The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-01-19


veloped Them, Became Comrades,
Sharing Their Black Bread and
Rice-HerOism of Two Russians
Who Sacrificed Their Lives Trying
to Alleviate Agonies Of Former
Enemies.
A tragic incident of the battle Of
iiaoyang is thus described by Man
,hurian correspondent of the London
Standard:
tell the story as it was told to me
by an officer of General KurOki's staff.
On a bare hilltop, strewn with the
debris of war, lay fourteen wounded
soldiers Through the long, hot day
they had fought. and now the tide Of
battle had swept past. leaving them
like wreckage cast up by an angry sea.
Eight were bearded men, and six were
smooth faced Japanese. The golden
mist that glOwed among the giant mil
let was tinged with crimson. Night
was about to add her terrOrs to the
stricken field AS the shadows stole
up the mountain strange fear crept
into the hearts of these men. Their
eyes grew wide with dread at the
sights and sounds amid which they
might sleep the sleep that knows no
waking. Darkness could not hide the
horrors that had burned into their
brains. To each grim detail the wan
ing light gave new and awful realism.
A great fear fell upon the survivors
and drew them together. 1t was a
slow and painful muster. Shot through
the legs. Sato crawled to Tanaka,
whose foot had been shattered by a
shell. With one arm hanging limp,
Yamada tore sleeve from his shirt
and pressed it against a hole in his
side Nakamura had a bullet in his
brain and lay on his back sobbing out
his life through frOthing lips. A shot
had entered MatSumotO'S right Shout
der, passed through the muscles of his
in his cartridge pouch. His foot slip
ped in pool of blood, and he fell upon
Russian kneeling, with rifle clasped
in his arms. The figure rolled over
Kimura was hopping the blood from
his brow and had ripped up his trou-
sers to dress wound in his thigh.
At last the muster was complete, and
the little group of Japanese began to
attend to one anothers injuries The
Russians We're less seriously hurt and
assembled more quickly. Sato had TAX
en- off his puttees and was binding them
around his leg when he saw the eight
bearded men. Instinctively he looked
round for rife, but Tanaka laid
hand on his arm. Don't you see that
they, too, are wOunded?" Sato went on
winding his puttees and took no more
heed OF the enemy. Having dressed
their wounds, the men began to look
about them, and presently the eyes of
the TWO groups met Long and earnest
~ they gazed, each striving to learn the
others thoughts. Many stories thew
had heard of atrocities, of murder and
mutilation and horrors of which men
speak In whispers. The Russians were
eight and the Japanese only five for
Nakamura did not count. being as
dead man. Would they fight? Would
tney wait until the night and steal I'D
on them unawares? Did they see how
sorely stricken We're their enemies9
would they avenge the slaughter Of
tnelr brothers? To these inward cues
tlonlngs they sought answer in the
faces turned toward them "They look
very herce with their great boards but
tneir eyes are gentle" 1t was Tanaka
VINO spoke he who had checked the i'm
pulse OF his comrade. "They are brave
men, added Kimura, who had bound
MS leg and was whisking the flies from
tne mouth of Nakamura. Yesterday
wheh we stormed the hill the Rms
sIans made counter attack. They
we, meae leu py young officer, who fought
IKE non with his whelps. He fell
pierced by many wounds. and was
ABOUT to hand his sword to Lientanont
Aatsura, but our officer motionod ~