The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1884-03-13

give me trifie in your will "
In my will! I have no thoughts of
making it.
You should do So" said the Bohe-
mian, gravely. THE twentieth of
August is near at hand.
'.Ah! what is to happJn on the twen-
tieth of Augusta
"You are destined to fall on that
day-the stars have declared it +"
Il shall cheat the stars, them" sad
the Baron. ',And [ shan't make my
will. You tax of your poverty, too.
Don't | know you re making TWO hun
dred per cent, and turning your mon
ey every week, my good woman? Don't
talk of your poverty to me. You say l
shall be killed on the 10Th of August
maintain the contrary Now an opin-
ion is worth nothing if it isn't worth
backing, and I'll bet you two of my
best horses and fifty ducats against
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 Austrians,
while the Bohemian looked on gravely,
and then Withdrew, with stately rev.
ercnce.
The twentieth of 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 apprised of il"
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 finging his rider and
breaking his leg.
'It is your turn now, Baron" said
the surgeon.
''There is fatality in this, thought
the Baron, as he armed himself
''That cursed fortune-tel1er." And,
though brave as steel, it must be con-
fessed that he mounted his horse and
put himself at the head of his men in a
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 a hundred and
twenty from another regiment, which
brought the complement up to two
hundred, all told. The detachment
took post a thousand PAGES in advance
of the line of the right wing, and rest
ed on a marsh, filled with very tall
reeds. There were no sentinels in front,
but not 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
surprises. All was quiet till about
quarter of two o'clock, and the Baron
was beginning to think that the night
would pass over without an attack,
when sudden shout of ''Allah! il Al
lahr' 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
ish horses, as
Bending to battle
Ger each high saddle-bow,
With the sword of Azrael
They swept down tue foe."
On their side, at least an equal num-
ber fell, either from the impetuosity of
their own charge or the deadly fire of
the Austrian carbines. But they knew
the ground, and the Austrians were en-
veloped and cut to pieces. Saber
strokes flew thick and fast-fire-arms
were discharged at random-it was al
most impossible to distinguish friend
from foe. The Baron received no few
er than eight saDer 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
lee, 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 a hor-
rible massacre. In a few minutes not
a single Austrian was left standing.
The victors seized on the few horses
that had escaped unhurt; first plunder-
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 ruffians
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 whistiing overhead,
the Baron's horse received shot
which caused him to make convul-
sive movement, and enabled his rider
to extrieate his leg. He then conceived
the idea of throwing himself, if possi-
BILE, into the marsh, and thus escape
the fate of his command. He had seen
several of his command who attempted
this maneus er taken, but the fire had
slackened sreatly 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 Turk. Arms were extended
to seize him, and saber-strokes dealt at
him, but his good star and youthful ac-
tivity enabled him to gain the marsh
At first he sank only up to his knees
he toiled on little farther, and then
stopped, exhausted by fatigue. He
heard one Turk exclaim: at is impos-
sible to do so in the marsh" After
this dead silence ensued. The blood
he had lost caused the Baron to fall in
to a state of insensibility which lasted
several hours. When he came to him.