The chronicle=news., 1915-01-19
Soldiers in Carpathidns
Travel on Skis


rorr"-p"uhc u. The .ss"rintrd Press.
Vieuna-Usc of the skis in this
war has been developed on n large
scale out in the Carpathians and on
the hills and dreary plains of Cali
cia, where thousands of Austro-HUn-
garian soldiers move about rapidly
and noiselesslv in this manner. Their
first duty Is scouting. but now and
then they are obliaed 'p fight and
light hard.
While scmc of the ski organiza-
tions have white uniforms, others
have to make use of white blankets
to render themselves as invisible aS
they possibly can.
\ ski patrols experience of a
night is here related by the officer
in charge The patrol had left
camp in the evening. and, wrapped in
white blankets, the men We're speed
ing through Carpathian forest late
at night when the breaking of twigs
cautioned the officer to order them
to cover.
"A second later" he says, Il heard
an alarm signal given by one Of my
rorporals. decided to investigate
and with three men proceeded in the
direction whence the signal had
bramhle bush Cne OF the patrol sig
nailed caution and then informed me
that near him on the right there was
Russian scouting party.
There was nothing to be seen,
however. Though the moon shonc
brightly. the tree trunks, snow-coy-
cred underground and shower Of
powdered silver sent down b. the
gently moving branche. of the trees.
hampered the view. So We crept un-
der the brambIes and saw to II that
the powdered. cold silver entered by
our collars.
THE ensuing wait was none too
pleasant. We were measuring the
snow with the length Of our bodies.
which is not The finest pastimc
know.
Right ahead of me there was an
open stretch of snow and | had been
watching the fil.grees thrown upon it
by the moon as its beams broke thru
the branches OF the tall beeches and
oaks, when long, black shadow ap-
pearod from the right.
The next instant three Cossacks
entered the clearing. Their horses
were small and shaggy and white,
and the men seemed to hang in -
saddles rather than sit in them. They
We're wrapped in thick furs. The
bright moonlight showed they were
Asiatics-bruad faces with strong
chins, prominent choekbones and
long black boards with the frost
clnging to the hair.
"A sign from me and my men We're
on their feet-another moment and
the Cossacks We're off th"ir horses
they were a surprised Iot. Abject
terror stood IN their eyes and they
mad difficulty understanding that
we were no evil spirits OF the forest.
THE Cossacks had hardly been
taken to the rear by one of the men,
when the vigorous tramp Of Russian
infantry was heard. Back under the
bramble bush Twenty yards away
from us the Russians marched past.
hTc writer then rccountS how the
ski patrol followed the Russians into
a village Later in the night he was
able to get in touch with the com
mnnder of a German contingent.
which occupied a quarry on the 9TH
cr side of the village. Towards
morning he also discovered how the
Russians who had taken the village.
could be outflanked. With wakn ev-
erybody was in his place and fire was
opened. The Russians were forced
to retreat in disorder, leaving behind
many killed and wounded in addition
to prisoners.
I'VE are known as the white rap-
ems, concludes the account.