| Show ONE AGAINST thebe AN EPISODE IN tuis BOSNIAN war WAR wah it happened in the valley of the and elau ou the road and on an both sides a furious conflict was going on which spread itself by degrees into the neighboring for tor forest at whither the retreating turks were hotly pursued by our men after an hours skirmish I 1 suddenly remarked that I 1 and a hand ful of brave fellows had separated ourselves from the rest and although we heard beard the sound of distant bring firing we had entirely lost sight of our company and of the turks with the exception of those directly ahead of up u here we were about 15 men against nearly 20 my friend P called to me suddenly in the thickest of the fight to withdraw my men as the turks were in the majority and we had gone too far from our center A little while longer I 1 shouted gland and perhaps we shall receive help the firing continued with the greatest rapidity the balls struck the trunks of the trees or flew biasing hissing through the branches which fell to the ground suddenly as if by agreement the firing ceas edthe ammunition on both sides was exhausted we faced each other with unloaded bre fire arms no sooner did the tae jae tao turks see that we too goow were ere without ammunition than they sprang from behind th tre tro trees esanu anu ana ieli lell upon us like v VW beasts shouting allah lie tte ti foremost of our men ruen beat down t UK elin clin eters they bayonets those in the rear began U t run away back baek back I 1 cried n u my men those who remained ani rounded me and wo retired ased asee as ei aa as wo vo could facing the he ened enem when they approached too neat soon one and then another of oa 0 company fell feil but then camb came cambi camei 4 misfortune the wood sudden brought us to a steep preel piet from irom which there was no here the turks reached us the meters ci came down upon us ita jia hafl hail our aquaro of or glittering baj bal oneta defended us well donoug while the turks dispersing the selves like a abarra ot wasps a tacked us one by one fighting w with ith th the e courage olf olg pair we mounted again slowly the turks pressed on us fury that we to fell felt t it was all novt ovea about ten minutes only five ol 01 men remained to face seven st turks brothers let us die rk ric bously there is no help for us 41 cried and threw throw myself sword i hand band against my nearest opposed my companions followed pie then ensued a short but terrible struggle how it hap happeney penea that I 1 found myself all of a saili ien den ten fighting three I 1 ank dou know and I 1 canna remember j where and how bow ay my friend nna was kui kib ed I 1 ony only know that I 1 ran ni iu as fast aa as I 1 could knowing th cold death in the form of 0 thred three sharp ci meters was waa behind me i the turks reached me I 1 knew know ahn would cut me into a hundred pet pel p 1 ea I 1 wondered that furiously I 1 had time to rep enthAt ing left our troops so far bebb that I 1 had spent C tb the tho 0 last jast eirp clip from my revolver what sword against three cimet cime teis ia as razors razon my head bead swam f v heart felt as if it it would burt burst i look A lk help from godl not I 1 fromme from me was an of officer ileen licer with k head leaning against the tree mortally wounded dj drici but near him was my loy life my ol 01 help a revolve in a moment was in my hands and I 1 had tale up my position behind a tree 7 hi revolver had six barrels and vii i charged with four barrels suddenly the three turks fae fau me with their menacing blade between me and them was on the small trunk of a beech tret tre which was our mutual shiel wet bang went wt nt my revolver atiat nearest turk rolled baek back backward the grass again add and second turk who was trying bo behind me uttered a wild cr cri all alj it this moment the third Tur ksel ing him under the arm with L t 1 ett eft band hand drew him with hei hed h lean jean streng strength tb before him tt i shield and covered in this thia tr approached me mith with uplifted uplift edd c eter my bly strength was aimo stil hausted lausted for the third tast fired but the contents instep entering the body of my anit unit anlap llred lodged therne themselves elves in ili tha that t turk you are I 1 lo 10 hought bought to myself and spring DO from rom behind the tree which k happily protected me until noi not ran a few steps stepa farther induce the turk to throw shield as I 1 dared not spend my I 1 charge on one bance chance the turk ran rad after me with thes thet of a wolf but I 1 beaird a tree and for the 1 l time I 1 fired with eyes sta out of his head bead my deadly me staggered red the elmeter fell front hand he ho sank with a slight elight ars to the earth 17 turned tarried away with the where am I 1 now in the est erit was the answer agam amil from my COM company pally heaven ff knows howl got hid rid of my mies I 1 have related td but I 1 was yet out of danger it ii standing in the fathomless fot fol I 1 did not know if I 1 were neared my companions or those dreal bloodhounds who if they met would hew me to pieces with 0 swooping blades mean meanwhile while th the a sun began toc tog to and it became darker and dark the forest an oppressive ew sly reigned on all sides not a bif bit stirred no sound of bird or arany sall it was quite impossible torindo to ond odd way in such a place vainly 1 out my compass and tried to toafa it thour to our position I 1 put it hack back backlas I 1 my pocket no wiser than I 1 ii fore nothing but come ibbs 14 chance could bring me a again i the right track comme commending anding my soul to creator I 1 turned towards file thep thew cardinal points the west seemed to attract me I 1 felt as if a sacred power dreame in that direction as aag if it an inward voice said there you will find deliverance 11 II I I 1 began with great strides to go in a westerly direction bushes brambles grasses stood in my wa way but I 1 overcame all obstacle elma elwa the sensitiveness occasioned casio ned by a peaceful line life had haa left me what to mo me now were the sharp brambles which tore my clothes and pierced my flesh soon boon the twilight deepened into night 1 I could hardly distinguish the trees ans and only the tho stars which looked down from on ou high seemed teemed to assure nie me that I 1 was yet on earth in ra hib this his darkness I 1 wandered about from time to time stopping flopping and listening lis ils for a human noat noe NOC but all was still I 1 remarked 3 darkness through a gap intha in b foliage the form of a hill or ora a d mountain I 1 could hear my head beat I 1 began anew torun torud to rud run in ia another hait half hour L felt 1 was wits ascending a mountain the buches became thicker thick erand and there werdno trees like a hunted animal pressed on crept climbed until I 1 reached the summit then nud aud then only I 1 breathed freely and aud deeply deerly the feeling that I 1 could at least loek look around me made me unspeakably happy but the night t the night reigned bere here mist aiso also and abut signs of my comp compa ha jhaj is that smoke or fog log do my eyes deceive me for a long time I 1 stared in thib tha direction hardly daring to breathe and the longer I 1 looked the brighter shone abona the spark of hope which fear tear had aheady already nearly extinguished in my beart heart it WAS no fog it wab was amat I 1 I 1 had bad soon descended the mountain and entered reentered re the forest keeping steadfastly in the direction of the smoke for quarter of an RE hour boager I 1 continued running on OD hoping longing to see again a human face there was a noise in the bushes near me I 1 stopped quickly and listened it seemed as if a man or animal were gliding through the brushwood when I 1 stopped the sound ceased vvhs is it I 1 exclaimed and grasped my sword but as no answer came I 1 concluded that it must be an animal a hungry wolf or fox I 1 continued my way A few steps further and the same sound WAS repeated but nearer looking quickly round I 1 saw nothing and redoubled my steps in the direction of the friendly ehmpke crack the noise was close behind me like the falling of broken branches quick as a a weathercock I 1 turned and sawa raw not far fai from me two glittering eyes which disappeared immediately in the darkness 11 wolf volf 11 I 1 I 1 dont know if I 1 W wab was aa right but f felt consoled even with the idea that it was only a wolf that was pursuing bur suing me and there at amt kevgas was my long iong sought bought for token 1 sever gever ever in my life have I 1 experienced buch euch a celing of supreme delight ss as I 1 did on seeing again those waves ot of smoke mounting to the heavens A few steps moie 1 and andl andi I 1 should stand by their burning 11 source on oui what was tion or fatigue when deliver dellver deliverance aneo anco 3 was eo so near in the foggy distance dle dla tance 81 1 I blaw flaw a red light 4 t through the freeti tre tree etl egl eti tat like I 1 i the tire fire of shepherd ids then larger i and larger at jast just 1 I 1 bawl euw several leveral 7 fires and anil men moving around them i but who were these men meb were the perhaps those from whom y I 1 was fleeing I 1 f ed with the thought thou 9 ht but nothing il remained to me but to approach silently and cautiously near enough in to observe who they were aa As I 1 ra approached within feet feek of the nearest fire I 1 noticed sonae some turks i equalling on the ground quietly P smoking their pipes as if it they had 0 01 tints bobbed hed bed bome some work pleasing to heaven heaten my blood stood blood still in my arle ena a cold gold perspiration cov red MY 3 forel to forehead lead but this was not oli all ali it wab was well known that t ii the turk luika lurka i arka aika possess many s accompany the night S on their 1 ls elcuri ions ious t suddenly budden sudden ly a sk greal great while white dog followill ed by several others othera rushed rush ed at mey met me 0 c barking furiously I 1 my A t sword and in a north f M westerly direction for nearly half ef ils an hour I 1 wa wai tt d by the M barking and how bow howling jide of these dog dogs j until ab at last the didd jwj A 19 in the distance and darkness of the be t night ap P 4 I 1 did not think of where I 1 was waa w 34 going 1 I continued my way always farther and deeper into the tk forest not daring to stop only oh conceit might have been midnight im 1 I fell to the ground and began to sob and pray and in these prayers I 1 regained new strength after this I 1 climbed several hills erl crl crept p through many bushes and desert places which looked as if they had been trodden by the foot of man at last the morning broke As I 1 had bad outlived the night I 1 hoped the day would not see me peri peni perish sll sli forward then with renewed strength I 1 at last I 1 found my companions under the hau guided as it seemed by an unseen hand band I 1 bad struck into the right path during the dark the night what joy fon for me tasee my friends again and what joy jay for them too who had already counted me among the dead |
