The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-12-18
skoBELeeF,s FEAT.
Crossing tho Danube on Horseback af
Calling on Others to Follow.

Crossing tho Danube on Horseback and
Calling on Others to Follow.
The versatile Russian painter Vere-
schagin, in his entertaining sketches Of
adventure during the Russo-Turkish
war of 1877, published in serial form
in tho journal des Dctats, of Paris,
gives pleasant account OF one of the
many daredevil episodes of adventure
in the career Of tho younger General
Skobccif. This was the swimming of
the Danube on horseback. Lot nj.
Vereschagin be his own narrator
III was seated in mv'tcnt late one aft
ernoon, when | observed several Os-
sctcs passing at gallop. lnquirng
what tbs meant, was told that the
younger General Skobclcif had pro-
posed to Toulouminc that he should Y
to swim the Danube with his whole brl-
gadc. The General alleged that it was
cmincntly necessary to have cavalry on
the other SIDE of the stream, and that it
was impossible TO wait until the pom
toon r dgc was constructed TO got
the men over there. And inns-
much us Tououmnc and Lewis
had frankly declined TO make the at
tempt, for the excellent reason that the
entire brigade would most ] kelly be
drowned. the ranube being at the pro-
posed point more than four kilometers
wide. skobclor had begged them to
scare up few volunteers nni send
them 10 him. The Ossrtes whom l had
seen passing Were the volunteers in
question.
al had my horse saddlod and gal
loped off in the direction of the river.
Presently / found assembled on the
bank nearly all the officers of the
brigade.
IA little in advance of the groups
the elder Skobelof stood between Lewis
and Touloum ne, watching his son,
str ppcG to his shirt and trousers. with
his cross of commander of the Order of
st. George around his neck. Michael
Dmitrievitch Skobeleff lcaped on hose
back and urged the huge brownish bay
steed into the stream. AT first the an
imal resisted. shook his ears, neighcd,
then bravcly struck out swimming.
in the saddle, because we could see
his shoulders above the water, but
soon we saw nothing but his head. /
learned afterwards that in order not to
fatigue his horse he had stepped into
the river. and keeping hold of the ami
mails tail swan along beside him. The
father began to trcmble for him and to
cry after him in his nasal tones:
".Micha. my little Michael. come
back! Micha, M-i-i-cha, you will be
drownedn
"Ihc old mans anxiety was pitiful to
witness.
"But little Michael continued to swim
without looking back, making steady
progress. A few Ossctcs had thrown
themselves into the stream, follow ng
the General, and one of them, swim
ming out long distance. would cer-
ia My have been drowned and his horse
with him if a boat had not been sent to
his relief.
'As for myself, as soon as | arrived
on the shore my first movement was to
undrcss. In less than two minutes
was in the water with my horse. The
creature swan few moments. then
turned around and made for shore i'm
spite of all the blows could bestow on
HIS UuCh. lHC Cothiiitiutht vi tHt
second squadron, Astakhy. had no bet
ter luck than | did. Skobelcif was
no longer any thing but Il
black dot long way oil. To ease
our consc ences we started after him in
boat, drawing horses after us by the
br dies. and we made our way toward
small island. 1t was cnly after reach
ing this po mt and gazing at the cnor-
nous distance which had to be crossed
before reaching the Turk sh shore that
l understood how wisely my horse had
acted N disobeying me. There was not
the shadow of doubt that | should
have ben drowned. But how hap
pencil it that, not knowing how to
swim, had thrown myself into the wa
ter behind the General? only know
that when saw SIX, balcff go in said:
Drown rather than abandon HIM.
"The elder Skobeletf remained mo-
tionlcss on the bank, following the little
black point, scarcely perc, ,ptiblo on the
surface of the stream.
'.Later on we learned that General
Michael, after narrowly escaping death
by drowning hundred times. had
reached the opposite bank. And Sko-
belief was prince of sw miners with a
matchlcss horse. Think what would
have become of the brigade if Toulou-
mine. accepting Skobelesf's proposition,
had launched his squadrons forth into
the Danube. How many would have
reached the Turkish shore?" Chicago
Tribune.