The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1888-06-23

himself and his Cossacks into a peril
that might well startle even him.
Neither knowing nor caring whether
the enemy whom he has to pursue num-
Der fifty or five thousand he has darted
in chase of them with what few men he
could get toge Their in haste, barely one
hundred in all, and of these full third
have fallen behind on the way, so swift
and unrelcnting has the pursuit been.
And now he suddenly finds himself con-
fronting, with sixty-six men, one thou
sand five hundred of the boldest and
fercest fighters on the face of the
earth.
But Colon ell Soussloff is the very man
for such an emergency. His face seems
to harden suddenly like CONCEALED metal
but he gives his orders quietly and
coolly as ever, bidding his men dis
mount, range their horses in circle,
knot their brides together, and man
this living breastwork against the enc
my. The Cossacks obey with silent
promptitude, and not moment too
soon; for the last knot is barely tied
when the Circassians, with yell worthy
of the wolves of their native mountains,
come down upon them like a mighty
wave.
''Firep thunders the colonel, and
instantly all is one crash of musketry,
and one whirl of hot sitting smoke,
through which the Circassians' answer
ing volley flashes like lightning playing
in cloud; and the battle begins in
earnest. Not a glimpse can the foes
catch of one another; but ever and anon
some Russian who is doggedly loading
and firing within the terrible circle
suddenly sees the face of the comradc
beside him stiffen in death or fall with
ing in mortal agony. Closer ard closer
press the assailants; hotter and hotter
grows the fire. All around the fatal
ring the plain is like flower bed with
the gay dresses of the slain Circassians,
while within it the ground is showed
over with the white frocks of fallen Cos
sacks. Half the Russian horses are lying
dead, and the iron circle is beginning to
yield; but the uncon querable men pile
the corpses of their comrades upon those
of their horses, and over this hideous
redoubt the battle begins anew.
Souissloff, stan ding like tower among
his few remaining soldiers, is just say
ing CHEEKY word to brave young Cap
tain Fediouskin, when he sees the
bright, boyish face grow suddenly white
and pinched with mortal pain.
care you hit, my boy3' asks the
veteran tenderly, as he catches the
nerveless figure in his arms.
''My thighs broken" gasps the gal
liant lad, trying harl to steady his
tremuous tones.
''Then, for Gods sake!' cries Sous
slof, "cling to your horse, or to me,
or to anything you like, so long as you
don't fall 1t all depends on the officers
now. You're favorite with the men,
and if they see you go down, they'll
lose heart at once. Keep up little
longer, for the love of Heaven!'
But the last words are drowned in
the roar of the MussuImau war-shout'
"Allah Ackbar!' God is victoriousD
as the human tigers around them,
maddened by the long struggle and the
fearful slaughter, come raging on to
overwhelu the indomitable handful by
sheer weight Of numbers. And now the
fight grows fierce and horrible-no
longer a strategic combat of discip-
lined men, but blind weller of wild
beasts. Cossacks throttle Circassians:
Circassians fix their teeth in the throats
of Cossacks. Men, locked together in
deadly grapple, fall under The feet
of the combatants, and are trampled
to death without relaxing their grasp,
eight to the last boys show these
unbelieving dogs how Russian soldiers
can diem roars SousslotI, who, with
his foot on his dying horse aud his arm
around the fainting Fediouskia, hacks
and slashos like giant at the grim
faces that eddy specially through the
billowing smoke.
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