The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-29

fgure. He sits on his horse like 8
Petrograd bank clerk, but his leader
ship beats De Vets. On the day ne
took command of g little ~reconnolter-
ing force of twenty-five men FlnIno-
noff dispersed or captured four Aus
train outposts or attachments. All
outnumbered his force. Fol- that e
was promoted TO "khorunu' and CIV
en- the ST. Georges Cross.
He has done wild things since. Near
Przemysl he held up an Austrian
convoy and captured two
wagons Of grain and coal. Nnen, q
few days later, his force was surroun-
ded, he saved it by himself diving in
TO a stream and racing for help. Fill
monOff'S ruses are surprising. he DIS
guised himself and some of mis- men
as peasants and thereby got vaiuabi
information.
The Cossacks take the war as q
sport. They cannot be got to surren-
der. They have martial superStitlons
about keeping their horses and lances.
There are cases Of CossackS prefer
ring death to abandoning either. Be
fore the Grand Duke Nicholas ar
| mics reached the Warthe, at Kolo,
the Cassack Nikita TchumakofT with
ten comrades We're caDtared through
the falling into an ambuScade. Three
days later Tchumakoff turned up with
two bullets through his clothes and
one through his thigh. He was horse
! less, but carried his long lance. Ichu-
madkoff, without hose or weapons,
had crept during darkness from the
tent in which he slept. He got safely
past the German sentrieS. Then he
reflected that it was q shame fer q
Cossack to lose his horse and lance. So
he crept back facing the risk Of be-
ing killed or recaptured. He ~recOVer
ed both horse and lance and galloped
away. The horse was killed by a
shot from an outpost. From his
lance T~chuInakoff would not be part
ed.
The Cossack system Of scouting is
being justified by events The big
fight for the town Of LaSk was decid-
ed against the Germans because Cas-
sacks scouts got information Of Ger
nan rei~nforCeYnents II enabled the
Russian commander to summon help
in time. By using the COssacks in
an ingenious ruSe which must not be
described the Russian deceived Field
Marshal Won Hindenburg about the
line OF advance of h Siberian rein
fOrcements. This vas the main factor
which drove the Germans from the
Vistula after their first advance. The
CosSacks are also proving good men
in pursuit and in outfanking opera
tons.
AA.i Lag, Ky o1Oi1 - W LAAiO AGtA
guard actions which the Germans
fought in order that they might have
time thoroughly to destroy Poland's
communications the Cossacks render
ed great service. Near Kutno a bridge
over the Ochniia vas thus saved. The
Germans bea off the Russians. anC
were able TO cover their engineers
who were blowing up the bridge, cut.
ting up DAD and tearing up rails
Unexpectedly On the Germans from
the side of Gostynin came q loud Q.
Cossacks. who speared the engineer
and threatened the enemy's retreat
The bridge was saved. Although this
in the ~ proved no loss to the Ger
! mans, who are back at kutmo an6
probably use the bridge, the exploi
. Was noticeable.
. All sorts of superstitions regardin:
: the destiny Of "Cossackdom" are in
: spring the warriors. The Cossacl
: prophet, Ischatsin, reported to hay,
{ been killed recently in a Bzura marsl
prophesied that 1917 would see s.fn
I al victory for ~Cossackdom and tn
! capture Of Tsargrad'-Tsargrad be
ing ConstantinOpIe.