The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-06

One lady with top boots OF Hess1an
cut, short skirt and Cossack jacket, with
revolver slung across her breast, touched
her little black silk Montenegrin cap
fixed on her head of frizzy auburn hair,
and after a mock salute said sternly,
Sir, and who are your"
Rather abashed ] was stammering out
reply. Not needing me she continued;
"You are civilian. can see this Is no
place for you"
II am a war correspondent" ! slut
tered.
"Then," replied She" as a noncombat-
ant seek place Of safety and leave us
alone"
Our Russian correspondent friend OF
the fork incident had ridden up and was
standing near. On hearing the retort OF
his country woman his miserable stereo-
typed grin sufused his face. In my in
most heart was sorry that his horse
had not missed him in the game Of cup
and ball and left him a league away
sprawling in the dust.
The Russian red cross ladies stuck
heroically to their post-what was worse,
we out of pique felt obliged to stay and
see them off the ground, which was now
sprinkled with the fire of the enemy's
sharpshooters as they cleared the way In
front Of them. AS we left one end Of
the village with our contingent of
wounded the Turks entered the other
Luckily for us the Serbs made a bold
stand for at least an hour, allowing us
to catch up with the current Of the re-
treat.
We were swept along into thick clouds
of dust, into which, struggling and jam
ming, rolled artillery ambulance wagons
and peasants carts covered with women
and children with their goods and chat
tells who had retreated early in the day
from the village we had just left.
For time a serious block occurred.
The wheel of wagon left it's axle, down
crashed the cart, shooting it's contents OF
household goods into the middle Of the
road. The pots and pans rolling between
the legs of some artillery horses fright
ened these brutes onto their launches,
and they backed their gun into team Of
oxen, setting these animals kicking out
right and left. scattering tho limping
wounded and cowardly. With groans,
shrieks and curses the seething masses
wavered for time, then struggled on, all
making for the protection of the reserves
at the tete du pont.
On reaching Mackellar's quarters once
more found that Forbes, with great
forethought, had at the commencement
Of the retreat turned the doctors ambu-
lance wagon with the horses toward AL
exinatz and was strongly urging one of
the surgeons, young Hare, to hurry up
into the wagon. This surgeon was ia
cetiously called the timid Hare by us,
not for want of pluck, but because of his
modest and retiring temperament. Hare
was fixing up the artery of wounded
soldier bleeding to death and would not
leave his charge.
''For Gods sake, come along!" cried
Forbes, ssthe turks are now on our side
Of the wood Their bullets are drilling
holes through the mud walls of the hut. !"
Still tiInid Hare hung on to the mans
artery. We rushed at the surgeon just
as the last turn Of the bulldog tourni-
auet did it's work, and Hare and his
charge were bundled into the cart. In
another moment we were hurried on
with the rest of the column. At last we
got blocked in the general crush about
mile from the bridge, Forbes and /, who
were anxious to get back to the town for
the post to Belgrade, decided to make a
short cut across the fields. On nearing
the tete du pont some mounted officers
rode up to us, waving their arms in the
direction Of the enemy. We still kept
our course. Then the officers closed in
on us with revolvers pointed at our
heads and requested us to return to the
front. 1t was rather awkward. We knew
what they meant. They took us for two
of the numerous stragglers who preferred
to fight another day. We tried to ex-
plain matters and were on the verge of
immediate execution, but luckily one of
the staff rode up, and on recognizing us
laughed heartily and allowed us to go on
our way.
Night was now falling, and the Turk
ish light field guns were soon silenced by
our heavier artillery at the bridge head.
So now, almost unmolested, the detected
Servian column crossed the river and
made its way up into the town, only to
repeat the horrors of the previous night.
AS usual, shortly after my arrival, /
sauntered into the schoolhouse to see
how the wounded were getting on.
There was body laid out for burial in
the lower room. The figure seemed very
familiar to me. Walking up to the
table on which it lay, stood dunn
founded. There was the little nose, now
telling almost black against the livid
face. With quiet smile on his lips lay
our little correspondent friend of the
fork incident. A handkerchief tied
round his throat hid the wound that in
vited death. A stray shot had passed
through his neck.
A great sadness fell upon me, for he
was one of us, after all. I could picture
his mother or, some one dear waiting
anxiously for his return to the old Mus
covite city. While I was in the room
two soldiers placed his body on stretch