Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-02

was very plctureSquely heightened Dy tne
| dark eastern faces, white robes, crimson
sashes, blue turbans and tall, gaunt figures of
| the rsstive attendants
| Seated in the place of honor at my hosts
| right hand l had an excellent chance Of view
| ing at my leisure man OF whom had heard
| SO much, and whose name will live in the
history of Russia as long as the world lasts.
As l then saw him for the first time Gen.
| Abramof looked every inch soldier" and
bis sqnare, powerful frame and bold, manly,
sunburned face, with its thick mustache and
short, grayish brown hair, would have made
| priceless study for painter who was then
just beginning to achieve the renown which
be has since attained in full measure-Vasii
Vereshtchagin
A black skull cap covered the old warriors
massive head, masking a gaping scar more
glorious than the crown of Russia. The his
tory of that wound (which l should never
have learned from the hero HIMSELF l had
already heard from others-how Abranoff,
left almost alone amid the dying and the
dead when the Russians were falling like
leaves beneath the deadly fire that withered
their rash and i'll concerted attack On Kitab,
was still cheering on his fainting men, and
watching in vain for the supports which some
miserable blunder had delayed, when he was
| struck on the forehead by bullet which
plowed its way along the whole crown Of the
head, from front to back, though happily
without penetrating the skull.
cts lucky he tainted, or we could never
have got him away said the officer who told
me the story. "But when we praised him as
the bravest of US all, he shook his head, and
said -nere was a far Drawer man among us.
And then he told us of a grenadier whom he
had seen carrying away wounded man in
his arms wheuISx. of the enemy came rush
ing upon hing nee. Then the Russian laid
down his wounded comrade as tenderly as q
mother with her child, and, clubbing his
empty rife, fought the whole six Of them
single handed; and when our fellows came
up to the rescue they found this man, with
three wounds in him, still standing over his
friend and keeping five of the six at bay,
while the sixth lay dead under foot, with his
skull smashed in like an egg shell.'
All went off merrily, and have seldom had
pleasanter meal than this haphazard picnic,
far away in the grim deserts of Asia, among
men whom the world regards as mere savages
thinly lacquered over with an outside show of
civilization. When dinner was done my host
produced for my amusement a number of
sketches of local military positions, executed
with such admirable clearnesS and precision
that L eagerly asked the authors name
"a Capt. Skobeleff, who has lately joined
us here" replied the general, little thinking
that the unknown name which he uttered so
carelessly was destined to shake the whole
world with its terrible renown barely four
years later.
"a smart officer, whoever he is" said I;
Central Asia seems fine place to learn
both war and diplomacy. When was at
Fort Kazalinsk last month, on the other side
of the desert, Col. Goloff, the commandment,
allowed me to watch him dispensing justice
to the Tartars, and they seemed to go away
quite satisfied, though it struck me that his
Judgments were rather harsh, and bis way of
giving them harsher still. But when limited
as much he only answered.: 'sWhen native
comes to me with a complaint 1 let him tell
his story right through TO the end, even if he
takes an hour to it; and then, when he's had
his talk fairly out (Which is what he wants.,
he don't SO much mind being oppressed
little Now, an Englishman in the same case
would stop him short in the first five min
utes and tell him to hold his tongue for
cursed, prating fool"
That's just wherewe have the advantage,
beyond doubt" said Abramoff. 1.-The Eng
lish persist in treating every Oriental as a
European and Judging him from European
point Of view, while we, being half Asiatics
ourselves, treat HIM as an Asiatic and judge
him from an eastern point of view"
"And, moreover" said l, ''when John Bull
has any underhand work to do he comforts
his conscience by always doing it very badly.
When be has to bride he invariably brides
the wrong man. When he must tell a lie
he tells it SO clunsily as to deceive no one,
whereas the Russian gives his whole heart to
the duty Of deceiving his neighbor, and does
it thoroughly well. There is verse of an
old English psalm which just photographs
the modern Russian diplomatisf
More soft than butter were his words,
While in his breast was war;
His speeches were more smooth than OIL
And yet drawn swords they are"
The general bowed as if acknowledging a
high compliment for such it probably ap-
peared to himl, and turned the talk upon the
battle of Chepan-Ata, the scene of which I
had traversed that morning on my way to
the city. Abramoff himself had figured prom
inentfy in that famous fight as colonel Of
Cossacks, and he needed little pressing to tell
the whole story over again.
In the old warriors stirring words every
feature of that memorable struggle lives be-
fore me again There stand the little hand
full of Russians ON the-river bank, with the
rushing stream before them, and beyond it
the great mountain ridge all abiaze with
polished helmets, and flashing swords and
TUNES, and crimson scarfs and
snow white turbans, and all the barbario
splendor Of an eastern army. Then comes
the shout of Forward THE plunge into the
whirlng waters-the blaze and crash of can
non and musketIy from above-the half seen
forms of the daring ASSISTANTS, struggling
through foaming water and pelting shot and
rolling smoke Then, all at once the glitter
ing masses overhead begin to waver and
tremble, and suddenly the great host breaks
and soatters Ike flock of sheep and plunges
in one great cataract of headlong flight down
the farther slope of the ridge toward lost
Il! you get hit in that business, gen.
eralfs asked |, as the story ended.
Indeed did, " replied the veteran, with /
smile; Il was the only man wounded IN my |
at least, If you can call it being |
wounded, for l got my hurt not from any |
Of the enemyis soldiers, but from a crazy old |
rascal of dervish who came yelling out Of |
lolein the hillside, dashed lump of mud right |
n my eye. snatched up q stone and knocked !
,ut two Of NV teeth with II. and then after /
and dancing about like a scalded |
at, as if he meant 10 rout the whole Russian
lrmy single handed, changed his mind and |
an back into his hole. And, for all | know,
ls may be there yet, for our soldiers woaldnr
ouch him. saying that If all the Bssur,nani
heathenl had fought Ike him. the Russians
rould not have seen Salnarcand that day.
DAVID kR