New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-10

to close quarters DO bloody work. But
as both sides '~ectically speak the
same languaS.. .D the intervals OF
fighting they converse and establish
rules for the man staying business.
The hand-to-hand fighting is Of the
ferccst description. and the toll of dead
on such occasions is always extremely
high
Desertions b. tho Bulgarians are
fairly numerous, but are unknown
among the Serbs. An amusing incl
dent happened in this region few
nights ago. A Bulgarian who was on
duty with four comrades IN a small
trench pushed forward TO twenty metres
from the Serb lines, seeking 70 desert
He knew, however. that If he did so his
comrades would fire on him. He, there
fore, waiting until they had laid down
their rifles, grabbed them up and
rushed across with them 20 the Serbian
trench.
After going around the positions
with the colonel we returned TO his
dugout, which commanded a fine view
; of the Bulgarian citadel on the cliff
This the Scrbians have named krayavl
kamcrn. or the .biOodstaiucd stone, on
account OF the fierce combats that have
ragged around H. A mountain battery
fifty yards away pitched an occasional
shell into II. but the Bulgarian bat
tcros gave no sign Of life. In fact,
there was so little artillery fire from
the Bulgarian positions that ] imagine
they were none too plentfully supplied
with ammunition and were outstanding
their stock.
Under the circumstances [ thought
that we might risk going down the
/ mountains in daylight. The range for
rifle fire was 1900 yards, and as the
/ Bulgarians were neither Swiss nor
+ Beers in Workmanship. / thought we
could risk the expedition. Shell and
shrapnel is. Of course, a different prop
osition. as two months practice has
/ given them the distances an over the
mountains;de 10 q yard But II we
/ marched at hundred yards intervals all
! they could bag with a shell was "a single
/ man, and thought that If ammunition
was scarce they would not think the
t game worth the candle.
The colonel was also or opinion that
7 this was so, and we determined 90 risk
il. They gave us q soldier as . guide
and told him 70 keep us under cover
as much as possible and otherwise
diminish the risk in any way be could.
This the soldier did by putting on
pace that tested the powers Of my
companion and myself 10 the utmost
He shot down the mountain side ike
chamois. As my mountaineering odu-
cation has of late years been much
neglected, the physical strain OF keep
ing him in sight was unpleasantly
severe. the more 50 as the sun was
beating down on the exposed mountain
side with fierce violence.
tried to make him understand that
7 really had no preference between Bull
garian shells and heat apoplexy and
that our rate Of travelling was making
the latter much more probable than
the former, but my limited stock Of
Serbian was unequal to the strain and
seemed only 20 encourage him 20
further exertions. Il was only when
one OF my spurs caught on a stone and
brought me down that he consented
to give US moments rest under the
lee Of large boulder, but when he
went on again il was as fast as before.
We were thankful when We reached the
village where we had left our horses.