sun
was already high. The Bohemian womans
prediction was my first thought, and the
memory of the night made it a more fearful
one than ever. counted my wounds 1 had
eight dangerous, but not mortal ones, my
thick coat having deadened their blows, but
! had not ceased losing blood and was
| iainting from weakness. | listened, and
could hear the enemy no longer they had
the means of the wounded and dying horses
reached me from the field of battle, but not
| a groan, not sound came from any man.
All their heads were in the Turks camp.
tried to drag myself out of the Shiny
mud in which | was buried, and only Sue
cecded in so doing after an hours effort, and
by being guided by the traces of blood had
left rs entered the marsh.
81 had never before known what fear
was; the ptiless war that we were waging
with the Turks had made me almost insensi
bic to it, and still, when | raised my head
above the rushes, and threw my glance over
the field of massacre ] trembled in spite of
myself.
" vert on, however, and every decapi-
tated corpse that trod under foot made my
horror increase; | could not believe that |
alone had survived. | almost doubted my
own existence, that had beenso miracu-
lously preserved.
Suddenly uttered cry ofindescrbsble
fright. Some one had seized my arm.
turned and saw bronzed Arnout, who
branished his scimitar and looked at me ut
tering n laugh of joy.
"'I knew he said to himself, that we
had missed one head. The night prevented
us from cutting it off yesterday -. / will
have it this morning.
at me with the bloodthirsty eyes of vul-
ture that holds his prey. was exhausted;
| had no strength except for duplication.
"Oh = cried to him with voice full
anguish; rob me, take my watch, my
money, my uniform, but do not kill me =
"' All that belongs to me- he replied
and besides, must have your head; it is a
good prize, you are the captain :. it will he
worth two duCats.'
" And he was already unbuckling the
chin-strap of my Ilussar's cap; then he I'M
tied my cravat.
:" / was without arms, without any means
of defense; at the least movement made he
could have passed his sabre through my
body. Supplcation, therefore, was my
only hope. | threw myself at his feet; then
taking him by the middle of his body,
clasped him in supplicating embrace.
"' Have pity on me = l cried; my fam
, lily is rich; make me n prisoner; take me IL
the Turkish camp, and you will have a ricl
ransom
"' That would take too long.
And with one hand he caught me by
the hair, while with the other he began t
bear my neck; he had already unfastened TIL,
button of my shirt.
81 was still holding him tightly clasped
when suddenly felt something hard in hi
belt that hurt my breast. IL was an irOf
hammer.
"Then, the Arnout said to me-
, 60 Come, be still, you will not suffer long,
"Then, with quick jerk, drew out tn,
hammer from his belt, and, jumping TIVE
f steps backward, gave him a terrible blow
with it in the middle of the forehead; Ia
) tottered II repeated it with redoublec
strength, and he fell
Bewildered and exhausted with all thes
3 emotions, dragged myself toward our ad
: vance post, whose arms | saw glistening il
: the sun, and | reached our camp.
"They fled away from me as from spec
q tire; that same night was taken with higl
=. fever, and became delirious and was carried
y to the hospital.
a Six weeks after was cured Of my feye
/ and of my wounds, and returned to camp
"The Bohemian woman was almost tn
. | first narSOu Ia visit mo. ghp came To nav he