The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-20

with my face On the body. It already es
| hales strong cadaveric odor.
have quenched my thirst, anyhow. The
water was lukewarm, but not bad. And
there was plenty of it. win live few days
I more. remember reading in the Physiology
of Common LIFE that q man can live for
more than q week without food, ON condition
that he has plenty to drink. There Is even q
mention in the book Of q man who wanted to
commit suicide ~ starving himself to death
He took a long time to die because he drank
Wouldn't it be better to die right now. !
see rifle lying beside my neighbor-an ex
cellent English rife. have only to Put out
my hand to get it: one minute later, it would
be all over! Cartrid2esAtherei is whole
pils on the ground. He did not have time to
IRE them all away.
Shall / end the affair this way or wait!
Wait for what, Deliverancea Deathl Wait
till the Turks come to tear the skin of my
wounded feet! Better myself.
No! A man must never give up. I'll
struggle on to the very end. II they find me,
l am saved Perhaps the bones have not
been broken. I'll get we'll I will see the
country again-And mothsr-and Macha-
The sun has risen His enormous disk,
with the black branches Of the bushes cutting
across it, is red like blood. I think the day
viii DO very hot. Nsighbor, what Is going to
become Of youa You are hideous enough
now.
To be lying so near him is absolutely unen-
durable. must drag myself somewhere else,
whatever it costs. VIII be able to do it.
can Just LIT my hand, open the gourd, and
drink; but how shall ever be able to move
this heavy and immobile body Of mine I
must try all the same; can move little by
lttle-even If / make only half yard an
hour.
All the morning is spent in this effort The
pain Is terrible; but what does pain matter
now! 1 can't remember any more, I can't
imagine any more, how an able-bodied,
healthy man feels. Seems AZ il had be-
come quite habisuatad to pain. During the
morning, however, have been able to drag
myself tho distance of two sajenes, and now
am in my old place again, But I have not
been able to enjoy the fresh air long-if can
call this fresh air long-if can call this fresh
ar, with accompanying corpse only six PAGES
away.
Suddenly, at tine rivsr-crossing, see Cos
acks-CosSacks!-blUe uniforms with red
facings- and lances-a whole half-sotnia
(haf hundred. In front, on q splendid horse,
an officer with a black beard. As soon as the
half has crossed the river, he turns
his whole body round in the saddle, and
shouts: "At a trot!-for-r-wardI"
"Halt! halt! for mercy's sakeI Help
help, my little brothers, I scream. But
the trampling of hoofs, the clinking of sa-
bers, the noisy chatter Of the Cossacks, drown
my voice-nobody hears me!
o maledictionl Extenuated, fall on my
lace and grosn aloud; and the tears stream
from my eyes. From the gourd which
have upset, the water is poured out-the !
water, my life, my salvation, the reprieve !
rom my fate And did not notice it until |
here was only half a wine-glass-full left |
All the rest has been drunk up by the greedy |
arid ground
How can 1 remember the torpor which fell |
IN me after the terrible ACCIDENT Twas ~. |
ng motionless, my eyes half closed. The wind |
Vas veering in all directions-now blowing a /
resh, pure cir to me; then again waiting to |
ne great waves Of stencil. That day my
leighbor had become too frightful to de
cribe. Only once did venture to open my
yes to look at him; was sei1ed with terror
It tho sight. His face was all gone-his flesh
lad fallen away from the bones. That hide
,us, bony smile-the eternal smile-filled me
With unspeakable horror, although I haG
,ften had human skulls in my hands, and had
issected several heads. But that skeleton in
inform, with it's buttons of bright METAL 1t
made me shiver. That Is WAR; I thought to
nyself-that is his image!
But death won't come-won't take me.
,ut one mouthful Of water to cool my burn
ng throat-and, oh, that pcstilential corpse!
L is absolutely meltingI Hyriads of worms
ire issuing from it, Oh! what swarming!
When he shall have been all eaten up, and
here shall be nothing left but the bones and
he unlform-then it will be my turn. And
shall be soon in the very same condition.
A day passes. y night passes. Always
he same thing Morning comes. Always
hR mo fhar boil do 1.x-l
The bushes are quivering, trembling, wills
'ering. Thou shalt dies-thou shalt diei-
hou shalt diep-that Is what they are saying.
And those on the other side answer: "Thou
halt not see.-thou shalt not seei-thou shalt
lot see anything morei And a very loud
-oice cries out close to me: "Over there
amt you see anything more!"
start, and come to myself. From behind
he bushes pair of good kind blue eyes are
taring at me-the kind blue eyes Of I.akov.
IF, our iefreitor soldier Of the first class.)
Spades this wayi" he cried; there are two
ere; one Of our men, and one of theirs"
Don't bring spades, don't bury me alive!
am alive, alive." That il what l wanted to
ry out, but only = low moan came through
ny lips.
why, my GodI he must be alive, The
arine Ivanofl Come this way my childrenl
DUR barine is alive! Call the doctor here!-
Half-s-minute later they pour water into
ny mouth. Then everything disappears.
The litter is moving with a regular oscilla
ion. The rhythmic movement rocks me &c
leep. wake up again, once more I fall into
bhvion- The bandaged wounds do not hurt
ae now. A feeling Of unspeakable comfort
preads over my body.
Halt Lay him down. Fourth squad am
ulance- man, advance! Take your places at
be htteri Lift him, March,
That is Piotr Ivanitch in command-our
officer He is tall, thin, a very
God man. He is so tall that when turn nv
YES toward him always see his head, with
. long thin beard, and even all of his should.
rs, although my litter is being borne on the
ioulders of four tall soldiers
"Piotr IvanitchIr whisper
What is it, my little pigeon.- Piotr Ivan
oh stoops over me.