OCR Text |
Show IN GLORIOUS POMP OF WAR Mloht and Ttrror Setmlngly Inear-naU Inear-naU With the Winged Hussars Hus-sars of PoUnd. 811k and satin, fur and velvet had given away to shimmering metal, to plumed helmet and tho pelt of bear and wolf, Instead of tho warm glow ot precious stones, (lashed tho cold glint of naked steel, In place of caftan, caf-tan, cloak and loose trousers, one saw breast-plate, loin guard and pcllsss. And hero were faces curiously still under tho curved enr-plocos, and horo were bodies sheatcd In plumage and the skins of wild beasts. Yot thlH wns not enough. For to the roll of kettlo-drimiB, tho swirl ot fifes behind nunrtlnn, dragoon and relter camo the husBar, mounted nnd pennonod lance at rest. Thcso men sat their heavy horses, their lances made a forest, and from their shoulders shoul-ders roso tho famous "wings." Sufficiently Suffi-ciently splendid In themselves, they had added this last touch ot splendor. From their shoulders, as In tho reliefs re-liefs of ancient Kgypt, rose great wings tho rustling of them filled the theater. Might nnd terror wero Incarnate In-carnate In those wnrrlors. Whnt foe conld Btnm! before thu awful slbllnnco of their onrush, tills nppnrltlon of something Inconceivably monstrous, yot Inconceivably superb War had fired thin people to new Improvisations that ended In a gran-dour gran-dour reaching to the epic, tho sublime. sub-lime. Tho other nations had but dreamed of war godB buoyed on tho spread of carved and painted wings; the Polo dared to attempt them In his lino of battle, to embody them to bo 4hora. Over tills army floated Poland eagle, whlto upon Its blood-red ground. A bishop raised the Eacrcd relics and the cross nnd gave his blessing. Plainly, -vlthout music, tho front ranks kneeling, kneel-ing, tho mounted men behind, rosu a solemn chant of male voices, tt was tho hymn made for Sobleakl's lcglonB when they marched out to Vienna. Albert Klnrose, In Scrlbner's Magazine. |