The Press., 1888-04-05
IN FEAR OF DEATH.

Count Leo Tolstoi, in Sehasiopul, tbns describes the fnll of a shell "fo ,arth !" shouted voice. Mikhailotf aud Pras. koukine obeyed The latter with shut eyes heard the shell fall someW here ou the hard earth very near hiIn. A socord, which appeared to him an honr, pass d aud the shell did rot burst. Praskonkine was frightened, then he asked himself what cause he had for fear. Perhaps it had fall- en farther away and he wrongly Imsgut d that he heard the fusu hissing near him. Opening his eyes -lIs was satisfied tn s, MikhailUff stretched motiJuless at his feet, but at the time he perceived, yard eff, the lighted fuse of theshell spinning around like top. A glacial terror, which stihrd every thought, every sentiment, took pos session of his soul. He hid his face in his hands. Another second passtd d, during which whole world of thoughts, of hopes, of sensations and of souvenirs passed through his mind. "Whom will it kill {? | Me or MIkhailoti, or indeed both of us to- gether? If it is I, where will it hit ne !? If in the head, it will be all over i; if on the foot, they will cut it off. Then thall in slst that they give me chloroIorm, and l may get well. Perhaps Mikhailoff alone will be killed, aud later l will tell how we were close together and how I was covered with his blood. No, no it Is nearer me it will be I r Then he remembered the twelve rubles he owed Mikhsiloff aud an. other debt left at St. Petersburg, which ought to have been paid long ago. A Bohemian air that he sangithe evening be- fore came to hIs mind. He also saw in his imagination the lady he was in love with ID her hlac-trlmmed bonnet the man who had insulted him five years before, and whom he had never taken vengeance on. But m the midst of these and many other souvenirs the present feeling-the expecta. tion of death-dId not leave him. "per. haps it isn't going to explode !'' he thought, and was on the point of opening his eyes with desperate boldness. But at this in. stant red fire struck his eye-balls through his closed lids, something hit him in the middle of the chest with terrible crash | He ran forward at random, entangled his feet in his sword, stumbled and fell on his side. ''God be praised, I am only bruised. ' This was his first thought, and he wanted to feel of his breast, but his hands seemed as If they were tied. A vice gripped his head, soldiers ran before his eyes, and he mechanically counted them "One, two, three soldiers, and besides, an officer who is losing his cloak" A new light flashed
 He wondered what had fired. Was it a mortar or cannon? Doubtless cannon Another shot, more soldiers-five, six seven
 They passed in front of him, and suddenly he became terribly afraid of being crushed by them.
 He wanted to cry out, to say that he was bruised, but his lips were dry, his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth. He had burning thirst. He felt that his breast was damp, and the sensation of the moisture made him think of water. He would have liked to drink that which drenched him. 1T must have knocked the skin off falling" he said to himself, more and more frightened at the idea of being 1 crushed by the soldiers who were running in crowds before him. He tried to cry out :: "Take me Y but instead of that he uttered groan so terrible that he was frightened at himself. Then red sparks danced be- fore his eyes-it seemed as if the soldiers were piling stones on him. The sparks danced more rapidly, the stones piled on him more and more. He stretched himself out he ceased to see, to hear, to think, to feel. He had been killed instantly by a piece of shell striking him full in the breast