Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-08

outside the barn door.
And the survivors demoralized; their
leader the sergeant-ma jor, lay dead. They re-
leased the remaining horses, mounted, and with one
parting volley fed down the river. With cry OF
triumph Lukovtch collected the remainder of his
men and dashed round the side of the barn. The
next moment Colonel Stafnitz found himself
attacked in his well as held in check from
the ditch in his front.
For moment we thought it was Our own men,
said Rastatz, continuing his account, and the
Colonel shouted Don't fire, you foos!' But
then they cheered, and we knew the Volsenan
accent-curse theml 'Sheepskns agaln! said the
Colonel with wry kind of smile. He didn't hest
To the barges! Follow mel We all followedoit
was just as safe to go with him as to stay where
We made dash for It, and got to the
bank of the river. Then they rose out OF the ditch
in front of us-and they were at behind too
with steel now; they daren't shoot, for fear of
hitting their own people in our front. But the idea
of a knife in your back ism t pleasant and IN the
end more of our 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 WASH t,
so | thought it might be as well for me to do the
proper thing ,
the first l made out the witch herself, in
sheepskins ike the rest of Them white as sheet,
but with that internal mark absolutely blazing.
She was between Peter Vassip and Zerkovltch,
and the three straight at She cried:
The King! the King! and behind us we heard
Lukovitch and his lot crying: The King! the
Kingi Our fellows didn't like it, that's the truth.
They uneasy in their minds about that job
of poor old Mistitchs, and they feared the witch
like the devil. The heart out of them; one
lad burst out crying. witch and
ghost didn't pleasant things to fight. Oh, 1t
was all nonsense, but you know what fellows like
that are. Their cry of The king! and the sight
of the caused moments hesitation. 1t was
enough to give them the drop on us.
But the Colonel never hesitated; he flung him
self straight at her, and fired as he sprang L just
saw what happened before l got a crack on the
back of the head from the butt-end of rifle which
knocked me out of time. AS he fred Peter Vasslp
flung himself in front of her and took the bullet in
his own body. Zerkovitch jumped right on the
Colonel cut him on the arm SO that he dropped his
revolver and grapped with him. Zerkovtch
dropped his sword, and the Colonels wasn't drawn.
1t was just a tusse. They tussling when the
blood came flowing down into my eyes from the
wound on my head. | couldn't see anything more
| tainted Just as 1 went off l heard somebody
cry, Hands up! and l imagined the fighting was
pretty well over.
The fighting over. One scene remained
which Rastatz did not When Colonel Stafnitz
too heard the call Hands upl' when 4
the firing stopped and all became quiet, ~
he ceased to struggle Zerkovitch found 90
him suddenly changed to a log beneath
him; his hands already the
Colonel's throat, and he could have
strangled him now without resistance "a
But when Stafntz no longer tried to ~
defend himself he loosed his hold, got y
up, and stood over him with his hand on Y
the revolver in his belt.
The Colonel fingered his throat for a
minute, sat up looked round, and rose
to his feet He Sophy standing W8
before him; by her side Peter Vassp lay on
the ground, tended by one of his comrades.
Colonel Stafnitz bowed to Sophy with a smile I
. forgot you madam, said Stafnitz. q
- didn't forget mOnSeigneur she answered ~
He looked round him again, shrugged his gNI
shoulders, and seemed to think for a moment w
There was an absolute Stiffness contrast to the
preceding turmoil. But the silence made uncom-
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