Show I 1 I 1 murderous rold a hot pursuit a terrible I 1 JI i I 1 1 1 lilal i i y conn apo the sun is just ir 1 ising on A tul mummer in astOn caucasus d I 1 its r chig the fiealt g nas amo liko diaan ands while the far off mountain gray into purple ge d kar in purple and the kindle to living fire as hilltop after hilltop catches the b alendor pl endor till all above and below is one blaze of glory over earth and sky broods a bush As deep and goleme as that of tao first morning of creation and strangely out 01 place amid that universal peace is this sudden trampot of hur 1 I hoofe andthil and this cloud of ild am and elking sabers and chining un barrels that come put fike a whirlwind whit does all this mean it means that teba guerrillas are at their favorite work otice more last night fifteen hundred 0 f them from the moun tail upon a t ir f iving village in jhb plain below wjk ach biad made peace with the russians Ru ind was malkea for vengeance the wretched inhabitants awakened by the crackling of fire and the yell of the terrible mountain war cry fell like abeel before these men to whom mercy was unknown when the hofele resistance had ended with death of the jut rate who at tempted fegl i and alun dir nver 0 1 IY bound upon all tile horses that could be collect ed and now the slayers are hurrying back to the hill with their booty and their captives exulting in their bloody work but they are not to escape so easily the fl the burning village carry the alarm moye swiftly than any courier ana the nean cat russian posts are at once on the alert all through the long night the flying raiders bear the trample of unseen pursuers growing up out of the cold black them and gnash at the thought that the hated taberna Ta berno kozaki blacksea cos packs who have so over matched them in their own warfare are on their trail once more morning comes atlant at last and as the pause to breathe their panting horses the sheltering bills to ch they loom out very near at band but by this time the punning hoof tramp odthe cossacks Cos sound to loud and so c lose behind them that there is no longer any doubt about their being and attacked before they can rain the mounta ing 1 and now tg at full gallop over the crest of one of abb low ridges of this rolling peairl i e the pursuers come in sight for the first time and the turn in the r paddles to look at them the dark faces of the savage anio ammeman warriors light up with a terrible joy and a hoarse hungry roar of ful triumph seems to rend the very air the who ate chafing these 1500 guerrillas number ay iy sixty bill pace round my song roars the leader and aw allow up the ral it fact the Rif esian colon el has run himself and his cossacks into a peril that might startle even b im neither knowing nor caring whether the enemy whom h 0 has to pursue number be has darted in chase of them with what few men be could got to gather in haste barely in all and of t ird have fallen behind on the way to swift and unrelenting bag the pursuit been stid denly finds confronting with sixty sir inen 1500 of boldest and fiercest fighters luponi the face of the earth buttol man for such an emergency III race seems tb harden suddenly like congealed metal but he gives his orders quietly and coolly as ever bidding his men i range their hors es in circle k ot their bridles together and man this living breast work t I 1 ie benei rily the cos back against 0 ey with silent promptitude and not a moment too soon for the last knot is barely tied when the Cire asians with a yell worthy of the wolves of their native mounta ains comedown upon them like a mighty wave firel thunders the kolonel oo lonel and instantly all one clash of musk etry and one whirl of hot stifling sou through which the carcas plans answering volley flashes like lightning playing ina cloud and the battle begins in earnest not it glimpse can the abes catch of one another but ever and anon some russian who is doggedly loading and firing within the terrible caroll rade beside bim in death or fall writhing in morad agony closer and closer press the assail antil hotter and hotter grows the alre all around the fatal ring the plain is like a flowerbed flower bed with the gray dresses odthe slain sibile within it the ground is snowed over I 1 with the white frocks of fallen cossacks the russian horses lying dead and the iron circle is beginning to yield but the una conquerable men pile tb corpse of comrada horses and over thi s ris doubt the battle begins anew Sous sloT standing his few remaining I 1 is just saying a copt bhea lie sees the bright boyish face goow suddenly white and pinched with mortal pain are you hit my boy asks the I 1 veteran y as he the nerveless figure in his arms aly thigh is broken gasps the ballant ind trying ba r d to steady is tremulous ons tones then for gods sakel crie 3 son anloff cling to your horse or to me or to anything you like so long as you dout fall its depends the officers now your a pon with the men and if they see you g 0 O lose heart at once cecil a little longer fot the love of hea veal but the last words we re drowned in the ro beof the mussel mans war about alla god is victor As the bum an tir era around them maddened by the long glo ind the fearful slaughter came raging on to overwhelm the andam bitable handful by sheer weight of numbers and now the fight growe fierce and horrible tio longer a strategic combat oft discipline a men but a blind welter beasts Co throttle cassiane Cir cir cassiana cas fix their teeth in the threats Of Cossacks wen lacked together in a deadly grapple fall under the feet of the and aro trampled to death without vit hout relaxing their grasp fight to the last boys chow h eso unbelieving loge how Ittle sian soldiers can die roared who with his foot on his dying borse and his arm around the faint ing Fedi hacks anti like a giant at the grim faces that eddy spectrally through the billow jug just then maj with a muttered oarb leaves his broken biord blade stick ilig in the cleaven skull ofa and seizing the soldier braids threz his assailants with success ive strikes of its butt end sergt Viol kofl left charmed uh armed sauao the nearest foeman with a tre s blow af his effit and tearing the yat abhau sabor from his grasp bews offa arm at shoulder the as one would eared a bull all order all discipline is now lost the whole ring is one Aro arim whirl of slashing swords an A aaby alg ba Y oneta pounding gunst yells groans and curses water and death comes blindly no one knows whence or how batall at once the hellish u roar is out thundered by a of sound and set grim face lights up as it has never done before courage gladst tie shouted in a voice like the blast trumpet here tire our men coining at last weer saved the good news is true A body of infantry sent in haste to oil aport them has jest come up and opened fire with its light mountain gun while the colonels 0 wn stragglers are seen on the other side urging forward their jaded horses to join the fray A howl of impotent il arv arises as the baffled assailants round and melt like belated hosts into the mountain mist chife the little handful who have I 1 survived this unheard of combat there is not one man who has not his to show ni p e the blood from their faces and t up their powder blackened hands in silent praise to god |