The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-10

knew all the capitals of Europe, and
was especially acquainted with their
art galleries, could place all the Old
masters, and thought that we had
some Of the best in our national gal
lery. He painted a little himself.
We looked this puzzling soldier up
and down. Yes, there was no nistak-
ing the white blouse, the red shoulder
straps of his regiment, his loose trous-
ers tucked into his long boots, and the
bayonet hanging from his beta sim
pie soldier, apparently nothing more,
and yet a moment ago he was criticlz-
/ ing the cooking at Bignon's and the
Cafe Anglais, and talking about seeing
Count Seckendorff's water colors in.
/ Berlin. Later he casually mentioned
that he had a brother an aide de-camp
l of the emperor and governor of a
province, and that his name was Dol
i gorouki.
"By Jove," thought I, "here's pa
triotism Of you like. A prince of a
house as noble and of more ancient
lineage than the reigning family of
Russia absolutely enlisting as a pri-
vate in a line regiment, feeling that
that was the only way in which he
could serve his country"
: met Prince Alexis Dolgorouki
Z many times later on, when he had
: won his spurs in the ensuing battles
in the Balkans. Amidst the dust
: the thunder of cannon, and the
sour faint of the battlefield it was al
ways refreshing and pleasure tc
7 have the privilege of a chat on pic
5 lures and books with so able a critic.
7 Presently we all three stood on the
: outskirts of Simnitza, which terraced
the north bank of the great river. An
t exhilerating and delightful panorama
2 lay before US. Opposite was the high
5 precipitous bank of the Turkish shore
r A little to the right in a tree-fringed
2 cleft of the precipice the quaint ole
Turkish town of Sistova, with its
: mosques, minarets and Towering gar
dens, struggled upward to the summit
and scattered for a short distance
along the bare ridge. A mile to the
g left along this skyline the white bel
+ tents of a Turkish encampment dotted
the ridge and spread down the slope
Of the bank. Another mile to the left
a solitary custom-house with red
tiled veranda stood on the edge o:
a chine clothed with dense foliage, a.
the bottom of which was a little cove
in which the. swift, muddy rive:
. dipped. Between this cove and Sistovs
+ Turkish field guns were emplaced
. and on the immediate right were gum
Of heavy caliber in strong earthwork
y All the Moslem pieces were giving
togue, and fercely firing in the di
: rection qofSaalittle fleet of boats slowl,
: moving towards the cove of the greer
:, clad chine. = From the mud flats
J which streaked the river on the Ru
manian side, flashes of yellow ligh
. spurted from the mouths of numerou
Russian cannon trying to silence thos
4 angry tongues of the Turks, modest
ing the landing parties and the pluck
;" little boats making for the cove. Re
4 ginent after regiment {"of Mirsky'
u supporting division, with batteries fol
: lowing, We're struggling ankle dee
= in the tenacious snire towards the .riy
:! i er's edge, and arriving there sought tn
: sparse shelter Of the meager fringe c
willows down by the waters edge.
: The white tents Of the Turks
encampment over; on the ridg
looked as grim and lonely as tomb
stones. Not a Turk was to b
seen. In the early days the Turks
lie battalion had left their cam
" standing and marched down to. tn
chine with the intention Of stoppin
er the, Russian invasion, and returnin
8 later to the cool shelter of the canva
" but The MuseDvites had already game
n. a fairlyl firm footing under Gener;
al Yolohin, of Caucasian fame, and til
4 younger Skobeleff, and were busy dri,
Of ing the Turks up toward the red tile
l. house with the veranda. One coul
l. see the fecks of fire gradually ris
higher and higher as the Russian
or steadily gained ground. It was a
r. exciting, and, If one may be consistel
in using. the expression, as pretty
Iy battle as one could wish to see.
as The strategy was apparent to tt
simplest mind. The cove was tt
ne only possible landing point for tt
v moment, a footing had been game
Id and the Turks were now striving
of cut off the Russian supports crossir
of the river, while they hoped to exhau
lie the tenacity of those already lande