Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1889-01-17

great that be ordered Catherine ans
I'll tLs othsr women to 60 back 10 !,
| place b: safety. But Catherine woalt
not go. She had made up her mind
to stay with Peter At the head Of ths
army. and was 90 obstinate about il
that at last Peter gave her leave te
remain. Then the wives Dc the Gen.
erals. and finally Of the lower oificsIs,
wanted 70 stay also. She persuaded
Peter To IL them do 20. ana the snd
w<s lhet IL - ~ III slaid vilh the
Everything wsnt against Peter on
the march. The weather was very
dry. Swsrms Of locusts were in the
country. eating every green thing.
There was no food for the horses, aud
many Of them starved to death. 1t
was hard for the Russians to go for
ward or to 60 backward, and the hard
or still to stay whers they were.
At last the soldiers in front report
ed that the Turks were coming, and
Peter soon saw great army of 2O0.-
900 fierce Moslems in front of his lit
tie force. which counted up only 38.-
600 men. Seeing the odds against
him. he gave the order to retreat, and
the army began its backward march.
As it neared the river Pruth new
danger showed itself. The advance
guard brought word that great force
of savage Grim Tartars held the other
bank Of the river, completely cutting
off Peters retreat.
The state of things seemed hopeless.
With 100000 Turks on one side, and
q strong force of Grim Tartsrs hold
ing river on the other, Peters little
army was completely hemmcd in.
There was no water in the camp, and
when the soldiers went to the river
for it, the Tartars on the other shore
kept up fierce fight with them. A
great hoard of Turkish cavalry tried
hari TO cut off the supply entirely by
pushing themselves between Peters
camp and the river. but the Russians
managed to repulse them by hard
fighting. and to keep road open to
the river.
Peter knew now that unless help
should come to him in some shape, and
that very quickly. he must lose, not
only his army. but his empire also, for
if the Turks could take him prisoner,
it was certain that his many enemies
wouli soon conquer Russia, and divide
the country among themselves. He
saw no chance Of help coming. but he
made ur his mind to fight as long as
he could. He formed bis men in
hollow square, with the women in the
middle. and faced bis enemies.
The Turks flung themselves in great
masses upon his lines. trying to crush
the little force of Russians by mere
numbers. But Peters brave men re.
memb .red that Catherine was inside
that hollow square, and they stood
firmly at their posts. driving back the
Turks with frightfal slaughter. Again
and again they fell upon his lines in
heavy masses, and again and again
they were driven back. leaving the
field black with their dead. This
could not 90 on forever, of course. and
both sides saw what the end must be.
As the Turks had many times more
men than Peter. it was plain that they
would win by destroying all the Rus.
slams.
For three days and nights the terri
BILE slaughter went on. Peters men
beat back the Turks at every charge.
but every hour their line grew thin
ner. At the end Of the third day 49,.
900 Of their brave comradss lay dead
apon tho field. and only $4,000 re-
manned to face the enemy.
Toward night on the third day. a
terrible iumor spread through their
camp. A whisper ran along the line
that the ammunition was giving out.
A few more shots from each soldiers
gun, and there would be nothing left
to fight with. Then Peter fell into
the suiks. As long as he could fight
hs had kept up his spirits, but now
that all was lost. and his great career
seemed near to its end, he grew angry
and went to his tent TO have one of
his savage iits. he gave orders that
nobody should come near him, and
there was no officer or soldier in ali
the army who would have dared enter
the tent where he lay in his danger
ous mood
But If Peter had given up in despair
Catherine had not. Ia spite of Petsr'
order and bis anger. she boldly went
into his tent and asked him to give