Year: 1877

gives his legs the appearance OF a pax


Of pinchers. The stirrup is an equally


curious thing. The bottom is round


and thick enough, but from that up il


resembles very much one of those tin


boxes in which preserves are sold. Il


has been already said that the Cos


sacks horse is his personal property,


and it may be added that he turns ii


to business account by hiring it out.


Since the arrival Of the troops at Kis-


cheneff they have been the delight Of


the collegians, who, for a rouble an


hour, havebeen enabled to make prom


enades on horseback in bands on those


valiant little animals.


AT the time of my arrival the squad


ron of Cossacks was massed in a heap


in corner. One of them started at a


gallop and threw his cap into the mid


die of the square. Immediately all


the others precipitated themselves for


ward at a headlong gallop and endea-


vored to pick up the cap either with


the hand or the whip or by jumping to


the ground. 1t was a scene of general


confusion, during which the eye could
scarcely distinguish horses from men.


All this is accompanied by cries which


do not cease till some horsemen by an
droitmaneuvrehas managed to obtain
possession of the trophy. Then they
all start off again, lashing their horses
with all their might, for it is a curious
fact that during the whole time that
the Cossack is mounted he beats his
horse without a moments cessation.
The reader must not suppose that it is
necessary that the Cossack must form
one Of band in order that he may
give play to his fantasies. Sometimes
when he is alone he lets himself run
into certain eccentricities, of which /
will give an example.


I was breakfasting in restaurant
when all on sudden the door opened
with loud noise and a Cossack rushed
in like hurricane. After promenad-
ing noisily around the tables he pulled
up his horse before one of the guests
and placed the animals nose on a plate
of green salad which had just been
brought out and which the horse ate
with great eelerity, Then man and
horse departed just as they came, with
out any person, not even the proprie-
tor of the establishment, saying a sin
gle word. Perhaps it was because the
Cossack held in his hand the kinjdl,
whose strokes would cost him nothing.
Later on I spoke Of this incident to the
aid-de-camp Of an ataman, who simply
laughed and said: "What surprises
me is that the Cossack did not make
his horse get up on a table" Seeing
that was astonished he called Cos
sack who was waiting in the yard
Tne soldier came in on horseback with
out hesitating. The officer spoke but
a single word and in less time than it
takes me to write it the Cossack made
his horse mount the billiard table. / |
insisted on no more, for this experiment
was enough to edify me. As much
will be said of Cossacks in this war it |
may be well to give an account of this
peculiar cavalry. However astonish-
ing may be the acts attributed to them
the reader may accept the statement
with confidence; for the truth of the
stories can be established by good eyi-
1ence- Already they have made hlth-
srto unheard of marches, and they will
De the real heroes of the events about
o commence.


The reader has observed, no doubt,
hat in every war attention is concen-
rated on some one fact. In the Cri-
mean war the zouaves were the start
ing novelty. In 1859, in Italy, it was
flied cannon. In 1870 the Uhlans.
n the Bulgarian insurrection Of last
ear the Bashi-Bazouks were the fea-
ure of great interest. This year the
Jossacks will play aleading part. They
I'LL encounter the famous Bashi-Ba-
ouks, whom the Turks will not fail to
ut in the advance guards. We shall {
hen see if the Turkish irregulars ex-
ibit as much readiness to meet and {
estroy an armed enemy as to butcher 6
omen and children.