The Winslow mail., 1900-01-04

lying near the door. In the darkness
and smoke l could not distinguish
whether it was human being or a
dog.
1 hurried back. My uncle called me,
but rushed in, dropped en- my knees
and crawled toward the spot where
had seen the form lying. 1t was a
boy. He had been on his way home in
the next village and lad sought shell
ter in the house from the storm.
l dragged him out, and was about Is
yards from the house when there was
an explosion. Kubarkin had bought
ten pounds of powder at the last fair
and had kept 1t ia the large brick
stove,
The hut collapsed. Some of the
bricks whizzed by my head, uncom-
fortably close, but the boy was saved,
and with aid of fresh air and little
brandy he soon came out of his stupor.
Ten years had passed. 1 was lieu
tenant in the body-guard of the czar.
Before Plevna we were forced into ac-
tive service
One morning l was ordered to take
Gen. Todleben. A guard of II men es-
corted me when [ started from head
quarters. 1t was a bright morning aft
er several days of drizzling rain. The
road through the forest was very soft
and we could make but very slow prog
hD1rf 10, o,n1ao1r oh hoI
an open valley. l ordered a halt to de-
eide if I should cross the open space
or turn to the left and keep in the
woods until | had got out of sight and
reach of the enemy. It would have been
just 20 miles more of muddy road. The
dispatch was important and haste nec-
essary, so l decided to move straight on.
We had hardly reached the open val
ley when a small cloud of smoke from
the northern part of Plevna told me that
we had been seen and were now target
for the Turkish guns.
A short command from me brought
my men into a line, so that the enemy
had only one man to aim at. We were
moving at full speed toward the pro-
tecting timber on the other side.
The first shell fell short; the second
burst fully a thousand yards behind
us; the third was dead" and passed so
feet in front of us.
We were almost in the shade of the
tall pines when | heard a terrific
crash and lost my senses. L awoke very
soon, with a stinging pain in my head.
A man lay right over me. He was un-
buttoning my uniform. The thought of
a ''war-hyena" flashed through my
mind. Cautiously 1 opened one eye
just enough to.see who my assailant
was. To my astonishment L saw that it
was one of my own men.
He had noticed my movement, and
whispered: Keep still: we are the
only survivors"
but, man." said 1, "take the dispatch
and get into safety
NO." he whispered; 81 shall cover
your body with mine until help comes.
The Turks will fire again as soon as they
see one of us move. You remember the
time you saved me from the burning
house of Michael Kubarkin? Now is my
time to show that have not forgotten
that owe my life to you"
A few minutes later came a little
troop from the timber, with the flag of
the Red Cross. Eleven men were buried
on the spot, and 1 was taken back on
stretcher, having lost one eye and suf-
fering from a broken jaw.
While the dead were being buried and
the first bandages being put on me my
brave soldier had disappeared, and one
of the horses of the Red Cross command
was missing.
When l was discharged from the hos
pital l recognized in the sergeant of my
regiment, who was the first to congrat-
ulate me on my recovery, the soldier
who had covered me with his body in
the hour of danger. 1t was the boy l
had dragged from the burning hut on
my uncle's estate.-N. Y. Independent.