The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-20


At the Russian attack on that pass
on July he slew a bakers dozen with
his sword. In the advance of the flank
ing forces on Lao Yang he was among
the foremost Charging with his men
through a field Of giant miIlet, he was
struck ty a splinter Of an exploding
shell. which tore away part Of his lips,
shattered his teeth and wounded the
tip OF his tongue. lie was ordered to
retire and behind a slight shelter the
field surgeon did his quick work. De-
Fpite his pain, the man was seen TO
smile and ATTEMPTED to humble some
words in his now blurred speech
Those around strained their ears to
catch his meaning. The young lieuten-
ants smile deepened and he made a
motion with his heed towards his hands
and feet
They're still there" he thickly muir
INJURED II can still fight the Russians"
The battle was over the Russians
had retired, and we were making our
way into Lao Yang
Suddenly. fun behind us, came the
Fharp burst of an exploding she'll and
the cart carrying Sir Ian Hamilton's
campaign kit scattered I'm many pieces
N the air. A live shell left on the road
way had done the work. A chance jar
by passing cart, then two men and
three horses were blown to bits, a third
man died soon after and a fourth lin
gered but a little longer.
The general and staff Of the First
army stood on ton of the hill watching
the battle ahead. Immediately behind
them a field telegraph was busy at
work.
Suddenly a soldier jumped to his
feet and ran down the slope into the
COrnfields below. A Chinaman there
0arted off like a rabbit, but the soldier
was too quick and soon had him secure.
Several Japanese came up, there was a
brief animated conversation, the China
man screaming piteously all the while.
end then the prisoner was forced on
his knees, the soldiers sword flashed
and in a moment the mans head fell
and gush of blood spurted from his
severed trunk. They made a slight hole
where he fell and forced the body into
#, covering il over with millet stalks.
Then the soldier wiped his sword clean
and went back as though nothing had
happened.
The Chinaman was telegraph wire
Sniper sent by the Russians and had
cut the wire below, not realizing that
the station was Just above.
Seven Russians came out OF the case
ment. For thirty-six hours, surround
ed by the Japanese army, they defied
every effort to capture them.
When the Russian forces had retired
TO Lao Yang these men threw them
selves under a bOmbproOf easement in
the redouht, piled up sandbags in front
and waited. When the Japanese en-
tered the earthworks the men from
their shelters opened out with maya
zine rifles upon them.
1t was impossible to storm the case
ment without much loss of life. so
the Japanese, avoiding the line of their
fire. waited. shooting into them from
odd corners. The men had no food or
water, save the little they carried on
their persons, and as hour after hour
passed their thirst grew to agony. They
had to keep constantly on the watch,
and at last there was nothing TO do
bat surrender. The japanese came up
and gingerly took their rifles and bay
onets over the sandbags.
Then the Russians stepped out. They
were CHASTITY, save for a CRIME which
long fighting had put on them. Every
sOldie respects courage, and there was
no sign but Of honor for them as they
marched into captivity.
The war correspondent had ridden
away from his fellows TO see fighting
at its closest range. For days, defying
regulations. he mingled with the SOL
diers in their trenches and on the first
fighting line.
The men shared their scanty TatiOns
with him. and he went hungry and
thirsty with them. He was among the
foremost to enter Lao Yang, ana then
rushed for his typewriter 10 tell his
story. But before he could strike a
key a bad attack of dysentery took
Kim. His brain could L0t think his
hands could not write and he could not
ride hundred yards, much less the
hundred miles ne wished 10 20 TO Yin
kOW telegraph Office. Yet one Thought
possessed him. Il must write my story.
I must ride down the line" He tried
10 rise, but spasm OF pain shook him.
And his stOfy is not written.
II was the night OF Aug. &c.
High atop Of the great ridge of
Kwausalin lay many companies OF
wcaried Russian soldiers. Grimy gun
ners had dropped Imply beside their
worn and muddy WEAPONS of death.
Lines Of unwashed infantrymen
wrapped III gray great coats were
stretched on the ground around. with
heaps of big stones before them on the
edge OF the ridge.
On the hills opposite were the Jap
6nese-the right wing OF the first army
butterfly conscious OF failure. The
Keen territorial rivalry fostered by
their military system had made the
hours of rest a purgatory for them.
They had been up most OF the night
before. and had fought continuously
through the heat and wet of the long
day. They had had little 10 eat, for
rice could rot be cooked. Limbs were
leaden with much exertion. But it was
NOT these things that drove the iron
into their souls.
WOrd had gone around that the CEN
tral division OF the army had succeed
ed, had driven the Russians back, and
was now on the Russian heights to the
south. Could il be that the Kiushu
danzi. who had fought ard won for the
emperor during the great revolutionary
war, should be surpassed by the To-
hok, their hereditary rivals. who thir-
ty-seven years ago had been in arms
against them to maintain the Shogu-
nate? Let death come, but not such
humiliation,
At midnight the longed-for word
went forth. Slowly, stealthily. in scat
tered ranks, the men of Kokura
moved cut, determined to uphold the
honor of their island. With mist blind
ing them arsd rain beating in their
faces, they advanced from rock TO rock,
near to the base of the ridge.
There was TO be no surprise that
night As the japanese crept out. the
Russians raised themselves. took their
exact places on the ridge top, and
waited
Now the japanese had reached the
foot Of the slope, and now began the
toilsome ascent.
Suddenly there burst OH the ears Of
81. ,o+,-febaI coIIfa-e NOT sbo 60.