The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-05-29
HIS FIRST BATTLE.
A Young Lieutenant's Vivid Pict
ure of the Horrors of War.

The stars had gone out; dawn red
dened the horizon. the air was warm,
peFfumed;I the birds -ehirped- In the
grasses. A fresh breeze famed the
heavy eyelids of Aliochine as he lay
disturbed and restless in half sleep.
Presently he aroused himself abrupt
ly, threw himself into the saddle and
look ed about him.
To the right foggy curtain concealed
the spectacle, the fresh killing about to
begin. Directly in front of the advanc-
Turkish fortresses; in the distance, on
the side toward the east the snowy sum-
mits of.Aiaguez and Ararat sparkled I'M
der the fires of the coming sun like two
great emeralds.
"Ho beautiful" began Aliochine,
but the smile on his lips quickly van
ished at sight of the ambulance corps in
the wake of the batteries, with it's filters
swinging low.
The dazzling spectacle of the morning
was gone for him in moment, his lips
trembfed, this heart contracted with
bitter pain.
81, too, shall soon be dead!" came
anew the haunting thought; "those same
litters. those silent bearers, will carry
me, as pale, as motionless as the othersr
and he felt great pity for himself, fol-
his youth, for the brief happiness al
lotted him on the earth.
ct will be finished to-day" thought
he, ''every thing-to-day!" but he in
stantly thrust from him the cowardly
thought which all at once seemed te
have seized upon him.
Was it not by his own desire he haG
gone to war? He had hurried even to be
in time for the taking of Kars, and nov
I-Aliochine turned his. eyes from the
train of filters to the left Of the hill an6
the black mass of the advancing army
Before his battery marched the gal
liant regiment of Radolfski. 1t moved
slowly, almost noiselessly. The faces O
the men were pale and lined with ia
tigue, but tranquil Two young officer,
at the head of the regiment were talk
ing together; one of them seemed t.
laugh.
Aliochine rubbed his eyes and looked
again at these officers. Were the,
laughing? Yes-laughing joyously.
wave of fierce courage. flowed instantly t.
his heart. What, after all, was there 81
frightful in war and battle? See! how
clear and blue the heavens, how bril-
liant the sun, how gay these young Off
GERS, and how TRANQUILITY marched tina
intrepid army corps, now blackening tn,
road, now shining in the gathering light
At this instant, a 'courier-an adjutan
by his dress, begrimed with smoke ant
powder, his horse covered with foam
dashed up to the battery. He pantet
for breath; he was soaking with sweat
and his restless eyes literally protrudet
with excitement. In a second he wal
neutrality-suspicious. rained upon him
Zaitzef and Litvinof, tho captains of the
battery, caught him by the arms.
1.-The battle! the battle!' they cried
s.tell us how goes the battle!"
BADLY" stammered the courier
"Kisii-Tapa taken by the enemy, tn,
Illitski regiment cut down, General
karovich and Golinski killed, Colonies
Tetralotf and Varinski and Prince Dab
enoff wounded, and God knows how
many more made prisoners And, hav
inv delivered this encouraging informa
ton, the courier set spurs to his horse
aud they saw him in the distance in tn,
gasp of the second regiment, shaking
md waving his arms with despairin,
gestures. He was giving them the sam,
particulars.
A feeling of anger and shame swep
like a flame through, all the battery.
Forward, march" sharply command
cd .Lityinof to the line, which had in
stinctfyely halted, his habitually gray,
and measured tones bitter and irritated
Forward, march," repeated Zaitze
after him, with still more irritation.
Aliochine Said not word; but hi
heart throbbed wildly under a weight o
emotion and he asked himself, like al
the others: MY God! what is going t
happen now?"
And, as if-in answer to the question,
: horrible spectacle at the moment un
rolled before his eyes--a grizzled drs
Coon, urging on, with difficulty, hi
faded horse, spurred beside the battery
carrying on the crupper Of his steed tn
stifl warm but headless body Of com
rade. The bleeding neck. the blood
stained uniform, the hanging hands
would Aliochine ever be able to forge
themi
1T begins" he thought, lit begins
the moment approaches!"
by the side o. the battery wounde