The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-10

we wore the badges OF the war correspond
ents, he ansR cred pleasantly in English:
1000 morning, gentlemen. Have you
heard the newsr
No, your highness."
We'll, battle is going on at Plevna. II
oegan at O'Clock this morning and is rag
ing fiercely"
We were dumfounded. Thanking the
grand duke, we looked at one another, but
said not word. We retraced our steps to
our little hayrlck, feeling a great desire TO
stay the man who had tempted US away
from Pleyna by dangling beefsteaks before
our minds eye. The only consolation we
had was in the thought that we had not left
a single correspondent Oh the field. But we
determined to get TO the fight without
delay
1t was ~ O'Clock, and we might still be on
the field before nightfall, pick up the story
OF the battle, aud our respective newspapers
be none the worse of. To make the dis
lance, however, we should have to go at
full speed. l determined upon the plan
Gentlemen, we had better all Of us get
into the wagon. put ali our horses in front
and make dash for it."
MY wagon was not a big one, unfortu-
nately. Do the best we could we could
only crowd five into it. and one must ride
on his horse. 1t was a sight which inter-
Plevna, the wagon packed and some seven
or eight horses in front.
To Nilliers fell the lot of taking the first
turn at riding his horse. He dashed on,
mile after mile, for an hour. We could
hear the sound of cannon plainly, though
we were twenty-five miles away, but we
could only pray that the battle would con-
tinue till we got there. But a serious acct
dent occurred. We were going down a
80 LII L. Ii u
Nllllers' horse stumbled and threw the
artist heavily upon the ground. We pulled
up, and, jumping out of the wagon, ran
back to where he lay motonless. We
feared the worst. but fortunately the
poor fellow was only stunned, though
he had some severe cuts on his fore
head. We bandaged his wounds as well as
we could, put him in as comfortable DO i.
ton as possible in the bottom of the wagon,
and, Dobson volunteering to ride, pressed
on at full speed again. AT 4 O'Clock We
were within ten or twelve miles of the bat
tie, which was still raging. we could hear
not only the cannon, but the rattle of mus
kerry, which sounded like music to our
ears. An hour and q half more, aftsr only
four or five miles more over the billy
ground. and we should be there and pick
up our lost opportunity. But. unforUu-
nTately, somebody else had got the first pick;
Only four miles away, but the roar of
battle had grown less and less furious, and
we knew that the desultory firing meant
that the Turks had been defeated. Sad
denly, as we looked ahead, we discerned, as
G. ?. r. James used to say, "a solitary
horseman" coming toward us. We won
dered who it could be. A fear arose within
us that it might be a stray correspondent,
and cur hope was that should this prove
true it would be German or a Russian, for
then we would surely get the news and the
first accounts off to the telegraph office in
Bucharest. We leveled our field glasses at
the mysterious stranger. He was yet too
far away to allow us to recognize his fea-
lures. But he came leisurely on and at last
we met.
He was MacGahanl
1t was surprise to all of U.s. He told us
his story and that the battle was over, but
never a word did he utter about where it
had been or what forces had been engaged.
he did not give his news away easily. He
laughed with that delicious laugh of his and
asked us why we had left.
when did you get thereF was asked in
chorus.
"a hour after you had left for headquar>
ters l heard about you and " with another
gentle laugh, 81 was the only correspondent
on the field. Good-by, boys; l am gong
across the Danube. to visit the telegraph
Office at Bucharest"
And he rode away, singing softly to him
self verse from Alice in Wonderland, - as
he always did:
80 come with me- said Mr. Brown.
"O no, l won't" the goat replied;
For if | do you'll take my hide,
In nil If al he in