The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-11-08
On the Sentry T,ine

Un the Sentry Line.
During the night which followed the
engagement fought at the bridge OF
Traktire, the commanding officer of the
Russian engineers employed on this
service passed on foot along the French
and Turkish lines with all the plans
which had been drawn by his subalterns,
comparing them, as he proceeded, with
the appearance OF the positions. He
trusted that the faint starlight, which
sufiiced for his purpose, would not be
bright enough to enable the advance
sentries TO see him. When he reached
the Sandman lines, however, he was
seen by the cetired officer of English
dragons, who was standing sentry in
front of an outlying picket. He did not
challenge, but, after laying down his
rifle, he advanced slowly and stealthily
with only his sword-bayonet in his hand
On coming near the small mound on
| which the Russian colonel stood exam
ining his plans, he crept on his hands
and knees, then started up and ran at
him, placing his bayonet suddenly on
the officers breast, and calling upon
him, in such French rs he was master
of, to surrender. The Russian tried to
draw his sword. but was prevented by
the Irishman. He refused, however, to
surrender, but seized his adversary
round the waist, vainIy trying to throw
him on the ground. They were both
slrong and active men, and, neither OF
them being in the least wanting in cour-
age, fierce struggle ensued.
The dawn was beginning to break,
but they were not near enough 10 at
4ro Ha g
who slept in full reliance on their SEN
try. Many hard blows We're dealt on
both sides, but still the Russian kept
hold of the bayonet with his left hand,
and did not succumb. At last the Irish
man wrenched the bayonet from the
Russians grasp, and flung it away,
contriving ut the same time to get his
adversary's head under his left arm,
when he pummeled it so Justify with his
right fist that the punishment soon be-
came too severe for the officers further
endurance. He surrendered, and gave
his word of honor not to attempt to es-
cape, while he handed his sword to his
conqueror. They walked to the outpost
the Irishman talking all the time in his
broken French and laughing very heart
lily rs he spoke of their mornings ad-
venture. which he treated as an excel
lent joke. The officer in command of
the outlying picket sent the Russian
colonel under strong escort to Gener-
al Durando, with the Irishman to tell
his own story.
The plans were found to be most ac-
curate and complete, and the service
rendered in intercepting them was so
much thought of that General de la
Marmora got an officers commission
for the young Irishman, and took him
on his staff as an aide-de-camp. An
attempt was made to treat the Russian
engineer as a spy, but his captor came
forward and saved his life by declaring
that he had never entered the Sardinian
lines, and that he had been attacked
and made prisoner at a distance of more
than 200 yards from them. His evil
dence was accepted as conclusive, and
the Colonel was accordingly sent to
Constantinople as a prisoner of war.
He bore no ill-will for his captor, which
he attributed solely to the Irishman's su-
perior knowledge of the British science
of boxing, and he spoke in the highest
terms of his opponents chivalrous con-
duet in throwing away his sword-bayo-
net when he might have stabbed him to
the heart with it, SO helpless was he
with his head in SO awkward Il predica-
ment. He also praised the Irishman
for relying on his parole instead of bind
ing his arms ignominiously, and for
preventing his being shot as spy
Temple Bar.