Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-05


 the enemy's side thanks are due
 to the memory and to the un
 abashed courtesy of Lieutenant Rastatz who came alive. if not with a whole skin. out of the encounter and lived to reach middle age under a new regime so unappreciative of his serv- ices that it cashiered him for getting drunk within year from this date. He ended his days as billiard marker at the Golden Lion, fact agreeable to poetic justice but not otherwise mate rial While occupying that capacity he was always ready to open his mouth to talk provided he were afforded also a better reason for opening it.
 Stafnitz and his men felt that their hard work was done. They were with in touch of Slavna, and they had no reason. as they supposed. to fear any attack. The colonel had indulged them in something approaching to a carouse. Songs had been suiig and speeches made; congratulations were freely of fered to the colonel: allusions were thrown out not too carefully yelled to the predicament in which Stenovics found himself. Hard work. good supper and plentiful wine had their effect. Save the sentries all were asleep at 10 o'clock and game to sleep till the reveille sounded at 6.
 Their presence was surprise to their assailants. who had perhaps approach ed in too rash a confidence that they were first on the ground. But the greater surprise befell those who had now to defend the barges and the guns. When the man who had found the dead sentry ran back and told his tale. all of them. from Stafnitz down. ward. conceived that the attack must come from Stenovics. None thought of Sophy and her Volsenians. There they were packed in the barn. separated from their horses and with their car pines laid aside. The carbines were easily caught up. the horses not so easily reached. supposing an active. skillful enemy at hand outside.
 For themselves their position was good to stand a siege. But Stafnitz could not afford that. His mind flew where Sophy's had. Throughout and on both sides the guns were the factor which dominated the tactics of the fight. It was no use for Stafnitz to stay snug in the barn while the enemy overpowered the barges Jsupposing they tried fight. disposed of the sentry stationed on each deck and captured the guns. Let the assailant carry them off and the colonels game was up. Whoever the foe was, the fight was for the guns and for one other thing no doubt. for the colonel's life
 We felt in the deuce of a mess" Rastatz related. flor we didn't know how many they were. and we couldn't see one of them. The colonel walked out of the barn cool as cucumber and looked and listened. He called to me to go with him. and so did. keeping as much behind his back as possible. Nothing was to be seen. nothing to be heard. He pointed to the rising ground opposite. That must hide them he said. Back he went and called the first half company. You follow me in sin gle file out of the barn and round to the back of 1t. Let there be foot be- tween each of you, room enough to miss. When once you get in rear of the barn. make for the barges. Never mind the horses. The second half com pany will cover the horses with their Are. Rastatz. see my detachment round and then follow. We'll leave the ser geant major in command here. Now. quick. follow me"
 "Out he went. and the men began to follow in their order. had to stand in the doorway and regulate the distance between man arsl man. hadn't been there wo'seconds before dozen heads came over the hill and dozen rifles cracked Luckily the colonel was just round the corner. Down went the heads again. but they'd bagged two of our fellows. I shouted to more to come out and at the same time ordered the sergeant major 10 send a file forward to answer the fire. Cp came the heads again. and they bagge1 three more. Our feilows blazcd away in reply. hut they'd droppef too quickly. don't think we got one.
 Well. we didn't mind go much about keeping our exact distances after that and I wouldn't swear that the whole fifty Of us faced the fire. It was devil ish discOncertfnx. ye1 know. but in a few minutes thirty or five and thirty Of us got round the side Of the barn some how and for the moment out of harms way. We heard the fire going On stfIl in front. but only in a desultory way. Thsy weren't trying to rush us. and I don't think we had any idea of rushing then. For all ve knew they night be 20o CT theT night be a dozen- At any rate. viih the advantsge of position taey were enough to bott,e cur men up in the bzr7 for the moment at all erenfS-
 This account makes what hsd hap pszsd p-estr pain Half of Sophy's fcros lad been left 10 Bod the enemy o- ss uzrr of tke7 ss p,ss5hle la fhe E T-- E-z srzs--------F and -.T