The Iola register., 1902-08-08

E1yf&Rt4h<VG,,1 with reports of the de-
Ihr/,S5g 1SS3& VI layed Russian force
kbkzg914ygyN now well under way.
lz99X Wax The early accounts
w. .%yTSn X54 were thought to be
exaggerated but with
III an hour the evidence multiplied until
doubt was no longer possible. Even
Vera. as Darrell was informed by Colo
mel Korna, no longer had n hope of
holding Nladikaukas, and preparations
for falling back to Grcdskov were made
with haste.
Darrell was surprised to find how
many things were already prepared.
Prudence and discipline had not been
wanting in the garrison. The little ar
my was wonderfully mobile
This march-bcgun ct midnight ur
der frowning skies, enllvcncd in the
small hours by a pyrotechnlc struggle
In the darkness with the Russians who
were attempting to re-cnclrcle Nladl-
kaukas and finished next day in deadly
WEAKNESS and the miscries of n drlz-
/ Zllng rain-nccdS no extended dCscrip-
| ton in this record. There were small
]
| saddle after the lighting seemed to be
| over, the fatal bullet II mere chance
| wandCrcr In the air. Some Russian
/ borsemcn dashed in upon Il line of bag
gage wagons and butchered n few
teamstcrs, poorly paid day laborers
| without military aspirations. a half
dozen soldiers were killed and fifty per-
haps endured the pain Of wounds dur
ing the long march. Darrell, viewing
as much of this as n man could see in
the night and particularly the dead
tCamstcrs, who CHANGED to fall In his
way, was reminded Of the murdered
Turkish merchant and of the poor idiot,
Musef, shH in the back as he ran, and
there arose in his mind n picture of the
war god, like n human being endowed
with an individual character and com
PEELED to act according to it, so that,
whether bawling upon the battlefield,
groanlng upon the march or soddcn
with the sloth OF the camp, he must
kill, and kill aimlessly, for the mere
sake of killing.
Darrcll's position was one Of painful
isolation. For the first few miles he
rode not far behind the princess; then,
after the fighting was over and her
safety assured, us she sent no word to
him he fell farther to the rear, and in
the last hours of the march, when the
rain had begun, he lent some aid to
men who were struggling with cannon
in the roads that grew always worse.
In Gredskov on the second day he
formed the acquaintance of an engl-
neerlng officer and was of some little
use In helping to strengthen the city's
dcfcnses. He saw Korna occasionally
and learned from him that there had
been memorable scene between Vera
and Kilziar and that the prince had
succeeded in presenting plausible cX-
cuses. The princess, however, had as
serted authority, and 1t was she who
issued paramount orders in the city.
The rain relented long enough to per-
NIT the Russian force TO take up its
position, hemming in the place, and
then began again without violence, a
slow and steady dripping from the
leaden sky. The besiegers exhibited
indomltable energy. They brought up
a surprising quantity OF artillery de-
spite the state of the roads, yet not
enough to give them any advantage.
The guns were too light for the reduc-
tion of well fortified place, and
Gredskov was fairly well fortified,
though at the time of the Circassian at
tack it had been very badly defended.
The time came speedily when no
more cannon could be brought over the
roads. Spies reported that the Rus
SLAMS were having all they could do to
bring up sufficient supplies in the light
, est vehicles and on the backs of mules
and camels. The game as it stood was
a draw. The Russians could not take
Une town, ana the Desieged could moi
! get out. But the enemy had to hold
their ground only till better weather
| while the Clrcassians had to hold theirs
forever. 1t Is fundamental principle
of war that town thoroughly invested
, must fall eventually unless friends
from without arrive to raise the siege
and this the Crcassians could not ex
pect They We're doomed and tn,
: thought of it was madness to Darrell.
He saw little of Vera. She was fe
+ verishly busy, working day and nigh
, upon plans for their useless defense
| for 1t was like holding hilltop agains
. the flood. Darrell knew that she dread
nd IN 500 him haoauaa ha had forQspQI