Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-09-24


their furious eyes flashed in the gloom.
All suddenly red light began to spread
itself in the sky above their heads; and
looking up, they saw that one Of the
peaks Of the Buceg was all aHame.
Vaster and vaster the gloom became,
while high red fire rose up from the
peak, and seemed to spit stars to the sky.
The bethrothed both remained petrifed
with astonishment. The windows of
the neighboring houses began to open
and men shouted to one another: 'The
forest is on fire the mountain is burn
ing" Dogs barked; cocks crew. Then
Pauna, catching the young man by the
shoulders, pushed him violently away
from her, exclaiming: s'Gol fy! hide
yourself at once, unless you want me to
die Of shame!' She retired to her house,
fastened the door, and blew out her
lamp. With beating heart she watched
Tanase depart, hiding himself as he went
in the shadow of the houses. Then she
looked at the glow on the mountain,
which was gradually fading out; and
she did not answer her friends who called
her to come out and see the prodigy.
From that day Pauna was seldom seen
in the public street; her ruddy lips
once SO lavish of merry words. SO quick
to utter fine repartees smiled no more.
She worked in silence, and often felt SO
tired that she had to sit down beside the
fountain and cool her forehead with
water. Sometimes she would look
dreamily at the reflection Of her face in
the clear surface, or would lift her eyes
in startled gaze at the high summit Of
the Buceg. All at once rumor began
to circulate in the village that Tanase
had come back-such one and such a
one had seen him that night by the light
Of the burning mountain-had even
heard his voice talking with Pauna.
When she was asked about it, Pauna
would answer: ssYou know when the
mountain was burning, our house was
dark and silent;n but size trembled as
she spoke, and felt the cold sweat start
ing out upon her face. Pauna's mother
only shook her head and said that ''our
stupid folk are always seeing miracles. !"
Then came the news that great and
awful battle had been fought This
time Pauna was the last to hear the
news.
She rushed to the house, took shawl,
wrapped some mamaliga "a sort of pud-
ding made of corn-meaD and cucumbers
in napkin; and replied to her mother,
---i----.-.~i- -------
going: ''rll be back soon, mamma
don't worry about me-"
The field of battle stretched away to-
ward the horizon-vast under the vague
colorlessness Of twilight. Thousands of
dead lay on the ground. Dying horses
snorted and struggled; others, wound
ed, were limping here and there at ran
dom, with their heads to the ground.
Far off, the army was encamped about
its bivouac fire, out of hearing of the
means which rose from the field of bat
tie. One erect fgure-that of young
woman-alone appeared, walking over
80 -. =. .I,a rorro of daod Che hod
already been all through the camp, ask
ing for Tanase. Fearlessly she ap-
preached both friends and enemies, Civ
ing both to drink, and contemplating
the dead with pity. Night deepened
and the moon rose to illuminate the hor-
rible plain. Still the girl walked here
and there, kneeling down beside the
wounded, supporting on her breast the
heads Of men about to die, and ever
watching for some glimpse Of her ring
and her little image among the frightful
heaps Of mutilated corpses. She re-
coiled only once through disgust, on
perceiving some women robbing dead
man, and on hearing the sound of bones
being broken in order to wrench away
the gold or jeweled rings. But only for
a moment she withdrew, then she re-
turned to the despoiled corpse and con-
templated it with terror.
The camp slept; and still Pauna wan
dered over the moonlight field Of battle.
From time to time she would call softly
ssTanasel Tanaselp More than once 9
moaning voice answered her; but she
would find herself bitterly disappointed
on STOPPING over the PROSTATE form to
find that the wounded man who begged
for drink was not Tanase. Day began
to make the sky pale, and the moon was
growing dim when Pauna perceived
something glitter. On approaching sht
saw soldier lying senseless, almost
naked but the fingers Of his hand, or
which ring glimmered, had clutched
something fastened to his neck so tight
ly that it was evident no one had beer
able to wrench those fingers apart. Pauns
recognized her ringl "Tanaseln sh,
screamed, and fell beside the victim
whose face was hardly recognizable for
the clotted blood that lay upon it. Yet
moment, and her senses returned -sht
washed the poor beloved face; and he
tears flowed freely when she saw that
the two eyes and the nose had been
mangled by one frightfnl wound the
blood began to flow again. Assured
that her lover still lived, Pauna hastsned
to refresh his lips with water. and bound
up the wounds Of his face with hel
apron. A long sigh escaped from th.