The Monmouth inquirer., 1894-03-29
PAID In KIND.

.sYou ask me why it is that the
sound of the Angelus bell echoing
through the silence of evening affects
me so strongly? There is a story con-
nected with the matter. Listen l will
tell you"
SO saying, NJ. Bazilewith lighted a
cigar, and then seeing that his audi
ence was all attention, he continued:
81 must go back to the days of my
youth | had just left the military
school, and was very proud of the
sword carried and anxious for an OPP
portunity of giving it its baptism of
blood. l had not long to wait, for
trouble broke out in Varsovia and my
regiment, with many others, received
orders to set out for Poland, where d
campaign seemed imminent
'sThe Poles, both mobiles and peas
ants, had grown tired of the restraints
placed upon them, and had determined
to make a desperate effort to free
themselves from the yoke which was
weighing them down, and then began
that heroic and bloody contest-Rus-
sias eternal shame
I'VE had the advantage of numbers
but our adversaries, who were forti-
fed by their strong faith and ardent
patriotism, knew the country thor
oughly, and they waged war on us
without truce or mercy.
Their commander-in-chie divided
his troops into flying columns, which
overran the country, just as the re-
publican troops did in France at the
time of the first revolution.
Il arrived one evening in command
of a detachment at a village called
kurwo, where | expected to surprise
band of Polish patriots. They had
been warned of our approach, how
ever, and had taken flight and l dis
covered that they had agreed with the
villagers to return during the night
and massacre us in our sleep.
"Fortunately for us, a miserable feI-
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
slaughtering us.
81 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
I could not find the bell-rope. After Il
long search | became convinced that
the rope had been purpoSely cut off.
Il 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 AngeIus the village
should be set on fire and every one of
them put to the sword
"The minutes passed slowly, and the
Avaln Ssfn eli 1,,,
signed faces, awaiting death. Sudden
ly boy of fifteen approached me and
said that he was ready to do my bid
ding.
Here. said I, take this rouble and
use it to drink the czar's health. Now
go up and ring loud and long
Without making any reply the boy
sprang like cat up to the belfry.
perched aloft and seized the bell clap
per in both hands.
But Misericordia, II was not the
musical Angelus heard. 1t 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 I
snatched gun from one of my men
pointed 1t at the child in the bell
fry-and took aim.
but suddenly it seemed as if q mist
passed from before my eyes. Quick
as a flash of lightning l realized the
sublimity of the fifteen-year-old heros
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 for 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 I was only a cap
tam and eagerly seized every op-
portundty of distinguishing myself in
hopes OF making up the lost time and
winning the longed for epaulettes.
"One day while reconnoitering I ven
tured too far from the outposts and
fell into an ambuscade of Turks.
"In the twinkling of an eve I was
seized, bound, gagged and carried on
a mans back into the enemy's camn.
and when the bandage was removed
from my eyes / found myself sur
rounded by half a dozen men attired
in a strange looking uniform. which
seemed to be half Turkish and half
Russian.
zone glance suficed 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 czar's soldiers, and crouched be
side them were MusSulmans tearing
off the clothes and quarrelng 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 ny clothes and ! could