Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-06


 of the barn. Fearing that the party under Sophy and Dunstanbury might be overpowered, Lukovitch determined on bold step, that of. enticing the holders of the barn from their shelter. He directed his men to keep up brisk fire at the door, He himself and an- other man, one Ossip Yensko, disre- garding the risk, made a rapid dash across the line of fire from the barn for the spot where the horses were. The fire directed at the door success fully covered their daring movement. They were among the horses in a mo- nent and hard at work cutting the bands with which they were tethered. The animals were half mad with fright, and the task was one of great danger.
 But the maneuver was eminently successful. A cry of "The horses, the horsesw went up from the barn. Men appeared in the doorway. The sergeant major in command himself ran out Half the horses were loose and stam- peded along the towing path down the river. 'sThe horses, the horses" The defenders surged out of the barn in deadly fear of being caught there in a trap. They preferred the chances of the fire and streamed out in disorder ly throng. Lukovitch and Yensko cut loose as many more horses as they dared wait to release, then, as the de- lenders rusred forward, retreated, fly ing for their lives. Lukovitch came off with ball in his arm; Yensko dropped, shot through the heart. The men be- hind the hill riddled the defenders with their fire. But now they were by their horses, such as were left of them. Nearer twenty than ten dotted the grass outside the barn door. And the survivors were demoralized. Their leader, the sergeant major, lay dead They released the remaining horses. mounted and with one parting volley umph Lukovitch collected the remain der of his men and dashed round the side of the barn. The next moment Colonel Stafnitz found himself attack ed in his rear as well as held in check from the ditch in his front
 "For a moment we thought 1t was our own men," said Rastatz. continu- ing his account land the colonel shout ed. Don't fire, you foolsv But then they cheered. and we knew the Vol senian accent-curse them! 'Sheepskins again. said the colonel, with a wry kind of smile. He didn't hesitate then; he jumped up, crying: TO the barges. to the barges! Follow mer
 'We all followed. It was just as safe to go with him as to stay where you were 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 us behind, too-with steel now. They daren't shoot for fear of hitting their own people in our front. But the idea of knife in your back isn't pleasant, and in the end more of our men turned to meet them than went on with the colonel I 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 I might as well do the proper thing. We met them right by the waters edge. and the first made out was the witch herself, in sheep skins like the rest of them, white as . sheet, but with that internal mark ab- solutely blazing She was between Pe- ter Vassip and a tall man I didn't know-I found out afterward that he was the EnglIshman Dunstanbury-and the three came straight at us. She cried. The king, the king" and behind us we heard Lukovitch and his lot cry ing, The king. the kingr
 "0ur fellows didn't like it, that's the truth. They were uneasy in their minds about that job of poor old Mi- stitchs. and they feared the witch like the devil. The heart was out of them. One lad near me burst out crying. A witch and a ghost didn't seem pleasant things 10 fight. Oh. 1t was all non sense. but you know what fellows like that are. Their cry of The kingT and the sight of the woman caused a mo- ment's hesitation. It wss enough to give them the drop on Us. But the colonel never hesitated. He flung him. self straight al her and fired as he sprang. just saw what happened be- fore got a crack ol the crown of the head from the butt end of a rife which knocked me ont of time. As the colonel fired Peter Nasslp flung himself in front of her and took the bullet in his cwn bcdy. DuastsnbIry jumped right cn the colonel. cut him on the arm 90 that he dropped h.s revolver and grap- pied with him. Duzstanbury dropped his sword. and the eoloneI's wasn't drawn IL was just a tgssle. They were tussliag when the blood came flowing down into my cyus from the wound oB my head [ caCIdn't see any thing more: I slinted. Just as ! went CT I hraTi somebody cry Hands up- and I imagined the fighting was pretty well over
 The fighting was over One scene re nsined vh'rh Rastatz did not see. When Co.nael Stafnitz too. heard the cal Hands mp when the firing stop ped and all hecane quiet. he ceased to struggle DuEstanbury found him sud denly changed tO q log beneath him. Ifs hands were already on the colo ncrs threat. and he could have strza- Eied hin ng~ without di1culty But when stzfnitz 70 longer tried to de fe1d himself hs l1osed his bod got a2 n-A ....a.l ---.- a--- -... E.- E.-a q.