The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1917-02-01
A STUPID
SERVIAN
By SARAH BAXTER


One Of them. Bulgarian. told ths
French officer who captured him that
be was a Servian who had been Inn
pressed into the Bulgarian service.
He did not wlah 90 aght against his
own countrsmen. but for them. he
wished 70 be enrolled In the ranks OF
the allies
He had been captured BY q French
company commanded BY Captain Lee
fevre. The captain had lost many men
and was anxious to an his depleted
ranks. Therefore. instead OF sending
the man TO the Servlan commander. be
put him In anons his own men. Boris
was the captured mans name-that Is,
his FIRST name His other name would
be unpronounceable in English; there
fore il is not given.
Boris was found to be without the
ordinary requirements for efficiency
He seemed never TO have been drilled.
and his captain at once put him under
q sergeant with orders 10 teach him
the manual OF arms In an hour the
\ sergeant reported to the captain that
the man was too stupid TO learn any
I thing. He seemed to be an Ignorant
! peasant. more Ike a beast OF burden
than a man. The captain concluded
to report the case 10 bis colonel. who
reported Il TO the general commanding
the brigade. The general was con-
stantly finding the necessity for getting
a view Of the enemy.
Boris reported to the general and
was made an orderly. a man to do
such work for his chief as required no
special education. But the general
having been informed OF his stupidity.
didn't trouble him to do anything bur
stand up to be shot. The first time
the officer went to the front to have
look at his enemy be chose 3 spot
where good view was to be had and
ordered the man TO go OUT and see n
there was an enemy near.
Boris. instead OF obeying the order.
put his hat on the muzzle OF his ride.
held it up and got a bullet through H.
Il am q hunter In my country he
said Il make my living by getting
the skins Of animals l kin In the
mountains and am a very good shot
II you win let me climb q tree / can
see what you wish me to see and At
the same time pick OF some Of the
hated Bulgars.-
The general told him to shin up the
nearest tree. which he did, taking care
to keep the trunk between him and
the enemy. When he reached the
branches be sang out Justify that the
enemy were some 300 yards dis
tant. His rife cracked. and bis com
mander inferred that a Bulgar had
been dropped. Il cracked again and |
again. while the general asked ques-
lions as 10 the disposition Of the en-
emy's forces. But the replies were 50
unsatisfactory. indicating such low In
tellectual condition on the part Of the 4
soldier. that the general deslsted and /
ordered the man down Boris begged Il
that be might be permitted TO continue
for awhile to pick on the swine Bull
gars, and the general. who cared moth
ing what he did. left him IN the tree
and rode away.
A couple Of hours later when he had
forgotten the man, an officer 10 com.
mand OF that part Of the line where
Boris was picking OF Bulsars went to
the general and said.
do you wish. general. that your
orderly should be left up in that tree
for sharp shooting2"
Il don't care whether he IL there or
not replied the commander.
There is something singular about
bis shots,v said the other. Taking out
bis watch. be held Il In his hand. look.
ng at its face There was a shot from
he tree After an interval OF exact
3 thirty seconds there were two shots
n rapid succession. Then there was
IN interval OF several minutes. when
here were two shots In rapid success
Jon. followed by thirty seconds inter
al. then four shots near together
What does It meanf7 asked the
.eneral III
Il don't know, but think the FIRST
hots represented the numbers / and I
or II. The second bunch OF shots
nay represent 30. I shouldn't be
urprised IL the fellow Is sending
TO the enemy bg a code
'welye may mean You are firing too
Ugh and 80 Farther to the left'y
A sudden light burst out IN the gen.
rails eye. Bring the fellow here be
aid.
The officer went OF to execute the
rder. but found shells dropping all T
bout the tree in which the stupid II
ervian was stationed and didu't think
prudent TO go near It. He called to p
oris, but Boris could not Or pretend y
be could NOT hear him Six shots q
ing out from the tree in quick sue a.
.ssi0n. A line OF Bulgars sprang over ~
leir works. and within couple OF :,
inutes their line bad advanced be- X
md the tree from which they had y
zen getting signals. VI
The advance was maintained and an
e French were obliged to dig them ~
Ives 10 several hundred yards to the pl
ar. n
Boris descended from bis *
&c, lighting on the ground at the n
me time that the commander Of the
lacking force reached f. 81,
Good day. colonel, ? said the sharp ~