The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-15

out her hand to lay the plate in the bot
tom of the Ioophole, between the sand
bags. when an envious bullet howled
through the opening, grazing the skin
| from her white flesh 1t was tiny
| wound-our first casualty Sonia drew
her hand quickly away, sank to the floor
and cried helplessly between pain and
terror. She refused to be comforted
and was led away sobbing bitterly by
| the imperturbable Varvara Petrovna-
The Qualifications of our loopholes Were
made of inf1amma bic stuff, and in spite
of all carefulnesS we were in perpetual
| danger of setting our defences on fire
| To prevent disaster from this cause the
lieutenant had had all the water in the
house brought into the front rooms. The
event proved the wisdom of his precau-
ton; a bolster in one of the windows
caught, and burst at once into a mass of
flame Our united efforts extinguiShed
the main conf1a grafton: but meanwhile
the outer woodwork had taken fire, and
the roof was in danger; without a mo-
ment'S hesitation the big corporal leap
ed upon the window Sill with bucket
of water, and saved further peril with
douche. Before he had time to step back
into the room a. bullet from a Chechen
gun struck him in the chest With a loud
cry he flung up his arms and fell crash
ing to the floor. The noise of his fall
brought the women to the door; Varvara
Perovna stepped stately into the room,
and Sonia appeared behind her with a
bandaged hand and tear stained cheeks.
Through the lungsi" calculated the
lieutenant, as the corporal coughed
heavily and the blood flowed over his
lips.
It's all over with him!' murmured a
soldier, wagging his head as one who
knew. God rest his soulI''
Ivan, take his place. said the lieu
tenant, ''Ephim must have his window
to himself"
Let Ivan stay where he is" said Var
vara Petrovna, coming quietly forward
and loosening the dying mans
cr1sin nj
porals place"
She walked to the window, opening the
breech with the air of an expert to see
if the magazine was full The dying cor
poral lay groaning on the floor, but we
could not stop to attend to him. Sonia
knelt down, took his head in her lap,
and soothed him as one might soothe
sick child; her tears ralned on his face
as she kissed him and careSsed him and
murmured words of comfort.
Water! water;" groaned the corporal.
sAkulinai Mashai" cried Sonia to the
servants beyond the doorway; bring
water quicklyi'
There is none, Baryshnia," answered
the frightened Masha; the corporal
threw the last drop out of the window"
Sonia slipped a cushion under the
wounded mans head, and went to seek
in the empty cans; with all her zeal she
could collect no more than thimbleful,
which she administered to her patient.
f. Varvaria Petrovna stood at her post
in the window, tall and terrible, dwelling
her gun and firing as if it were the most
natural thing i'll the world.
'Ay da Varvara Petrovna!" said the
soldiers approvingly; '-molodetz! she's a
heroinel"
The dying man soon renewed his pit
eOuS cries for water.
''Varvara, uncle lieutenant, for Heav-
ems sake get some wateri" cried Sonia,
going frantically from one to another.
Hush said Varvara, without turning
round, you disturb our aim
There is water but in the sDriner
said the colonel.
Sonia disappeared from the room. a
minute later we were stupefied with hor-
| rOr. A little slender figure in pink dar-
ted out upon the lawn from behind the
corner of the house and sped toward the
spring; it was Sonia with a bucket in
her hand, running as fast as her legs
could carry her. A bullet from the ena-
my plOughed up the grass at her feeI.
but she ran on unheeding. We held our
breath and waited. The Che
chenians had ceased firing. A tall form
arose and stood upon the garden wall
a handsome young hillman, dressed in a
| fez- shaped lambskin cap and a long
Chechenian robe, with a belt full of sill
Yer hlIted knives
1T is Arak himself. the son Of F'eraz,"
said the lieutenant.
Varvara Petrovna slowly raised her
gun and covered him
Down with your gun Varvara f''cried
the colonel angrily; the Chechens have
stopped nr1ng. She lowered her Wea-
pom.
The young chief Jumped down and
walked toward Sonia, saluting graceful
iy- They exchanged a few words; Arak
took the bucket from her and filed it
at the spring. As she put out her hand
to receive it from him he perceived the
bandage on her finger. He paused and
questioned her; question and answer
were lost to US Instead of handing her
the bucket he advanced side by side
with her up to the house. She took the
water from him and ran round to the
door by which she had made her exit
Arak came close under the windows and
asked who was in command; the lieu
tenant stood forward in the open win
dow.
Il congratulate you, sir, upon the
valor of the women of your garrison
said Arak, with a polite little smile;
but Chechens do not fight with women.
We are disarmed by the courage and de-
votion of this lady; the house which
shelters her is sacred, and we have no
more heart for the attack.
There are plenty of foes for US beyond
the pass; we go to meet them. Fare
weII!'
He bowed and returned to his men.
In a few minutes there were no Chechens
to be seen the hillside.
Some hours later a detachment of the
neutenant's regiment brought US news
of an engagement in the valley. Arak
and his father had both been wounded
and taken prisoners; the discontinue
of the hillmen was so complete that the
Sonia attended the corporal till the
end, which was not long in coming. AS
she rose from her place beside the couch
where he had been laid, she fell fainting
the floor; the excitement of action
ended. she had nothing to sustain her
She was put to bed in a state of high
fever. After a thanksgiving service,
which Varvara Petrovna held in the
drawing room, the lieutenant and left
the house, pursued by the hospitable in
functions of the colonel TO be his guests
&C at -a, lay~5r7
again to the neighborhood of the Okova.
+ met the lieutenant a year later at
a dance at Government House, Tfflis-
We talked of the eventful day we had
spent in the colone1's house.
Il shall always be grateful for that
adventure said; 1t supplied me with
a subject for a picture
81 Il Il.