The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-03-20

cy every week, my good womanp Don't
talk OF your poverty to me. You say
shall be killed on the 20th of August
| maintain the contrary. Now an opn-
ion is worth nothing ii it isn't worth
backing, and I'll bet You two of my
best horses and fifty ducats against a
hamper of Tokay wine, that shall sur
vive the twentieth of August"
agreed, said the Bohemian.
"We'll have it in writing" eXclaim-
ed the Count; and he called the auditor
of the regiment, who happened to be
passing. The bet was recorded, amid
the laughter of the two AuStrans,
while the Bohemian iooocd on wravcly.
and then Withdrew, with a stately rev.
| ercncc.
The twentieth eff August came. 1t
was the turn of the Baron's regiment
to furnish a picket for the night; but
two OF his comrades were on duty be-
fore him, and the Baron was to pass the
night in his tent. Evening came-the
horses were saddled, the hussars
mounted, and ready to march, when
the regimental surgeon appeared on
the ground.
whats the matter?" asked the
Baron.
Your friend Max, who was detailed
for the command, has been taken dam
gerously sick"
Indeed. then Lieutenant Arnold
takes command
He has just been appraised of it,
Lieutenant Arnold hastily dressed
himself, buckled on his saber, and pre-
pared to mount. But no sooner was he
in the saddle than his horse, though
ordinarily perfectly gentle and steady,
began to rear and plunge violently.
Every effort to calm and conquer him
was fruitless, and he wound up his
mean acts by tlinging his rider and
breaking his leg.
ut is your turn now, Baron" said
the surgeon.
There is a fatality in this, thought
the Baron, as he armed himself.
THAT cursed fortune-teller. And,
though brave as steel, it must be con-
iessed that lie mounted his horse and
put himself at the head of his men in u
frame of mind far different from his or
binary mood.
The night was chill and starless.
The Baron commanded eighty men,
who were joined by hundred and
twenty from another regiment, which
brought the complement up to two
hundred, all told. The detachment
took post thousand PAGES in advance
of the line of the right wing, and rest
ed on marsh, filled with very tall
reeds. There were no sentinels in front,
but not a man left his saddle. The
carbineers sat with their pieces I'M
slung at full cock, and the hussars
with drawn sabers, to guard against
All was quiet till about a
quarter of two clock, and the Baron
was beginning to think that the night
would pass over without an attack,
when sudden shout of allah! il Al
lah!' burst on the silence, and in one
minute all the horses in the front rank
were hurled to the ground, either by
pistol shots fired at point blank, or the
shock of seven or eight hundred Turk
sIi horses, as
Bending to battle
Der each high saddle-bow,
With the sword of AZracl
They swept down the foe"
On their side, at least an equal num-
Der fell, either from the impetuosity of |
heir own charge or the deadly fire of
he Austrian carbines. But they knew
he ground, and the Austrians were en-
7eloped and cut to pieces. Saber
strokes flew thick and fast--fire-arms
we're discharged at random--it was al
most impossible to distinguish friend
rom foe. The Baron received no few
er than eight saber strokes in the melee
both from the Turks and from his own
men. His horse, severely wounded,
fell with him, rolled over on his right
leg, and nailed him to the spot The
flames of the Turkish pistols lit up at |
intervals the scene of strife and butch |
cry.
The Baron raised his eyes and saw
his brave hussars defending themselves
with the courage Of despair; but the
Turks, drunk with opium, made hor-
rible massacre. In few minutes not
n single Austrian was left standing.
The yictors seized on the few horses
that had escaped unhurt; first plumber
ed the dead and wounded, and after
ward began TO cut off their heads and
stow them away in sacks they had
brought expressly for the purpose
The Baron's situation was by no means
an enviable one. In Czeklers's corps
they almost all knew the Turkish Ian
guage The Baron heard the ruflans
encourage each other to make an end
before succor arrived, and not to leave
a ducat behind, and adding that there
ought to be two hundred. He knew by
this that they were perfectly well in
formed as to the strength of the picket.
While balls were whistling overhead,
the Baron's horse received a shot
which caused him TO make a oonvul-
sive movement and enabled his rider
to extricate his leg. He then conceived
the idea of throwing himself, if posi-
bic, into the marsh, and thus escape
the fate of his command. He had seen
several of his command who attempted
this maneuyer taken, but the fire had
slackened greatly now, and the dark
ness inspired him with hope. He had
only twenty PAGES to traverse, but there
was danger OF sinking Still he sprang
over men and horses, overturning more
than one Iurk Arms wprn pytandnd