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

arms. As the nights were very fresh
in that region, he had worn his furred
pelisse, and its thickness, as well as It's
silk lining, had deadened the blows.
Still he was in very weak condition.
| He listened attentivelv. The Turks
had long since departed. From time
| to time the means of wounded horses
| were waited to him from the field of
| battle-as for his men, the Turks had
taken care of them.
The Baron began to think of extri-
eating himself from the place in which
| he was, but he was SO much exhausted
by the loss of blood that it was a whole
hour before he stood upon firm ground.
Though war had deadened his sensibil-
ity, still, alone as he was, it was not
without a sensation of fear that he
emerged from the reeds and looked
cautiously about him. He advanced
slowly, his eyes resting on the field of
death; but who could depict his fright
when he found himself suddenly seized
| by the arm. He turned and beheld
gigantic Arnaut, six feet high, who had
returned, doubtless, in the hope of find
ing something valuable to reward his
trouble. Never was hope more cruelty
QcCCiftu. Leu lHo duuIcSStu
captor in the Turkish language.
Take my watch, my money, my
uniform, but spare my life.''
"All that belongs to me, and your
head too!' replied the savage giant.
| And with that he unfastened the
| chinstrap of the Baron's hussar cap,
and then proceeded to unite his cravat.
| The Baron was sinking with weakness,
| and had no weapon. At the slightest
| movement of resistance his enemy
would have Immediately sheathed his
broad cutlass in his bosom. Yet he
clung to the Arnaut by the waist, and
continued to implore him, while he was
barring his throat.
Take pity on me. My family is
rich. Make me your prisoner-you
will earn large ransom"
81 should have to wait too long for
my money replied the ruffian. "On-
! lv hold still for me to cut" And he
removed the Baron's short-pin.
Sill the Baron clung to him, and he
did not seek to free himself from the
clasp, doubtless because he relied upon
his strength and his arms, and per-
haps because he experienced a slight
emotion of pity, though not strong
enough to counterbalance the hope of
ducat.
AS he was removing the pin Conrad
felt something hard in his belt. 1t was
an iron hammer. He kept repeating
keep quietr and these were doubt
less the last words the Baron would
have heard if the dread of death so hor-
rible mad not inspired him to seize up
on the hammer. The Arnaut paid no
attention 10 it. He was already hold
ing the Baron's head in one hand and
his cutlass in the other, when his in
tended victim ierked himself free, and,
without losing an instant. dealt blow
with ell mis- force ON the forehead of his
antagonist. The hammer was heavy
and the aim sure The Arnaut reeled.
The Baron repeated the blow. He
went down, and as he fell his cutlass
escaped his grasp. It is unnecessary
to add that the Baron seized it and
plunged it several times into his body.
Free-saved!-the soldier ran to the
outposts, whose arms were glitterlng IN
the morning sun, that had never SEEM
ed so bright and glorious to him before,
and succeeded in reaching the camp.
The soldiers fled as from a ghost. The
same day he was attacked by a raging
fever, and carried to the hospital.
At the end of six weeks he was cured
of his fever and his wounds, and re-
turned to the army. On his arrival the
Bohemian gypsy brought him the bas-
ket of Tokay she had lost, and congrat-
ulated him on his miraculous escape
from death. The Baron learned from
his comrades that, during his absence,
she had predicted q great many occur
rences, all of which had come to pass
| exactly as she had foretoid, and this
had brought her a great many CONSUL
| tations and numerous bequests. The
whole affair was strange and inexpli-
cable, and shook the skepticism of the
most incredulous.
In the meanwhile there came to them
from the enemy's lines two Servian
Christians, who had been employed in
! the baggage train of the Turkish army,
and deserted to avoid a punishment
with which they had been threatened.
| AS soon as they saw the Bohemian
| prophecies they recognized her, and
| declared that she often came to the
Turkish camp in the night, to render
| an account of the movements of their
enemies. This surprised the Austrians
very much, for they had often availed
| themselves of this woman's services,
and had admired the dexterity with
| which she had executed the most peril
Gus commissions. But the deserters
| persisted in their statement, and added
| that they had been present on several
| occasions when this woman was des-
! cribing the Austrian positions to the
Turks, unfolding their projects, and
| urging them TO make the attacks which
| took place. A Turkish cipher served
her as a passport. This convincing
| proof was found upon her, and she was
| threatened to die as a spy,
Before her execution the Baron ques-
toned her about the fortune she had
| predicted to him. Sne confessed that
by means of playing the spy to both par
| ties she had often learned what was un-
dertaken on both sides; that those who
| secretly consulted her about their hor-
oScopes had contided to her many
things, and that she also trusted good
| deal to guess work. As to what con-
cerned the Baron particularly, she had
| selected him as a striking example to
/ strengthen her authority, fixing the IA
| tai period long time beforehand. At
the approach Of the time she had ex-
cited the enemy to make an attack on
| the post of his regiment on the twen-
tieth of August Her relations with
the officers enabled her to discover that
there were two on the list before the
Baron To one of them she sold drug
| ged wine that caused his sickness, and
getting near the other to sell him some
thing just as he had mounted, she con-
trived to thrust a piece of burning tin
| der into the horses nostrils, which rem
dered him furious and unmanageable-
| This was the whole secret of her fore
knowledge. Her punishment was the
halter. She went to the gailows with
bold, impertinent and defiant air,
| leaving not relative behind her to
mourn the death OF the gypsy spy.
/ Il