Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-05-04
SKIS ARE USEFUL
Austro. Hungarian Soldiers Move Rap.
idly in the Carpathians.

HuStTO. Hungarian Soioio'o NoNo hof
idly in the carpathians.
Use Of the skis in the war has been
developed on large scale out In the
Carpathians and on the hills and
dreary plains Of Galacia, where thou
sands Of Austro- Hungarian soldiers
move about rapidly and noiselessly
in this manner, says a Vienna letter.
Their first duty is scouting, but now
and then they are obliged to fight and
fight hard.
While some 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.
A 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 were speeding
through a Carpathian forest at night
when the breaking of twigs cautioned
the officer to order them to cover.
"a second later" he says, II heard
an alarm signal given by one Of my
corporals. I decided to investigate
and with three men proceeded in the
direction whence the signal had come.
Near an ice and snow covered bram-
BILE bush one Of the patrol signaled
caution and then informed me that
near him on the right there was a
Russian scouting party.
There was nothing to be seen,
however. Though the moon shone
brightly, the tree trunks, snow-cov-
cred underground and shower of
powdered silver sent down by the
gently moving branches Of the trees.
hampered the view. So we crept
under the brambles and saw to 1t that
the powdered, cold silver entered by
our collars
1.-The ensuing wait was none too
pleasant. We were measuring the
snow with the length Of our bodies,
which is not the finest pastime I
know.
Right ahead of me there was an
open stretch Of snow and l had been
watching the filigrees thrown upon 1t
by the moon as its beams broke
through the branches of the tall
beeches and oaks, when long, black
shadow appeared from the right.
1.-The next instant the Cossacks
entered the clearing. Their horses
were small and shaggy and white,
and the men seemed to hang in the
saddles rather than sit in them. They
were wrapped in thick furs. The
bright moonlight showed they were
Asiatics-broad faces with strong
chins, predominant cheekbones and
long black boards with the frost
clinging to their hair.
"A sign from me and my men were
on their feet-another moment and
the Cossacks were off their horses.
They were a most surprised lot Abb
ject terror stood in their eyes and
they had 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"
The writer then recounts how the
ski patrol followed the Russians into
a village. Later in the night he was
able to get in touch with the COM
mander of German contingent,
which occupied a quarry on the other
side of the village. Towards morning
he also discovered how the Russians,
who had taken the village, could be
outflanked. With dawn everybody
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.
1--WE are known as the white
ravens" concludes the account.