The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08

Paul, dearest Paul, are you wounoeo' =
believe so" he replied. "A grape shot tGTs
OF both my feet. and now ! An standing Win
| was surprised. His mother had bethed him
in the consecrated wine SO that no hostile opliet
neT. | looked back to soc whether the rest Of the
troops were fastening to our relief, and per,
ceiyed that tho regiments had all been recs thss
was all right; a private soldier must never criti-
else the acts Of his superiors. .o ,,. a..
Turks dared not leave their b%astions. but when
they saw my Paul sitting on the ground with
were a target But there he sat, listening to the
whistling and buzzlng Of the bullets, telling mo
One struck the staff, another pierced bis hat. q
third tore his oyercoat and romain e. IN ms
DO you see that the bullets cannot harm
you =, Isaid to him, ~ can't understand how
' In the evening, when tho fog and darkness DO;
gan to gather, the sharpshooters on the Wall
stopped, and we remained alone. Even In Sibe-
stars moved through the sky At a snairs pace.
At first the new moon was visible, then II die.
the camp when darkness closed in, but no one
came. Doubtless they had moro important
Iiay there n long, long time, half awake, half
asleep. tortured BY thousands. Of horrible Wis
ions, until the horizon gradually began to grow
lighter, and morning dawned.
My Paul, was still sitting among the corpses.
and when he saw that l could no longer raise
Dybtll, 10 IuIutu o"hlu ihVs ~ ibBs
THE enemy has put out a white flag"
The Turks granted our. people an artnistice to
their biers, accompanied by several officers and
a surgeon. whom the soldiers dreaded more than
the hostile cannon. He inspected the bodies in
This man is dead; this one is dead, too"
surgeon that l was wounded, or he would have
had my arm amputated at once; / pretended
that 1t was only the weight of the corpses which
had Kept me DrOStrAte, and as soon as they were
removed | rushed to Paul. With the utmost
from the earth. and behold neither Of his feet
was injured; they were both as sound as mine
or any OF the others; Yet no had told me him.
surgeon explained this by saying that the ball
had undoubtedly passed close beneath his feet
and cXcavated the earth under them, so that he
supposed his feet were torn away because he had
sunk into the pit so suddenly made and could
The incident created the greatest astonish-
msnt, The :, soldiers So ! s y, carried FRIED my PAU t%a on their
he had saved and IN the Officers examined in
amazement his clothing. which was riddled
with holes. while there was not even a scratch
The great General reported to st. Petersburg
that the oran regiment had done its duty.
pressed steadily on in the pathway of fame and
the favor of the Car. No matter how high, he
have me ordered wherever he went. Whenever
he rode along the front he ALWAYS spoke to me.
When was among the sentineis he often came
piled with money. Every one knew by this time
that he WIS. invulnerable and that, no hostile
weapon could harm him. He moved through the
blootiest battle just as a man with leather
gloves thrusts his hand into a beehive. All good
and traitors bore him a srudEe. 10 them he
could be inexorable, and he never forgave any
Once Ilost the bayonet from my gun and he
ordered fifty lashes to be given me. But /
When he was sent to Sebastopol, where visions
Of fame allured every soldier. the enemy quickly
discovered his presence; for the intrenehmepts
the foe II but Were constantly pushed forward to.
ward them. He always led the attacking par
ties himself; he directed the work of construct
ing the Notifications and cared no more for
bullets than did for flies. u.,u,
spect the cannon. During one OF these rounds
he fouad a young marine sleeping beside a NOR;
started up and his face blanched with terror at
the sight of the dreaded commander.
You have been asleep at your post y said tho
II haven't slept for four nights" stsmmered
the youth. Il could not keep my eyes open"
This wretched excuse enraged my Paul, and
he dealt the fellow such a blow in the face with
the butt of his pistol that he knocked out one of
There. you scoundreli Now your eyes won't
Then he did not vouchsafe him another glance,
or he would have seen that the youth staggered
to an old seaman. who caught him In his arms
kerchief.
1t was the young marines father.
fire upon the Korniiof redoSbt.' I was at my
post. covered by my gabion. which was already
fall SO thickly as the projectiles sent by the foe.
Every nom mt three or four shells exploded
s6pjef m and in nno n ! I 1nn Sied. rel In the tke midst nidsi Of q
this terrific fire l saw the General walking
over the %bastions.
rockets. hundreds of bullets whizzcd past him
at the same moment. But he moved on smiling.
IraN an ln Yagual Y,a a htua;n~ nnlyA ak@N I- 80
Take care, General = / shouted.
You here. Pe,SrF J, he said, turning. and
He led the way to a corner OF the bastion,
where all but two of the cannon in a battery had
been silenCed.
why are you not firing here = he asked,
when he reached tho spot. An old marine an
swered from the darkness:
"Ourc cannon are shattered
Then more must be had y said Paul, and
sent me at once to the bottom of the walls,
whence. by, means OF ropes and pulleys. new
cannon could be brought through the covered
passages In Ave minutes.
They must be placed in position. ;" cried Paul,
and twenty men sprang forward to, push them
to the loopholes. Before one could count ten.
ieaped into their places the guns moved Tor,
ward. The enemy poured a shower OF, grape
shot upon them. The gabl9ns were adjusted.
sacks were heaped upon the breastwork. OF the
second twenty, only four men returned-but tho
cannon were in position.
al" replied the old marine.
LOok CdTeiulS III u .uiTeCLlOu from WnlCn
the point and aim for it,"
Very well!' replied the man, throwing him
self down beside the cannon to be able TO get a
better sight over the breastwork.
| The enemy were now firing without light
balls; so we were In such darkness that no one
could see any other PERSONS movements.
DO you know where you are To shooti' asked
the General.
Yes" said the gunner.
Have you aimed !"
Eyes"
Then fire."
The order was executed. It was not q cannon
but a pistol shot, Paul fell back against me as
II the earth had opened under his feet, and,
clutchfng my arm, gasped:
Peter, j am mortally wounded"
"Impossible!' | cried. in terror.
Yes. he answered family. THAT was no
enemy's bullet, so 1t struck me-"
Yes cried the old marine with delight, sit
was my bullet-for my sons eye.
Tho soldiers threw themselves furiousIy upon
the assassin, hut ere they could seize him he had
vanished. Lcaping over the parapet, he was i'm
paled upon the palisades below. He had chosen
the shortest way to hell.
Ny Paul breathed out his life in my arms.
Hostile weapons could not harm him. Had he not
fallen by the hand of n Russian assassin ha