The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-01-29

we're rear anu neaulonB auuaclty IN the feel-
ing-a fear that could easily have made me
turn and fly, an audacity that almost i'm
PEELED Inc to rush forward and share the
delirious ecstacy Of that onset.
Nearer and nearer swept the opposing
columns, like two flights of ostriches,
darkenng the sky with dust, the horses
skimming the ground as If fury lent them
wings the riders alert with tigersh in
tentness of purpose. No man could have
said which side sped the more furiously or
shouted the louder; none whether Koor Ali
or the man on the black horse led with the
more determined valor.
There is no resisting the magnetism of
desperate exploit enacted under your eyes,
and the main bodies paused fascinated by
the fearful spectacle. On both sides the
men drew in knee to knee in order TO have
the greater driving and resisting power,
and crouched lower upon their straining
horses. The last hundred yards were COW
cred as it were at bound, and then with
cry of vengeance from thousand throats,
dazzling fash of steel, shock as OF
olashing thunderbolts, came the collision
There was vibrating sensation as of an
earthquake, and rumble of groaninas and
cursings reached us as the fighters rolled
together in a dark seething heap as when
two swift sea currents meet.
My vision wus suddenly blurred, and in
voluntarily my eyes closed. When opened
them, the combatants were through each
other and wheeling for another charge. Up
went the fierce warcry again, and again
came tremendous shock and tumut
shattering the close packed lines. But re-
forming with prodigious quickness they
dashed at each other again and yet again,
with an ever increasing heap of slain and
wounded weltering on the ground.
by my fathers sword. it is to be utter
annihilation!' said Abou Kuram, breath
ing thick and fast. "They mean to kill
each other out
But almost as he spoke the enemy, burst
ing once more through our lines, were across
the intervening space and headlong upon
our main body, the man on the black horse
slashin2 and hewing in front in a way TINT
fairly justified the tales of his satanic char
aceer. AT the same time Yumeu Yusel's
camelmen, rending the air with yells,
rushed, lurchinG and swaying, to the aid OF
the cavalry.
From that moment, so far as could see,
all order vanished. There is Il theory that
in properly planned battles things 30 by
method and prearrangement. The idea is
a pretty one for drawing room warriors.
but il there were the least truth in it no
battle should ever be lost or won. There
would be no Marathon, no Thermopylp no
Waterloo, no Alma, no Lucknow, to shed
luster and glory on the human race and
give an interest to desperate hazards. Take
my word for it that a fight between two
armies determined to win or die is a thing
of heart shaking surprises and riotous con
tempt OF regulations.
The moment the common soldier, pant
ing for revenge or frantic to save his skin,
takes matters into his own hands, prophe-
cies and prearrangements go to the winds.
The general may plan, but the soldier does
the work, and generally in his own way and
In nat defiance of orders. In that walow-
ing, billowy host, | dare assert, there were
not half dozen men who knew their heads
from their heels. Almost every mothers
son in that CORY chaos cut and thrust and
stabbed and charged and recoiled and
roared at his own sweet will and in
obedience to what might seem to his whirl-
ing mind the eyigencies of the OCCASION
For myself, what with incessanJ knocks
and collisions, the hubbub of rage and ag-
ony, the sharp scream and envenomed oath, !
and most of all the sickening sight of liv-
ing men being sliced aud laid open, my
wits We're so confounded might have been
in the throes Of nightmare had a sword
and brace Of pistols, though what / did
with them heaven alone knows. They may
have accounted for some of the enemy, but
have no knowledge of shedding any mans
blood, which is perhaps a solace to the con
science in looking back from the vale of
years.
In the dartings hther and thither Of my
mare got glimpscs OF Abou Kuram max.
ing flashes of crimson light with his sword,
of the man on the black horse hewing saw
agely where there lay the best chance of
doing havoc, of Ismael Numar and Koor
Ali laying about them as if they were
using pruning hooks in forest of saplfnes.
and of Amood Sim scurrying to and fro in /
abjcct terror, fighting the air and over fot