The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-20
LEFT ON THE FIELD.

can remember our rush through the woods,
The hunaIning of bullets, the falling of the
branches broken by them, and all the trouble il
cost US to force our way through the thickets
of white thorn The rife fire became heavier
Through the edge Of the woods we could see
something red, shining at intervals. Sidorof,
young soldier of the first company, little
fellow land how did he happen TO be in that
company, kept wondering, suddenly sank
on the ground and began to stare at me with
his eyes very wide open. Then q eush Of
blood came from his mouth Yesl I re,ne,n-
bcr i veil; also remember that when we were
nearly to the edge of the woods among the
thick bushes, saw l.i:l-aiIn, the Turk hue
.normoIs- ran rigls AZ him. slim and veal,
as am. Somethin. bJlIst-something t-emer,-
dous, it seemed to Ena, few right by me and my
ears rang. He .hot 1t me-" thought to my.
self; but E., yelling with rage, flung him
self into big ciump of thorn-bushes. He
might have run round it; but, in his fright,
ne never thought OF doing it, and tried to
break his way through the branches. With
ono blow knocked his rifle out of his hand; ;
then plunged my bayonet into him sorne-
whore, l did not know exactly where some
thing han-roarsd, half-moaned Then l
rushed further on. Our men were cheering
falling, firing. | rstlember also shooting
several times, but not until after had got
out OF the woods, into the opcll field. All of
a sudden the hurrahs became louder than
ever; and we advan ced-that Is TO say our
men advanced; for 1 remained behind It
seemed queer to ma that was staying be-
hind, but what seemed still queerer was that
verythins disappeared, and all the sound Of
firing and OF shooting suddenly stopped
heard nothing more-I coull still see some
thing blue. Il must have bso.I ma sky Then
tho blue was gone also.
Never before in my life had found my
self in such = strange condition. am lying
now upon my stomach, and all / can see Is
bit OF the ground. There are a few blades OF
grass and an ant running down one Of them,
head foremost; these are patches of last years
grass; and this Is my universe now. And
can ses it only with one eye, for the other is
pressed against by something hard-the
branch under my head. feel myself horribly
cramped, frightfully incommoded, and want
TO move, but cannot, and it is absolutely
impossible for me to understood why can
not. Thus time passes. hear the whizzing
sound made by grnsshoppers, the humming of
the bees Nothing except that-absolutely
nothing else. Finally, make great effort.
| manage to get my right arm from under
the ground try to lift myself so as to get
upon my knees. A lancinating pain, swift as
lightning, shoots through my whole body
from my knees to my chest and head; fall |
back. DARKNESS again, and nothingness
am awake once more How is it that 1 |
see the stars which shine so bright in this |
,iark-blue sky OF Bulgaria. Then I am not |
in the tentl Why did l leave it? l try to |
move; and feel an atrocious pain in my legs |
lift myself and try to sit on the ground. |
A hard thing TO do when ones feet are shot to
pieces. Several times try feel like giving
it Up in despair. At last with tears Of pain
in my eyes, succeed in sitting up
Above me I see "a stretch Of dark bic sky in
which there u one big star shining, and sew
erai little ones. But all around me there il
something dark and high; those are bushes |
uIlderbrush. am still in the bushes; they
never found me
feel a quiverinS passing over my head, at
the roots Of my hair.
Pale pink lights commence to CULVER about
me. The big star is fading out: some the
little ones have disappeared altogether 1t is
the rising OF the mooni How pleasant it
must be at homo now,
Strange sounds reach me-sounds as if
somebody WIS moaning. Yes, a groan Is
there another wounded man near me- with
his feet also broken, or with a ball in his en-
trailsi No, tho groans seem to be SO near,
and still there is nobody beside me. NV
God! why it is myself! Low means, COM
planning means Am 1 really 50 much hurt
as that I must be- Only I can't just tell
how much pain feel, because my head seems
to he al full Of lead and confusion. Better
lie down and sleep, sleep, sleep. But if do,
viii ever wake up againa Well, it certainly
does not mako any difference to me whether
/ do or not
At the moment I prepare to lie down
broad streak Of moonlight clearly Eliminates
the spot where 1 lie, and SEQ something long
and dark on the ground about five PAGES from
ne On the dark subject l can distinguish
little points which catch tue light; they are
buttons or decorations Of a uniform; the dark
thing is either = corpse or a wounded soldier
"Hclpi-help!' Wild, mad, hoarse cries
= 1,e. and received no answer. They re-
a,L-s ---.l rise in the night air: everything
..ss i ssent. Only the crickets drum con-
just they were doing before
the moon looked at me, and seems to pity me
with its round face.
IL he were only wounded-he, the other
fellow, my cries would certainly have
reused him That is a dead mani One of
,ur men. no, Turk. Oh, my Godl A. if it
Tas not all the same thing. And sleep
'veishs down my burning eyelids.
And all this while the heat is growing; the
Ems burns open my eyes! l see the same
'a.hes. the same sky, only now in the bright
$50 Of day All. there is my neighbor.
"a. a Turk-a corpse What huge fellow!
rscognize him 1t is the same.
I;cfore me lies the very killed. Why
{. kill kims
lie lies there dead and all bloody Why did
-te ever bring him hcrel Who is he! Per-
APPS he had an old mother, just like me- She
III he waiting many long hours, evening
ifter evening, at the door Of her poor little
lut. sc~aining her eyes toward the fur north
IL won't come; she will wonder why he docs
ut coul.-her son, her strong help, her
upport.
And l. But would be glad to change
!acss With him. How happy he is now, He
HS not hear anything; he does not feel the
ain Of his wounds, nor the misery of despair,
o- the torture OF thirst The bayonet went
ight through his heart. 1 can see a great
lack hole in the uniform, with blood all