The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-12-08
miscellaneous.
THE POLES ANGELUS.

9tktSLEllal1en1t5.
THE POLES ANGELUS.
"You ask why it is that the sound
of the Angelus-bell echoing through
the silence of the evening affects me
so strongly. There is story connect
ed with the matter. Listen, and 1 will
tell it to you"
So saying, Monsieur Bazilewith
lighted cigar and then, seeing that
his audience was all attention, he con-
tinued:
II must go back to the days of my
youth. / had just left the military
school, and was very proud of the
sword l carried, and anxious for an
opportunity of giving it its baptism
of blood. had not long to wait, for
trouble broke out in Varsovia, and
my regiment, with many others, re-
ceived orders to set out for Poland,
where a campaign seemed imminent.
The Poles, both mobiles and peasants,
had grown tired of the restraints i'm
posed upon them, and had determined
to make desperate effort to free
themselves from the yoke which was
weighing them down, and then began
that heroic and bloody contest-Rus-
sia's eternal shame.
1--WE had the advantage of mum bers,
but our adversaries, who were fortified
by their strong faith and ardent pa
triotism, knew the country thorough
ly, and they waged war on us without
truce or mercy. Their commander-in-
chief divided his troops into flying
columns which overran the country,
just as the Republican troops did in
France at the time of the first revolu-
ton.
Il arrived, one evening, in command
of detachment, at a village called
Kurwo, where | expected to surprise
a band of Polish patriots. They had
been warned of our approach, however,
and had taken flight, and discovered
that they had agreed with the will
ayers to return during the night and
massacre US in our sleep.
Fortunately for us miserable fell
low told us, in exchange for a few
roubles, that it had been arranged
that the ringing of the Angelus-bell
should be the signal for the rebels to
return to the village for the purpose of
Strengthening us.
II waited several hours and then
went to the church myself, intending
to give the signal which would call
the Poles from their hiding place, but
l could not find the bell-rope. After
long search, became convinced
that the rope had been purposely cut
Off
II was furious, and ordering all the
people to gather on the village green,
| announced to them that, if within
five minutes time some one of them
were not ready to climb the bell tower
and ring the Angelus, the village
should be set on fire and every one of
them put to the sword.
1.-THE minutes passed slowly, and
the people stood silent with calm, re-
signed faces awaiting death sudden
ly boy of fifteen approached me, and
said that he was ready to do my bid
ding.
"FHere,' said l, take this rouble
and use it to drink the Cars health.
Now go up, and ring loud and long
without making any reply, the
bow sprang like a cat up to the belfry,
perched aloft and seized the bell-clap
per in both hands.
"But Misericordia 1t was not the
musical Angelus | heard it was the
tolling of the solemn funeral-bell !
The patriots would be on their guard,
and, warned by the bell, would not
come out and fall into the trap had
prepared for them
"Breathless and blind with rage, |
snatched gun from one of my men,
pointed 1T at the child in the belfry
and took aim. But suddenly, it seem
ed as if Il mist passed before my eyes
quick as flash of lightning, realized
the sublimity of the fifteen-year-old
hero's action, and without firing |
lowered my arm.
Twenty years passed away, and
then began that terrible struggle be-
tween Russia and Turkey which was
as disastrous for the one as tor the
other of the two powers, and which
terminated with the memorable tax
ing of Plevna.
my chivalrous adventure in Poland
had interfered with my advancement
so materially that l was only captain,
and l eagerly seized every opportun-
ity of distinguishing myself, in hopes
of making up. for lost time and win
ming the longed- for epaulettes.
Zone day, while accommodating, |
ventured too far from the outposts,
and fell into an ambuscade of Turks.
In the twinkling of an eye, | was seiZ-
ed, bound, gagged and carried on
mans back into the enemy's camp,
and when the bandage was removed
from my eyes, l found myself sur
rounded by about dozen men attired
in strengthening uniform, which
seemed to be half Turkish and half
Russian.
Zone glance sufficed to assure me
that there had been an engagement
on this spot the night before on the
long grass were stretched the corpses
of the Cars soldiers, and crouched
beside them were Mussulmen tearing
off the clothing and quarreling and
swearing as they divided among them
selves the garments OF the dead.
my attention was soon diverted
from this horrible sight, however, for
the men around me began to despoil
me also of my clothes, and l could
hear them dividing, in advance, the
different articles of my apparel they
had already unfastened my coat, when
| suddenly caught the sound of few
words spoken in the Russian language.
"I am not surprised cried, AT
being robbed by these Mohammedan
to such conduct
"'You mistake, said the same voice,
4 am not Russian, am Pole
THE speaker turned toward me,
and | looked at him in surprise, as he
continued angrily:
eyes, l am Pole, and when my
countrymen bowed their necks to the
yoke and resigned themselves, with
hatred in their hearts, to the Russian
rule, l fled from my home. What l
longed for most, was to find the means
of meeting you Russians face to face,
and to avenge the death of my coun-
| trymen and the humiliation of my
country
while he spoke, l could not take
my eyes from his face, and it seemed,
through the mist of memory, that l
had seen that face before.
| "'You are from the village of Kur-