Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-05

foot (the horses hoofs would have be- trayed them), were stealing round, in tent on getting between the barges and any men whom Stafnitz tried to place in position for their defense. After, leaving men for the containing party and three to look after the horses this detachment was no more than dozen strong. But they Lad started before. Stafnitz's men had got ont of the barn and despite the smaller distance the latter had to traverse could make a good race of it for the barges. They had all kept together, too, while the enemy struggled round to the rear of the barn in single file. And they had one great, perhaps decisive. advantage, of whose existence Peter Vassip, their guide, was well aware.
 Forty yards beyond the farm small ditch ran down to the Krath. On the side near the farm 1t had a high over hanging bank. the other side being nearly level with the adjoining mead ow. Thus it formed q natural trench and led straight down to where the first of the barges lay. It would have been open to an enfilade from the river, but Stafnitz had only one sentry on each barge. and these men were occu- pied in staring at their advancing com panions and calling out to know what was the matter. As for the bargees. they had wisely declared neutrality. deeming the matter no business of theirs. Shots were not within the terms of a contract for transport. Staff nitz. not dreaming of an attack. h.! not ,reconnoitered his ground. But Lu kovitch knew every inch of it (had not General Stenovics remembered that: and so did Peter Vassip. The surprise of Praslok was to be avenged.
 Rastatz takes up the tale again. His narrative has one or two touches vivi! with local color.
 "When got round to the rear or the barn found our fellows scattered about on their bellies The colonel was in front on his belly, with his head just raised from the ground, looking about him. I lay down, too, getting my head behind stone which chanced to be near me. looked about me, too. when it seemed safe. And it did seem safe at first. for We could hear nothing, and deuce a man could we see. But 1t wasn't very pleasant. because we knew that. sure enough. they must be pretty near us somewhere. Presently the colo nel came crawling back to me. What do you make of it, Rastatz?' he whis- pered Before could answer we hearl a brisk exchange of fire in front of tho barn. I don't like it, said. I can't see them, and I've notion they can see me. colonel, and that's not the pleasantest way to fight, is itT Cad you're rightr said he. But they won't see me any the better for cigarette. And then and there he lit one.
 "Well. he'd just thrown away his match when young fellow-quite lad he was-a couple of yards from us suddenly jumped from his belly on f. his knees and called out quite loud-i seemed to me he'd got sort of panic quite loud he called out. 'Sheepskins. sheepskinsr I jumped myself. and saw the colonel start But, by love, 1t was true! When you took sniff, you could smell them. Of course I don't mean what the better class wear. You couldn't have smelled the tunic our lamented prince wore nor the one the witch decked herself out in, but you could smell common fellows sheep skin twenty yards off-aye, against the wind unless the wind was mighty strong.
 'Sheepskins 1t is" said the colonel. with a sniff. 'volsenians. by gad! It's Mistress Sophia, Rastatz, or some of her friends anyhow Then he swore worthily: 'Stenovics must have put them up to this! And where the devil are they, RastatzT He raised his head as he spoke and got his answer. A bull let came singing along and went right through his shako. It came from the line of the ditch. He lay down again, laughed a little and took puff at his cigarette before he threw it away. Just then one of our sentries beloved from the first barge. In the ditch. in the ditch" I wish you'd spoken a bit sooner.' says the colonel. laughing again.
 While this was passing on Stafnitz's side Sophy and her party were working quietly and cautiously down the course of the ditch. Under the shelter of it's bank they had been able to hold brief and hurried consultation. What they feared was that Seafnltz would make a dash for the barges. Their fire might drop half his men. but the sur vlvors when once on board-and the bsrges were drawn up to the edge of the stream-would still be as numerous as themselves and would command the course of the ditch. which was at pres ent their great resource and protection. But if they could get on board before the enemy they believed they could hold their own. The decks were coy- cred with impedimenta of one sort or another. which woIld afford them cov- CT. while any party which tried to board must expose itself to fire to serious and probably fatal extent
 So they worked down the ditch. ex- cept two of them. Little as they could
 LI spare even two. yl it was judged
 "a well to leave
 H these. Their in- kA. M structions were
 st1ILSH tofire atshortin-
 tSN EM s1--.f. wrh~sAn~