The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-29

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horses where there is nothing to eat, and
amassing stores Of i'll gotten gain where
there is no one to rob. In reality. have
always found this legendary ogre very
iovial. boyish. simple hearted ieliow'
who though too often committing fear
ful atrocities when his blood Is up IN
battle. has never done anything worse
than many recorded deeds OF far more
civilized soldiers within the memory OF
! living men,
II is with warriors Ike these that Rus
sia is now hewing q path OF conquest
scross the whole breadth Of Central Asia
and overpowering the fierce AiShans "n"
Turkomans with hardihoOd and en-
DURANGO even greater than their own. in
bearing heat and cold. thirst and nun
ger long marches and mwholes1me
! campin, Grounds no man living can sur
mss the Cossack. II is true that against
the disciplined armies of Germany these
wild spearmen would be Of little use exc
cent as scouts and fOfagor; but Tor the
irregular warfare OF the eastern deserts
thev have no match on the face Of the
earth.
Most Of the men were lying stretched
on the ground after their march, m lazy
endowment: for a Co.sack'a life has no
medium-oithor rushing across tho step
pc like a whirIwind, or snoring m me
dirt like a hog. But fcw were still
busy around thc fires. and some Of them
struck up all at once an old Russian war
song as familiar to my ears IS to Their
own:
Soldiers. soldiers. lads Of the car
Who are your fathers sayt'
"Our fathers arc battles whose fame rings loud
They are our fsthers-theyi '
soldiers. soldiers. lads ~ the ear,
Who are your mothers. siyt'
"Ourmo,hers are tents standing white ntle Geld,
They are or motAers-taey
Soldiers soldiers. lads OF the ear,
Who are your sisters, s1y,'
Our sisters are s1bers whetiei 90 smiie
They are our s-fers-tAcyi
Soldiers soldiers. teii me once more
Who are your brides prayf'
s)nf brides they are guns weA loaded for usAi,
They are oar hries-ayc they"
As the song ended. walked into the
camp quite umoticcd. for in my s0iiod
white Russian forage cap. travel stained
cotton Jacket and trousers and knee high
boots, | was quite like enough 10 the
men around me 10 have passed for one
Of themselves ia that uncertain light.
But had no wish TO avoid their ohsersa-
lion.
sat down ON stone and. taking out
my colored map of Central Asia. pre-
tended to be studying it, knowing well
that the Cossacks lwho, like most save
ages. are as curious as children would
soon bc drawn around me by the sight
Of this strange object. which, with ii-
gay colors, queerly printed names and
pulling network Of crossed lines. would
be a very novel and startling thing 10
them
And so it proved ] suddenly became
aware Of a eaunt. -allow. gray mus
tached yisage-sO cri-scrO-sed withsauer
scars Us TO look just Ikea railway map
peering iu4uisitivoly over my shoulder
Then another and another camo cd-.n-
in beside il. till was hemuied in by a
complete ring Of wild figures and grim
faces.
"What's that picture, father' We
can't quite make it OUT
ats not a picture 40 all, hroihcrs-il's
a plan that shows me the very way hy
which YOU have come hero from Holy
Russia aud all the place, that you have
passed through
And then. seeming not % notice the
looks ol mbeiiof and meaning eria-
with which nay hearers received what
they considered 90 be most outrageous
iie, went on:
"Up here. 40 Orenburg, you pas-edt hc
Oral river and then marched eastward
TO Orsk. where You cro- .ei the frontier
and turned 20 the southeast"
$3.50 vo dad. comfade,. shouted haii |
a dozen voices at once ole speak, 90.
truth-so we did,.
"Thcn you passed Fort Kara Daiak /
crossed the Kara Kom desert and hale /
I'd here and here and here Wamins and ]
describing the various posts, ail q which +
knew woiN.
The Co-sachs listened open mouihei /
and wide eyed 80 the familiar names .
and the excited clamor was followed hy I
a silence OF utter ama1emeut Then one +
said timii.y:
Father, can you show gs che very F..
place where SIC are now
$40 be cure can. my Dad. Sec. Chat
black spot is the village yonder there.
the river twisting .ml winding; and
here. just where you sec this line, is
your camp
There was another pause ol hlank hc-
wildcrme,t. and then iAo scare. G.
eran with the gray mu-tache asked 10
awe stricken whisper:
but, father, tel me- for the love of
heaven. if we've marched a thousand
miles since leaving Holy Russia. how !.
the devil can it all go into little scrap
Of paper no biggertha AN Easter cake.
DAVID kER.
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