New-York tribune., 1906-07-08
10

of them; nearer twenty than ten dotted the grass
outside the barn door.
And the survivors were demoralzed; their
leader, the sergeant major, lay dead. They
leased the remaining horses, mounted, and with one
parting voley fled down the river. With cry of
triumph, Lukovitch collected the remainder of his
men and dashed round the side of the barn. The
next moment Colonel Stafnitz found himself
attacked in his as We'll as held IN check from
the ditch in his front.
For a moment we thought it was our own men,
said Rastatz, continuing his account. and the
Colonel shouted, Don't fire. YOU fOOlS! But
then they Cheered and we knew the VOlsenian
aCCent-curse them Sheepskins agan!' said the
Colonel, with wry kind of smile He didn't hest
tate then; he jumped up, crying, 10 the DaTges!
To the barges Follow mel We all fOllOwed-it
was just as safe to go with him to stay where
we were We made dash for it, and got to the
bank of the river. Then they out of the ditch
in front of us-and they were at us behind, too
with steel now; they darent shoot, for fear of
hitting their own people in front. But the idea
of knife in your back isn't pleasant, and in the
end of men turned to meet them than
went with the Colonel. l went on with him,
though. I'm always for the safest place, if there's
one safer than another. But here there wasn't,
so | thought it might be as well for me to do the
proper thing.
the first | made out was the witch herself, in
sheepskins like the rest of them, white a sheet,
but with that internal mark absolutely blazing
She was between Peter VassiP and ZerkOvitch
and the three came straight at us. She cried:
The King! the King!' and behind heard
Lukovitch and his lot crying The King! the
They uneasy in their minds about that job
of poor old Mistitch'S and they feared the witch
like the devil. The heart was out of them; one
lad near me burst out crying. witch and a
ghost didn't seem pleasant things to fight Oh, it
all nonsense, but you know what fellows like
that Their cry of The King!' and the sight
of the women caused moment s hesitation. 1t
enough to give them the drop
" But the Colonel never heSitated; he flung him.
self straight at her, and fired he sprang. just
what happened before | got crack the
back of the head from the butt-end OF rifle, which
knocked me out of time. As he fired, Peter Vassip
flung himself in front of her and took the bullet in
his own body. Zerkovitch jumped right the
Colonel, cut him on the so that he dropped his
revolver and grappled with him. ZerkOvitCh
dropped his sword. and the COOnels wasn't drawn
1t just tuSsle. They tuSSling when the
blood came flowing down into my eyes from the
wound on my head. | couldn't anything moro
| tainted. lust as / went off l heard somebody
cry, Hands up! and L imagined the hghtlng was
pretty well over"
The fighting was over. One scene remained
which RastatZ did not see. When Colonel Stafnitz
too heard the call Hands up!" when
the firing stopped and all became quiet -
he ceased to struggle. ZerkOvitch found
him suddenly changed to a log beneath 8
him; his hands already the k@s2
Colonel's throat, and he could have gE 81
strangled him now without resistance 54tA
But when Stafnitz no longer tried to E&NS
defend himself he lOosed his hold, got blfS4y&rs sN
up, and stood over him with his hand on FHMM
the revolver in his belt. AsyW
The Colonel fingered his throat for a (,
minute sat up looked round, and rose Ns
to his feet He SOphv standing Nh
before him; by her side Peter Vassip Law on ia
the ground, tended by one of his comrades. 4
Colonel Stafnitz bowed to Sophy with a smile =
" forgot yOu madam, said Stafnitz. +
Il didn't forget mOnseigneur she answered MS
He looked round him again, shrugged his (Hy
shoulders, and seemed to think for a moment W
There was an absolute stillness-a contrast to the
preceding turmoil. But the silence made uncom-
Portable whom the fight had not shaken Their