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diff --git a/42202-8.txt b/42202-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d1467ce..0000000 --- a/42202-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11193 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Under the Red Crescent, by Charles S. Ryan - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Under the Red Crescent - Adventures of an English Surgeon with the Turkish Army at - Plevna and Erzeroum 1877-1878 - -Author: Charles S. Ryan - -Release Date: February 25, 2013 [EBook #42202] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNDER THE RED CRESCENT *** - - - - -Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: Cover: Under the Red Crescent 1877-78] - - - - -UNDER THE RED CRESCENT. - - - - -[Illustration: Charles Ryan Walker & Boutall, Ph. Sc.] - - - - -UNDER THE RED CRESCENT: - - -ADVENTURES OF AN ENGLISH SURGEON -WITH THE TURKISH ARMY AT -PLEVNA AND ERZEROUM, -1877-1878. - - -RELATED BY -CHARLES S. RYAN, M.B., C.M. EDIN., -IN ASSOCIATION WITH HIS FRIEND -JOHN SANDES, B. A. OXON. - - -WITH PORTRAIT AND MAPS. - - -NEW YORK: -CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, -153-157, FIFTH AVENUE. -1897. - - - - -DEDICATION. - - THIS RECORD - OF - THE STIRRING ADVENTURES OF MY EARLY YEARS - I DEDICATE TO MY SON - RUPERT. - - C. S. R. - - - - -PREFACE. - -In submitting to the popular verdict this book, which aims at being a -plain, straightforward account of the experiences of a young Australian -in the last great battles which have been fought in Europe, I feel that -a few words of explanation are necessary. - -In the first place, it may be asked why I have allowed twenty years to -elapse before giving these reminiscences to the world. I must answer -that, as a hard-working surgeon leading a very busy life, I had but -little "learned leisure" at my disposal; and I must also admit that I -did not feel myself equal to the literary labour of writing a book. -Indeed it might never have been written if my friend Mr. Sandes had not -agreed to my suggestion that he should reproduce in a literary and -publishable form the language of the armchair and the fireside, and so -enable me to relate to the world at large some of the incidents which my -own immediate friends, when listening over the cigars to my -recollections, have been good enough to call interesting. So much for -the matter of the book, and also for its manner. - -In the second place, military critics as well as the general public may -be inclined to wonder how it was that a young army surgeon, a mere lad -in fact, should have been allowed to play such an independent part in -the field operations at Plevna as is disclosed in the following pages, -and should have been permitted to move about the battle-field and engage -in active service, with the apparent concurrence of the general staff -and of the officers commanding the different regiments. In reply, I have -to explain that the Ottoman army was not guided by the hard-and-fast -regulations which no doubt would render it impossible for a junior -surgeon in any other European army to act on his own volition and carry -on his work as he might think best himself. Furthermore, I may mention -that through my close friendship with Prince Czetwertinski, who was the -captain of Osman Pasha's bodyguard, I was always kept in touch with the -progress of the military operations; and I am also proud to say that I -enjoyed the confidence of Osman Pasha himself, and was on terms of the -closest intimacy with that gallant and true-hearted soldier Tewfik Bey, -who won the rank of pasha for his magnificent courage when he led the -assault that drove Skobeleff from the Krishin redoubts. - -These facts may explain many of the adventures narrated in this book -which would be inexplicable to critics accustomed to the rigid -discipline under which medical officers do their work in other European -armies. - -It is only right to say, in conclusion, that I consider myself -singularly fortunate in my coadjutor, who, while he has brightened this -narrative of my early adventures with all the resources of the practised -writer, has nevertheless left the truth of every single incident -absolutely unimpaired. At a time when the Eastern Question looms like a -huge shadow over Europe, and when the very existence of the Turkish -Empire is once more threatened, may I hope that this story of the -military virtues of the Ottoman troops may not be found without real -interest? - - CHARLES S. RYAN. - Melbourne, _July_, 1897. - - - - - CONTENTS. - - CHAPTER I. PAGE - FROM MELBOURNE TO SOFIA. - - Autobiographical--My Wanderjahr--First Glimpse of - Servians--Rome--A Prospective Mother-in-law--Sad Result of - eating Chops--A Spanish Poet--The Chance of a Lifetime--How I - seized it--Garcia's Gold Watch--The Via del Poppo--Off to - London--Engaged by the Turkish Government--Vienna - revisited--Stamboul--Origin of the Crescent--Misserie's - Hotel--The Turkish Character--A Splendid Belvedere--View from - the Seraskierat Tower--Scutari and Florence - Nightingale--Stamboul by Day and Night--Scene in a - Bazaar--Three Sundays a Week--A Trip to Sweet Waters--Veiled - Beauties--I am gazetted to a Regiment--An Official Dinner--Off - to the Front--A Compulsory Shave--My Charger--The March to - Sofia--My First Patient--Prescription for a Malingerer--Mehemet - Ali--My Soldier Servant--Diagnosing my Cases--Bulgarians at - Home--At Sofia--MacGahan the War Correspondent--Learning - Turkish--A Dinner in Camp--Leniency to Bulgarians--A Lady - Patient--So near and yet so far--From Pirot to Nish--The - Wounded--My First Operation 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - THE PRELIMINARIES TO THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR. - - Prince Czetwertinski--A Romantic Career--His First - Commission--A Retrospect--The History of a Noble Pole--From - Monte Carlo to Brisbane--A Prince as a Deck Hand on a - Schooner--A Bush Tutor--He returns to Europe--The Load of - Poverty--Lighter to Bear in Australia--A Big Win at - Flemington--School Teaching in Batavia--Back to New South - Wales--Death at Wagga--The Vale of Moravia--The Hot - Spring--Bulgarian Blanchisseuses--Slavonian Folk-songs--How the - Turks sing--A Bulgarian Sámadh--Foley's End--Infuriated - Scavengers--A Mysterious Disturbance--Rough-and-tumble - Fighting--A Turkish Hercules--Capturing a Prisoner--A Solitary - Ride--A Bulgarian Farrier--Back to Sofia--Christmas in the - Snow--A Maize Cob for a Christmas Dinner--Orkhanieh to Sofia--A - Doctor frozen to Death--Bitter Experiences--Salutary Effects of - a Good Dinner 32 - - - CHAPTER III. - THE IMMINENCE OF WAR. - - Off to Widdin--Strong Fortifications--Osman Pasha in - Command--The Kalafatians at Work--Dr. Black--A Discreditable - Englishman--Shooting on Sight--An Arrest and a Release--"Life - off Black"--Egyptian Troops arrive--Zara Dilber Effendi--Osman - Pasha's Ball--A Memorable Function--I get Plenty of - Partners--Military Wall-flowers--The Ladies of Widdin--The - Dance before the Fight--Three Beautiful Roumanians--An Angry - Grandfather--Lambro Redivivus--Preparing for the Campaign--Some - Forcible Dentistry--Religion of the Turks--The - Wrestlers--Visitors from Kalafat--I pay a Return Call--Across - the Danube into Kalafat--Dinner with the Roumanians--Pumping - the Guileless Stranger--A Futile Effort--Frank Power--Nicholas - Leader--Edmund O'Donovan--Wild Duck Shooting 56 - - - CHAPTER IV. - FROM WIDDIN TO PLEVNA. - - Declaration of War with Russia--An Ominous Silence--The First - Shot--An Interrupted Luncheon--Under Fire at - last--Disappearance of the Inhabitants--A Move - Underground--Running the Gauntlet--Blowing up a Gunboat--Our - Hospital shelled--Killing the Wounded--Operations under Fire--A - Terrible Coincidence--How a Turkish Mother died--Some - Marvellous Escapes--Circassians on a Raiding - Expedition--Cattle-lifting on a Grand Scale--A Long - Bombardment--Insignificant Losses--Osman Pasha in the - Batteries--Rewarding a Good Shot--Circassian - Peccadilloes--Osman Pasha's Plans--He is baffled by Red Tape--A - Fatal Delay--Good-bye to the Kyrchehir--Marching out from - Widdin--A Picturesque Bivouac--False Alarms--A Forced - March--How the Russian Army was placed--Fall of Nicopolis--A - Race to the Balkans--Sleeping in a Tomb--Pushing on to - Plevna--A Terrible Night--Lost in the Bush--Many Cases of - Sunstroke--Goose for Dinner--I flesh my Maiden Sword--A Record - March--We cross the Vid at last--Arrival at Plevna 88 - - - CHAPTER V. - THE FIRST BATTLE OF PLEVNA. - - The Town of Plevna--A Natural Stronghold--_Le Petit - Village_--The Gypsies' Warning--Dr. Robert--An Expatriated - Bacchanalian--We attend a Banquet--The First Battle of - Plevna--An Artillery Duel--Surgical Aid to the Wounded--A - Gunner's Death--The Zacuska--Arranging the - Hospitals--Disposition of the Turkish Line of - Defence--Commencement of the Battle--Fighting on the Janik - Bair--Arrival of the Wounded--Sufferings in the Arabas--Variety - in Gunshot Wounds--Some Extraordinary Recoveries--Turkish - Fortitude--Objections to Alcohol--And to Amputation--Berdan v. - Krenke Bullets--A Man shot through the Brain--Rapid Cure--An - Erratic Rifle-ball--Remarkable Example of Vitality--A Missile - in the Heart of a Living Man--My Second Hospital--A Turkish - Colonel's Wound--Insufficient Beds--Mangled Wretches lying on - the Floor--Two Russians wounded--They both die--The Shambles in - the Mosque--Our Open-air Operating Theatre--Calling the - Faithful to Prayer 114 - - - CHAPTER VI. - THE INTERVAL BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND BATTLES. - - Sending away the Wounded--Osman Effendi--We perform - Operations--Amputating Fingers--A Warning to Malingerers--Trial - and Execution--Discipline in the Town--Round the Bazaars after - the Battle--Some Pathetic Souvenirs--The Punishment of - Looters--Circassian and Bulgarian--A Cold-blooded Murder--The - Work of Fortification--Out with the Burial Parties--A Walk over - the Battle-field--Fresh Reinforcements arrive--The Lovtcha - Expedition--Rifaat Pasha's Success--My Quarters near the - Hospital--I have a Flitting--Arrival of Olivier Pain--A Pretty - Bulgarian Girl--Limitations of a Vocabulary--Hospital - Routine--Soldier Nurses 142 - - - CHAPTER VII. - THE SECOND BATTLE OF PLEVNA (JULY 30). - - - Talks with my Patients--A Candid Kurd--Grim Confessions--How he - killed his Enemy--Dr. Robert's Cave of Refuge--He loses his - Dinner--The Spy's Death--Canards in the Town--The Second Battle - of Plevna--I take a Hand--Turkish Women as Water-carriers--A - Woman shot in Action--My Veiled Patient--Osman Pasha's Bay - Cob--A Sign of Hot Fighting--The Attack on the Village of - Grivitza--Czetwertinski and his Cigarette--Retreat of the - Russian Infantry--A Cavalry Pursuit--Mustapha Bey waves his - Sword--I join in the Charge--An Exultant Ride--The Retreat - sounded--We retire--A sauve qui peut--Horrible Fears--The Ride - through the Maize-field--Our Infantry Panic-struck--Osman - Pasha's Method of rallying Men--A Timely Reinforcement--The Day - is ours--Tremendous Russian Losses--Russian Physique compared - with Turkish--Wounded Horses on the Battle-field--Back in the - Hospital--Many Operations--Osman Pasha decorated--The Muchir - makes a Speech--I shift my Quarters again--Bulgarian - Hospitality--A Youthful Friend--A Terrific Rainstorm--The - Tutchenitza runs a Banker--A Ghastly Find in a Gooseberry Bush - 161 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - THE FIASCOS OF PELISCHAT AND LOVTCHA. - - A Circassian and a Pig--A Call on Olivier Pain--His Photographs - surprise me--A View of Sydney Harbour in Plevna--The Story of a - French Journalist--A Lonely Death in the Soudan--"The - Butter-making Prince"--Bulgarian Fleas--The Expedition to - Poradim--Going to the Front--An Ambulance at Work--Capture of - Russian Guns--A Diabolical Circassian--Attack on a Redoubt--A - General Retreat--Wounded Men left in the Redoubt--I help them - to escape--An Exciting Moment--My Horse has to carry - Double--Death takes one of the Riders--Battle of Pelischat--The - March to Lovtcha--A Scrimmage in a Wheat-field--Sleeping in a - Wheat-stook--Weinberger and I are apprehensive--A Delightful - Surprise--Drawing a Covert--Lovtcha in the Distance--A Council - of War--An Appalling Sight--Our Mutilated Comrades--The - Sergeant and his Cigarette--A Night Alarm--Ammunition Boxes - blow up--A Disastrous Explosion--Lauri and Drew Gay 189 - - - CHAPTER IX. - THE THIRD BATTLE OF PLEVNA. - - The Third Battle of Plevna--Turkish Genius for - Fortification--How the Redoubts were built--Description of an - Earthwork--Sleeping Underground--Living Men in Holes in the - Clay--The Triple Tier of Fire--Commencement of the Battle--The - "Mammoth Battery"--Lauri and the Live Shell--Radishevo on - Fire--The General Assault--Turkish Civilians join in the - Fight--Attack on the Grivitza Redoubt--The Brushwood Shelter - takes Fire--I visit the Redoubt--The Sight from the Parapet--A - Word to Sadik Pasha--I ride towards Krishin--Turkish Fugitives - from our Redoubt--A Compliment from a Civilian--Panic among - the Troops--Fall of the Grivitza Redoubt and Capture of Two - Krishin Redoubts by Skobeleff--The Counter-attacks--Parapets of - Dead Bodies--Tewfik Bey Invincible--The Krishin Redoubts - recaptured--A Glorious Victory--Delirious Excitement--Russian - Sortie from the Grivitza Redoubt--Repulsed with Terrible - Slaughter--Hospital Work heavy once more--Some Stoical - Sufferers--Russian Bravery--Osman Pasha and the - Wounded--Departure of Drew Gay to run the Gauntlet--A War - Correspondent and his News--Perilous Ride from Plevna 219 - - - CHAPTER X. - THE INVESTMENT OF PLEVNA. - - Lauri and the Sausage--A Diet of "Poiled Peans"--The Ways of a - _Parlementaire_--Politeness on the Battle-field--Indefatigable - Burrowing by the Turks--Skobeleff's Annoyance--A Visit to a - Redoubt--Russian Artillery Practice--I lose my Groom--Geese, - and how to get them--I go out reconnoitring--We have a Hot Ten - Minutes--Looking out for a New Horse--A Grand Charger lost--We - retire on Netropol--The Use of Artillery--The Russians attack - our Convoy--We lose our Medical Stores--A Humorous Russian - Prisoner--Afternoon Coffee with Sadik Pasha--A Call made under - Difficulties--The Uninvited Guest--Kronberg my Colleague--He - saves a Supposed Spy--In my Hospital again--Fearful Scenes of - Suffering--Wounds, Filth, and Disease--Heavy - Mortality--Antiseptics exhausted--Appearance of Gangrene--My - Anatolian Soldier--Pyæmia Rampant 248 - - - CHAPTER XI. - THE HORRORS OF THE HOSPITAL. - - Some of my Hospital Cases--A Death from Jaundice--Small-pox and - Typhoid Fever--Hospital Gangrene--Waiting for the Burial - Parties--Horrible Depression--I am slightly wounded--Turkish - Florence Nightingales--A Ghastly Case--I am powerless for want - of Stores--The Men die off like Sheep--Arrival of a Party of - English Doctors--A Welcome Visit--Dr. Bond Moore and Dr. - Mackellar--Dr. George Stoker Sick--Interview with Osman - Pasha--His Reception of the English Doctors--Osman Pasha's - Position--The English Doctors indignant--Osman Pasha - justified--A Ride to the Krishin Redoubts--The English Doctors - under Fire--My Reasons for leaving Plevna--A Farewell - Supper--Mustapha Bey and the Whisky--The Departure of the - Wounded--Good-bye to Plevna 277 - - - CHAPTER XII. - FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO ERZEROUM. - - Life in Constantinople--Sir Collingwood Dickson--Visit to the - Seraskierat--Roving Englishmen--A Typical Adventurer--War - Correspondents--General Berdan--Colonel Valentine Baker--A - Picnic on the Gulf of Ismet--On Board H.M.S. _Achilles_--The - Turks as Paymasters--A Heavy Fee--Round the _Cafés - Chantants_--An Invitation to Erzeroum--Road to Plevna closed--I - join the Stafford House Ambulance--A Farewell Banquet--A Voyage - in the Black Sea--Trebizond--In the Cradle of Humanity--The - Road of Xenophon's Ten Thousand--Lazistan--Dog and Wolf--An - Ancient Mining Town--The Valley of Pear Trees--Baiburt--Cross - and Crescent in Former Days--A Mountain Road--Genoese Ruins--A - Hasty Descent--On the Kopdagh--The Garden of Eden--First - Glimpse of the Euphrates--Sir Arnold Kemball--Erzeroum at - Last--English Doctors--Mr. Zohrab--Mukhtar Pasha--Organizing - our Hospitals--Sunlight and Shadow--A Presage of Trouble 303 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - A BELEAGUERED CITY. - - The Scourge of Typhus--Pyæmia and Pneumonia--Terrible - Cold--Outposts frozen to death--Fall of Kars--The March of the - Wounded--One Hundred and Eighty Miles over the Snow--Ghastly - Effects of Frostbite--The Skeleton Hands--Overcrowding in the - Hospitals--Dr. Fetherstonhaugh falls Ill--A Strange - Delusion--"After Long Years"--Edmund O'Donovan--A Circassian - Dinner Party--Sucking-pig _à l'Irlandaise_--A Novel - Target--Departure of Mr. Zohrab--We move into the - Consulate--Exodus to Erzinghan--An Awful Sacrifice--Christmas - in a Besieged Town--A Remarkable Plum Pudding--Illness of - Pinkerton--Funerals in Erzeroum--Casting out the Dead--"The - Lean Dogs beneath the Wall"--An Army Surgeon's Death--I fall - Sick with Typhus--Heroic Devotion of James Denniston--Some of - my Nurses--How I recovered--A Scientific Experiment--The Brain - of a Comatose Person--Vachin's Discomfiture 330 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - THE SURRENDER OF ERZEROUM. - - Convalescence--_Membra Disjecta_--Mortality among the Medical - Staff--"En haut Mystère, en bas Misère"--Arrival of Dr. Stoker - and Dr. Stiven--A Desperate Journey--In the Hands of the - Russians--Free under the English Flag--I resume Duty--An - Archæological Curio--Antiques for Sale--An Armistice - declared--Appearance of the Russians--The Gates thrown - Open--Entry of the Russian Army--Our Russian _Confrères_--The - Advantage of knowing French--A Friend in need--Captain - Pizareff--An Impressive Review--Under the Russian Eagles--War - or Peace?--Interview with General Melikoff--An Unpleasant Type - of Consul--Charming Russian Visitors--I receive a - Decoration--Celebrating the Occasion--Our Russian Guests--A - Series of Dinner Parties--Duties of a Cossack Escort--A - Perilous Adventure--The Hero of Devoi Boyun--We leave the - Consulate--Fate's Irony at the Last--Death of General Heymann - 358 - - - CHAPTER XV. - THE END OF THE WAR. - - Helping Sick Russians--A Squalid Scene--Work of the Russian - Doctors--Melikoff's Appreciation--Arrival of the Red Cross - Staff--A Novel Candlestick--Great Explosion--The Erzeroum Fire - Brigade--Preparations for our Departure--A Practical Joke on a - Persian--A Pleasant Interlude--The Princess at Erzeroum--Mr. - Zohrab's Library comes in Useful--Our Spanish Widow--Riding on - a Pack-saddle--A Slow March--The Widow meets with - Accidents--Restricted Sleeping Accommodation--We turn Two - Corpses out of Bed--End of a Pack-horse--My Cats from Van--The - Valley of Pear Trees--Trebizond at last 388 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - CONCLUSION. - - We fly from the Widow--Arrival at Constantinople--English - Philanthropy--The Baroness Burdett-Coutts--First Acquaintance - with a well known Actress--Osman Pasha back again--The Turkish - Skobeleff--A much perforated Paletot--Captain Morisot's - Career--A Romantic Escape--On Board the _Gamboge_--We reach - Smyrna--Mr. and Mrs. Zohrab--A Sympathetic Englishwoman--Zara - Dilber Effendi--Back in London--Patriotic Ditties--An - Incredulous Music-hall Proprietor--Non é Vero--Bowling out a - Story-teller 414 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - CHARLES S. RYAN, M.B., C.M., EDIN. _Frontispiece_ - MAP OF PLEVNA AND ITS ENVIRONS _Facing p. 136_ - " " TREBIZOND AND ERZEROUM " 348 - - - - -UNDER THE RED CRESCENT. - -CHAPTER I. -FROM MELBOURNE TO SOFIA. - - Autobiographical--My Wanderjahr--First Glimpse of - Servians--Rome--A Prospective Mother-in-law--Sad Result of - eating Chops--A Spanish Poet--The Chance of a Lifetime--How I - seized it--Garcia's Gold Watch--The Via del Poppo--Off to - London--Engaged by the Turkish Government--Vienna - revisited--Stamboul--Origin of the Crescent--Misserie's - Hotel--The Turkish Character--A Splendid Belvedere--View from - the Seraskierat Tower--Scutari and Florence - Nightingale--Stamboul by Day and Night--Scene in a Bazaar--Three - Sundays a Week--A Trip to Sweet Waters--Veiled Beauties--I am - gazetted to a Regiment--An Official Dinner--Off to the Front--A - Compulsory Shave--My Charger--The March to Sofia--My First - Patient--Prescription for a Malingerer--Mehemet Ali--My Soldier - Servant--Diagnosing my Cases--Bulgarians at Home--At - Sofia--MacGahan the War Correspondent--Learning Turkish--A - Dinner in Camp--Leniency to Bulgarians--A Lady Patient--So near - and yet so far--From Pirot to Nish--The Wounded--My First - Operation. - - -People have often asked me how it was that I, an Australian, came to -take a part in the defence of the Ottoman Empire, and to serve as a -military surgeon under the Red Crescent, which, as every one knows, is -the Turkish equivalent of the Red Cross of the Geneva Convention. Red -Cross and Red Crescent are alike the symbols of a humanitarian spirit, -in which philosophers and students of ethics profess to see the small -beginnings of a future age of universal peace; but as for me, I have -seen how Cossacks and Circassians fight, and I cannot help regarding the -future prophesied by the philosopher as an impossible dream. When one -has seen a soldier of a civilized force sawing off the head of a wounded -but still living enemy with the edge of his sword-bayonet, it requires -an unusually optimistic nature to believe in the abolition of war and a -perpetual comity of nations. - -It was as the outcome of my _Wanderjahr_--the sweet old German custom -which sends every young man roaming when he has completed the technical -training of his future avocation--that I first smelt powder and saw the -glint of the Russian bayonets. The Wanderjahr of the German seems to be -an unconscious survival of the nomadic instinct of primitive man--a -small concession, as it were, to the roving habits that took his -ancestors the Huns and Visigoths to Rome. It lets a young man escape -from the fixed atmosphere of "staying point," as our American friends -call it in one locality, into the "largior æther," the wider life of -travel. And here I must be excused for introducing a little bit of -necessary autobiography. - -I must record that, after spending three years at the Melbourne -University, I went to Edinburgh to finish my medical course; and having -taken my degree there, I was launched at the age of one and twenty, as -an expressive colloquialism puts it, "on my own hook." Thus it was that -I began a period of wandering over Europe which ultimately landed me in -my ambulance at Plevna in July, 1877. I need not dwell upon those early -travels, except to say that the allowance which my father made me -enabled me to go far and to see much. Like Odysseus of old, I could say -that "many were the men whose manners I saw and whose cities I knew." - -After a run round Norway and Sweden, I spent a few months in Bohemian -Paris, and then went on to Bonn, where I attended the clinic of -Professor Busch, and indulged in all sorts of romantic visions under the -shadow of the castled crag of Drachenfels and the Sieben Gebirge. Next I -made my way down to Vienna, where the sight of some Servians in their -national costume gave me my first glimpse into the romance of the proud -and chivalrous peoples of the Balkan States, and fired me with a desire -to see Constantinople itself. During those months at Vienna I knew my -"Schöne Blaue Donau" well, and often made excursions as far as Pressburg -and Buda-Pesth, looking forward to the day when I could get an -opportunity to follow the great water-way down to Rustchuk, and so into -Turkish territory. But for the time being I got no chance, and travelled -instead through Styria and Bavaria, finally turning southward, and -finishing in Rome. - -It was about this time that I met a Spanish surgeon, Senhor Garcia -C----, who was connected incidentally with the events immediately -leading up to my appointment as a surgeon to the Turkish troops. He was -a delightful companion, but improvident in money matters; and I hope he -will pardon me after this lapse of years for disclosing the fact that he -made me his banker, inasmuch as it reduced me to such a low financial -ebb that, had it not been for his gold watch, I am afraid I should never -have seen the inside of the Grivitza redoubt. I remember that he and I -put up when at Rome in a very fashionable and exclusive "pension," to -which I had been introduced by a French count whom I met in Paris. I was -always regarded, perhaps on account of my name, as a good Roman -Catholic; and but for an unfortunate little contretemps I might have -married into a princely Italian family there and then, and never had to -eat dead horse on a campaign at all. - -It was this way. Among the other residents in the "pension" was an old -Italian marchioness, who had brought her two daughters to Rome to -introduce them to his Holiness the Pope. She was kind enough to take a -great interest in me; and there is no knowing what might have -happened--the elder daughter was really a charming girl--if it had not -been for that unlucky incident of the mutton chops. On the second Friday -that I was there an elderly Scotch lady, who was a rigid Presbyterian, -and took no trouble to conceal the aversion with which she regarded all -Papists, ordered mutton chops in the middle of the day for her lunch. -When I came in from a visit to the Vatican I was very hungry. The chops -were brought in, and they smelt very good; so, as the Scotch lady was -late, I forgot the consideration due to age and rigid Presbyterianism, I -forgot my scruples as a supposed good Catholic, I forgot that it was -Friday--and I ate them. Next day the marchioness stuck me up in a -corner, and asked me how I could disgrace myself by eating grilled chops -on a Friday; she led me to understand that I had deceived her, and she -withdrew an invitation which she had given me to visit her and renew my -acquaintance with her charming daughter. Thus ended my first and last -chance of a dukedom. - -After a few weeks in Rome, I began to get seriously embarrassed from a -financial point of view. Garcia was a charming fellow; but he was a -poet, and, like all poets, he had expensive habits. He even challenged -me to a duel once for laughing at some of his verses; but when I -threatened to kick him, he fell on my neck and embraced me. However, my -purse was not long enough to sustain the two of us, and I was sitting in -a little café one day considering the position and glancing idly over -the _Times_, when my eye fell on an advertisement announcing that the -Turkish Government had vacancies for twenty military surgeons, and -inviting applications. I read the advertisement again with delight, and -at once determined to send in an application. Here was a chance of -seeing life with a vengeance. But my spirits fell at once. I had only a -few liras in my pocket; and how on earth was I to get to the Turkish -Embassy in London? C---- was in his usual poetic condition of -impecuniosity, and I was afraid to think how much he owed me. But I -could not afford to be chivalrous, or I might lose the opportunity of a -lifetime; so I tackled him at once. He assured me with tears in his eyes -that he had not even the price of a flask of Chianti in his pockets; but -I was inexorable. I pointed out to him that he had a very fine gold -watch,--it was really a remarkably valuable timepiece, and had come down -to him as an heirloom from some haughty old Castilian grandee. I -impressed upon him that a gold watch is a most unsuitable adornment to a -penniless person, who is moreover in debt, and I indicated to him a -means by which it could be converted into currency of the realm. I think -he felt it very much, poor fellow; but it was not a time for being -over-scrupulous, and the heirloom of the Hidalgo of old Castile was duly -deposited with the Roman equivalent for "my uncle" in a small and stuffy -establishment situated in a narrow street with the suggestive name of -the Via del Poppo. In return we received twenty-five napoleons--it was -certainly an extremely handsome watch. Garcia gave me enough to take me -to Neuchâtel, where I counted on receiving fresh supplies, and I let him -keep the balance. So I left my Spaniard with a flask of wine before him -in the city of the Cæsars, and I never saw him again. Peace be to his -soul! He was intended by nature for an Irishman. - -I wanted to go through to Neuchâtel; but when I got to Turin, there was -a fresh difficulty to be overcome. The Po had overflowed its banks, and -the railway was washed away, so that there was no possibility of -continuing the journey until next morning. I had not enough money to go -to a hotel, so I walked about the streets of Turin all night. -Shakespeare has something to say about people who - - wallow naked in December snow - By thinking on fantastic summer's heat. - -And as I wandered through the cold, dark streets of Turin, I warmed -myself by imagination in the sunbeams that played on the gilded -pinnacles of the Seraglio and the marble towers of St. Sophia in far -away Stamboul. - -At Neuchâtel I found supplies awaiting me at the post office, and I -hurried across to London at once, where I sought out the late Mr. J. E. -Francis, of Melbourne, who was an old friend of my father, and asked his -advice about going to Constantinople. "Go by all means, my dear boy," -was his cheery reply; "and I will tell your father that I advised you to -take the chance." I had excellent credentials from my professors in -Edinburgh; and armed with a letter of introduction to Dr. Forbes, who -was the doctor to the Turkish Embassy, I presented myself at the -embassy, and sought an interview with Musurus Pasha, then the Turkish -ambassador in London. The ambassador was engaged; but I had an audience -with one of his sons, and two days afterwards I was _en route_ for -Constantinople, with £25 for expenses in my pocket, and an agreement -with the Turkish Government to perform the duties of a military surgeon -at a salary of £200 a year, paid monthly in gold. They gave me a letter -to the Seraskierat, or War Office, at Constantinople, and instructed me -to report myself there for duty forthwith. Among the other nineteen -selected applicants were two whom I knew, one named Geoffrey, and a -fellow named Stephenson, who had been at Edinburgh with me. Naturally I -was in high spirits at my success; and when I reached Vienna and looked -up all my old pals, we had a great day on the Danube on the occasion of -the first regatta held there, and finished up with fireworks and other -jollifications in the evening. After a couple of days at Vienna, we went -through Buda-Pesth and Belgrade to Bazias, where we took steamer and -voyaged down the Danube to Rustchuk. - -What a magnificent trip it was! I knew the Rhine pretty well while I was -at Bonn: I remembered the great stream that tumbled over the falls of -Schaffhausen beyond Mainz, swept along past St. Goar and Bingen, the -home of that soldier of the legion who lay dying in Algiers, down to -Coblenz, where Marceau fell, and Ehrenbreitstein, the great fortress -that now no longer frowns threateningly out towards France. I remembered -the castles perched high on the beetling cliffs, and how strange the -setting sun used to look when seen through their deserted windows. I -recalled the haunted spot where the Loreley used to sing, and the -towering heights of the Drachenfels, where the hills finally ceased, -leaving the river to broaden out and flow more sluggishly between the -low-lying banks down to Bonn and to Cologne, and thence away towards the -misty flats and the grey distances of Holland. But to my excited fancy, -fired as I was by the prospect of being brought under the spell and the -glamour of Islam and of serving under the Mussulman flag, the -recollection of the fairy-like beauty of the Rhine faded before the dark -grandeur of the river that was bearing me farther with every revolution -of the paddle-wheels from European associations, and nearer to strange, -new experiences among the subjects of the Shadow of God. At times we -steamed through fairly open reaches, and at times through seething -rapids, with the dark water swirling about the bows, and the still -darker cliffs rising till they almost seemed to touch over our heads. - -It was a two days' voyage down to Rustchuk; and I shall never forget my -sensations when I caught my first glimpse of Turkish troops on one of -the islands in the middle of the stream. Among my fellow passengers was -a Mr. Jeune (now Sir Francis Jeune). He had been out in Australia as -counsel in the Tichborne case, and had met my father. When he heard that -I came from Australia, he took an interest in me, and I found in him a -sympathetic listener as I confided my ambitions to him. Among the others -on board with me were Captain the Honourable Randolph Stewart, a Queen's -Messenger going down with despatches to Constantinople, and several of -my professional brethren, including Dr. George Stoker, brother of Bram -Stoker, Sir Henry Irving's manager, Dr. Simon Eccles, a well known -London physician, and a Dr. Butler, an eccentric old fellow who had been -in the Crimea. There were a number of pretty Roumanian women on board -too, and altogether we had a jolly party. - -At Rustchuk we took the train for Varna, the seaport on the Black Sea -which was our point of embarkation for Constantinople; and here I -remember old Dr. Butler lost his ticket, and the Queen's Messenger had -to use all his influence to prevent an angry little Turkish -station-master from "running him in." At last, however, we were all -safely on board an Austrian Lloyd's steamer for the last stage of our -journey, a short voyage of twelve hours; and I got my first insight into -polygamous Turkey by discovering an aged Turk who came on board with his -harem, a huddling little band of beauties veiled to the eyes, who were -housed in a sort of canvas tent on deck, and at whose faces I made -several unsuccessful attempts to get a peep. - -Next morning we saw Stamboul rising out of the Bosphorus, and my dreams -were at last fulfilled. Fresh, as one might say, from Melbourne, which -forty years before was a camping-ground for blacks, I saw before me in -this gorgeous vision of mosques and minarets, dark green cypress groves, -towers of gleaming marble, and gilded pinnacles of the far Seraglio, a -city of unknown antiquity. The story goes that, more than three hundred -years before the Christian era, the Athenians, inspired by the burning -eloquence of Demosthenes, fought to defend it against Philip of Macedon. -One dark night, so the veracious historians of that period tell us, the -Macedonians were on the point of carrying the city by assault, when a -shining crescent appeared in the sky, disclosed the creeping forms of -the enemy, and enabled the beleaguered forces to repel the attack with -such vigour that the Macedonians raised the siege and retired. Such was -the origin of the crescent which figures on old Byzantine coins, and -when the Osmanlis captured Constantinople they adopted it as their -national device. It is a pretty story, and well--"si non é vero é ben -trovato." I saw before me a city which had already been besieged -twenty-four times since its foundation and captured six times. Among -others, Persians, Spartans, Athenians, Romans, Avars, Arabs, Russians, -Crusaders, and Greeks had besieged it before it fell at last under the -terrific assault of the forces of Mahomed II. in 1453. I landed at -Galata, the port of Pera, which is separated from Stamboul proper by the -Golden Horn, and went straight up to Misserie's Hotel, which is to -Constantinople what Shepheard's Hotel is to Cairo, one of the famous -hostelries of the world. - -Next day we reported ourselves at the War Office. We were shown into a -room where four or five old pashas were sitting cross-legged on divans, -and we handed in our credentials. We presented our respects through the -medium of an interpreter, and I was told to leave my address and hold -myself in readiness for active service at once in the Servian war, which -had then been going on for about six weeks. - -I was no longer a civilian. I was now commissioned as a military surgeon -in the service of the Sublime Porte, and engaged in a practice which -included some three hundred thousand patients more or less, of whose -language I was entirely ignorant, and of whose manners all previous -impressions had taught me to be suspicious. It is right to say here, at -the outset, that my experience of over two years among the Turks proved -to me that the estimate formed of their character by other reputedly -more civilized nations was entirely false and misleading. That there was -a large amount of corruption in the officialdom of Turkey at that time -was no doubt true; but the real samples of national character, the men -in the rank and file of the army, I found to be simple-minded, -courteous, honourable, and honest in time of peace, while braver men on -the battle-field than those who fought under Osman Pasha at Plevna are -not to be found in Europe. The magnificent physique and robust -constitution of the ordinary Turkish private soldiers I believe to be -due mainly to two causes. In the first place they never touch alcohol, -and in the second the traditions of Turkish social life and the rigid -guardianship exercised over Turkish women have effectually kept out the -scrofulous taint which has so appreciably affected the populations of -other European nationalities. - -Having been gazetted at once as an army surgeon with the rank of -_colghassi_, or major, which entitled me, among other privileges, to -draw rations for four men, I left the luxuries of Misserie's Hotel -behind me, and installed myself in the barracks close to the War Office, -with a determination to see as much as possible of Stamboul before we -were ordered to the front. - -There are few cities in the world where nightfall makes such a -difference as in Stamboul. By day the surroundings of the city as well -as the city itself make up a kind of earthly paradise. I climbed the -tower of the Seraskierat, and gazed with astonishment at the panorama -which lay before me. I saw two seas, the Black Sea and the Sea of -Marmora; two straits, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles; two gulfs, the -Gulf of Ismet and the Gulf of Nicodema. At my feet lay twenty different -cities, the houses of which, painted with the true Oriental love of -bright colours, nestled against a background of hills clothed with -patches of dark cypress and tall, spiry pines. Before me was the spot -where two continents meet; and as my eye passed from the streets of -Stamboul in Europe to Scutari lying yonder across the mouth of the -Bosphorus in Asia, I realized how the tide of Eastern thought had swept -across the waters of this narrow strait, and left its mark indelibly -upon the strange people among whom I had come to take the chances of the -battle-field. I knew too that across there in Scutari was the -burial-ground where the bones of those English officers and men who died -in hospital after the Crimea lay buried, and I felt that with the brave -dead of my own race so near me I was in good company. The old military -hospital at Scutari has been turned into barracks now; but the room -which Miss Florence Nightingale occupied while she was performing her -mission of mercy to the wounded there is still preserved untouched, -while her name is kept in affectionate remembrance by the sons of many -whom she nursed back to life, or whose last hours she soothed with -womanly ministering. As I looked out upon the landscape, I saw it set in -the clear atmosphere of Southern Europe, so that every separate minaret -stood sharply out and the marble domes of St. Sophia glistened in the -bright sunlight. - -All is warmth and colour, life and brightness, in Stamboul by day. By -night, however, the difference is appalling. The streets were never -lighted, and people were not supposed to be out after nine o'clock. If -one went out at all, one went at one's own risk, and took the chance of -attack by any of the thousands of stray dogs that prowl at will about -the city and camp undisturbed in the streets. To one who had been -accustomed to Paris and Vienna, where it is never night in this sense, -where gas and arc lamps form an admirable substitute for sunlight, and -where the patter of feet on the _trottoirs_ and the hum of human life in -the cafés are practically ceaseless, the sensation of wandering through -these dark, deserted streets among hordes of starving curs was a strange -one. By day Constantinople is modern, pulsating, alive. By night, with -those dogs about, it is like one of those deserted cities of a long -forgotten civilization, in which Briton Rivière shows us the panther and -the tiger that have taken the place of man. - -During my stay in Stamboul I often walked through the bazaars, where -solemn old Turks in baggy breeches sought to swindle me with polite -decorum, and where the whole atmosphere breathed of the _Arabian -Nights_. One half expected to see Prince Camaralzaman come swaggering -down the street, with his scimitar clanking on the pavement behind him; -or Amina or Zobeide, heavily veiled, and with only her dark eyes showing -through the _yashmak's_ folds, slide past demurely with a sidelong -glance at the stranger from the West. - -The population of Constantinople do not believe in overwork; and for -business purposes there are practically three Sundays in the -week--namely, the Turkish Sunday, which falls on our Friday; the Jewish -Sunday, which falls on Saturday; and the Christian Sunday. I went out -one day to the "Sweet Waters," a favourite picnic place near the head of -the Golden Horn, where the Turkish women and children enjoy their -holiday under the trees, and the real Turkey lolly-men drive a thriving -trade in sweetmeats and sherbet. It was curious to note how the veneer -of Western social routine was superimposed upon the changeless -institutions of the East. I saw the ladies from the harems of sundry -wealthy Turkish gentlemen driving out to "Sweet Waters" in the afternoon -in carriages as perfectly appointed as any that roll through Hyde Park -or the Bois de Boulogne in the height of the London or Paris season. Two -ladies from one harem generally occupied one carriage; and the gigantic -eunuch on the box, who was responsible for them while they were out -under his charge, would use his London carriage whip without hesitation -on the heads and shoulders of any young Turkish or Giaour mashers who -attempted to make eyes at the closely guarded beauties. - -I spent many a pleasant hour too in the long, narrow _caïques_ that -plied for hire on the waters of the Golden Horn like the gondolas of -Venice; but I still had much to see when, after a week's stay, an -official communication was handed to me informing me that I had been -appointed regimental surgeon to the Kyrchehir Regiment, so named from -the town in Asia Minor where it had been raised. I packed my portmanteau -at once, and followed the messenger, who led me to the barracks where -the regiment was quartered, and where I was introduced to my new -colonel. He was most polite, and invited me to have supper with him; and -then it was that I had my first really Turkish meal. I cannot truthfully -say that I enjoyed it; and when my host, to mark the warmth of his -hospitality, picked up a piece of chicken off his own plate in his -fingers and placed it in my mouth, I must confess that I almost spoilt -all my chances of a distinguished military career by an instantaneous -attack of nausea. I spent the night in the barracks tossing sleeplessly -on a divan, and soon after daybreak marched down with my regiment to the -railway station. - -The regiment, which was eight hundred strong, was officered by a -colonel, two majors, eight captains, sixteen lieutenants, and a -paymaster. When the process of entraining was completed, I found myself -_en route_ at six o'clock in the morning for a destination of which I -knew nothing, and in company with a regiment of troops who were as -ignorant of English as I was of Turkish. I was accommodated in a -compartment with the colonel, the two majors, and the paymaster, Mehemet -Ali, with whom I afterwards chummed up and lived on terms of the -closest friendship. It was decidedly awkward, however, at first; for as -the Turkish officers could speak neither French nor German, all -communications between us had to be by signs. The men were packed -closely together, and the train crawled slowly on towards the terminus, -stopping for one hour in every three. We were three days and two nights -on the journey towards Tatar Bazardjik, and I had plenty of time and -opportunities for forming an opinion as to the kind of men with whom my -lot was cast. I found that these men, who were all conscripts, formed -the second regiment which had been raised at Kyrchehir, and fine fellows -they were. I could have picked fifty men from among them who were as -grand specimens of physical humanity as could be found anywhere in the -world. They were all well clothed in the serviceable infantry uniform, -and were armed with the Martini-Peabody rifle. - -We camped each night at a railway station, and I remember on the morning -of the second day seeing an old pasha who was organizing troops locally -come galloping down to inspect us. Our regiment was paraded, and the -pasha rode down the lines scanning the men closely. Presently he spotted -me, and, seeing at a glance that I was not a Turk, he addressed a -question to the colonel, who evidently replied that I was their new -English surgeon. The pasha trotted up to where I stood at attention, and -addressed some incoherent query to me; but as I could not even -conjecture what it was all about, I imitated the gentleman whom Tennyson -speaks of, and "smiling put the question by." I thought that the old -pasha looked hurt; but the mystery was soon cleared up by the arrival of -his own private barber with razor, soap, and brush. It seemed that "side -boards" were not allowed in the Turkish army, and the small hairy -appendages which covered my youthful cheeks, and of which, to tell the -truth, I was rather proud, had deeply offended the old pasha's trained -sense of order. So I had to submit myself to the pasha's barber, and in -a few minutes the offensive adornments were removed, and I could no -longer be distinguished from any of my Turkish colleagues. - -At last we reached Tatar Bazardjik at eleven o'clock at night; and as -there was no accommodation at the railway station, camp-fires were lit, -and the regiment bivouacked for the night. Next morning at five o'clock -I was roused up, and the colonel brought up four horses, giving me to -understand by signs that I was to select one for a charger. I chose a -little grey stallion, a powerful animal, with a look of endurance about -him. He had a heavy Turkish peaked saddle on him, a most uncomfortable -thing to ride in until one gets used to it; but there was no choice in -the matter, so I had to make myself as comfortable in it as I could. -Then we started on the march for Sofia, and a very unpleasant march it -was at first. - -It was then the month of June, and the weather was intensely hot; while, -to add to our discomforts, a terrific duststorm swept down on us soon -after leaving the bivouac, filling eyes, noses, and ears with fine, -impalpable powder, and getting down the men's throats so that they could -hardly breathe. The regiment marched all day, and of course I assumed -that a good many of the men would be knocked up; but at five o'clock we -halted, and pitched camp for the night, having covered about twelve -miles of the journey. - -Soon after the tents were pitched I had my first patient to attend. They -brought up a man who had all the symptoms of an ordinary fit, and I had -to make up my mind at once whether it was a genuine fit or whether he -was malingering to avoid duty. It seemed to be a real fit, and then -again there was something suspicious about it. I knew that if I was -imposed upon at the outset I should have endless trouble, so I took my -resolution at once, and explained by signs to Colonel Suleiman, who was -standing by, that the man was shamming. The colonel's remedy for cases -of this kind was drastic, but very effective. He had the patient sent to -the rear, and given a round three dozen with a stick on that part of -the person which schoolmasters have found to be especially suited for -the receipt of chastisement. Of course the word was quickly passed -round, and I had no more cases of fits to attend to during the march. - -I shared a tent with Mehemet Ali, the paymaster, who turned out to be a -really good fellow. He was a little man with a very fair complexion--his -mother was a Circassian--and he had twinkling steel grey eyes. He was -the strongest man I ever met. I had a horse, but I still wanted a -servant, so Mehemet Ali brought up four men for my inspection. I chose a -man named Ahmet, an Asiatic Turk and a married man with five children. -He turned out a splendid servant; but, poor fellow, he never saw his -home again, and his bones lie buried with those of many of his -countrymen on the banks of the Danube at Widdin. - -Next morning I was given to understand that I should have to see a -number of patients; however, I fortified myself with two or three -Turkish phrases, and went my rounds without trepidation. My diagnosis -was in each case remarkable for simplicity, and I asked few needless -questions. My first remark was invariably, "Dilli nitchika," which -means, "Put out your tongue." If the man seemed really feverish and bad, -I remarked authoritatively, "Hoiti araba," which means, "Go to the -waggon," and I allowed him to ride in the waggon instead of -route-marching. If I had any doubts as to the genuineness of the -indisposition, I ejaculated sharply, "Hoiti balook," which means, "Go to -your company." Of course all the men who were really ill I made to take -two paces to the rear, and when my inspection was finished I prescribed -for them, and dispensed my prescriptions from the well equipped -regimental medicine chest. - -It took the regiment five days altogether to march to Sofia, the -colonel, the two majors, the paymaster, an adjutant, and myself being -the only mounted officers. At first the route lay through mountainous -and very picturesque country, heavily timbered with pines, beeches, -elms, and walnuts. The walnut trees seemed to grow wild throughout the -country, and the nuts were in great profusion. - -One night we stopped at the Bulgarian village of Ichtiman, and for the -first time I saw Bulgarians at close quarters and slept in a Bulgarian -house. Dirt appeared to be the national characteristic of Bulgaria, and -a cheerful disregard of all sanitary rules a leading feature in the -national disposition. For size and ferocity I have never seen the -domestic insects of Bulgaria equalled; and in the brief armistices which -occurred in the unequal combats of that horrible night, I longed for my -clean and cosy quarters in the paymaster's tent again. The Bulgarian -men are tall and fair, and the samples that came under my notice wore -huge bonnets of black sheepskin and baggy garments of a kind of coarse -yellow frieze of their own weaving. Instead of boots they wore sandals -laced to the knee in Spanish fashion, and their whole appearance was -grimy and forbidding to a degree. Most of the inhabitants of the village -disappeared into the surrounding hills on our arrival, and the few who -remained forbore to present us with an address of welcome or to erect a -triumphal arch in our honour. Sullenly and suspiciously they offered us -bowls of _yuoart_ to eat, a horrible sticky mess made of curdled milk, -of which I partook to my subsequent sorrow. - -At last we came in sight of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It lay at -the farther end of a great plain dotted here and there with Bulgarian -villages, well watered by a river running through it, and nicely -timbered like a great park. Against the dark background of the hills, to -use a pretty line of Tennyson's, "the city sparkled like a grain of -salt." Sofia was then a place of about twenty thousand inhabitants, and -the seat of government. At one time the famous Midhat Pasha was the -governor of this vilayet. - -The regiment moved in column of route along the main road through the -plain towards the white houses glinting in the sunshine, every man -stepping jauntily as the close of the long march drew near. But Sofia -looked better at a distance than it did under our noses. At that time -there was only one hotel in the place, a filthy little _cabaret_ kept by -a Greek, whose views with regard to beds and meals were most primitive. -The railway runs right through from Stamboul to Sofia and beyond now, -and French cooking has replaced the black bread and beans which formed -the Spartan fare placed before his guests by that "base scion of a noble -stock" who took us in and "did for us" in '76. - -The first English-speaking person whom I met in Sofia was MacGahan, the -war correspondent for a London newspaper, and from him I learnt at last -where I was and what was happening round us. We dined together, and he -told me how the Servians had been beaten all along the line. I found -that there were four other Turkish regiments besides my own quartered in -Sofia; and among the English surgeons attached to the troops I was glad -to find an old friend named Stiven, with whom I could exercise my tongue -at last after my enforced silence of the previous week. - -However, I was already able to speak a few words of Turkish, and the -paymaster used to give me lessons regularly, pointing to the different -articles in our tent and repeating the Turkish word for each until I had -grasped it thoroughly. I conformed to Turkish customs of course in -everything, and soon accustomed myself to my new surroundings. What -strikes a new chum in Turkey very much at first is the absence of -chairs. I never saw a chair there; but I soon learned to sit down to -dinner on my own haunches on the ground with my brother officers. A -Turkish dinner was a curious meal. First my servant brought me a basin -of water, soap, and towel, and I washed my hands, preparatory to -attacking the soup with my wooden spoon. Mehemet Ali and I used to eat -out of the same bowl, dipping our wooden spoons in alternately. The -_pièce de résistance_ was invariably _pilaf_, or boiled rice, with -little bits of meat cut up in it, and sometimes scraps of chicken or -turkey when we could get hold of any. The pilaf was eaten with the -fingers; and the dexterity with which an experienced Turk would fossick -out a tender bit of the liver, wing, or a satisfying "drumstick," from -the superincumbent mass of rice reminded one strongly of a digger -unearthing nuggets in a patch of rich alluvial. - -It was astonishing at Sofia to notice the humane way in which the Turks -treated the Bulgarians, who were to all intents and purposes a hostile -people, and who never lost an opportunity of showing their hostility -whenever they could do so with safety to themselves. During the whole of -the time that I was in Sofia I never saw a Bulgarian ill treated; and I -think it only right to emphasize this point, because, either from want -of knowledge or from that tendency to take _omne ignotum pro malefico_ -which is so common to mankind, the other nations of Europe have -contrived to affix the stigma of barbarous cruelty to the Turks in such -a manner that it is difficult to remove or even to lessen the -impression. All I can say is that, as an unprejudiced observer with -ample opportunities, I never saw any cruelties inflicted during a state -of peace, nor any punishments dealt out to Bulgarians except in cases -where they were fully deserved. The Turk when under fire does not fight -with rose-water any more than the soldier of reputedly more civilized -nations; but if needless barbarities were committed by both Turks and -Russians when their blood was up, one has to remember the grim remark of -the great Frenchman that one cannot have an omelet without breaking a -few eggs. - -It was in Sofia that I was called in to attend my first lady patient; -and the case is worth noting as an illustration of the difference -between Eastern and Western methods of diagnosis. In Turkey a -practitioner does not get much to go on in forming an opinion. A wealthy -old Turk in the town who had an extensive harem wanted advice for one of -his wives, and I was asked to call and see her. I gladly accepted the -opportunity, and followed my guides, a couple of eunuchs, and an -interpreter to a fine house, where they took me upstairs and halted -outside a thick, heavy curtain reaching from the ceiling to the floor. -Inside was the harem, an institution which I had always had a scientific -curiosity to see, and at last I felt that my ambition in this direction -was to be realized. A few low spoken words in Turkish were whispered at -the edge of the curtain by a tall black-garbed eunuch, and then I heard -the rustle of draperies approaching on the other side. A low toned -colloquy ensued between the eunuch, who seemed to be threatening, and my -interesting patient, whose accents had in them a touch of plaintive -entreaty. Presently a white and beautifully moulded arm was shyly -insinuated through the space between the wall and the edge of the -curtain, while the eunuch bade me, through the mediumship of the -interpreter, diagnose the complaint from which the fair one suffered and -prescribe a remedy. The hand was small and finely formed, and above the -wrist was a heavy bangle of beaten gold. I felt the pulse, which was -fluttering and unsteady, and clasped the white and tremulous fingers, -feeling that with such slight data to go upon any treatment that I could -prescribe would not be likely to enhance my reputation. Accordingly I -demanded to be admitted, in order that I might see and question the -patient, whom I judged to be a Circassian or a Georgian girl certainly -not more than one and twenty, and probably pretty. A long debate -ensued, in which the eunuchs, the interpreter, and myself took part; but -all my arguments beat unheeded against the rocks of their Oriental -stolidity, and the logic of the whole British Medical Society would not -have sufficed to persuade the principal eunuch to let me see that -unknown lady's tongue. With that thick curtain between us, it was a case -of Pyramus and Thisbe and the wall; so I abandoned my quest after the -unattainable, and lost the only chance that I--plausible Giaour though I -was--ever obtained of seeing the inside of a real Turkish harem. -Probably the lady was eventually treated by a _hakem bashi_, or Turkish -physician and surgeon, many of whom are very clever in their own way, or -by a _jarra bashi_, a sort of "legally qualified medical practitioner," -who is recognized as a person entitled to prescribe, but whose abilities -do not go much further than drawing teeth or fixing up sore feet. - -From Sofia our regiment pushed on to Pirot, close to the Servian border, -where we were brigaded with two other regiments of infantry and -strengthened by a battery of artillery, our mission being to defend the -road into Servia in case of a flank attack. We camped in the hills; and -as I had little work to do, I spent most of my time shooting hares with -the colonel's double-barrelled gun, and also duck, which were very -plentiful. In the evenings I learned to smoke the _narghileh_, and I -also improved my scanty knowledge of Turkish as best I could with the -aid of Mehemet Ali. - -At last we got orders to leave, and at daybreak we struck camp. The last -that we saw of this pleasant resting-place was the flame of our burning -camp-stables of brushwood, to which we set fire before we started on our -new march. - -After a stay at Ak Palanka, we were moved on to Nish, the headquarters -of the Turkish army; and here I met several English surgeons, who had -been despatched to the seat of war by the Red Cross Society in England. -Among them was Armand Leslie, who was afterwards killed in Egypt, in the -rout and massacre of Baker's poltroon levies while marching from -Trinkitat towards Tokar; and a couple of others, Litton Forbes and Dr. -S----, whom I got to know very well. At this time Nish formed the base -of our army, and the wounded were brought back to us from Alexinatz, -where the fighting was going on. The first sight of those poor fellows, -gashed with sabre and bayonet, torn with shell, and riddled with -rifle-bullets, made me realize the actuality of the conflict in which I -was there to assist. - -Life in camp was irksome enough; but I found a difficulty in getting out -of it, for while one of our majors, Edhim Effendi, was a jolly, -good-humoured fellow, who was not above a glass of liquor when he could -get it, the other, Izzet Effendi, was a dry, fanatical Turk, who spent -most of his time at his prayers, and always looked upon me as an -infidel. Izzet Effendi refused to allow me to go into the town; but I -appealed to the colonel, and, having secured his permission, I took up -my quarters in Nish with S---- and Litton Forbes. Then I was drafted to -look after the general hospital, and I left the regiment altogether. - -There were about twenty of us in all on the surgical staff, and the -hospital arrangements were excellent. It was here that I performed my -first big operation, the patient being a Turkish infantryman who was -brought in from Alexinatz with his knee shattered by a shell. He refused -to take chloroform, and I took his leg off above the knee without any -anæsthetic. He never said a word, and went on smoking a cigarette all -the time. When the captain came round with his notebook afterwards to -take down the name, age, and regiment of each wounded man, my patient -answered all the questions quietly and unconcernedly while I was -stitching up the flap of skin over the stump. It was a marvellous -exhibition of fortitude, and a striking illustration of the mettle of -the men whom I was soon to see charging with such splendid courage upon -the bayonets of the Russians. - - - - -CHAPTER II. -THE PRELIMINARIES TO THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR. - - Prince Czetwertinski--A Romantic Career--His First Commission--A - Retrospect--The History of a Noble Pole--From Monte Carlo to - Brisbane--A Prince as a Deck Hand on a Schooner--A Bush - Tutor--He returns to Europe--The Load of Poverty--Lighter to - Bear in Australia--A Big Win at Flemington--School Teaching in - Batavia--Back to New South Wales--Death at Wagga--The Vale of - Moravia--The Hot Spring--Bulgarian Blanchisseuses--Slavonian - Folk-songs--How the Turks sing--A Bulgarian Sámadh--Foley's - End--Infuriated Scavengers--A Mysterious - Disturbance--Rough-and-tumble Fighting--A Turkish - Hercules--Capturing a Prisoner--A Solitary Ride--A Bulgarian - Farrier--Back to Sofia--Christmas in the Snow--A Maize Cob for a - Christmas Dinner--Orkhanieh to Sofia--A Doctor frozen to - Death--Bitter Experiences--Salutary Effects of a Good Dinner. - - -At Nish I first met a young soldier whose remarkable personality and -singularly adventurous life could not fail to attract attention, and -with whom I formed a close personal friendship, which was only ended by -his death barely a year ago. Prince Czetwertinski, whom I first saw -mounted on a magnificent black charger in the main street of Nish, -belonged to one of the oldest families in Russian Poland, and was -himself the head of the family. His mother had been living at Lemberg -in Galicia, and the young prince had been educated in France, and -afterwards at a military school in Prague, with the object of entering -the Austrian army. At the last moment, however, the Russian Government -intervened, deeming it unwise to allow a Polish prince, who, though a -Russian subject, was as hostile at heart to Russia as were all his -countrymen, to accept an Austrian commission. The official world of St. -Petersburg set its face against Czetwertinski, and refused to furnish -him with the necessary papers; so that when the Servian war broke out he -gladly seized the chance of taking service against the Russians, the -traditional foes of his Polish house, proud still, although its glories -had been sadly tarnished. - -Young Czetwertinski was well received at the court of the Emperor of -Austria, and was admitted to the intimacy of Prince Metternich; but -there were grave difficulties in the way of the military career upon -which he had set his heart. At last, however, through the kind offices -of General Klapka, the well known Hungarian general, who was on friendly -terms with the Turkish Government, the young prince secured an entrance -to military life, and was appointed, not to a commission, but to the -grade of private in a Turkish cavalry regiment, in which capacity he had -at first to perform the most menial offices. When Alexinatz was taken -in October, 1876, it was Czetwertinski who brought the news to Nish; and -for his conduct in the engagement he received a captaincy, and also the -decoration of the fifth order of the Medjidie. He was a magnificent -rider, and his victory over a vicious black stallion that no one in the -regiment could sit was a good passport to the affections of the Turks, -who dearly love fine horsemanship. I met him afterwards at Widdin, and -got to know him intimately. At that time he was captain of a guard of -eighty troopers attached to the person of Osman Pasha; and the colonel -of his regiment, a man named Mustapha Bey, was himself a Pole, who had -fled to Turkey as a boy, entered the Turkish service, and become a -Mohammedan. Czetwertinski fell ill at Plevna of dysentery, and passed -through my hands, afterwards coming to live with me in the Bulgarian -house where I was quartered, and bringing his servant Faizi with him. As -the young cavalry officer was attached to the person of Osman Pasha, I -was kept _au courant_ with all that was going on; and it was through him -that I was enabled chiefly to know and admire the courage, the honour, -the high military ability, and the pure patriotism of the great chief -under whom we both served. - -Czetwertinski fought with signal bravery in all the engagements that -took place at Plevna, and on one occasion had his horse killed under -him at Pelischat--the famous black stallion that none but he could ride. - -He was afterwards selected for his knowledge of French to act as -_parlementaire_, and visited the Russian headquarters in that capacity -with Tewfik Pasha. Before I left Plevna, Czetwertinski was sick and -wounded; so I sent him down invalided to Constantinople together with -Victor Lauri, a German artist, who had chummed in with us on the field. -Had Czetwertinski been left behind at Plevna, he would infallibly have -been shot by the Russians for a deserter, as Skobeleff himself, who met -him at a dinner party after the war was over, assured him. - -I said good-bye to Prince Czetwertinski, or, as he used to call himself, -Mehemet Bey, at Constantinople, and lost sight of him, as I thought, for -ever; but years afterwards--it was in 1884--I found a note at my house -in Melbourne saying that Mehemet Bey would call back in half an hour. I -waited to see him, and then he told me his story. - -It seemed that he owned some villages near Odessa; but when they were -confiscated by the Russian Government upon the termination of the war, -he went to live with his mother at Lemberg in Galicia. However, after -the exciting scenes amongst which he had lived, the dreary life of the -provincial Galician capital was intolerable to him, especially as the -small revenue still left to the family was miserably inadequate to -support the position of a prince. Accordingly Czetwertinski, who was -always an inveterate gambler, scraped together about £3,000 and made for -Monte Carlo, with the hope of breaking the bank and restoring his fallen -fortunes. In three days at the tables he had lost all but £25; and -knowing that I was somewhere in Australia, he went over to London, and -took a steerage passage in an emigrant vessel bound for Brisbane. His -fellow passengers were such a rough lot that he would not associate with -them, and consequently he learned not a word of English during the -voyage, eventually landing at Brisbane with one solitary shilling in his -pocket. He walked the streets of Brisbane for the first night, nearly -starving, and towards morning heard a man speaking a few words of French -to another. Czetwertinski went up to him, and found that the man was -really a Frenchman--he turned out afterwards to be an escaped communard -from New Caledonia--and that he owned a small ten-ton cutter, with which -he plied up the coast, carrying provisions to the northern squatters and -planters. Czetwertinski took a billet as deck hand to the escaped -convict trader, working for his tucker alone; but during his three -months' service on board he amassed capital in a sense, for he learned -English. His next step was from the deck of the cutter to the -schoolroom of a station, where he secured an engagement as tutor in a -squatter's family, who little guessed that the quiet Mr. Jules who -explained the irregular French verbs to them with exemplary patience was -Prince Czetwertinski, the dashing light cavalryman who made his mark at -the taking of Alexinatz a few years before. - -Meanwhile his mother in distant Lemberg was searching Europe high and -low for her missing son, and at last she confided the story of his -disappearance to the Jesuits, by whom he had been brought up as a child. -Setting the machinery of their vast religious organization to work, the -Jesuit fathers in Galicia sent inquiries flying through the -ramifications of their order in all quarters of the globe, and at last -their brethren in Sydney discovered the wanderer, and placed him once -more in communication with his family. They also offered him a post as -master in a Jesuit college near Parramatta, and it was during a holiday -from his duties there that he came down to Melbourne to see me. His -mother longed for him to go home again, and sent him out money, -imploring him to return to Europe, which he did soon after I saw him. I -had letters from him afterwards, in which he told me that he had resumed -his title of prince, and was living in Rome with his uncle, who was a -cardinal. He had a special audience with his Holiness the Pope, who took -a warm interest in him. - -With revenues depleted by continual confiscations, Czetwertinski found -himself unable for long to support the social position which he was -called upon to fill in Europe, and he accordingly returned to Australia, -and for three years held a post as master at St. Xavier's College, near -Melbourne. I heard that he was a good teacher, but very harsh with the -boys. When he left the school, I got him a post as tutor to the son of a -friend of mine at a good salary; but when he had been there a week, -there was a race meeting at Flemington, and he got a holiday to come -down to town. Now Czetwertinski, though a magnificent rider, knew -nothing about racing; but he tackled the ring with the same gay audacity -as the tables at Monte Carlo, and with £7 in his pocket commenced a -plunge in cash betting. His luck was in this time, and he backed winner -after winner, leaving off at the end of the day £300 to the good. Two -days afterwards I heard from him that he had thrown up his billet, and -was leaving that night for Sydney, _en route_ for Bagdad or Havana! I -surmised that he would find his way back to Europe, and eventually marry -an American heiress with £20,000 a year, with whom his mother had -arranged a _mariage de convenance_ for him, with a promise that £500,000 -should be settled upon him on the day of the wedding. As a matter of -fact, however, he got no farther than Batavia, where he opened a -school, which was a failure. He worked his way back to Cooktown, and -thence in a state of starvation to Sydney. On one occasion a butcher's -wife, who wanted to engage a tutor, came across him in a registry -office, and explained to him that it was usual for people in her country -to wear collars. The poor wandering prince had no collar, so he lost the -billet. However, he eventually made his way down to Wagga, where he -opened a school, which turned out very successfully. He was doing -splendidly, and meditating another trip home, when he caught a chill, -and died in a week of pneumonia. A Wagga man brought me down poor -Czetwertinski's final good-bye, saying that he thought of me to the -last. So died as noble, brave, and high-spirited a soldier as ever drew -the sword. - -Nish, which is close to the Servian border, is one of the most -flourishing towns in Bulgaria, and it was at that time fortified by -several large forts and earthworks. Many of the houses were extremely -handsome, and the villa in which we were quartered was a beautiful -residence. A fine Bulgarian church and several Turkish mosques lent -stateliness and dignity to the little city that nestles in the valley of -the river Moravia. In the evening, as we sat over our cigarettes after -dinner, there was a quiet restfulness in the beauty of the landscape -that had a special charm; and when my comrades asked me to sing, I -would give them that sweet old song, "Sweet Vale of Avoca, how calm -could I rest," altering it to local circumstances by substituting -"Moravia" for "Avoca." - -Routine comes to mould a man's daily life in the Balkans as well as in -London or Paris, and before many days had passed we had settled down to -very regular habits. After breakfast at eight o'clock, a walk of half a -mile took us to the general hospital, where we had a couple of hundred -wounded men under treatment; and after going our rounds, and conferring -with the head of the hospital about any matters demanding immediate -attention, we were practically free by one o'clock for the rest of the -day. One day a week was set apart for operations; but on the other days -we used to go out riding in the hills and to the surrounding Bulgarian -villages, with an occasional coursing match--for hares were very -plentiful--by way of keeping our sporting proclivities properly -exercised. A very favourite trip was a ride of seven miles out to a -famous hot mineral spring, where the water, strongly impregnated with -sulphur and chalybeates, gushes out of the living rock in a stream over -a foot in diameter at a temperature of 120° Fahr., and falls into a -natural basin, largely resorted to by the residents as a bath. Close to -this bath, as the afternoon wore on, the deep-bosomed, dark-eyed -Bulgarian women would bring the clothing of their households to wash, -as Nausicaa and her maidens used to do long ago in the fabled land of -Phæacia, where Odysseus, shipwrecked on his homeward voyage from Ilium, -was saved from the sea. The Bulgarians, like their cousins-german the -Servians and Roumanians, are fond of bright colours, particularly the -women. Darwin throws the cold light of science on the important subject -of feminine attire, when he points out that the gorgeous plumage of -certain birds has been developed by them as a special sex attraction to -secure for them the notice of a mate. With birds and animals, however, -it is almost invariably the male who decks himself out in the most -brilliant colouring, hoping thereby to make himself the cynosure of all -the eyes of the females; but in the human species, by a curious piece of -satire, Nature seems to encourage the female to adopt this gentle art. -At any rate the Bulgarian women were adepts at it; and in spite of their -Finnish type of features, many of them looked positively pretty as they -stooped over the pool in their short, white kirtles of homespun frieze -and loose-sleeved scarlet bodices, making a bright note of colour in the -picture. And as they dipped their garments in the steaming washtub of -Nature's own brewing, these rustic _blanchisseuses de fin_ would sing -the plaintive folk-songs of their country in the smooth Slavonian -tongue, which had come to them in the old migratory days, during their -long residence on the Volga, before the Avars swooped down upon them -and drove them across the Danube to the country under the shadow of the -Balkans, where they have remained ever since. In the Bulgarian -folk-songs, with their plaintive semitones and their melodies sliding -away invariably into the mournful minor, one seemed to hear the echoes -of the history of the people who have degenerated from the warlike race -that crossed the Danube under their great chief Zabergan in the sixth -century to the feeble and lethargic tillers of the soil, who have grown -up under their long subjection to the great Byzantine Empire with its -seat of government at Constantinople, and afterwards to the despotic -Turkish power which superseded it. - -As the evening drew in we would race our horses back across country to -Nish, haunted by the recollections of those plaintive Bulgarian airs and -of the low, rich voices of the dark-eyed singers. The Turk, though an -excellent fellow in many respects, has peculiar notions in the matter of -voice production, and to hear a group of them all singing in unison -through their noses as they squatted on the ground round a camp-fire was -an experience to which one had to get accustomed before one could -thoroughly enjoy it. It was a pleasant variety to exchange the nasal -tenor squeak of the Turkish Tommy Atkins for the soft contralto of a -Bulgarian _blanchisseuse_. - -One of the principal sights of Nish is a squarely built brick tower -covered over with plaster, in which are set three thousand Servian -skulls. This ghastly trophy, which is about fifty years old, celebrates -a long forgotten victory. The heads were stuck there freshly shorn from -the shoulders of the Servians, and the whole grim monument reminds one -of those _sámadhs_, or cenotaphs of heads, of which Kipling gives such a -vivid description in one of his "Departmental Ditties." - -Our party was joined at Nish by a son of the Duke of Cambridge, Colonel -FitzGeorge, and a Captain James, who had come over with him from Widdin. -I bought a capital grey pony from James for £8, and I always fancy that -he imagined I had got at him over the bargain. However, _caveat emptor_ -is an admirable maxim in horse-dealing; and the law presumably imagines -the vendor capable of looking after himself, as no maxim has been framed -for his guidance. At any rate the grey pony stood me in good stead; and -in our nightly race home from the mineral spring, or the particular -Bulgarian village which we happened to be patronizing with a visit, I -generally finished in the first three. It was a flat race of course, for -you can walk from one end of the country to the other without meeting a -fence of any kind. - -At night after dinner the entire British medical staff at Nish, -supported by FitzGeorge and James, were in the habit of discussing the -Eastern Question in all its bearings, not from the outside point of view -of the unprejudiced observer, but with the keenness of people who felt -that they had a close personal interest in the solution of the problem. -There were not wanting alarmists, who took the cheerful view that, if -disaster overtook the Turkish arms, the exasperated Turks would turn -their swords against the Giaours in their own ranks, and we should all -get our throats cut for our pains. - -One of the speakers who invariably ranged himself on the side of the -minority in these discussions, and whose chief delight it was to be the -Ishmael of debate with his hand against every man and every man's hand -against him, was an extraordinary man named Foley, who quarrelled -violently with every one of us except, I think, myself. Afterwards, just -before the Russian war broke out, the poor fellow met a tragic end. He -was quartered near Sistova in a Bulgarian house on the bank of the -Danube, and it was found one morning that he had disappeared. His fate -was a mystery which was never cleared up; and whether he drowned himself -in the Danube, or was knocked on the head by some wandering Circassians, -we were never able to find out. Another of my comrades at Nish was Ralph -Leslie, a Canadian, who has had a fairly adventurous career, and was -afterwards with Stanley on the Congo. He was a nice young fellow; but he -used to read _Gil Blas_ to me in French when I was in bed at night and -required all my energies to circumvent the strategy of the Bulgarian -insects. - -An incident occurred one afternoon which came near terminating seriously -for some of us, and it forms a good illustration of the dangers which -the travelling Briton incurs as often as not through his own -pig-headedness. S---- and I, with three or four more of the medical -staff, were walking down the main street in plain clothes after lunch, -when we noticed half a dozen Turkish soldiers engaged in cleaning the -street. They were scooping up the liquid mud in great shovels, and -throwing it into a cart drawn up near the footpath. A good share of -every shovelful of mud came down on the footway, and as we approached -S---- shouted to them in English to "knock off" whilst we went past. -They either did not or would not understand, and before we had gone -three steps farther my companion's Bond Street tweed suit received a -liberal baptism of black mud from the shovel wielded by a dour old Turk, -the ugliest of the party. S---- lost his temper, and sent in a heavy -left-hander, which caught the old fellow on the point of the jaw, and -landed him kicking on his back in the middle of the road. The whole -gang at once raised a yell, and rushed us with their shovels, while we -had to rely upon our fists alone for our defence. Matters were beginning -to look very ugly indeed, when a Turkish lieutenant who knew us rushed -up, and drawing his sword interposed himself between ourselves and our -assailants, who retired in disorder under a vigorous volley of Turkish -maledictions. It was a close thing for us all the same, and the -adventurous career which I had marked out before me came perilously near -to being abruptly terminated by an inglorious end at the hands of an -infuriated scavenger. - -But this same S----, capable man as he was at his profession and -good-hearted fellow to boot, had an unhappy knack of getting into -difficulties, and his death resulted eventually as an indirect -consequence of a mysterious quarrel which he had with a Turkish major -under circumstances which I recollect with great distinctness. While we -were at Nish, one of the British surgeons attached to the general -hospital, Howard Keen by name, was quartered in a fine Bulgarian house, -which he shared with a Turkish major, whose name it is not necessary to -mention. S---- and I went up to spend the evening with them; and as it -was a bitterly cold night with snow on the ground outside, Keen advised -me to stop with him, and camp in his half of the house, which I did. At -about twelve o'clock I wrapped myself in my heavy military overcoat -lined with wolf-skin, and lay down to sleep on the floor in front of the -fire in Keen's room, while Keen also went to sleep on his camp-bed. We -left S---- and the Turkish major drinking _raki_ together in the major's -room at the other side of the house. - -As the fire was burning low I woke with a start to find the Bulgarian -owner of the house standing over me in a state of violent agitation, -gesticulating wildly and repeating again and again some words of the -meaning of which I had not the faintest notion. He was holding in his -hand a revolver which belonged to S----. I guessed at once that -something was wrong; and fearing that S---- had got the worse for liquor -and insulted the Bulgarian's wife, I woke Keen, who ran out in his shirt -and trousers to the other side of the house. I followed him almost -immediately, and he yelled out to me to come to the major's quarters at -once. I rushed in, and found the major in a state of tremendous -excitement, chewing his big black moustache and hurriedly buckling on -his sword. Guessing that S---- had got into trouble again, I sang out to -him to clear out; but as I did so the door opened, and in he walked as -white as a sheet. The major drew his revolver, and fired at S---- -point-blank, but the bullet missed its mark; and before he could pull -the trigger again, Keen and I had closed with him, and for about two -minutes the inside of that Bulgarian's sitting-room was about the -hottest corner I have ever been in. The Turk was a big, powerful fellow, -and he was mad with raki; while Keen and I were both tough, and in -pretty good form. Over and over on the floor we rolled, the Turk trying -to throttle us, while we hung to him like a couple of bull-terriers, and -gradually wore him out. At last we had him fairly beaten, and, grabbing -his revolver, we blew out the light and fled, taking S---- with us, and -locking the door behind us. S---- staggered off to his own quarters; but -when the morning came, he was found lying in the snow outside his own -door, and the exposure brought on an attack of inflammation of the -lungs, from which he eventually died. In the morning we tried in vain to -find out the cause of the quarrel; but neither S---- nor the major would -tell us. I think the Bulgarian knew, but he kept his own counsel. - -One night in Nish I met a very remarkable Turkish officer named Ahmet -Bey, who was introduced to me as a man who had killed seven Servians -with his own sword during the final attack upon Alexinatz. I never in my -life saw a man with such a magnificent physique. He was very handsome, -splendidly proportioned, and of astounding physical strength. A few days -before I met him he had been the hero of a feat about which all the -troops in Nish were still talking. It seemed that Abdul Kerim Pasha, -the commander-in-chief, while inspecting the troops one morning, -casually expressed a wish that he could capture a Servian prisoner from -the Servian lines. Ahmet Bey, who overheard the remark, rode up, and, -saluting, asked to be permitted to get the commander a prisoner. Abdul -Kerim wonderingly gave the required permission, and Ahmet Bey without -another word wheeled his charger, dashed the spurs into his flanks, and -galloped off in front of the astonished detachment straight for the -nearest Servian outpost. As he approached the Servian lines half a dozen -rifles cracked, for the Servian vedettes opened fire upon him, hoping to -drop him on the wing. But Ahmet Bey galloped on unharmed, having -deliberately marked down one sentry for his prey. The sentry emptied his -rifle at the audacious horseman in vain, and too late started to run. -Ahmet Bey swooped down on him like a sparrow-hawk upon a landrail, and -bending down grasped the man by the collar in an iron grip and flung him -without an effort across the saddle in front of him. Then he galloped -back again, bending over his horse's neck as the bullets whistled over -his head, and delivered his bewildered prisoner to the Turkish commander -amid the delighted shouts of the whole detachment. - -The hero of this extraordinary feat was afterwards attached to the -staff of Mehemet Ali Pasha, in command of the army of the Lom. With the -same army corps was Baker Pasha, the famous Colonel Baker, who was -accounted one of the finest cavalry leaders in Europe; and Baker Pasha, -who should be a good judge of soldierly qualities, has left it on record -that Ahmet Bey was the beau-ideal of a soldier. Baker Pasha has given it -as his written opinion that he never met the equal of this Turkish -officer in instinctive military knowledge. He seemed to be able to -divine the movements of the enemy and forestall every change of position -or modification of strategy. - -The frequent defeats of the Servians seemed to indicate a speedy -termination of hostilities; and had it not been for the thousands of -Russian volunteers who flocked to the Servian standard and took service -under the Russian General Tchernaieff, who commanded the Servian army, -it was evident that the resistance of Servia must have collapsed much -earlier. At last, when Servia appealed to the Powers to stop the war and -an armistice was declared at the instance of Russia, a large number of -Turkish troops were sent to the rear, and among them was my regiment the -Kyrchehir. We were ordered to retire to Sofia, and of course I had to -sever my connection with the general hospital and rejoin my regiment. - -It was December. The sky was the colour of lead, and the snow lay with a -dead weight upon the pine trees. The regiment started early in the -morning, and when I left for the long, solitary ride to Sofia I was -several hours behind my troops. As I cantered my grey pony over the -frozen ground a mishap befell me at the outset, for the gallant little -animal cast a shoe, and I had to stop at a Bulgarian village to get him -shod. Throughout the Turkish Empire they use flat plates which cover the -whole of the foot with the exception of a small round orifice in the -centre, instead of the crescent-shaped horseshoes which have come down -to more civilized countries from the Roman times, and I had to hunt up a -farrier to do the work. I found him at last, a surly, black-bearded -fellow, who gave free vent to his hatred of the Turkish troops, and -flatly refused to assist me. Out came my revolver; and as I tapped the -barrel, significantly pointing first to the shoeless hoof and then to -the farrier's head, he came to terms and consented. But when I remounted -the grey, I found that he was dead lame. The rascally farrier, I -discovered afterwards, had driven a long nail straight into the frog of -the unfortunate pony's foot, and then nailed the plate on over it. -Before I reached Sofia a Circassian stole my English stirrup-irons while -I slept, and leading my lame pony I finished the journey on foot. - -However, we were a very jolly party at Sofia, where a fresh lot of -English surgeons chummed in with us, and we all resolved to celebrate -Christmas in the proper English way by a splendid dinner. On Christmas -Eve a special sub-committee was formed to arrange the details of a -banquet which should be worthy of the occasion. We were going to have no -more of the eternal pilaf, with its accompanying hard biscuit and gulps -of hot black coffee, but a real hot joint, a turkey, a goose, a plum -pudding, and plenty of wine. I went to sleep that night with my soul -filled with beautiful dreams of Christmas, and peace on earth, goodwill -towards Bulgarians, and of roast turkey and celery sauce. In the morning -I woke, and learned with horror that the regiment was ordered to march -at once to the bleak, detestable pass of Orkhanieh in the Balkans, and -that we should probably get no dinner at all. They went away without me, -and as Christmas morning wore on I came to the conclusion that I had -better follow them or else I might get lost. I did follow them, but I -got lost all the same; and after riding until ten o'clock at night I -reached a filthy Bulgarian village, and decided to camp there. The house -which I selected as the most promising was about as clean as an English -piggery; but I found a kind of loft where maize was stored in the cob, -and there I stopped for the night. I lay on the cobs of maize which were -as hard as paving-stones, and made my Christmas dinner off one of them, -hardly knowing whether to curse or laugh at the irony of fate and the -"happy Christmas" which my friends in England and Australia no doubt -were wishing me. Next day I overtook the regiment, and went into -quarters with it for five weeks at Orkhanieh. I had plenty to do there, -for the men suffered greatly from dysentery; and as they could not all -be accommodated in the village, they had to live under canvas, a mode of -life which was very severe at that time of the year. After a few weeks -there my stock of medicines, which was never very large, began to run -out, and I got permission from the colonel to ride into Sofia, a -distance of thirty miles, to replenish the regimental medicine chest. - -Of all my campaigning experiences none were more awful than those lonely -rides from Orkhanieh to Sofia and back again. My horse went lame soon -after I started, the cold was intense, and in half an hour I was -overtaken by a snowstorm which nearly blinded me. All day my poor horse -hobbled along on three legs, while I was afraid to dismount, knowing -that if I once left the saddle I should be frozen to death on the -ground. When I arrived in Sofia at ten o'clock that night, I had to be -lifted off my horse and put to bed. In the morning my good horse was -found dead in the stable, killed by that fearful journey. An Italian -doctor, who drove into Sofia on the same day, was lifted out of the -vehicle dead. Perhaps if he had ridden he might have been saved. - -After a rest of two days, I had to start back for Orkhanieh with my -replenished medicine chest. The prospect was not a pleasant one; but I -faced it with a fresh horse and renewed confidence. Before I had gone -half-way I missed the road, and going across country came to a frozen -river, which I was afraid to cross, lest the ice might give way and let -me and my horse through into deep water. Accordingly I rode along the -bank until I came to a place where I judged from the colour of the ice -that the water was shallow, and there I resolved to attempt the -crossing. When I was in the middle, there was a crack like a pistol -shot, the ice broke, and we fell through to the river-bed, my horse -standing up to his shoulder in the icy water, which reached to my knee. -I was off his back in a moment, and the poor brute, after a couple of -frightened plunges, stood still shivering. It was plain that the ice -would not bear us, even if I could get myself and the horse to the -surface again, so the only course open was to cut a way out. I took my -two heavy stirrup-irons, fixed them on one leather, and, using this -improvised implement as a hammer, broke away the ice piecemeal, and -dragged myself and my horse up the bank on the opposite side. At last I -reached the camp, as stiff as though I was encased in plaster of Paris, -and with my clothes frozen hard to my body. It was three weeks before I -properly recovered sensation in my bridle-hand. - -The regiment was ordered to Widdin before I had recovered from that last -ride, and on the eve of our departure I had a severe attack of -dysentery, which weakened me terribly. However, they lifted me on to my -horse, and at last we reached the town of Vratza, one of the most -picturesque towns in Bulgaria. Here I found the Turkish regiment to -which my friend Stiven was attached; and to my great joy almost the -first man whom I met was Stiven, who was living in the house of a Polish -apothecary. I was very weak and ill; but I accepted Stiven's invitation -to dine, and he prescribed a nourishing diet with plenty of good -blood-making wine. What is more, he saw that I had it; and my -performances at that dinner, which was the first European meal I had -eaten since leaving Sofia, made our Turkish servant open his eyes. I am -afraid to think how many bottles of the wine of the country Stiven and I -got through between us; but I know that, when at last I tumbled off to -bed in the mosque where the regiment was quartered, I slept the deep -sleep of those who have dined both wisely and too well. It was a good -prescription of Stiven's, and next day I was completely restored in -health. - - - - -CHAPTER III. -THE IMMINENCE OF WAR. - - Off to Widdin--Strong Fortifications--Osman Pasha in - Command--The Kalafatians at Work--Dr. Black--A Discreditable - Englishman--Shooting on Sight--An Arrest and a Release--"Life - off Black"--Egyptian Troops arrive--Zara Dilber Effendi--Osman - Pasha's Ball--A Memorable Function--I get Plenty of - Partners--Military Wall-flowers--The Ladies of Widdin--The Dance - before the Fight--Three Beautiful Roumanians--An Angry - Grandfather--Lambro Redivivus--Preparing for the Campaign--Some - Forcible Dentistry--Religion of the Turks--The - Wrestlers--Visitors from Kalafat--I pay a Return Call--Across - the Danube into Kalafat--Dinner with the Roumanians--Pumping the - Guileless Stranger--A Futile Effort--Frank Power--Nicholas - Leader--Edmund O'Donovan--Wild Duck Shooting. - - -A march of four days brought us to Widdin, the journey being -accomplished by easy stages and with a fair degree of comfort. Of course -it must be remembered that there was no such thing as a commissariat -department in the Turkish army. The _zaptiehs_, or mounted police, in -each district received notice of our approach, and requisitioned the -necessary supplies from the farmers, who received acknowledgments of -Government indebtedness for the amount due. We always sent forward a few -_arabas_ with an advance party and a number of cooks; so that when the -regiment reached the camping-place for the night all the preparations -were made, and a hot meal was ready for the men. We usually camped in a -Bulgarian village; and if there was no other shelter for the men, we -appropriated the mosque, and made up our beds in it. I have slept many a -time on the paved floor of a Turkish mosque, in the very arms of Islam -as it were; and I must candidly admit that my slumbers were quite as -refreshing and my dreams as sweet as they have since been within sound -of the cathedral bells of Christendom. - -Widdin is a town of considerable commercial importance, and a strongly -fortified position of great military significance, being, in fact, one -of the keys of Bulgaria, for it is situated on a wedge of Bulgarian -territory, having both the Servian and Roumanian frontiers almost under -the muzzles of its siege-guns. When we were there the population -numbered about fourteen thousand persons, of whom perhaps one-half were -Bulgarians, one-third Turks, and the remainder Levantines, Greeks, -Italians, Spanish Jews, and Tchiganes or Gypsies. There are a great -number of Jews everywhere throughout the Turkish Empire, and they are -very well treated by the Turks. It is hardly necessary to say that -almost all the bankers and financial agents in the country belong to -this race. - -There are practically two towns in Widdin--namely, that which is within -the fortifications, and that which is outside. The fortified portion -faces the Danube, which forms its protection for a distance of about one -mile; and it is defended besides by a high castellated wall fully twenty -feet in height, which runs right round the town. Facing the Danube, when -we were there, were several powerful and perfectly organized batteries, -armed with at least fifty Krupp siege-guns of the most modern -description. From the Danube side the town was practically impregnable. -On the other side, beyond the castellated wall, was a wide and deep -moat; and over this was a drawbridge, which was pulled up at six o'clock -every night, so that after that hour ingress to the fortified town was -impossible until the morning. Inside the fortress were the principal -public buildings, including the _konak_, or townhall, the seat of -administration of the Turkish governor in charge of the vilayet, as well -as the barracks, which accommodated four thousand men, a large -Government mill for grinding corn, and the great granaries in which a -reserve of grain was stored for victualling the town in the event of a -siege. - -The greater portion of the population lived outside the fortress in the -different suburbs; and beyond these again was the outer line of defence, -a huge wall of earth about twenty feet high, and studded at short -intervals with redoubts. Outside this wall the country was low-lying and -swampy, capable of being flooded from the Danube, and thus affording -additional protection to the town. One result, however, of all this -circumjacent water was that Widdin was one of the most unhealthy towns -in the whole of Turkey. The climate was excessively damp, and we were -never free from malarial fever. At one time there were no fewer than -four hundred men in the hospitals with this fever. - -A staple article of export from Widdin is caviare, which is obtained in -enormous quantities from the roe of the sturgeon, and sent away packed -in barrels on board the flat-bottomed boats that ply up the river. I -have seen a sturgeon fully twelve feet long caught in the Danube. Three -men were dragging it with a rope through the streets of Widdin. The town -has also a great reputation for its filigree work in silver and gold, -which is very beautiful. - -In February, 1877, when our regiment reached Widdin, we found about -thirty thousand Turkish troops in the place, mostly infantry, though -there were a few batteries of field artillery and about a thousand -cavalry. The Kyrchehir Regiment went into quarters in the barracks -inside the fortress; but of course there was not sufficient -accommodation there for all the troops in the town, and a military -encampment was formed a couple of miles out of the town for the bulk of -the army corps. Osman Pasha, at that time a comparatively unknown man, -was then commander-in-chief of all the troops in Widdin, and Adil Pasha -was the commandant in charge of the camp. Osman Pasha had already won -considerable reputation by his brilliant defeat of the Servians at -Zaitchar; but it was not until his subsequent successes against the -Russian arms that his name was flashed through the length and breadth of -Europe, and that congratulations poured in upon him from all quarters. -It fell to my lot to open and read many of the letters sent to him from -England, in which the writers, a large proportion of whom were ladies, -expressed their admiration for his gallantry and begged the favour of -his autograph. Osman Pasha lived in a large house within the fortress, -and I myself was billeted in the same quarter, where I lived quite in -the Turkish fashion, sitting cross-legged on the floor and eating my -food with my fingers. - -At this time hostilities with Servia had ceased, and a long armistice -had been declared, during which the Powers were occupied in dictating -terms to Turkey, which, however, she declined to accept, her determined -attitude in the matter leading ultimately to the declaration of war -against her by Russia. The town of Kalafat in Roumania is close to -Widdin; and we could see the Roumanian troops there busily engaged in -fortifying it in anticipation of hostilities breaking out, and of an -attack being made on the town by the forces in Widdin at any moment. The -position, therefore, was decidedly interesting, for we could actually -see the Roumanians, who were nominally our vassals, building up their -redoubts against us as fast as they could. It will be remembered that -during the early part of the Crimean war the Turks occupied Kalafat, -Osman Pasha being the commander of the forces; and that the Russians -lost some twenty thousand men in a vain attempt to take it. - -The time of waiting in Widdin was fairly quiet, although every one felt -that war was in the air, and that the interval of rest was only the hush -that precedes the hurricane. I had plenty of work to do, for dysentery -and lung troubles affected the troops severely as well as malarial -fever. There were about thirty military surgeons in the town including -myself, but most of them were Hungarians or Austrians; and the only -other British subject among them besides myself was a man whom I shall -call Dr. Black, although that was not his name. - -Dr. Black was by no means a credit to his country. In fact, not to put -too fine a point upon it, he was a perfect disgrace; and as every fresh -scrape that he got into reflected more or less upon me, I began to get -heartily sick of him. Few of the people in Widdin had ever seen an -Englishman, and Dr. Black's manners and customs were not calculated to -prejudice them favourably with regard to the nation in general or myself -in particular. Fortunately for me there was one other Briton in the -town. To use a convenient Irishism, he was a Scotsman, and he was -commonly known as Jack; in fact, I never heard his surname. Jack was a -high-class mechanical engineer, and he had been specially imported from -Glasgow to take charge of the Government flour-mill inside the fortress. -He lived there with his wife, a charming little Scotswoman, and they -both spoke Turkish like natives. I had many consultations with Jack as -to our common _bête noir_ Dr. Black; but we had to suffer in silence for -a while until the whirligig of time brought its revenges, and Dr. Black -was at last turned out of Widdin. - -I had met Dr. Black before in Sofia, and it was with intense disgust -that I came across him again in Widdin. He was a middle-aged man, who -might possibly have been of some good in his profession when he was -younger; but he had spoiled his life and ruined his chances with drink. -He was the most awful drunkard I have ever met. In fact, he was never -sober, and in his habits he was perfectly filthy. He used to wear a -long, dirty overcoat, in one pocket of which he invariably carried a -bottle of the commonest and vilest rum, while in the other he carried a -loaded revolver, with which he would blaze away at any one who gave him -the slightest provocation. On one occasion I saw him stagger into a -Bulgarian boot shop and yell out in English to the proprietor, "Give me -a pair of boots, you ----!" Of course the Bulgarian could not -understand, so Black whipped out his revolver and blazed a few -cartridges away among the stock in trade before the trembling cobbler -could pacify him. He was perpetually firing off this weapon, and he was -such a terror to the unfortunate Bulgarians in whose houses he was -quartered, that he was never allowed to stay more than a week at a time -in one place. At last he became such a nuisance that old Hassib Bey, a -most courtly old Turkish gentleman, who was the head of the hospital, -sent for me, and asked me what on earth they were to do with this -compatriot of mine. I suggested that he should be quartered in the -military hospital, where he would have fewer opportunities of being a -nuisance, and my suggestion, which was adopted, speedily brought matters -to a crisis. - -One night, when Dr. Black had retired to rest in the military hospital, -drunk as usual, a number of mischievous jarra bashis, dispensers and -dressers, began to tease him by hammering at his door and making -offensive remarks to him. He yelled out to them in English that if they -did not desist he would bring out the inevitable revolver; but they -could not tear themselves away from the fascinating sport of baiting a -boozer; and suddenly, as they were gathered outside in the passage -whistling, cat-calling, and shouting out uncomplimentary epithets, the -door opened, and Dr. Black appeared in his night-shirt, revolver in -hand. There was a frightened stampede down the passage, and as they fled -Black emptied the revolver at random at his assailants. A piercing -shriek told that one of the bullets at any rate had gone home, and -presently the whole hospital was in an uproar, as a little Italian -dresser staggered into the house surgeon's room declaring that he was -murdered. A hasty examination, however, showed that the bullet had -entered a portion of the anatomy where it could do little harm, namely, -the fleshy tissues adjacent to the base of the spine, and no attempt was -made to extract it. Probably that little Italian dresser carries the -bullet about in his back still as a souvenir of campaigning days in -Widdin. - -When Dr. Black put his head out of his door next morning, he found a -couple of soldiers stationed there waiting to arrest him; so he -retreated inside the room again, and devised a plan of escape. The -window of the room looked out over a courtyard about fourteen feet -below; and as there was a thick layer of snow in the yard, Black decided -to escape that way. He knotted his blanket into a rope, and dropped -into the yard--also into the arms of the sentry stationed below. He was -brought before old Hassib Bey, who sent for me; and I sent for Jack the -mill engineer to act as interpreter. Finally Hassib Bey decided that it -would be no good to put Black in gaol, and to my intense delight he -resolved to send him away out of Widdin altogether. He treated my -discreditable compatriot most generously, for he had him placed on board -one of the large river steamers which plied once a week from Widdin up -as far as Belgrade, and sent him away scot-free after his escapade, and -with _£_10 in his pocket to carry him out of Turkish territory as soon -as possible. I thanked Hassib Bey for his forbearance, and to my great -joy I never saw Dr. Black again. - -When my regiment was sent out of the fortress to the encampment, I was -detailed for hospital duty, and took up my quarters at a small -fifth-rate Bulgarian hotel on the banks of the Danube. The principal -diversion was to go on board the big passenger steamers, and hear the -news of the outside world and what people were saying of us in England. -I met a charming Frenchman on board one of them, a highly cultured and -agreeable military man, named Captain Bouchon, who was going down to -Rustchuk. However, I persuaded him to stop with me for a week, and his -society gave me the greatest pleasure. - -The first war correspondent whom I met in Widdin was a man named -Fitzgerald, who came out as the representative of the London _Standard_. -He was a fine fellow, and had seen service in the British army. It was -the month of April when he arrived, among the first of the petrels who -presaged the coming storm; and about the same time there came two -battalions of Egyptian troops under Prince Hassan, the Khedive's second -son. These made a strong reinforcement for the large body of troops -already in Widdin. One day Fitzgerald came to me, and said that he was -going away up the river for a few days. He asked me to look after his -correspondence, and to send any items of news worth telegraphing to the -_Standard_. He took the boat, and went away leaving me in charge, and I -have never seen him from that day to this. I took up his work, and sent -several messages during the campaign which followed to the _Standard_, -spending a considerable sum of money out of my own pocket upon -telegraphing. Afterwards, when I got down to Constantinople and -explained matters to Mr. Frank Ives Scudamore, a well known personality -there, he refunded me the money. - -When the Egyptian troops arrived, they naturally occasioned a good deal -of stir, and they were keenly criticised by their Turkish allies. For -physique and fighting qualities there could be no comparison between the -two bodies of men, the Turks easily carrying off the palm. Still, the -Egyptians were by no means to be despised. Their officers were highly -trained and intelligent, and the equipment of the troops was new and -good, far superior, in fact, to that of the Turkish soldiers. Moreover, -the Egyptian force brought with it an excellent band of brass and -strings, which proved a perfect god-send, as we had no band among all -the Turkish forces, and the bugles were not particularly agreeable to -listen to. The Egyptians afterwards behaved well in action, and many of -them fought at the defence of Widdin under Izzet Pasha, who successfully -beat off the repeated assaults of the Roumanians and the Servians, and -preserved the town intact. - -Among the many interesting men who were gathered together in Widdin -during this period of waiting and watching was a singularly attractive -and talented Armenian named Zara Dilber Effendi, who was a resident of -the place and the chairman of the local chamber of commerce. He had been -brought up in Germany, and spoke every European language with equal -fluency. I became very intimate with him, and was a frequent visitor at -his house, finding him thoroughly well informed and an intimate friend -of Osman Pasha. In fact, Zara Dilber Effendi and Osman Effendi, a -Turkish doctor who had been educated in Paris, and who was the best -surgeon that I came in contact with during the whole of the campaign, -were my constant companions during my stay in Widdin, as my medical -_confrères_, with the exception of two or three, had few tastes and no -ideas in common with me. Dr. Kronberg and Dr. Busch, however, both -capital fellows and married men, were sociable enough; and I have always -attributed to the promptings of Madame Kronberg and Madame Busch a -brilliant social idea which was developed by Osman Pasha immediately -after the declaration of peace with Servia. - -Civil and military society in the town was convulsed one day by the -announcement that Osman Pasha intended to give a grand ball to celebrate -the cessation of hostilities and in aid of the funds of the military -hospitals. All the arrangements for the ball were left in the hands of -Zara Dilber Effendi on the strength of that gentleman's intimate -knowledge of the highest circles of European society; and as it was -generally understood that Osman Pasha's invitations would be issued on -the recommendation of Zara Dilber Effendi, the feminine world of Widdin -was much fluttered. It leaked out pretty early that no one below the -rank of a field officer would be invited, and we were kept on the tiptoe -of excitement until the eventful night arrived. A fine Bulgarian house -with a large room was taken for the night, and for a whole week -beforehand Zara Dilber Effendi was missing. People said that he made -several mysterious visits into Roumanian territory, bringing back each -time a small army of Roumanian servants and many suggestive cases and -packages. It was rumoured that there were to be chairs at the ball, and -knives and forks. People whispered of a regular set supper, with -European dishes and champagne. But Zara Dilber Effendi kept his own -counsel, and went on his way, wrapped in impenetrable Oriental secrecy. -As for myself, having received my invitation, I bought a brand new -uniform, wondering a good deal where the ladies were to come from, and -how the Turks would enjoy a ball carried out according to Western ideas. -My invitation bore Osman Pasha's signature, and I sent this interesting -souvenir out to my father in Australia afterwards. - -When I entered the ballroom on that memorable night, I was fairly -staggered. The room had been beautifully decorated by the Turkish and -Egyptian troops with festoons of flags and picturesque devices composed -of swords, rifles, revolvers, and arms of every kind. Upon a raised -daïs, at the end of the room, stood Osman Pasha in full-dress uniform, -supported on either side by Madames Kronberg and Busch beautifully -dressed. He received the guests with courtly politeness, shaking hands -with each as they came up; and as the long line of brilliant uniforms -sparkling with decorations, and of beautiful women dressed with -exquisite taste, filed past in front of him, it was difficult to realize -that one was not assisting at some great State ball in London or Paris, -but at a function in a small Bulgarian frontier town lying almost under -the guns of an avowedly hostile force. - -A wide divan ran round the room, and on this the Turkish officers sat -cross-legged, observing the proceedings with grave interest. The Turk is -quite used to paying people to dance for his amusement, but he would -never dream of dancing himself. I watched one dignified old Turkish -colonel striving hard to maintain that decorous impassivity which a few -of the ballroom exquisites of the Western world seem to have borrowed -from the East; but every now and then, as some audacious young Giaour -like myself glided past clasping a vision of beauty all silk and lace -and pearls and flowers in his arms, I saw the old Turk's eyes open wider -and wider in spite of himself. Zara Dilber Effendi had performed his -share of the work well, for he had collected about sixty of the most -cultured, refined, and beautiful women that I have ever seen together in -a ballroom. There were a few Bulgarian ladies of the highest class; but -the majority were Spanish Jewesses from seventeen to twenty years of -age, with the rich colouring, the dark hair, and liquid eyes of all -their race, or stately Roumanians, statuesque in type. There was a -liberal sprinkling of Levantines, Italians, Greeks, and possibly two or -three Servians; but though they differed in race, they were alike in one -particular, for all were beautiful and refined. These ladies, I must -admit, were little short of a revelation to me, for I had only seen a -few thickly veiled Turkish women in the town hitherto; but Zara Dilber -Effendi was evidently a person of some note in Widdin, and the -invitations had been sent out to none but the ladies of the most -aristocratic families in the country. - -I was the only Englishman present at that remarkable ball; and I suppose -it is not often that an Englishman finds himself assisting at an -entertainment of such half-barbaric splendour, and held under such -dramatic circumstances. Every man in the room knew that the commencement -of a fierce campaign was only a question of weeks, perhaps days; and we -snatched the enjoyment of the hour as gaily as did the guests at the -Duchess of Richmond's famous ball in Brussels on the eve of Waterloo. -Indeed the parallel between Osman Pasha's ball and the historic ball at -Brussels which Byron has celebrated was a very real one. In both cases -the dancers were dancing on the edge of a battle-field. In both cases -the existence of an empire hung on the issue of the coming struggle. In -both cases many of the brave men gathered there amid the music and the -flowers and under the flags and lamplight were soon to be lying out upon -the blood-soaked plain, cold and deserted--the _débris_ of a dreadful -festival. We had no "Brunswick's fated chieftain" there that evening; -but the courtly old Turkish colonel who sat up cross-legged on the -divan, and watched me so intensely while I danced, makes in my eyes a -far more vivid picture. I saw him afterwards, again in a sitting -posture, outside a redoubt near Radishevo, when the tide of battle had -ebbed back, only to flow again in fiercer volume. His head had fallen -forward on his knees, and when I touched him I found that he was -dead--cut almost in two by a Russian shell. - -However, the shadow of the impending war only served to throw the -brightness of the ball into stronger relief, and I gave myself up to the -business of pleasure with all the ardour of two and twenty. There were -only about a dozen of us, mostly members of the medical staff, who were -dancing men, and we were consequently kept busy. I generally divided one -waltz into three parts; and as the other men followed my lead, we were -able to give all the ladies a turn occasionally, and there were no -wall-flowers. A big ambulance tent had been pitched in the garden to -serve as a supper-room, and we paid for the refreshments as we had them, -the money going to the hospital fund. I used to take my partners out -after every dance, and the champagne corks were flying almost as thickly -as the bullets later on. I recollect that I spent just £9 on suppers and -refreshments during the evening. A man is not inclined to be economical -when he knows that before long he may have no mouth to put champagne in -and no head left to get dizzy with it. Zara Dilber Effendi had got in a -splendid supper from Crajova in Roumania, where he also obtained the -favours for the cotillion which was danced in perfect style under the -direction of the experienced Madame Kronberg and Madame Busch. - -Among my partners that night were three very charming sisters, who had -been born in Roumania, but whose father was a Greek. They spoke German -very well, and consequently I danced more often with them than with the -other ladies, with whom I found greater difficulty in conversing. The -sisters were good enough to take quite an interest in me, and they -invited me to call at their house during the week, following up their -verbal invitation with a note next day. At the end of a sheet of dainty -little handwriting on scented notepaper was a remarkable postscript (I -find that ladies generally put the most important part of their -communications into the postscript) setting forth that their grandfather -had a rooted aversion to all Englishmen, myself in particular, and that -he would certainly shoot me if he found me calling on his -granddaughters. In campaigning times one is not discouraged by trifles, -and soon after the ball I called upon my three charming partners, who -entertained me with coffee and music at their beautiful home. Suddenly a -step was heard on the stairs, and the eldest of the sisters with a -blanched face whispered that it was their grandfather, and bade me fly -at once. I dropped from the window into the lane below, and as I did so -the irascible old Greek opened fire on me with a blunderbuss. -Fortunately for me his anger had affected his aim, and I escaped -unscathed. A few years more or less make little difference in national -proclivities. Old Lambro, the Greek pirate who attacked Don Juan, is -said by Byron to have been "the mildest-mannered man that ever scuttled -ship or cut a throat"; and the grandfather of my fair partners seemed to -have inherited something of the same temperament with a certain -difference. - -In April of the year 1877 we began to realize fully that war was -imminent, and the Turkish commanders set to work to prepare their troops -for a stern and fierce fight. Every day almost the small, flat-bottomed, -single-masted boats that plied up and down the Danube kept arriving with -cargoes of flour and maize for victualling the town, and also with -reinforcements of fresh troops, who were packed on board as close as -eggs in a basket. Most of the reinforcements were quartered in the large -camp, which was pitched about two miles and a half out of Widdin towards -the Servian border; and when all had arrived, we found about thirty-five -battalions of infantry there, with several batteries of artillery and -squadrons of cavalry, the whole making up an imposing _corps d'armée_. -As the camp increased in proportions, it was found that more surgeons -were required, and I received orders to give up my hospital work in the -fortress and report myself for duty at the camp. I was appointed one of -the ambulance surgeons, and rejoined my old regiment, the Kyrchehir, -which had been sent out from the fortress. The camp was situated on a -long, green slope of rising ground, several miles in length; and here -the long lines of bell tents were pitched, among them the tent of my old -comrade the paymaster, with whom I once more foregathered. - -About half a mile from the camp was a large marsh or swamp, where great -white arum lilies grew, with jonquils, narcissus, and the different -kinds of iris, in magnificent profusion, as well as millions of the tiny -white snowflakes. I had a trench dug outside my tent, and once a week -our two servants, the paymaster's and my own, went down to the swamp, -and brought back barrowfuls of flowers, which I planted in the trench. -Here too the orderlies made me a great seat of turf, and every morning -from six o'clock till half-past nine I sat there among the flowers to -receive my patients, who used to come up from the different battalions -to have their various ailments treated. Epsom salts formed a sovereign -remedy for most of the trifling sicknesses, and my method of giving the -physic was extremely primitive. As I sat on my throne of turf, I had a -sackful of Epsom salts beside me, together with a bucket of water and a -pannikin; so that when the patient had swallowed a handful of the salts -I presented him with a pannikin of water, and he washed the nauseous -mouthful down. The men never complained, and accepted these simple -ministrations with exemplary _sang-froid_. - -As a rule the Turks have excellent teeth; but in such a large assemblage -of men there were of course many exceptions, and I had a good deal of -tooth-drawing to do. Some of those Mussulman molars were dreadfully -obstinate, and resisted every effort of the Giaour with fanatical -determination. One man with a huge aching grinder in his upper jaw came -to me three mornings in succession, for with the simple appliances at my -disposal I was unable to extract it in one sitting. At last I made him -sit down on the ground in front of me, and, grasping the forceps in my -right hand, I braced my feet against the pit of his stomach, and put -forth every effort. There was a crunching, grinding noise, a sound of -breaking and rending, then a "plop" as when a recalcitrant cork comes -out of a bottle of pale ale, and I was lying on my back in the trench -among the arum lilies, with the forceps and the molar in my hand at -last. As for the Turk, he spat the blood out of his mouth, piously -remarked that Allah was very good, and went back to his company. - -If any of my patients were seriously ill, or showed symptoms of malarial -fever or dysentery, which was very prevalent, I had them placed in -arabas, and sent back to the hospital in Widdin. Then, when my work of -inspection was over, which was usually the case by about nine o'clock, -the rest of the day was my own, and I spent it in improving my knowledge -of Turkish and consuming large quantities of coffee and cigarettes with -my brother officers. Every day the camp was in a state of great -activity, with never ending drills and ceaseless inspections by the -commandants, who spared no pains to see that everything was ready before -the expected outbreak. The discipline throughout the camp was admirable, -and the men were in excellent good humour. - -Nearly every day I used to ride into Widdin to hear the news, and return -to camp in the evening, generally reaching it before sunset. Only life -in a Turkish camp can enable one to realize how deeply the Turks feel -their religion, and how diligent they are in the practice of their -devotions. No dour old Covenanter with a verse of a psalm on his lips -ever flung himself with more dogged courage on the pikes of Graham of -Claverhouse, than did those Turks charge down upon the Russian steel a -few months later, with the cry of "Allah" upon their lips and the -assurance of paradise in their heroic hearts. Perhaps the best -qualification for a good soldier is to be a fanatic--as the next best is -to be an infidel. After "Praise-God-Barebones," the most striking figure -in a _mêlée_ is Sergeant Bothwell, who died "believing nothing, hoping -nothing, fearing nothing." Every evening at the camp near Widdin the men -were formed up in long, double lines just before sundown; and as the sun -sank below the horizon the cry of "La ilaha illallah Mohammed Rasul -Allah" started at one end of the lines, and was taken up by man after -man, dying away in the distance _diminuendo_, and travelling back again -_crescendo_, until it reached the starting-point in a mighty shout of -religious fervour. The effect resembled nothing so much as a _feu de -joie_ of musketry, delivered with the precision and clearness attainable -only by the daily practice of a lifetime. - -When the men were dismissed from this mighty church parade, they would -scamper off like so many schoolboys, and indulge in all kinds of games -with the keen joy of living, and the unblunted faculties of sensation -which are seldom found in the alcohol-drinkers of other nations. -Wrestling was a favourite pastime with the men; and it was no uncommon -sight to see five thousand spectators gathered in a huge ring, in the -centre of which picked competitors, stripped to the waist, engaged each -other in a catch-as-catch-can struggle. Hassan Labri Pasha, one of the -principal officers in the camp, was an enthusiast in the sport of -wrestling, and used to get up great tournaments in which the men -wrestled each other for prizes of tobacco and other inexpensive little -luxuries. - -After three weeks of this life in camp, I was ordered back to Widdin -again, and took up my quarters at the little Bulgarian hotel on the bank -of the Danube where I had been before. Things were looking very serious -at this time; and though war was not actually declared by Russia until -April 24, 1877, still it was quite certain long before this date that -Roumania would espouse the Russian cause; and when the Russian army -which had been quartered on the Pruth entered Roumanian territory, the -Government of the Porte communicated with the Roumanian Government, -intimating that they construed the act of Roumania in allowing Russian -troops to cross her frontier as an act of hostility towards Turkey. - -About a week before the declaration of war, two Roumanian officers came -down the Danube from Kalafat, and landed at my hotel, where they were -stopped and told that they could go no farther. One of them was a -Captain Giorgione, whom I met and asked to dine with me before he went -back to Kalafat. He accepted my invitation, and after a long and -pleasant conversation about the general situation and the prospects of -war he gave me a cordial invitation to go across the river to Kalafat -and pay him a visit in his quarters. As hostilities were expected to -break out at any moment, no one was allowed to cross the Danube from our -side without a special permit from Osman Pasha; and as there was no -probability that he would grant me the necessary permission, I -determined to make the trip on my own account. Possibly this was an -indiscretion on my part; but indiscretions are apt to be the most -enjoyable things in life, and I was getting tired of the humdrum routine -of the camp. I had my English passport with me, which ensured my safe -conduct until the actual declaration of hostilities; and armed with this -precious document, I got one of my colleagues to act as _locum tenens_ -during my temporary absence from my practice, and hired a boat and a -crew of boatmen to take me over the river, which at this point is nearly -a mile wide, and flows with a current of extraordinary velocity. I -dressed myself in a suit of mufti, but had no hat, and must have -presented rather a piebald appearance with a Turkish fez surmounting a -suit of English tweed. The Roumanian customs officers stared at me -pretty hard, but they franked me through on my English passport, and I -went into Kalafat, leaving my boatmen on the Roumanian side of the river -to bring me back the same night. - -I strolled into a café in Kalafat, which was then a town of about three -thousand people; and the experience of living again in the European -fashion, eating at a table, sitting on a chair, and seeing men in -ordinary coats and trousers and hard black hats, struck me with all the -charm of the unexpected. I felt the sensation of a Robinson Crusoe -transplanted suddenly from his desert island and set down in the Hôtel -Bristol. - -Almost the first person that I met after I had finished breakfast was my -friend Captain Giorgione, who expressed his delight at seeing me, and -took me off at once to introduce me to the general commanding the -division, after which I went to the captain's quarters in a house in the -town. Most of the ordinary residents of Kalafat had already left the -place, fearing that the bombardment of the town by the Widdin batteries -was imminent, and the houses were filled with Roumanian officers and -men. I lunched with Captain Giorgione and his brother officers, many of -whom spoke German, and evinced a capacity for hearing news which was -hardly disinterested. However, they were excessively polite, and in the -afternoon we strolled on the promenade, and listened to the strains of -an excellent military band. - -As evening drew in my conscience began to trouble me, and I had the -qualms of a schoolboy who has broken bounds, thinking of Osman Pasha and -the remarks that he would be likely to make if he found out where I was. -However, my newly found friends would not hear of my leaving them that -day, and insisted upon my staying to dinner, at which I was given the -seat of honour next to the general. What a capital dinner that was! -Perhaps I enjoyed it all the more from the little circumstance that -Osman Pasha might have me shot as soon as I got back. The Roumanian band -played English airs in my honour, and the officers kept my glass always -filled with Pommery. By the time we had reached the walnuts I found -myself developing a surprising talent for mendacity, and the more -questions that my polite hosts asked me the more astonishing grew my -answering taradiddles. Of course they tried to pump me as to the number -and disposition of the Turkish troops, and of course, guileless youth -that I was, I lied wholesale. Even when I had put down the troops in -Widdin at a hundred thousand men and expanded the artillery to four -hundred guns, I was almost as astonished at my own moderation as they -were at the magnitude of the force which Turkey had already mobilized in -Widdin. One of the Roumanian surgeons who was at that dinner was green -with envy when he discovered that I ranked as a major in the Turkish -army while he was graded as a lieutenant. We had a very merry night of -it, and I hope that all the fibs I told will not be remembered against -me. Then at daybreak I made my way to the river, found my boatmen, and -was back by six o'clock at my hotel with no one a bit the wiser for my -escapade. - -I met some interesting men at Widdin just before the war, notably a -splendid young fellow named Frank Power--who, by the way, was a nephew -of the late Sir Peter Lalor, once speaker of the Victorian Legislative -Assembly, and long ago a picturesque figure in the fight at the Eureka -Stockade near Ballarat. Frank Power was a young Irishman, who had joined -the Austrian military service, but afterwards was sent up to Widdin to -act as war correspondent for the London _Daily Telegraph_. He lived with -me; and I found him a most delightful companion, full of romance, and -generously endowed with the love of adventure, and the enthusiasm, fire, -and wit which are characteristic of the best Irishmen. He was a splendid -rider and keen all-round sportsman, had read widely if not deeply, and -with the mercurial temperament of the adventurer he combined more than a -trace of the artist nature. He had the happiest knack of producing -charming sketches in black-and-white or water-colours of bits of -picturesque Bulgarian peasant life, groups of Turkish soldiery, or -glimpses of the iris-spangled country that was soon to be coloured in a -deeper dye. Poor Power was almost heart-broken when they sent up -Nicholas Leader from Constantinople to replace him as the correspondent -of the _Daily Telegraph_. He returned to Vienna, and thence to Dublin, -where he resumed his old journalistic life for a time. But to such a man -as Power a life of comparative inactivity was impossible; and when the -troubles broke out in the Soudan, he soon found his way over there, and -eventually reached Khartoum, where General Gordon appointed him British -consul. Shortly before the fall of Khartoum, Gordon sent him down the -Nile in a steamer with Colonel Stewart and an Arab escort to take -despatches to the force advancing to the relief of Khartoum. However, -before the steamer had got far the smouldering fires of disaffection -among the natives on board broke into flame, and they succeeded in -running the steamer aground. Lured by the friendly demonstrations of the -Arabs on the shore, Colonel Stewart and Frank Power went ashore with -their escort while efforts were being made to lighten the steamer and -float her off again. The full details of what followed will never be -known with certainty; but news of a massacre reached the British column -eventually, and the bearers of the despatches were among the missing. -Those who are familiar with Dervish methods may picture for themselves -the sudden rush of bloodthirsty fanatics, the desperate hand-to-hand -combat, and the deaths of Colonel Stewart and of my gallant young -comrade when they fell pierced by Arab lances on the scorched and -dreadful desert that lies along the banks of the Nile from Wady Halfa to -Khartoum. - -Nicholas Leader, who was sent up from Constantinople to take Frank -Power's place in Widdin, had already had an adventurous career, and had -smelt powder in many lands. After seeing service with the British troops -in Canada, he resigned on the declaration of war by France upon Germany -in 1870, and took service with the French arms. He was attached to the -ill fated army of Bourbaki, and was interned with other prisoners of war -in Switzerland. Afterwards, when the Carlist insurrection broke out in -Spain, he joined the standard of Don Carlos, and took part in the fierce -guerilla warfare which the Carlists waged against the Spanish -Government. The war correspondents of those fighting days in Spain were -as dare-devil a crew as ever lived; and Leader described to me with many -a laugh the circumstances under which he first met Edmund O'Donovan, -another Irishman, as gay and reckless as himself. Leader was in command -of a small fort in the north of Spain during the height of the -insurrection, when one day he espied a strange figure clad in a long, -dilapidated overcoat approaching the walls. The Spanish sentries yelled -to the suspicious visitor to halt; and as he took no notice of them, -they fired on him, and the bullets kicked up the dust all round the -stranger. The only result, however, was that he increased his pace, and -came on at the double until he reached the walls off the fort amid a -rain of bullets. "Cease firing, ye blackguards!" he shouted in the -simple dialect of Southern Cork. "I'm Edmund O'Donovan, and how the -blazes can I get in unless you open the gate!" Leader was summoned to -interpret the strange language of the foreigner, and he let him in. Thus -it was that Edmund O'Donovan, who was attached to the Government troops, -walked alone into the enemy's fortress. - -Nicholas Leader, after all his wanderings, found a grave in Turkish -soil; for after a few weeks in Widdin, he joined the army of Suleiman -Pasha at the Shipka Pass, and died there of fever. - -About the time that Leader left Widdin the town was in a state of -suppressed excitement, for every one knew that the declaration of war -was imminent, and the slightest incident was sufficient to cause a -demonstration. - -Once I went with two others by boat to a small island on the Danube, -where there were numbers of wild duck. We got to work upon them in -great style, and soon had a full bag; but when we were in the middle of -the fun, half a squadron of Roumanian cavalry came galloping down to the -opposite bank to see what the firing was about. It would not have taken -much at that moment to provoke a conflict. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. -FROM WIDDIN TO PLEVNA. - - Declaration of War with Russia--An Ominous Silence--The First - Shot--An Interrupted Luncheon--Under Fire at last--Disappearance - of the Inhabitants--A Move Underground--Running the - Gauntlet--Blowing up a Gunboat--Our Hospital shelled--Killing - the Wounded--Operations under Fire--A Terrible Coincidence--How - a Turkish Mother died--Some Marvellous Escapes--Circassians on a - Raiding Expedition--Cattle-lifting on a Grand Scale--A Long - Bombardment--Insignificant Losses--Osman Pasha in the - Batteries--Rewarding a Good Shot--Circassian Peccadilloes--Osman - Pasha's Plans--He is baffled by Red Tape--A Fatal - Delay--Good-bye to the Kyrchehir--Marching out from Widdin--A - Picturesque Bivouac--False Alarms--A Forced March--How the - Russian Army was placed--Fall of Nicopolis--A Race to the - Balkans--Sleeping in a Tomb--Pushing on to Plevna--A Terrible - Night--Lost in the Bush--Many Cases of Sunstroke--Goose for - Dinner--I flesh my Maiden Sword--A Record March--We cross the - Vid at last--Arrival at Plevna. - - -Although we knew that war was coming, still the actual declaration fell -with the suddenness of a bombshell. On April 25 I had done my hospital -work, and was walking down the street, when I noticed a great commotion, -and saw groups of people talking excitedly together and orderlies -galloping about in all directions. Presently Tallat Bey, a nephew of -Osman Pasha and one of the headquarters staff, came cantering down the -street. I stopped him to ask what all the excitement was about, and he -told me that war had been declared by Russia on the previous day. A -regular hum pervaded Widdin all that day, as the people repeated to one -another the ominous news that Turkey would have to fight once more for -her very life. We had been arranging all our ambulance work beforehand; -and old Hassib Bey undertook, in compliance with my request, that I -should be attached to the first troops that took the field. - -But strangely enough, though war had been declared, and though we could -see the Roumanian troops busily engaged in completing the fortification -of Kalafat, several days went by without a shot being fired from either -the Widdin or Kalafat batteries, and we were left looking at each other -in grim expectation and suspense. - -I remember well the first time that I ever heard a shot fired in war. I -was sitting in my little Bulgarian hotel on the bank of the river with -Colonel Stracey, who afterwards commanded the Scots Guards. He had been -inspecting the Russian army at Kischeneff, and between the time that he -left them and his arrival at Widdin war was declared. When he came to -the hotel where I was staying, I was delighted to see him, since he was -the first Englishman, apart from the war correspondents, the notorious -Dr. Black, and my friend Jack, the engineer of the Government mill, whom -I had met in the town. We were having lunch together, when we heard a -loud "boom" apparently close at hand, followed almost immediately by the -distant roar of a heavy gun; and before we could realize what was -happening, a shell struck the end of the hotel and crashed through two -rooms, bringing bricks and plaster down in all directions with clouds of -dust. The bombardment from Kalafat had begun at last, provoked by a shot -from a Turkish gunboat on the river; and within a few minutes the shells -were shrieking over us, the women were screaming, and valorous old Turks -were running out of their houses armed with rusty flintlocks or anything -in the shape of a weapon that they could get hold of. Now and then a -shell came crashing into the hotel; and as it stood in an isolated -position on the bank of the river affording a capital target for the -enemy's fire, it soon became too hot a corner to remain in. So it was -shut up, and Stracey and I, both of whom were then under fire for the -first time, moved farther back into the town, where I had secured a -house for myself on the previous day in anticipation of some such -trouble. The firing went on for about three hours, and all the women in -the town were of course terribly frightened, and were rushing about -shrieking and weeping, not knowing what to do. It was curious to see -the behaviour of the different nationalities in the hour of danger. Most -of the Spanish women gathered together under the walls of the fortress, -where they erected a roof of mats with the fortress wall as a support. -Here they were perfectly safe from the Roumanian shells, which either -struck the wall on the outside or else passed over it, dropping much -farther in the natural course of their trajectory. The Turkish women -huddled together in two large alcoves in the wall of the archway leading -into the fortress, refuges which were almost like dungeons hewn out of -the solid masonry, and which were absolutely safe from projectiles. When -the firing was over I went to the hospital, and found that four or five -people had been wounded. A Spanish boy had lost his arm, and a Turkish -woman had been killed by a shell bursting in her room. One unpleasant -result of the bombardment was that Stracey and I had nothing to eat all -night, as all the butchers and bakers in Widdin were down in their -cellars, and no amount of money would induce them to come out. They put -their heads above-ground next day, cautiously emerging like rabbits from -their burrows, but always went back at night. - -That evening when I was dozing off to sleep there was a terrific crash -of artillery, the vibration of the firing breaking every window of the -house; and as it was quickly replied to by the batteries of Kalafat, I -jumped into my clothes, and rushed out to find the cause of this sudden -eruption of hostilities. It was plain enough. A Roumanian vessel loaded -with troops was running the gauntlet down the river in front of Widdin; -and as she steamed past in the night on the far side of the long island -opposite the town, the smoke of her funnel betrayed her, and the -earth-shaking roar of the forty heavy siege-guns in the Widdin batteries -told that the attempt was discovered. Only the vessel's smoke-stack -could be seen over the island by the sparks flying upwards in the dark, -and through this phantasmal target the big shells hissed and shrieked in -vain, bursting in mid-air and burying the fragments in Roumanian soil -across the river. The batteries at Kalafat took up the tale at once, and -for a few hours we had a lively time of it. It was the adverse fortune -of war for the Roumanian vessel; for after she had dodged the storm of -shells from our siege-guns and got safely out of range, she was blown up -by a Turkish monitor lower down the river, and every soul on board -perished. - -On June 1 I was detailed for duty in the main hospital, which was just -then receiving an unusual amount of attention from the Kalafat -batteries. Unfortunately for the wounded, this hospital was situated a -few hundred yards from one of our batteries; and while the Roumanians -were finding the range for this battery, a good number of their shells, -which had too much elevation, dropped on the hospital and on the -surrounding houses. I was sitting in my room in the hospital one day -when a shell burst with an awful crash in the middle of a ward full of -sick and wounded men. It struck the lattice of a window, and at once -exploded. When I rushed in, the ward was full of dust and smoke, out of -which came terrible screams and cries. Four of the patients had been -killed on the spot, and seven others had been wounded. One man, who was -delirious from malarial fever, had his side ripped open from hip to -shoulder by a fragment of the shell. He was still alive, but wildly -delirious. Another had his arm fearfully mangled, and I took it off at -the shoulder there and then. The only nurses that I had were the men -supplied by the different regiments for hospital duty. One of them, a -stalwart private from my old regiment the Kyrchehir, was among the four -who were killed by the shell. A great outcry was made outside Turkey -about the Roumanians violating the Convention of Geneva and the -principles of humanity by firing on the hospital; but my own opinion is -that they could not avoid hitting it in the position which it occupied, -and that it should never have been placed there at all. - -One strange and grim incident happened during the bombardment, and, to -the Turkish mind especially, seemed to illustrate the doctrine of -fatalism with appalling vividness. In the height of the firing, when the -shells from the heavy siege-guns at Kalafat were dropping incessantly -within the fortress, one of them, as it exploded, tore a great hole in -the ground large enough to contain a horse. A Turkish woman, who was -cowering with three children under the shadow of the wall, determined to -take refuge in the newly made hole, reckoning by the doctrine of chances -that it was about the least likely spot to be again disturbed. Hardly -had she crept in and drawn the three children after her than another -shell, leaving the cannon's mouth at Kalafat nearly two miles away, -dropped into the very same hole and blew the four hapless creatures who -were hiding there to atoms. On another occasion I saw a shell strike the -angle of a house, tear two walls down, and reduce one half of a room to -ruins. In the other half of the room were a Turkish woman and two -children, all of whom escaped unhurt. - -As soon as the war had fairly started and the troops had smelt blood, -the Circassians began to display the wild courage and the love of -pillage inbred in them in the mountain fastnesses, which they only left -to become the troublesome members of the Turkish Empire that they -generally turned out to be. Of their bravery and resourcefulness there -could be no question; but their rapacity was inextinguishable, and no -one who did not wear a uniform was safe from them. Soon after the -commencement of the bombardment, a party of about fifty Circassians -organized a private raid on their own account into Roumanian territory, -and carried it out with extraordinary dash and brilliancy. One dark -night, when the flash of the guns at Kalafat and the answering stream of -fire from the Widdin batteries illuminated the blackness with fitful -gleams of light, the Circassians crossed the Danube in boats, towing -their horses behind them by ropes. They had made ingenious lifebelts for -the horses out of the inflated pigskins which were used as wine casks in -the country, and thus equipped each hardy little animal swam easily -behind the boats and crossed the river without mishap. When the -Circassians reached the opposite bank, they removed these novel -lifebelts, mounted their horses, shot a couple of Roumanian sentries, -and galloped off in the darkness with the instinctive knowledge of the -whereabouts of plunder that is born in the blood of hereditary -cattle-stealers. Before long they had rounded up a goodly mob of the -small black cattle of Roumania, and had them headed for the Danube. The -Circassian is an expert stockman, and for the party to bring four -hundred cattle down to the river was an easy task while the Kalafat -gunners, blissfully unconscious of the _coup_ that was being executed -under their noses, kept pounding away at the Widdin fortifications. To -bring a mob of cattle across a river nearly a mile wide and with a -current of great velocity would need some skill in daylight; but to -bring them across in pitch darkness, and under the guns of the enemy, -was a feat which few but Circassians could accomplish. Those black -cattle, however, that are found along the banks of the Danube are almost -amphibious, and they take to the water like dogs. As soon as the front -files had taken to the water the others followed them readily, and the -Circassians followed in the boats, rounding up the stragglers with their -whips, and towing their horses, re-equipped with the pigskin lifebelts, -behind them. So in darkness and rain, across the hurrying flood of the -Danube they brought four hundred head of Roumanian cattle, and left -behind them two dead sentries lying with their faces turned towards the -sky. - -All that May the bombardment of Widdin was continued at irregular -intervals; but there were occasionally several successive days on which -there was no firing, and at these times life in Widdin was inconceivably -dull. While these voluntary armistices were in progress, we could see -the Roumanians hard at work constructing new batteries, which made the -Turkish troops in Widdin chafe at their enforced inactivity. - -Owing to the conditions under which the bombardment took place and the -strong fortifications of Widdin, the Turkish loss in killed and wounded -was remarkably small; for on June 27, after several weeks of -intermittent firing, we only had about twelve killed and twenty wounded. - -The Roumanian gunners seemed to have great difficulty in finding the -range; for on June 26, when I was sitting on the verandah of the -Austro-Hungarian Consulate, all the Roumanian batteries, six in number, -opened fire apparently on the consulate, though it was said afterwards -that their target was a Turkish monitor lying a little farther down the -river. The first two shells flew over the consulate, the next exploded -in the adjoining house, and the next fell into the river about twenty -yards from where we were sitting. Despairing, it seemed, of hitting the -consulate, my quondam entertainers, with whom I had dined not so long -before, directed their efforts upon the fortress, but without doing any -serious damage. On the following morning they commenced operations at -seven o'clock, and from that hour until three o'clock in the afternoon -the screaming of the shells was incessant. This was decidedly the -biggest day that we had had, and the Turkish batteries responded very -vigorously. Osman Pasha took the keenest interest in the artillery -practice, and remained in one of our largest batteries for the greater -part of the day. While there he told one of the gunners to direct his -fire upon a certain battery. The gunner fired three times, and on each -occasion he dropped the shell right into the Roumanian battery. Osman -Pasha was so delighted that he embraced the man, and made him a sergeant -on the spot. - -In spite of the stunning noise of the projectiles, many of which weighed -sixty pounds apiece, one soon got used to the cannonading; and while the -bombardment was going on, I often sat on the battlements with my legs -dangling over the side, and watched the Roumanian gunners at their work. - -Our friends the Circassians, whenever they found time hanging heavy on -their hands, were in the habit of relieving the monotony by private -forays across the river, during which they made things very unpleasant -for the Roumanian outposts. Osman Pasha himself admitted that he could -put no reliance upon the Circassians. In his treatise on the campaign, -he sums up this branch of his troops in one fitting sentence: "En -résumé, leur concours fut plus invisible qu'utile." At the same time he -points out that the savage excesses of the Circassians were equalled, if -not surpassed, by the exploits both of the Cossacks and the Bulgarians, -who never allowed an opportunity of massacre or pillage to escape them. -At the same time, while admitting the excesses of the Circassians, he is -careful to point out that the regular Ottoman troops were kept in a -thorough state of discipline by their officers. "We can affirm," he -declares, "that the Turkish regulars never committed an act similar to -the massacre of the defenders of Lovtcha, nor to the inhuman treatment -of which the Turkish prisoners were the victims after the fall of -Plevna." - -It may not be out of place here to give a brief sketch of the plan of -campaign which Osman Pasha submitted to the commander-in-chief, Abdul -Kerim Pasha, about the end of June, and which, had it been adopted, -would probably have changed the whole issue of the war. From the -official records, since collated under the Muchir's personal -supervision, it appears that Osman Pasha proposed to the -commander-in-chief to leave about twelve battalions of infantry for the -defence of Widdin, and to unite the remainder of the forces at his -disposal, namely, nineteen battalions, so as to make a _corps d'armée_, -at the head of which he (Osman Pasha) should leave Widdin. He would pick -up on the march a few battalions from the garrison of Rahova, make for -Plevna, and there join the division of Hassan Hairi Pasha, who would -quit Nicopolis without waiting for the enemy's attack. Then passing -Lovtcha, the whole column would march upon Tirnova, where Osman Pasha -would effect a junction with the eastern army from Shumla under Mehemet -Ali Pasha, and then with the two combined armies march in the direction -of Sistova. If this junction were prevented by the movements of the -Russian army, Osman Pasha could occupy the position of Lovtcha, which -was better situated than Plevna for the defence of the Balkan Passes. - -However, Osman Pasha could not obtain leave to carry out his plan, and -he even encountered opposition in making the necessary preparations. His -idea was of course to assume the offensive, and hurl the Russians back -upon Wallachia before their reinforcements arrived, instead of being -compelled, as afterwards happened, to act on the defensive at Plevna. - -Afterwards, on July 10, the Sultan gave Osman Pasha a free hand, but it -was then too late; and so it came about that delay at the critical -moment, combined with the incapacity of Redif Pasha, the Turkish -minister of war, who was responsible for the defective organization of -the Ottoman army, its reduced strength, and its lack of proper transport -and commissariat services, operating together, neutralized the brilliant -generalship of Osman Pasha and the devoted courage of the men who fought -under him. - -On the evening of July 12 we heard the news that we were to march next -morning, and every heart beat high at the prospect of an early escape -from the demoralizing inactivity of life in the bombarded town. Among -the troops left in Widdin for garrison duty was my old regiment the -Kyrchehir; and on the evening of July 12, just eight days before the -first battle of Plevna, I rode out to the camp to bid farewell to my old -comrades, from whom I was now to part, for in accordance with my own -request to Hassib Bey I had been appointed to go on duty with the troops -about to take the field. My relations with both the officers and the men -of the Kyrchehir Regiment had been of the most cordial nature ever since -I joined them in Constantinople. They all expressed their regret at the -separation, which, I need hardly say, I felt as keenly as they did. My -leave-taking with my little comrade Mehemet Ali the paymaster, whose -tent-mate I had been, and who had taught me most of the Turkish that I -knew, was specially affecting; and I can say with truth that, as I -cantered back to Widdin that night to take the field against the enemy, -I carried with me the good wishes of all my old comrades. - -On July 13 at five o'clock we marched out of Widdin, bound, as we -afterwards understood, for Nicopolis. Osman Pasha's army consisted of -nineteen battalions of infantry, fifty-eight guns, and one regiment of -cavalry;[1] while Izzet Pasha was left behind with the remainder of the -troops to garrison Widdin. I was attached to the Shumla Regiment, which -had the reputation of being one of the finest fighting regiments in the -Ottoman army; and two other surgeons, Weinberger and Kustler, both -Austrians, accompanied the advance guard with me. We said good-bye to -the others before we started, and we all drank each other's healths, and -wished each other good luck in the unknown struggle that was before us. - - -The men of Osman Pasha's army were all in splendid fettle, and were -looking forward with longing to the time of coming to close quarters -with the enemy. Since the close of the Servian war they had all been -well fed and well clothed, the horses were in tiptop condition, and the -men set out upon the march with a light heart, carrying each his seventy -rounds of ammunition and his accoutrements reduced to the lightest -marching order as if the weight was nothing. We had a baggage train -consisting of waggons full of ammunition; but there was no commissariat -service, and we had to rely for sustenance solely on the great army -biscuits, each as big as a soup-plate, of which every man carried a -supply. Water was obtained from the water-carts, which followed the -column in case streams or wells should fail us _en route_. - -It was the height of summer, and the weather was terribly hot when we -started on the morning of the 13th, the line of march following the -course of the Danube, though at some distance back, this precaution -being adopted for two reasons--first, to conceal our objective from the -enemy and, secondly, to minimize the danger from their guns. - -The Roumanians of course were quickly aware of our departure, and they -followed us with their field-guns on the other side of the river. When -they began to shell us, however, at Vidpol, we diverged from the main -road, and, striking farther back, continued our march without sustaining -a single casualty. At five o'clock in the afternoon the column camped -near the village of Artzar, and I rode into the village on a foraging -expedition to see if I could not supplement the biscuits, which were -very hard fare, and had to be broken with a hatchet and soaked in water -before they could be eaten. - -I managed to buy some _kabobs_, or small pieces of meat fixed on -skewers; and Weinberger, Kustler, and I made a fire, and cooked a modest -supper, which we ate with the best of appetites. We determined to camp -about a mile away from the main body, and tied our horses up to the -branches of a huge walnut tree, while we admired the novel sight of the -bivouac. The column had halted in a wooded valley among the hills and -along the bank of a river; so that the lights of a thousand camp-fires -danced on the quiet water, and the hum and laughter of thirteen -thousand men came to our ears on the soft night breeze that was -whispering through the walnut trees. Gradually one by one the lights -died down; the men, tired with the long and dusty march, wrapped -themselves in their great-coats; and the camp was sunk in slumber. At -about nine o'clock it began to get very cold, and Weinberger, Kustler, -and I decided to shift our quarters, and move in among the main body to -warm ourselves by the smouldering camp-fires. Picking our way gingerly -among the sleeping forms that lay thickly on the bare ground, we came to -a water-cart, to which we tied our horses, and then lay down to sleep. -In the middle of the night there was a tremendous uproar, and I woke -with a start, fancying that the Russians were upon us; but the scare was -groundless. Our horses had pulled over the water-cart, broken their -bridles, and were galloping mad with fright among the sleeping men; -while the cries of the sentries and the curses of the rudely awakened -sleepers speedily put the whole camp into confusion. In the middle of it -all Osman Pasha put in an appearance to see what the noise was about, -and the disturbance ceased as quickly as it began. With a few blessings -from the sentries, we dozed off again to snatch what sleep we could, -knowing that we had a hard day before us on the morrow. - -On the following day the marching was terribly severe, for the heat was -intense, and the distance we had already travelled had told on the men. -About half a dozen fell down from sunstroke, and we had to leave them by -the side of the road on the chance that the arabas bringing up the rear -would pick them up. We came to several small rivers which were not -bridged and had to be forded, while the roughness of the country caused -much trouble to the artillery. In many places the path was so -precipitous that the horses had to be taken out, and the guns pulled up -to the summit by the men with drag-ropes. At four o'clock in the -afternoon the column reached Krivodol; and here Osman Pasha received an -urgent telegraphic message from Said Pasha, the Sultan's private -secretary, instructing him to push on with the utmost possible despatch, -and declaring that the Turkish Empire was then between life and death. - -In order that the fatal consequences of the long delay in Widdin, at a -time when every moment was precious and when every Turkish soldier was -needed on the frontier, may be clearly understood, it is necessary to -take a bird's-eye view of the disposition of the Russian forces and -their plan of campaign during those momentous days in July. - -As the Franco-German war opened with a race to the Rhine, so the -Russo-Turkish war opened with a race to the Balkans, and the Russians -got there first. By July 5, while we were still in Widdin, three Russian -army corps had crossed the Danube at Sistova, with a division of cavalry -and several Cossack regiments. General Gourko, with a strong advanced -guard, including infantry, cavalry, artillery, and mounted pioneers, had -crossed the Balkans by the bridle-path of Hain-Bogan, an exploit -requiring extraordinary efforts, and debouched near Hainkioj on July 14. -Here Gourko's dragoons easily routed a regiment of three hundred -Anatolian Nizams; but a single Turkish regiment properly informed and -properly led could have barred the pass for days. On July 19 the Shipka -Pass was taken, a considerable Turkish force was dispersed, and a panic -was struck at Constantinople. Meanwhile General Krüdener, with the Ninth -Russian Army Corps, left Sistova on July 12, on the 15th invested -Nicopolis, and on the 16th received the surrender of that fortress, upon -which Osman Pasha was then marching. Ahmed Pasha, Hassan Pasha, with -seven thousand men, were made prisoners, and one hundred and thirteen -guns, with a large quantity of miscellaneous stores, fell into the hands -of the Russians. Had Osman Pasha's propositions for an earlier departure -from Widdin been carried out, Nicopolis would probably have been saved -and the course of the campaign entirely changed. It was the news of the -imminent attack on Nicopolis, which was communicated to Osman Pasha -while we were lying in camp at Krivodol, which caused him to break up -the camp after a few hours' rest and push on with that terrible forced -march to Plevna. - -We reached Krivodol at about five o'clock in the afternoon of July 14, -and bivouacked near the village. It was a most picturesque little place, -dotted down as it were in the middle of a sheltered valley which was -watered by a little river. Here and there in the valley I saw curious -mounds of earth about twelve feet high, and on inquiry I found that -these were the tombs of Greek inhabitants who had settled here under the -Byzantine Empire. After a successful forage for eatables in the village, -I decided to bivouac on the top of one of these tombs which had a small -hollow in the summit very enticing to a tired man; but before I wrapped -myself in my great-coat for a sleep, the spirit of antiquarian research -got hold of me, and I resolved to investigate the contents of my uncanny -sleeping-place. By the offer of a few piastres apiece, I got a dozen men -from my regiment with picks and shovels, and under my direction they dug -down into the tumulus until they came to an old stone coffin containing -some bones, two pretty Greek vases, and a few Byzantine coins. I left -the bones in their place, and filled up the tomb again, taking with me -the coins and the vases. The coins I afterwards gave away, and the -vases, which I wrapped up in a sheepskin and tied to my saddle, were -broken by a little accident which occurred next night on the march. - -Before midnight the march was resumed, and for the remainder of the -night and all next day the journey was continued, until we reached the -village of Veltchiderma late in the afternoon. Weinberger and myself -rode on in advance of the column to the village; and I was so thoroughly -done up by the intense heat of the day and the exhaustion of the march, -that I made straight for the Turkish khan or hotel, and after getting my -horse something to eat I fell fast asleep in the only decent-sized room -in the place. When I woke up, I found Osman Pasha and his staff in the -room talking. I apologized for my presence, and he was most good-natured -about it. "A soldier sleeps when he can, my boy," he said; "for he never -knows when he may get another opportunity." - -After my sleep I went down to the river and had a splendid swim, while -the main body of the column, which extended several miles in length, -arrived at the camping-ground. We were just preparing to make ourselves -comfortable for the night, when I noticed that there was an unusual -amount of excitement about my regiment; and I found to my disgust that -an advanced guard of about seventeen hundred men, including my regiment, -had orders to march right through the night, and push on to Plevna with -the utmost possible speed. Osman Pasha had received news by telegraph -that Nicopolis, which was his objective, had been taken by the Russians; -and he made up his mind to march straight to Plevna, which was distant -sixty-nine miles from Veltchiderma. - -Oh, the monotonous horror of that march! We were dead tired when we -started; and all through the dark night the men stumbled blindly on, -forbidden to sing or even to speak, lest they might betray their -presence to the scouts of the enemy. Silent, sleepless, footsore, sick -for want of food, and faint for want of water, they marched on the long -road to Plevna. Our commander was Emin Bey, and we had about fifty -cavalry scouts with us, but no guns. I rode behind Weinberger, and at -about two o'clock in the morning his horse pitched head foremost into a -deep hole in the track, and I went after him. The two of us with our -horses floundered out of the hole somehow or other, and we fortunately -escaped with a few bruises; but my archæological treasures were lost, my -Greek vases tied up in the sheepskin were smashed to atoms, and all my -sacrilegious enterprise had gone for nothing. - -Next night the men were so tired that we had to camp for a couple of -hours in the open plain, as they could positively go no farther without -a rest. My horse had had hardly anything to eat all day; so I rode away -a hundred yards from the main body to a place where there was some good -grass, and decided to let him have a feed. I tied the reins round my -wrist, and went to sleep on the open plain. When I woke up all was -silent, for the troops had gone, and so had my horse, while I knew that -the country all round was swarming with Cossacks. It was not a nice -predicament to be in; but luckily my horse, a beautiful little Arab -stallion and very quiet, had not strayed far, and I easily caught and -mounted him. Then I went in pursuit of the troops, and by a combination -of luck and judgment I found them before I had ridden many miles. - -We lost half a dozen men next day from sunstroke; and I could do nothing -to save the poor fellows, who simply dropped in their tracks, and had to -be left to die at the side of the road. We had hardly any water, and the -men suffered terribly, the feet of numbers of them being quite raw with -continual marching. I bound up their feet as well as I could with linen -and old rags, but the men who wore sandals were much better off than -those who wore boots; and the severity of the march may be guessed from -the fact that, while the advanced guard consisted of one thousand seven -hundred men when it started, there remained only one thousand three -hundred when it reached Plevna. The others had dropped out on the way, -and those that remained alive were picked up by the waggons following -the main body behind us. - -That afternoon we crossed the river Isker, the men wading through the -water, which reached to their shoulders. Weinberger and I found that the -troops were to halt for a couple of hours near a Bulgarian village, and -we rode in to see if we could not get something to eat. Since leaving -Widdin we had eaten nothing but a handful of kabobs, some maize plucked -in the fields, and our hard biscuits. - -The first thing that attracted my attention as I rode into that village -was a flock of geese, and I remember saying to Weinberger, "Look here; I -don't know what you are going to do, but I am going to have a goose for -dinner." We saw a Bulgarian, who was evidently the proprietor of the -geese; and Weinberger, who spoke Bulgarian fluently, opened -_pourparlers_ on the subject, and offered a medjidie apiece for two of -the birds. The Bulgarian was obdurate, and refused to sell at any price. -We talked to him politely, we urged the claims of hospitality, and we -descanted upon the high price which we were prepared to give, but all to -no purpose. The idea of losing a splendid dinner which was already -practically in my grasp enraged me, and I made Weinberger cover the -Bulgarian with his revolver while I secured the materials for a meal. -With the revolver barrel levelled at his head, the Bulgarian was -obliged to watch me sulkily as I chased the flock of geese with my drawn -sword. The blade was as keen as a razor, and with a couple of swishing -strokes I smote off the heads of two of the birds. We plucked them, -cleaned them, and roasted them; Weinberger ate one, and I ate the other. - -When we had finished this hearty meal, we found that the troops had gone -on; so we rode after them, and travelled right through the night, -finding ourselves next morning about four miles from Plevna. This was -the sixth day after leaving Widdin, and we had done one hundred and -twenty miles altogether, having covered the last seventy miles in three -nights and two days of almost continuous marching--a feat which will -bear comparison with the greatest forced marches on record. The men had -subsisted on two biscuits per day with a very small allowance of water, -and each man had carried seventy rounds of ammunition as well as his -accoutrements. Few of them, moreover, had received a single penny of pay -for the past twelve months, and yet they stuck to their work with -indomitable pluck and good humour. - -When we reached the bridge across the Vid, about three miles from our -destination, on the morning of July 18, the column could go no farther, -and we halted for the last time in sight of the minarets of Plevna. - -Alouf Pasha with three battalions had been in the town for some time, -and Osman Pasha had sent us on in advance to assist him in holding -Plevna until the main body could arrive. - -When I rode into Plevna at eleven o'clock in the morning of July 18, I -went straight to a khan and had a Turkish bath, after which I sallied -out to survey the town. - - - - -CHAPTER V. -THE FIRST BATTLE OF PLEVNA. - - The Town of Plevna--A Natural Stronghold--_Le Petit - Village_--The Gypsies' Warning--Dr. Robert--An Expatriated - Bacchanalian--We attend a Banquet--The First Battle of - Plevna--An Artillery Duel--Surgical Aid to the Wounded--A - Gunner's Death--The Zacuska--Arranging the - Hospitals--Disposition of the Turkish Line of - Defence--Commencement of the Battle--Fighting on the Janik - Bair--Arrival of the Wounded--Sufferings in the Arabas--Variety - in Gunshot Wounds--Some Extraordinary Recoveries--Turkish - Fortitude--Objections to Alcohol--And to Amputation--Berdan _v._ - Krenke Bullets--A Man shot through the Brain--Rapid Cure--An - Erratic Rifle-ball--Remarkable Example of Vitality--A Missile in - the Heart of a Living Man--My Second Hospital--A Turkish - Colonel's Wound--Insufficient Beds--Mangled Wretches lying on - the Floor--Two Russians wounded--They both die--The Shambles in - the Mosque--Our Open-air Operating Theatre--Calling the Faithful - to Prayer. - - -The town of Plevna is built in the valley of the Tutchenitza, a small -affluent of the Vid, about three miles from the meeting of the two, and -just south of the confluence of the former with the Grivitza, which gave -its name to the celebrated Grivitza redoubt. Before the war Plevna -contained about seventeen thousand inhabitants, eight mosques, and two -Christian churches. All round the angle formed by the confluence of the -Grivitza and Tutchenitza are rolling hills, rising to their highest on -the north near the villages of Opanetz, Bukova, and Grivitza. To the -east one could see a number of small isolated hills, forming natural -mamelons; and on the south a huge natural rampart defends the town. On -the left bank of the Tutchenitza rise a succession of knolls, which were -called by the Russians the "Green Hills"; and here some of the heaviest -of the fighting afterwards took place. - -When we of the advance guard arrived at Plevna on the morning of July -18, the uncut maize stood high on the hill-slopes round the town, and in -places even a cavalry trooper might be hidden. The Green Hills were -covered with vineyards, and there was plenty of timber, consisting -mostly of oaks and beeches, which speedily vanished as the campaign -progressed, until the hills were desolate in their absolute bareness. -When Osman Pasha arrived, the fortifications consisted of a single -blockhouse, between the Vid and the Tutchenitza on the Sofia road, of -the kind which one saw all along the Servian and Albanian frontiers. The -position, however, offered splendid opportunities for defence, enclosed -as it was on three sides by hills, which afforded admirable sites for -defensive works, hiding the interior and allowing reserves to be -concentrated out of sight ready to be directed on any threatened point. -The deep ravines which break up the country and for the most part -converge on Plevna rendered the lateral communication of the attacking -force very difficult, so that the tactical contact, which is so -important to the success of a combined attack on two points, was -scarcely possible. It was easy to see that the ground was difficult for -the movements of cavalry and guns; and the maize, vineyards, and scrub -combined to prevent the rapid movement even of infantry. - -In a short but highly suggestive sketch entitled _Le Petit Village_, -Zola describes a modest little hamlet, nestling in a valley, remote from -the busy world outside, and screened by a curtain of closely planted -poplars from the eyes of curious strangers. It is watered by a small -gurgling stream, along the banks of which are built the simple cottages -of the country folk. To-day the very existence of the hamlet is unknown, -even to the dwellers in the neighbouring towns. To-morrow the curtain of -poplars has been rent by shot and shell, the little river runs red with -blood, and the name of "Woerth" is blazoned in letters of fire upon the -page of history. So has it been with Plevna. The little town had never -been heard of before the campaign of 1877-1878, and it is not even -mentioned in Von Moltke's sketch of the defensive advantages of -Bulgaria. Now its name is known to every schoolboy, and the mere mention -of it makes the pulse beat faster wherever pure patriotism and -unflinching devotion to duty in the face of fearful suffering are -recognized and honoured. - -I walked through the narrow streets of Plevna on the day before the -first battle, and saw a town already deserted by most of the wealthy -inhabitants. Here and there I noticed a Turkish civilian dressed in the -long, loose caftan, and the wide trousers tucked into high boots, which -formed the universal dress of the Turks; while the Bulgarians wore the -sheepskin caps and suits of coarse yellow frieze which I had seen before -in Widdin and Sofia. The streets were paved with cobble-stones, and the -main street formed the principal bazaar of the place; while sundry -evil-smelling lanes, running off to the right and left, were inhabited -by scowling Bulgarians, who looked as though they would have cut my -throat with the greatest pleasure. The Tutchenitza ran right across the -main street; and here I saw the women washing clothes and chattering -together, apparently unconscious of the dreadful trials before them. - -At the lower end of the long, straggling main street, however, there was -a collection of dirty little huts occupied by the Gypsies; and when they -saw the troops coming, they seemed to recognize that the horrors of war -were near, for they set up a prolonged wailing, while they wrung their -hands with gestures of the deepest grief. - -Leaving them to their lamentations, I proceeded to investigate the -resources of the town, and was overjoyed to discover a European doctor, -upon whom I promptly called and introduced myself. He was a very -original character this Dr. Robert, and how he came to Plevna in the -first instance I never found out. Born at Neuchâtel in Switzerland, he -disappeared from the paths of European civilization when he had finished -his medical course, and eventually settled down in Plevna, where he had -been for ten years before I met him. He was not a bad-looking man, -apparently about thirty-three years of age, with a fair beard and -moustache. He had a good practice among the Bulgarians, and had -evidently become a fashionable physician who commanded his own price. -Dr. Robert lived in the best house of the town, and drove the finest -team of four black cobs that I ever sat behind. He had a regular -menagerie in his gardens, which were fenced with wire, and contained a -collection of storks and herons, a tame animal which I took to be a -jackal, and four deer, which we afterwards ate. He had some good ideas -as a landscape gardener too, and had tapped the Tutchenitza for water to -irrigate his domain by means of channels. - -After calling on Dr. Robert, I went off to pay my respects to the -_kaimakan_, or Turkish governor of the town, who had his quarters in the -konak, or townhall, a fine structure, built from the stone taken from an -old Roman ruin which once occupied the site. We afterwards used this -building as a hospital. The kaimakan was very courteous, and placed a -clerk at my disposal, who found me quarters in a small, isolated -Bulgarian house at the extreme north of the town. - -After making these necessary arrangements I joined Weinberger, and we -both went to dinner with Dr. Robert, who had not seen any European -except his housekeeper for ten years, and was naturally eager to meet -visitors who could tell him of the haunts of his youth. The housekeeper -was a Viennese woman, decidedly unprepossessing in appearance, but a -most excellent cook; and Weinberger and I, who had quite recovered our -appetites after eating the two geese at Veltchiderma, enjoyed that -dinner thoroughly. The doctor's house was furnished with every luxury. -There were knives and forks and chairs, not to mention a piano; and as -it was the first European meal that I had eaten for many months, with -the exception of my dinner with the Roumanians at Kalafat, it is -needless to say that I made a first-rate repast. We drank a great many -bottles of Bulgarian wine, and the more Dr. Robert drank the more -loquacious he became, recounting his early bacchanalian and amatory -exploits in German with a particularity of detail that was most -edifying. Then he sat down at the piano and thumped the keys furiously, -while he roared out convivial ditties in French, German, and Bulgarian -until the whole house shook as if under the concussion of a bombardment. -Even the Viennese housekeeper, who made her appearance upon the festive -scene with a threatening aspect, failed to keep him quiet; and Dr. -Robert was still chanting the praises of "Wein, Weib, und Gesang" when I -made my way to my new quarters and sank into a deep and dreamless -slumber, which even the manifold insects of Bulgaria were powerless to -disturb. - -Next morning I rode out to my regiment, which was camped on the hills, -and asked the colonel to supply me with a servant. He ordered up six men -for my inspection, and I chose a particularly smart-looking young -Circassian named Mehemet, who afterwards became my faithful adherent, -and performed his duties as groom and cook most satisfactorily. Then I -rode away to the bridge over the Vid, and watched the arrival of Osman -Pasha with the main body. They were all pretty well fagged out with -fatigue and want of food and sleep; but there was no time to be lost, -for the Russians were already advancing from Nicopolis upon Plevna, so -Osman Pasha and his staff rode out at once and selected tactical points -for the disposition of the troops. A strong force was sent out to the -Janik Bair facing due north, another detachment was sent to the village -of Grivitza in the hills facing east, and there was also an outpost in -front of the village of Opanetz. - -After seeing the troops arrive, I went to lunch with Dr. Robert, who had -arranged to go with me and see the fighting if there should be any. At -one o'clock I heard the boom of the Russian cannon which marked the -opening of the protracted hostilities round Plevna, and the challenge -received an immediate response from our batteries. Immediately all the -Bulgarians in Plevna retired to their cellars, or any other place of -security that they could find; and Dr. Robert and I rode off along the -Nicopolis road to the Janik Bair, where the Turkish batteries were in -position. By keeping just below the crest of the hill, Robert and I were -safe from the shells, which either fell short on the far side of the -hill, or else flew over our heads in the direction of the town. The -hills were lined with our troops, who were all under cover, and, tying -my horse to a tree, I walked up towards the summit. On my left I could -see the villages of Bukova and Opanetz, while on the rising ground in -front of me a mile away I caught an occasional glimpse of the gleam of -Russian bayonets. - -Looking out from the crest of the hill on which the Turkish batteries -came into action, I saw the ridge of a smaller hill in front of me, and -beyond it a second slope of rising ground, upon which the Russian -artillerymen had planted their guns. These formed part of the force -which General Schilder-Schuldner had under his command, and with which -he advanced next day with the greatest confidence to a crushing defeat. -The hill upon which the Russian guns were planted was thickly timbered, -and at first I could see nothing but puffs of smoke followed by leaping -flashes of flame. Then came the scream of the shell, which in the great -majority of cases either buried itself in the hill-face below our -batteries, or else flew overhead and dropped half a mile behind us in -the valley towards Plevna. We had eighteen guns right on the summit of -the hill extended in line, with hastily thrown up entrenchments in -front, and the firing was almost continuous. I made my way to the -extreme left, where I took up a position in rear of the battery, and -watched the firing. The artillery horses had been left under cover in -the rear, and the men settled down steadily for an afternoon's practice -at long range. It was the first time that I had been under fire in the -open field, and I watched the proceedings with the closest interest, -having my box of instruments and my packet of _tiftig_, or lint, ready -for treating the wounded. Both sides were firing common shell, -apparently rather as an evidence of willingness than with any hope of -doing serious damage at so long a range. I counted about forty Russian -guns in action, and after a while I could see the shells in the air -quite plainly, and could pretty well judge where they would fall. When -they struck the hill-face below us, a cloud of dust would fly up as they -exploded in the earth; and when they flew over us, I could hear them -buzzing like hornets as they sailed away into the valley behind. While I -was making my way up to the left of our line, I saw three Turkish -artillerymen lying dead. One had been shot in the abdomen, and presented -a terrible spectacle with his intestines all hanging out. The two others -had had their legs carried away by shells. When I reached the farthest -battery, I found one of the gunners with his hand ripped open by a -splinter of iron, and I rendered surgical aid to my first wounded man -under fire, washing the injury with water from my water-bottle, sewing -up the hand, and dressing it with tiftig from my wallet. Then I sent the -man to the rear, and told him to report himself at the hospital. - -Here it was too that I saw my first man killed in the open field. It -happened this way. I was lying on my stomach exactly on the summit of -the hill, and about twenty-five yards from the end gun of the battery, -watching the Russian practice, when I saw six simultaneous puffs of -smoke and six flashes of fire dart from the oak wood on the distant -slope. One of the gunners at the end gun in the battery next to me was -in the act of "laying" it, and was squinting along the sights to get the -elevation of the Russian battery, when the six shells started on their -journey. Those flashes of fire were the last things he ever saw on -earth, for one of the shells struck him full in the face and took his -head clean off. There was a spirting from the blood-vessels in the neck, -and then the headless corpse spun round in a circle, the legs moving -convulsively like those of a chicken when its throat is cut. I was so -close to the man that I could see every movement, and the sight affected -my nerve centres in the way that the normal system is affected by any -sudden and horrible sight; that is to say, I turned cold all over, and -was very sick on the spot. A few months later the frequent repetition of -similar spectacles had so dulled the sensitiveness of my nerve centres, -that I could look upon the most shocking casualties without experiencing -the slightest physical inconvenience. We dragged the gunner's headless -corpse to the rear, where it was buried the same evening. - -Both sides ceased firing at about six o'clock, at which time we had only -nine men killed and three wounded. I heard afterwards that the Russian -loss was also small. The demonstration hardly rose to the dignity of an -engagement, and doubtless the Russians regarded it more as an appetizer -for the solid fare to follow than anything else. At Russian dinner -parties there is always a preliminary course called the _zacuska_, -consisting generally of caviare or sardines devilled with cayenne, with -which the guests are expected to sharpen their appetites. This artillery -duel was the zacuska to prepare the combatants for the _pièce de -résistance_ on the morrow. - -Every one knew when the fields-guns ceased talking on the evening of the -19th that we were in for a big fight next day, and that the Russians -were preparing to make an infantry attack. Hassib Bey, the principal -medical officer, and Reif Bey, his second in command, were busy making -preparations for the reception of the wounded; and the owners of several -of the largest houses were unceremoniously evicted by the military -authorities with the curt notification that their residences were -required for hospital purposes. Weinberger and I dined with Robert that -night at his house, and had a tremendous "shivoo," the expatriated Swiss -surpassing all his previous bacchanalian exploits, and adding sundry -incoherent battle-songs to his _répertoire_ of selections, until the -Viennese housekeeper finally asserted her authority and closed the -festivities. I went off to bed at my own quarters about midnight, and -found that my Circassian had arranged all my effects in order and made -me fairly comfortable. All the medical staff had received instructions -to assemble at the main hospital at seven o'clock in the morning; so I -tumbled into bed at once, and slept until I was awakened at about six -o'clock by the roar of the field artillery in action once more. The guns -had already been firing for a couple of hours, and the engagement was in -full progress, when I hurried to the large Bulgarian schoolhouse, which -had been converted into the principal hospital. - -At this stage it will be convenient to sketch briefly the main features -of the attack which General Schilder-Schuldner delivered on Plevna on -July 20, and of the manner in which he was defeated by Osman Pasha. - -The total Russian force operating against him was supposed by Osman -Pasha, from information which we obtained, to amount to thirteen -thousand men. The total available strength in Plevna was about fifteen -thousand men, most of whom, however, were in poor trim for fighting, -having just arrived after a long and arduous march, and having been -deprived of sleep for many nights in succession. On the night before the -battle Osman Pasha gave strict orders to the outposts to exercise the -greatest vigilance, so as to prevent a night surprise, and instructed -the commanding officers to group their men as much as possible, and not -allow them to straggle. An attack was imminent; but it was difficult to -foresee in what direction it would be made. Roughly speaking, the -Turkish line of defence extended from the village of Grivitza on the -east of the town, along the slopes of the Janik Bair, and away through -Bukova to Opanetz on the north-west, the right wing being at Grivitza -and the left at Opanetz. - -Soon after four o'clock the battle began by the Russian artillery -opening fire upon the Grivitza positions, and the Turkish batteries at -once replied. Then a brisk fusillade was heard on the hills in the -direction of Opanetz, and the general advance of the Russians began. -Five battalions of Russian infantry advanced to the assault, and threw -themselves upon the Turkish left wing, forcing it backwards. - -Osman Pasha quickly despatched supports, and the Turks charged home with -the bayonet, whilst the Russian troops stood firm against the attack. -The heaviest of the fighting took place on the slope of the Janik Bair -extending towards Plevna, and here the loud "hurrahs" of the Russians -were answered by cries of "Allah," "Allah," from the Turkish lines. -After three hours' fighting the Russians, who had sustained enormous -losses, were repulsed and driven off in full retreat, while the reserves -sent up to support them retired without having taken part in the -engagement. The initial success of the Russians in forcing back the -Turkish line of defence no doubt conduced towards their defeat; for, -encouraged by the result of the first attack, they straggled on in -disorder, and fell in with a hot fire from the hedges and walls all -round them. - -While our troops were holding the enemy in check on the left, a Russian -infantry attack was developed on our right wing, where two lines of -trenches were carried; and finally the third and last trench was also -carried at the point of the bayonet, nearly all the Russian officers -having been killed. Turkish supports were hurried up, and the Russians, -who had suffered terrible loss, were driven from the positions which -they had taken, and were put to complete rout. - -When I reached the building where I was instructed to report myself, I -found that it consisted of two large rooms, the outer of which contained -fifty beds, while the inner was furnished with three or four benches -intended to serve as operating tables. The rooms were high and well -ventilated with many windows, and fortunately there was an abundant -water supply, while the building stood in about two or three acres of -ground. This had originally been the playground of the Bulgarian -children who attended the school. Now it was filled with wounded men, -and the laughter of the children was replaced by groans of agony. -Already the courtyard was full; and as I looked up the Nicopolis road I -could see a long string of Bulgarian arabas, each drawn by two little -white oxen, bringing the wounded down from the battle-field. Only the -men who were gravely wounded were brought in these arabas, and hundreds -had to drag themselves down on foot. As the rough, springless arabas -jolted over the cobble-stones of the Plevna street, the sufferings of -the wounded men must have been excruciating. There was no field hospital -to render first aid, and it is not easy to imagine the misery of an -unfortunate wretch, say, with a compound fracture of the thigh, -transported in a cart and without any surgical attendance from the field -to the base hospital. The two ends of the bone jarring together with -every movement of the cart could not but cause the most exquisite agony. - -As far as the eye could reach stretched the long line of arabas, each -with its load of suffering men. Every cart was driven by its Bulgarian -owner, and escorted by a Turkish soldier to see that the Bulgarian did -not despatch the unhappy victims before their time. The foremost carts -had already arrived, and the entrance was blocked by the jostling -drivers all anxious to get rid of their loads, while every minute fresh -wounded kept staggering in on foot. Even the stoical Turks could not -help moaning when they were lifted out of the carts by unskilful hands -and dragged into the hospital, which was quickly assuming the appearance -of a slaughter-house. Dead and dying were lying one on top of another -in many of the arabas, matted together with clotted blood. - -Other ambulances had been established in different parts of the town; -but this was the principal one, and there were six other surgeons -besides myself attached to it. I pulled off my coat, and went to work at -once. The first man whom I tackled had walked down from the field. He -had been shot through the jaw, and was much blanched from loss of blood. -I plugged the hole with lint, and passed on to the next unfortunate, who -had been shot through the liver by a fragment of shell. Part of the -liver was sticking out through the wound, and the man, who was much -collapsed, although quite conscious and in great pain, formed a shocking -spectacle. He had a great tear in his liver. I stitched it up and washed -the wound; but the case was a hopeless one. If I could have given him -chloroform, thoroughly opened him up, and washed everything out, I might -have been able to save him; but there was no time for that. He lingered -on in great agony, and died on the following day. - -In dealing with gunshot wounds, where the variety is practically -unlimited and no two cases are the same, the surgeon has to be -resourceful and inventive. I was here brought face to face with -conditions which were quite new to me, and with extraordinary -complications, which required the most delicate and careful operations, -but which had to be dealt with out of hand and in a few minutes. Looking -back now I am filled with wonder that so many of our wounded recovered, -considering the unfavourable conditions under which they were treated. -The third man whom I tackled had been struck in the abdomen by a piece -of shell, and about one foot of his intestine was projecting through the -wound. In that condition he had been carried from the hill where he was -shot, and, needless to say, he was in a horrible condition. I washed the -intestine, enlarged the wound, again shifted the intestine back into its -place, and stitched the wound up. In a week or two the man recovered, -and went back to his place in the ranks. - -All day on that terrible 20th of July I worked in the Bulgarian -schoolhouse among the wounded men, and all day the arabas kept arriving -with fresh loads, until there was absolutely no place left in which to -lay the sufferers. In all my surgical experience I have never known men -to exhibit such fortitude under intense agony as these Turkish soldiers, -nor have I ever met patients who recovered from such terrible injuries -in the remarkable way that these men did. They were magnificent material -for a surgeon to work on--men of splendid physique, unimpaired by -intemperance or any excesses. Occasionally one found isolated cases of -intemperance among the higher officers in the Turkish army; but I never -saw a private soldier under the influence of liquor during the whole -time that I was in the country. There were many of these men whose lives -I could have saved if I could have persuaded them to take stimulants; -but it was impossible to get them to touch alcohol, even as medicine. -The principles of their religion forbid the use of alcohol, and the -humble Turk clings so tenaciously to his religion that he would rather -meet death itself than violate its precepts. On account of another -remarkable religious prejudice many of the men who came under my hands -absolutely refused to submit to amputations, believing that the loss of -a limb would prevent them from entering paradise. Owing to this curious -prejudice many of my patients lost their lives. - -The booming of the artillery was soon varied by the sharp crackle of the -rifles, which indicated that the infantry fusillade was commencing in -earnest, and men began to come in who were wounded by the heavy conical -bullets from the Berdan rifles, with which a large proportion of the -Russian forces were armed. This rifle carried a bullet with a very high -velocity; and several cases came under my notice which illustrated its -destructive power. The Berdan rifle-bullet, however, often drilled a -clean hole right through a man, thus simplifying the surgical treatment; -while the older Krenke rifle, with which the bulk of the Russians were -armed, inflicted a much larger wound, and not infrequently left the -bullet embedded in the body. - -Among the others whom I attended that morning was a splendid young Turk -who had been shot through the head. The Berdan conical bullet pierced -the left side of the skull about an inch and a half below the crown, and -passed out in a straight line through the other side, leaving two holes, -one at each side of the fez which the man was wearing. It bored a hole -clean through the upper portion of the brain; but the sufferer, though -he was weak from loss of blood, was perfectly rational. I put a syringe -into the orifice, and cleaned the lacerated portion of the brain with a -solution of carbolic, afterwards dressing the skull with an antiseptic -pad and bandages. The man was put into the hospital, where he remained -for about six weeks, and at the end of that time he was discharged -cured. He went back to his regiment, and I never saw him again. - -In one of the arabas which discharged its load at the hospital door was -a wounded sergeant. The poor fellow had had both his eyes taken out by a -bullet, and was in great agony. We took him in and treated him, keeping -him in the hospital till he recovered. Some weeks afterwards we -discharged him cured, but sightless, and he went down to Sofia. - -Many men were shot right through the chest, of whom nearly all died. In -cases where we could not readily locate the bullet we did not waste time -looking for it, and several men who recovered from their wounds went -back to the ranks with an ounce of Russian lead hidden somewhere in -their bodies. Occasionally a bullet would take a most erratic course. -One man whom I attended had been shot in the back of the neck, and the -bullet travelled along his shoulder and down his arm just under the -skin. I took it out at the wrist. - -A peculiar instance came under my notice of the extraordinary vitality -which a human being sometimes displays. A couple of men brought in a -young Circassian and laid him on the floor, all the beds in the hospital -being already occupied. He was deathly pale, and when I went to him I -found that he had a terrible wound in the chest. At first I thought that -he had been struck by a whole shell; but I found on examining him that a -rifle-bullet had struck his cartridge case which was strapped across his -chest, and exploded one or more of the cartridges. The explosion had -blown away a great portion of the chest, and exposed the heart, which I -could see beating. I plugged the cavity as well as I could, and he lived -for four or five days in the hospital, perfectly conscious all the -while, and eager for news of the fighting. I think it was on the fifth -day after his admission that I was examining the wound, when I found -the brass butt of a cartridge embedded in the muscles of the heart. I -pulled it out, and dressed the wound again; but the shock was too -severe, and the man died soon afterwards. - -We had no skilled attendants attached to the hospital, and no one to do -the dressing but a few soldiers who had been told off for the purpose. -Blood was everywhere; and as I went my rounds as quickly as possible -among the moaning sufferers, I had an attendant carrying my box of -instruments, a basin of water, and a supply of bandages after me. On all -sides I heard the piteous moan, "Verbana su, effendi," "Verbana su, -hakim bashi," meaning, "Give me a drink of water, doctor"; and -fortunately we were able at least to assuage the intolerable thirst -which afflicts men when the moisture of the body has been depleted by -great loss of blood. All the cases which required operations were put -aside, and left for the following day, as it was necessary, in the hurry -of endeavouring to over-take the work, to deal with the larger number of -less serious cases first. Whenever I saw that a case was hopeless, and -that the man was sure to die, I simply made him as comfortable as I -could on the floor, gave him a drink of water, and left him there. - -I remained in the hospital until three o'clock in the afternoon, and -during the whole of that time the carts were jolting over the stones -bringing us in fresh cases. I never stopped for a moment whipping out -bullets, sewing up wounds, cleaning wounds, and putting up fractured -limbs in splints. Sometimes when the carts came in I did not know which -of the men were alive and which were dead, the living and the dead were -lying so closely one on the top of the other. - -At three o'clock Hassib Bey, the principal medical officer, sent a -message for me, ordering me to go to another place which had been turned -into a temporary hospital. It was an isolated building, about a quarter -of a mile away from the schoolhouse, and was on the other side of the -Tutchenitza. The building had been a private house, and here I found -about a hundred wounded men, many of them officers, who had been lying -there helplessly since early in the morning, with no attendance except -the small services which two jarra bashis were able to afford. - -A Turkish colonel shot through both jaws was my first patient. The -bullet had cut through the base of the tongue, and the poor fellow was -unable to speak. His mouth was wide open, and blood was issuing from it. -I picked away the broken pieces of bone, put a bandage round the jaw to -support it, and, having made the colonel as comfortable as I could, I -went on to his brother officers. All the rest of that day I worked by -myself, with only the two jarra bashis to assist me, among the wounded -men, and when it grew dark I went on with the minor operations by the -light of four candles stuck on bayonets. At eleven o'clock that night I -dragged myself off to bed. - -[Illustration: PLEVNA AND ITS ENVIRONS. -_To face p. 136._ -_Walker & Boutall sc._] - -It was a beautiful summer night, with moon and stars shining, as I -walked back to my quarters utterly fagged out with that tremendous day's -work. A couple of miles away to the north I could see the long ridge of -the Janik Bair shining in the moonlight. More than a thousand Turks and -more than one thousand two hundred Russians lay stretched on the other -side of the hill, and along the line of the fighting from Bukova on the -left to Grivitza on the right.[2] All was silent now, but the hills were -not deserted yet, for the burial parties were hard at work, and the -Circassians, ever on the look out for plunder, were gathering in the -dreadful harvest of the battle-field. - -I slept soundly till six o'clock in the morning, and then went back to -the house where the wounded officers had been brought. There were about -a hundred wounded men there altogether; and as we had no beds to put -them in, we had to lay them on the floor pillowed on their own -great-coats. There were plenty of provisions in the town, and I had -supplies of broth, beef-tea, and milk brought up for the patients from -the central depot. Still, in spite of everything that we could do, it -was an experience never to be forgotten. As one moved amongst them one -heard piteous moans on every side, coming from forms which in some cases -could scarcely be recognized as human, so terribly had the shrapnel done -its work. Those who believed that they were dying were saying their -prayers out loud, calling upon Allah to receive them into paradise; and -here and there an officer in the delirium of fever was fighting the -battle over again, sitting up in his blood-clotted, shot-riddled -uniform, and calling upon his men to follow him, until he fell back -breathless and exhausted. A good many of them had died in the night -while I was away, and I told off a couple of men to bury them at once. - -While I was going round the house, I found that we had two young Russian -soldiers there among our own people, and I gave them as much attention -as I could. One was a fair-haired young fellow, quite a lad. His case -was hopeless from the first, for he had been shot through the lungs, and -he died that day without being able to leave any message. The other had -his leg from the knee downwards shattered by a shell, and he lived for -about a fortnight. - -Osman Pasha had made arrangements to send all the wounded away to Sofia, -and nearly all of those whom I attended were placed in waggons and sent -down _viâ_ Orkhanieh. Many of them, however, as might be expected, died -on the way, and the road could have easily been traced by the dead -bodies. - -I requisitioned some beds for my hospital; and when I had got all the -wounded men dressed and fed, I thought that my day's work was finished. -Just as I was going out for a short rest, however, an orderly came and -told me that a number of wounded men were lying in a Turkish mosque -without any help at all, and asked me to go to them. I found a most -beautiful little mosque nestling down in a grove of trees on a slope of -ground to the west side of the Tutchenitza, and, mounting the half-dozen -steps which formed the approach to the main entrance, I looked inside. - -It was indeed a hideous sight. The square floor of the mosque was -covered with dead and wounded men, who had been placed there on the day -before, and apparently forgotten. There were about eighty of them -altogether, and the first thing that we had to do was to separate the -living from the dead, which was not an easy task, as the dead were lying -across the living and the living across the dead. We took out -twenty-seven dead men first, and found that in some cases a man with -faint signs of life in him had been lying all night, half suffocated by -his own blood and by the inert mass of a dead comrade lying across him. -The walls, which were whitewashed, were plentifully bespattered with -blood, and soon I was a shocking spectacle myself. - -I put on a soldier to go round with a bucket and pannikin to assuage the -fiery thirst of the poor wretches, and then I set to work extracting -bullets and sewing up wounds and washing them as fast as I could, with a -soldier to help in the dressing. I undertook no big operations simply -because I had not time. It was a race for life with many of the men; and -while there were cases there which would have required at least an hour -to deal with properly, the most that I could spare was ten minutes. - -By July 22 all the wounded that could travel had been sent to Sofia, and -we had about two hundred of the graver cases left, most of them being -cases requiring serious operations. We selected a convenient building on -the banks of the Tutchenitza, right under the shadow of a mosque, and -there we set up operating tables under the trees in the open air. It was -strange every day to see a flock of white doves circling round the -minaret of the mosque, and every evening at sunset to watch the old -Mussulman priest as he climbed the tower and solemnly invited the -faithful to prayer. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. -THE INTERVAL BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND BATTLES. - - Sending away the Wounded--Osman Effendi--We perform - Operations--Amputating Fingers--A Warning to Malingerers--Trial - and Execution--Discipline in the Town--Round the Bazaars after - the Battle--Some Pathetic Souvenirs--The Punishment of - Looters--Circassian and Bulgarian--A Cold-blooded Murder--The - Work of Fortification--Out with the Burial Parties--A Walk over - the Battle-field--Fresh Reinforcements arrive--The Lovtcha - Expedition--Rifaat Pasha's Success--My Quarters near the - Hospital--I have a Flitting--Arrival of Olivier Pain--A Pretty - Bulgarian Girl--Limitations of a Vocabulary--Hospital - Routine--Soldier Nurses. - - -We sent away about eight hundred of the wounded to Sofia within a few -days after the first battle; and of those who remained behind many died, -and the remainder resolved themselves into cases for simple operations. -Amputation of the arm or leg was necessary in many instances, and -whenever the sufferer would permit it this was carried out. With the -large medical staff attached to the army, the work ought to have been -very easy; but as a matter of fact many of the surgeons could not or -would not undertake any important operation, and in the few instances -when they did muster up courage to lop off an arm or a limb the -spectacle was not an edifying one. Almost all the operations were -performed either by Osman Effendi, a Circassian, who was a really -brilliant surgeon and a capable anatomist who had learnt his profession -in Paris, or by myself. Both of us were very young and inexperienced; -but in spite of these drawbacks it is not too much to say that we saved -many lives which would otherwise have been lost. The foreign doctors -seemed to lose their heads in an emergency; and it was not an uncommon -thing for Osman Effendi or myself to find some poor unfortunate wretch, -who had been smashed up by a shell or drilled through by a Berdan -bullet, absolutely rotting away in a hospital ward simply because the -surgeon in charge would not operate. Whenever we made a discovery of -this kind, we used to bring the patient out to the operating table under -the willow tree, and do the best we could for him under the -circumstances; but it cannot be denied that, owing to our lack of -experience, we often made serious mistakes. I will candidly confess that -if I had possessed my present knowledge at that time, and if I had had -command of all the best appliances, I could have saved many lives which -unfortunately flickered out in that shady little grove on the banks of -the Tutchenitza. - -In addition to the grave cases which involved the removal of an arm or -leg, we had a large number of minor injuries to attend to, especially -wounds in the hand, which were remarkably frequent. When the troops were -in the act of firing, their fingers and hands were naturally exposed; -and though later on, when the firing was mainly done from behind -entrenchments, finger wounds became far more frequent, still we had a -good many of them even after the first battle. - -A splendid lesson in stoical fortitude was afforded by those fellows, -who tendered their maimed hands for operation without the slightest -flinching. The stump of a willow tree which had been cut down stood near -the bank of the stream, and here I was accustomed to take my seat, after -providing myself with a basin of water from the stream and a sharp -knife. I put a little carbolic in the water, and with these simple -preparations I was ready for my patients, who sat cross-legged in a row -close by me. There was no administration of chloroform by a skilled -anæsthetist, no careful dressing of the injury by a white-aproned nurse, -none of the usual accessories of the ordinary hospital; for my operating -theatre had a carpet of greensward starred with wild flowers, and its -ceiling was the deep blue sky of midsummer. Instead of the rows of -students who usually grace these scientific ceremonies, scores of the -snow-white doves that are considered sacred throughout Turkey paused now -and then in their cooings, as they fluttered round the minarets of the -ancient mosque above the willow grove and looked down upon the strange -scene below them. The wounded soldiers took their turns each in his -proper order; and as I sat on the willow stump a man with a thumb or -finger, as the case might be, mangled into a shocking pulp of festering -flesh, would hold up his injured hand to me as he sat on the grass at my -feet, and would look on without flinching while I cut away the rotting -flesh, trimmed up the place, and washed and dressed the bleeding stump -that still remained. I did over a dozen of these cases in one morning; -and later in the campaign, when the fighting in the redoubts began, I -have amputated as many as twenty-seven fingers in succession. - -One result of the frequency of these finger wounds was that they formed -a convenient pretext for escaping service in the ranks; and though the -Turkish soldiers were too brave to think of malingering, there was one -Arab regiment in which the offence became very common. This was the -regiment which had already shown the white feather during the battle, -and which was only induced to hold its ground by the threat of Osman -Pasha that unless the men stood firm he would himself open fire on them -from headquarters, and catch them between the Russian fusillade and the -fire of their own side. Compelled by this unpleasant prospect, the -regiment rallied, and afterwards gave a good account of itself; but, as -might be supposed, the men were not in love with fighting, and many of -them hit on the device of deliberately blowing off the trigger-finger so -as to be unfit for further service. We had a good many of them to treat, -and at last Osman Pasha got to hear of it, and of course was very savage -at the malingering. He at once issued an order that the next man found -guilty of maiming himself in this way would be instantly shot, and the -threat, as it turned out, was no idle one. - -One morning, just as I finished my round in the hospital, I was summoned -by an orderly to attend Tewfik Bey, and when I reached his tent I found -three men from the Arab regiment standing there under a strong guard. -Their arms had been taken from them, and each man had a hole through the -index-finger of the right hand. Tewfik Bey desired me to decide whether -the appearance of the injuries indicated that they had been -self-inflicted; and when I learnt from him that if I answered in the -affirmative the men would be instantly shot, I declined to take the -responsibility, and requested that a small medical board might be -appointed to deal with the matter. Tewfik assented, and invited me into -his tent to wait while an orderly fetched two other surgeons. Presently -Weinberger and Kustler arrived, and we three, after inspecting the -prisoners, retired to a little distance to consult. There could be no -doubt whatever about the fact, for the mutilated finger in each case was -blackened with gunpowder, showing that the man had placed his finger on -the top of his rifle-barrel and pulled the trigger, probably with a -piece of string. The three men watched us as we sat at a little table -under a tree and drew up a short report confirming that the injuries -were self-inflicted. I presented the report to Tewfik, who was smoking a -cigarette nonchalantly in front of his tent; and as soon as he had read -it, he ordered out three firing parties of twelve men each, six of each -squad having their rifles loaded with ball, and six with blank -cartridge. A sergeant stepped up and bandaged the eyes of the culprits, -who were placed on their knees in a row a few yards distant from each -other. A few moments were granted to them to say their prayers, then a -naked sword-blade flashed in the sunlight, a quick word of command rang -out, a volley startled the camp, and the victims fell dead riddled with -bullets. It was a sharp remedy, but a sure one, and after that we had no -more malingerers. - -Osman Pasha was a strict disciplinarian, and the splendid order which he -maintained in Plevna all through the campaign was really remarkable. At -first the Bulgarian shop-keepers wanted to close their shops; but the -commander-in-chief compelled them to keep them open, promising that any -attempt at looting by the soldiery would be promptly and severely -punished. A military police force was organized for the protection of -the townspeople, and the soldiery were given to understand that any -excesses would be visited by the only penalty known to the martial code -in war-time--the penalty of death. Owing to this decisive action, the -Bulgarian population regained confidence, and carried on their -respective businesses without let or hindrance. For several days, -indeed, after the first battle the spoils of war stripped from the dead -Russians on the field of action by the roving and predatory Circassians -were on sale in every bazaar. One could buy good Russian great-coats for -a few piastres, while boots, caps, and arms all had a ready sale. A -large number of crosses in bronze, silver, or gold were taken from the -dead Russians, and exposed for sale in the bazaars. It was strange to go -shopping in the narrow, malodorous Plevna by-streets, and watch the -chaffering that was going on over the poor small personal effects of the -brave fellows who lay out yonder on the slopes of the Janik Bair. Many -of the Russians had gone into action with the photographs of their wives -or sweethearts in little leather cases, which they carried in an inside -pocket next to the heart; and the Circassians, prowling round the field -on the first night after the battle, robbed the corpses of these simple -treasures, and bandied them from hand to hand with brutal jests round -the bazaars next day. - -The simple faith which is such a dominant feature in the Russian -national character was strikingly exemplified in some of the articles -found upon the dead bodies. I saw a Circassian offering for sale a -little painting of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus, which he had -taken, according to his own statement, from the body of a dead Russian, -a mere fair-haired lad, who had been killed by a bayonet thrust in the -hand-to-hand fighting. The painting was done on a wooden plaque about -one foot long by six inches wide, and was evidently of great age, -probably at least two hundred years old, from its appearance. It was -found beneath the tunic of the dead boy, and was perhaps a family -treasure given to him by his mother before he went away to the war. -There is at least no doubt that it was worn as a charm against danger. -But the simple faith of the Russian mother could not save her son in the -grim reality of battle, and the steel of the infidel Turk pierced the -sacred figure of the Virgin before it reached the soldier's heart. - -Many of the Russians wore steel plates covered with chamois leather over -the region of the heart. These plates would stop a rifle-bullet in those -days, although the ball from a more modern Lee-Metford, Lebel, or -Mauser rifle would have pierced them like tinder. - -No scruples were shown in appropriating the valuables of the enemy; and -the Jews in Plevna made a handsome profit by buying Russian roubles for -a few piastres apiece from the Circassians and Bashi-Bazouks who had -gone through the pockets of the dead, and by taking the foreign coin -away to the ordinary markets of exchange. - -I bought a Russian signet ring in the bazaar one morning from a -Circassian. It lies before me on the table now, and brings back vivid -memories. It is a heavy gold ring, with a large red stone like a -cornelian, carved with the figure of Æsculapius, easily recognizable -from the traditional accessories of the snakes and the cock. It was -surely a curious coincidence that the figure of this legendary founder -of medical science should have fallen into the hands of one of his own -disciples! - -Of course Osman Pasha strongly discountenanced this looting of the dead; -but it was impossible to control the predatory instincts of the -Circassians, and in spite of the prospect of instant death if detected -they continued to prowl round the battle-field in search of treasures. -One night five of them were taken red-handed, and hanged at daybreak -_pour encourager les autres_; but Osman Pasha's attention was so much -taken up with the necessary work of fortification, that the looting -went on afterwards just the same. - -To show, however, that the Muchir, far from oppressing the Bulgarian -inhabitants in the manner imputed to him by contemporary press writers, -was always throughout the siege absolutely fair towards them, one -significant incident may be mentioned for which I can vouch, as I was -myself a witness of it. One morning, while I was passing by the yard of -a Bulgarian butcher, I found an altercation going on between the -Bulgarian and a free-lance from one of the Circassian irregular bodies. -Although I could not understand what was said, I was able to gather that -the Circassian wanted some meat, which the Bulgarian would not give him. -After a minute or two of heated argument, the Circassian drew his -revolver and shot the Bulgarian in my presence, the bullet entering the -man's foot. I reported the matter to Osman Pasha personally, and he -ordered the instant arrest of the Circassian; but the man was never seen -again. Recognizing that death would be the penalty of his act if he were -discovered, he escaped from Plevna that night, and we saw no more of -him. The butcher died from his wound. - -There was plenty of work for the men of all ranks to do between the 20th -of July and the 30th. We never knew when another attack might be -launched; and though the Russians had disappeared from sight, our -scouts used occasionally to bring in word that they had seen detachments -as near as five miles off. Our men were working away as busily as bees -fortifying outposts, digging entrenchments, and building redoubts on the -cordon of hills that formed the natural rampart of the town. They also -had to complete the work of burying the dead, and as the Russians had -left us all their dead to inter as well as our own this was no light -task. When I had finished my morning's work in the hospital, I used to -call on Dr. Robert and borrow one of his smart little black cobs for a -ride out to the hills to see how our fellows were getting on with their -labours. I often watched the burial squads at work, as I sat there on -the black cob puffing a cigarette in the glorious summer weather, and -saw them dragging the scattered bodies together into a little heap, and -then digging a trench to hold them. Sometimes they would put twenty or -thirty into one trench when they came on a patch where the troops had -fallen thickly, and sometimes a dead soldier lying far away from his -comrades would be buried in a lonely grave by himself. The Russian and -Turkish dead were always kept distinct, for the Moslem will not sleep by -the Giaour, even in the grave. - -As I rode over the crest of the hills four or five days after the -battle, and down to the hollow where the Russian lines received the -hottest of the Turkish fire, I saw that in most cases the Russian dead -had not been buried deep enough; now and then, indeed, scarcely more -than the three handfuls of dust prescribed by the old poet had been -thrown over the corpse, which protested with a faint, sickly odour at -these maimed funeral rites. - -In one little hollow I saw some locks of curly fair hair sticking up -from the ground, and, scraping the earth away with my sword-blade, found -a dead Russian there. In many places a foot, a finger, or a hand -protruding from the ground revealed the presence of the dead; and as I -advanced farther down into the valley from the Turkish line of defence, -I came across a great number of bodies which had escaped the notice of -the burial parties altogether. There they lay, with the hot July sun -beating down upon them, and the cool moisture of the earth teeming with -horrible living things beneath them. The faces of many of the Russians, -as is often the case when death is due to gunshot wounds, were placid -and composed; while the skin, tanned to the consistency of parchment by -the rays of the sun, showed as yet no sign of putrefaction. With others -death had come with such instantaneous force that the expression of the -face still reflected the tumultuous passions that chased each other -through the brain of the living man in the supreme hour of battle. One -could see, to quote the vivid words of the soldier's poet, - - Anger and pain and terror - Stamped on the smoke-scorched skin. - -But while the part of the body exposed to the action of the sunlight was -preserved in a mummified condition, the lower part, which rested on the -earth, had already undergone the first stage of decomposition. Any one -who has ever turned over a great stone embedded in a bank of mossy -earth, and seen the swarms of noxious living creatures battening on the -underneath side, will recognize without further description the sight -that met my eyes as I prised over a dead body here and there with my -scabbard to ascertain its condition. - -After the battle fresh troops kept pouring into Plevna from Sofia, and -it soon became evident that Osman Pasha did not intend to content -himself by remaining in the town purely on the defensive. - -Lovtcha, as we knew, had fallen into the hands of the Russians before we -reached Plevna, having been occupied by General Sobatoff on July 16; and -Osman Pasha, having had time to look about him, determined to recapture -that town. Its importance from the strategical point of view was -obvious, inasmuch as it commanded the main road to Sofia, from which our -reinforcements were to come. The possession of the town was also -indispensable to Osman Pasha in order to cover the operations of the -Plevna army, and to complete his front line of defence, which should -serve him as a base of operations whenever the moment might prove -propitious for assuming the offensive. - -The town of Lovtcha lies in the valley of the river Osma, about twenty -miles from Plevna, and twelve miles from the Trojan Pass. Roughly -speaking, the river divides the town into two parts, one of which was -inhabited by the Mussulman population, and the other by the Bulgarians. -Before the war the great majority of the inhabitants were Mussulmans, -who numbered about twelve thousand; and Lovtcha was then one of the -richest towns in Bulgaria, boasting no fewer than twenty mosques, three -orthodox churches, ten primary Moslem schools, and many schools for -Christians. It was placed at the junction of several main roads, and its -position rendered it therefore important both to the invaders and the -invaded. Sobatoff had occupied it with a column composed of the second -squadron of Cossacks of the Guard, two squadrons of Don Cossacks, and -two field-pieces with a detachment of infantry. - -As soon as the fight of July 20 was won, Osman Pasha made all his -preparations for recapturing Lovtcha by a surprise. He first -reconnoitred the position with a detachment of cavalry, and then, taking -six infantry battalions, a battery of field artillery, and a troop of -Circassian light horse from the reinforcements which had arrived from -Sofia, he formed a column, the command of which he entrusted to -Brigadier Rifaat Pasha, who had Tewfik Bey as his next in command. The -column marched from Plevna at six o'clock in the evening of July 25, and -arrived at daybreak before Lovtcha. An attack was immediately delivered -on the town, which was defended by three or four squadrons of Cossacks -and a large number of Bulgarians who had been armed by the Russians. -Only the merest semblance of resistance, however, was offered by the -enemy, and Rifaat Pasha's column occupied the town almost without -striking a blow. - -Thus within the space of a week the Russian arms had sustained two -serious reverses, and the Russian commanders were evidently preparing an -attempt to rehabilitate their prestige. Avoiding any serious engagement, -and only showing themselves at great distances, they confined themselves -to long-range artillery practice while they concentrated their forces. -Meanwhile the Turkish army was strengthened by additional reinforcements -of regular troops and of auxiliary cavalry. The only other event of -importance between the first and second battles of Plevna was the -recapture of the village of Trestenik, situated about ten miles from -Plevna, on the left bank of the Vid. This village had fallen into the -hands of the Russians; but Hassan Labri Pasha and Mehemet Nazif Bey, -with a few battalions of infantry, a couple of field-guns, and a troop -of Circassian horse, retook the village on July 25, and drove out the -Russians, who retreated towards their main body. - -While these stirring events, which can be described in a few words, but -the success of which was of vital importance to Osman Pasha's plan of -operations, were taking place outside Plevna, I remained on duty at my -hospital in the town, hearing only at times the faint echoes of -artillery in the distance to remind me that fighting was still going on. - -Although hastily organized and furnished with few of the articles which -are deemed necessary to the equipment of civil hospitals, our hospitals -were fairly efficient at the commencement of the campaign before our -resources became overtaxed. Hassib Bey, the principal medical officer, -was a capital organizer and administrator; and although he never -interfered in the actual surgical work, he was always ready to listen to -suggestions and to furnish us with any necessaries that we asked for. - -During the early part of my stay in Plevna, I had my quarters in a small -Bulgarian house which was nearly a mile away from the general hospital, -so far, indeed, that I afterwards moved into a more convenient spot, and -my little house was given over to the French journalist Olivier Pain. My -first landlord--who was landlord in name only, for of course I never -paid him any rent--was a Bulgarian, and his daughter was one of the few -pretty women that I ever saw in Bulgaria. Conversation, however, was -restricted by linguistic limitations, for I knew scarcely any Bulgarian, -and the only word of English that she could say was "London." Wherever I -saw that girl, she would show her white teeth with a charming smile, -flash her big black eyes, and with beautiful irrelevance ejaculate -"London!" Whether she knew what London meant I cannot say, but her -limited vocabulary expressed more in its way than the gushing phrases of -many more brilliant conversationalists. When she said "London" with a -bright air of welcome and a frank smile as I came home at night tired -out with the day's work, I knew that she meant, "Good evening, doctor; I -hope you haven't had a very bad day to-day; and see, here is your pilaf -and coffee ready." When she uttered the word with a backward turn of the -head as she passed out of the door and a pretty coquettish glance, it -was very evident that she was really saying, "Good night now, doctor; -pleasant dreams to you, and I hope a Russian shell won't find you in the -morning." My domestic arrangements, however, which were very primitive -and did not include much preparation of eatables, were mainly attended -to by my Circassian servant, who proved himself to be a very handy -fellow. - -Hassib Bey instituted the excellent plan of getting all the medical -staff to meet at nine o'clock every morning at the administrative block, -where the main hospital was placed; and after breakfasting on coffee, -pilaf, and eggs when I could get them, I used to ride up to the -rendezvous. Hassib Bey and Reif Bey, his next in command, used to meet -us all there, and the whole lot of us used to have a smoke together for -half an hour or so, and discuss any interesting cases that we had to -deal with. If we had any complaint to make about the food supplied to -the hospitals, or if we wanted anything extra in the way of appliances, -our representations were listened to on the spot. It was a capital idea, -and worked very well indeed. - -After the first rush of work was over, I had my own hospital to attend -to. This was a two-story Bulgarian house, the ground floor of which was -unoccupied, while upstairs there were three large rooms, in which I had -about twenty-five patients. Beds and blankets were provided, and I was -able to make the sufferers fairly comfortable. Two Turkish soldiers were -allotted to me to act as hospital orderlies, and they proved apt pupils -at their work. I trained them to act as dressers and nurses, and found -that they carried out their novel duties excellently. We had a good many -deaths at first, and news was always conveyed to the Moslem priests, who -came and laid out the dead, wrapping the bodies in white linen sheets, -and taking them away for burial in the Turkish burial-ground. Good, -nourishing food was provided for the convalescents, who had plenty of -beef-tea, soup, pilaf, eggs, and bread; and possessing as they did an -extraordinary recuperative faculty and constitutions unimpaired by -intemperance, a very fair percentage recovered. - - - - -CHAPTER VII -THE SECOND BATTLE OF PLEVNA (JULY 30). - - Talks with my Patients--A Candid Kurd--Grim Confessions--How he - killed his Enemy--Dr. Robert's Cave of Refuge--He loses his - Dinner--The Spy's Death--Canards in the Town--The Second Battle - of Plevna--I take a Hand--Turkish Women as Water-carriers--A - Woman shot in Action--My Veiled Patient--Osman Pasha's Bay - Cob--A Sign of Hot Fighting--The Attack on the Village of - Grivitza--Czetwertinski and his Cigarette--Retreat of the - Russian Infantry--A Cavalry Pursuit--Mustapha Bey waves his - Sword--I join in the Charge--An Exultant Ride--The Retreat - sounded--We retire--A _sauve qui peut_--Horrible Fears--The Ride - through the Maize-field--Our Infantry Panic-struck--Osman - Pasha's Method of rallying Men--A Timely Reinforcement--The Day - is ours--Tremendous Russian Losses--Russian Physique compared - with Turkish--Wounded Horses on the Battle-field--Back in the - Hospital--Many Operations--Osman Pasha decorated--The Muchir - makes a Speech--I shift my Quarters again--Bulgarian - Hospitality--A Youthful Friend--A Terrific Rainstorm--The - Tutchenitza runs a Banker--A Ghastly Find in a Gooseberry Bush. - - -Although I could speak Turkish sufficiently to make myself understood -for ordinary purposes, I found myself in difficulties when my patients -began to talk to me about their private affairs, or to go into long -accounts of their adventures on the battle-field. Sometimes, however, I -was able to gather a few startling illustrations of the ferocity with -which the engagement had been fought. - -One of my patients was the colonel of a Kurdish regiment, a magnificent -specimen of a man, who had been shot in the thigh by a rifle-bullet. The -ball had entered the left thigh on the outside, passed clean through it, -and also through the right thigh, making four distinct wounds, which had -occasioned a great deal of hæmorrhage with inflammatory conditions and -high temperature. I refrain from giving this patient's name as he may be -still alive, and he probably would not desire to remember the incident -which he related to me. - -He told me that he received his wound in the height of the action, and -became for a while unconscious. When he came to himself, he commenced to -crawl on his hands and knees towards the Turkish lines, and on his way -he came to a Russian officer lying wounded on the ground. I give the -story now in his own words. "I saw him lying there before me," whispered -my patient to me as I dressed his wounds, "and the impulse to kill him -came into my mind. I suppose he read my purpose in my face, for he -pointed to his wound, and then he held up his hands to me as if to ask -for quarter. As I crawled over on my hands and knees, I knelt over him -and pointed to my own wounds in reply. Then I drew my revolver and shot -him through the head. My servant, who had come to look for me, was close -behind me. He was a Kurd, and he took his long Kurdish knife and cut off -the Russian's head before he was dead. The air made a gurgling, bubbling -sound as the knife went through the windpipe. The Russian officer had a -long fair beard. He was a fine man, and I shall never forget his face. -You are horrified. Well, it was war. I was not a man then, I was a wild -beast. I killed him as he lay there because he was in my power. If I had -been in the same position, he would have killed me. It was destiny." - -Each of the members of the medical staff had a similar hospital to -attend to, and all were managed on much the same lines. As a rule I -finished my work in the forenoon, and had the rest of the day more or -less to myself, except when it was my turn to attend at the main -hospital, where once a week I had to be in attendance all night on -emergency duty. - -I was on friendly terms with the colonels of most of the regiments, and -especially with Tewfik Bey, who used to keep me supplied with the latest -news until he went to Lovtcha, and then I was thrown back on my own -resources; but I found plenty of entertainment in watching the progress -of the fortifications, trenches, and redoubts, which the troops were -constructing with ceaseless activity under the direction of Tewfik Bey, -who laid out the works before he went to Lovtcha. - -Although not very particular as to what I ate, I got very tired of the -incessant pilaf and scrambled eggs which my Circassian cooked for me, -and both Weinberger and I always looked forward with lively pleasure to -an invitation to dine with Dr. Robert, who was certainly very liberal in -his hospitality. On these occasions we had European food admirably -cooked by the Viennese housekeeper, and Robert always produced his best -Bulgarian wine. I think I can see him now, dressed in his dirty yellow -suit of Bulgarian frieze, with his long, sinuous fingers flying over the -keys of his piano as he yelled out song after song in half the languages -of Europe until far into the early hours of the morning. Peace to his -ashes! He used to give us capital dinners; but I never could find out -what happened to him eventually. - -One little incident connected with him is perhaps worth recording here, -though it occurred at a later period in the campaign. When the shells -were falling fast in Plevna, Robert dug a large hole in his garden, and -was accustomed to bury himself in it like a mole whenever the firing -became particularly hot. One day, when I was watching outside his -garden, I saw the housekeeper bring in his midday meal, steaming hot and -very appetizing. Just as Robert sat down to it a shell exploded on the -top of the house, and Robert was off to his hole in the ground like a -fox with a pack of hounds at its heels. As he lay there quaking, it -seemed a pity that the dinner should be allowed to get cold, so I -vaulted the fence and ate it myself. The cutlets were simply delicious. - -Of course Robert had nothing to do with the wounded men. He was simply a -Bulgarian doctor, and was, moreover, strongly suspected of Russophile -proclivities. Long afterwards I heard a rumour that he was shot as a spy -before Plevna fell. - -In those days of comparative quiet which preceded the second battle we -only gleaned stray pieces of news from the outside world. The telegraph -wire was closed to all private despatches, and the information which -filtered into the town was consequently of the vaguest. The soldiers who -came up from Sofia certainly brought us news as to the progress of the -campaign in other parts of the Turkish Empire; and we learnt that while -the army of the Lom was doing fairly well, Suleiman Pasha's forces had -sustained a serious disaster at the Shipka Pass. The untrustworthy -nature of the news, however, may be understood from the fact that for -some days a persistent rumour was current that Great Britain had -declared war against Russia, and that twenty thousand British troops -were even then at Sofia. - -In order to get a clear idea of the significance of the second battle of -Plevna it is necessary to comprehend the position from the point of view -of the Russian commanders, who realized that if they did not blot out -their crushing defeat of June 20 by a great victory they would be -compelled to abandon the initiative and fall back upon a tedious -defensive policy with all its attendant disadvantages. It was clear that -the most natural course to attempt was to crush Osman Pasha's army, for -Plevna was much more accessible than either Rasgrad or Eski-Zagra; it -was easier to concentrate a force there, and there was no immediate -danger in any other quarter. To attack the Turkish army of the east -would probably necessitate protracted siege operations; while if Osman -Pasha were defeated, it would be easy to reinforce General Gourko, and -afterwards advance against Suleiman Pasha's army. Thus it was that the -Russian general staff, who were sixty miles away at Tirnova, resolved to -attack Plevna, and entrusted the task to Prince Schahoffskoi and General -Krüdener. Let us see with what result. - -On the 27th and 28th of July our scouts reported the proximity of large -bodies of Russians coming from Nicopolis and Poradim, and we all -recognized that an attack was imminent. The 29th was quiet; but on the -morning of the 30th, as I was at breakfast, I heard the boom of the -heavy guns once more, and recognized that the Russian artillery -preparation for the attack had commenced, and that the Turkish batteries -were replying. The early morning had been damp and foggy; but when the -fog lifted the sun came out strongly, and it became blazing hot. I had -received no special instructions from Hassib Bey, my superior officer, -and I resolved to see as much of the fighting as possible. So, when I -had finished my work at the hospital, I saddled my horse, and galloped -off as a free-lance with my pocket-case of surgical instruments and two -large bags, one containing tiftig, or lint, and the other bandages. For -weapons I carried a sword and a revolver, but no carbine. No field -ambulance had been organized, and it occurred to me that I might be of -some service to the wounded. So I headed in a south-easterly direction, -where the firing seemed particularly heavy; and about a mile from the -town I rode up the slope of a small colline, below the crest of which a -regiment of Turkish infantry were lying under cover. The day was very -hot, and the men had had nothing to drink since they took up their -position five or six hours before. When I got there it was about ten -o'clock, and the first thing I saw was a long procession of Turkish -women of the poorer class, who were carrying earthen pitchers of water -from a small stream at the foot of the hill to the thirsty troops lying -in position. Some were ascending with full pitchers, and others were -descending again with the empty vessels to replenish them at the stream. -At this time the roar of the guns was terrific, and the Russian shells -were screaming over our heads, some of them exploding in the air and -others striking the ground behind us. The women, who were all dressed in -white, with their yashmaks over their faces, and only their eyes -showing, went steadily on with their self-appointed task, carrying their -pitchers of water up to the men and back to the stream without a falter. -When I was about two hundred yards from the crest where the troops were -lying, a shell burst within a few yards of me, and a fragment of it -struck one of the women in the arm. She screamed out as the artery -spirted up over the white dress, and I made her my first patient in the -battle. - -As soon as the other women saw that she was wounded, they made a great -fuss, chattering away like magpies. They placed her under a tree, and at -first refused to let me attend to her, for a Giaour must not touch a -Turkish woman under any circumstances; but when they could not stop the -bleeding themselves, they became alarmed, and offered no objections when -I approached with my bags of lint and bandages. I slit up the sleeve of -her dress with a pair of scissors and stanched the bleeding; but the -injury was only a flesh wound, and not serious. Osman Pasha got to hear -of the women being there somehow, and presently an aide-de-camp came -galloping up and cleared the whole lot of them off. They went back into -the town, and I saw no more of them. - -When I reached the crest of the hill and looked round, I saw an immense -panorama of country thickly sprinkled with hills, and from every -individual summit a battery of field-guns seemed to be roaring. No -Russian infantry were visible, and it was impossible to say which were -the Russian guns and which the Turkish. The noise was terrific, and -everywhere I saw clouds of dust, with here and there a Russian battery -with six horses going at full gallop, as the guns came into action at a -new position. Over towards Grivitza and over by Radishevo and on the -crest of every hill we had men placed, and our batteries were answering -the Russian fire. I attended a few wounded men who had been struck by -fragments of shells, and then I rode off due east towards the village of -Grivitza, which was the objective of both the attacking columns. - -On the way I met Osman Pasha and his staff, and saluted them. Osman -looked careworn and very anxious. He was riding a little bay cob, which -he always used when any specially dangerous operations were in progress, -preferring not to run the risk of getting either of his two other -valuable chargers killed. That little bay cob was a capital barometer by -which to gauge the warmth of the fighting; and whenever he made his -appearance on the battle-field, it was safe to assume that affairs were -pretty critical. Just as I passed Osman Pasha, I heard the whistle of -rifle-bullets for the first time in the engagement. - -Looking over towards Radishevo, I could make out a strong Russian force -in the village. They were sending their guns on in front, and the -infantry were advancing, also following the guns, which were going at a -furious gallop. I could see Osman Pasha and his staff riding over -towards the Bulgareni road, which lay at the foot of the Janik Bair, -with the Grivitza brook running alongside it. As I followed them I met -several wounded men dragging themselves slowly and painfully from the -front to the hospital at Plevna, and I was able to reduce their -sufferings a little, though of course I could not attempt any operations -even of the simplest kind. Gradually I became aware of the general -disposition of the opposing forces, and found that the Turks, roughly -speaking, occupied the arc of a circle south and south-east of Plevna, -while the Russian troops were advancing in converging lines upon them -with the village of Grivitza evidently as the main object of their -attack. From the top of the hill where I stood I could make out the -advancing lines of the Russians, while our troops by this time were -below me, standing in hastily constructed trenches which they had dug -for protection against the increasingly heavy fire. Some idea of the -infernal tumult which was going on may be gathered from the fact that -over one hundred and fifty heavy guns were firing incessantly, while the -infantry fusillade extended in an unbroken line from one end of the arc -of defence to the other. From where I stood I could see the attack on -the village of Grivitza quite plainly. The Russians attacked in column -of front half a mile wide, while our men waited grimly breast high in -the trenches in front of the village. The whole place was so thickly -covered with smoke, and the area of the battle-field was so extended, -that sometimes I scarcely knew who were Turks and who were Russians. I -rode back a little way from the crest of the hill to get cover, and -presently my friend Czetwertinski galloped up with eighty troopers, who -formed the bodyguard of Osman Pasha. We had a talk together, and -presently, as we could not see much from where we were, we agreed to go -up and inspect our first line of defence. Just below the crown of the -hill we found four thousand Turkish troops entrenched and blazing away -at the Russians who were developing the attack on the position. -Czetwertinski and I rode together to the extreme end of our line of -infantry, and I could hear the bullets whistling like hornets all round -us. Czetwertinski, as he sat there on his horse, leisurely rolled a -cigarette for himself, and then looked round for a light. Seeing that -the soldier in the trenches nearest to us was puffing calmly at a -cigarette himself in the intervals of business, Czetwertinski sang out -to him, "Verbana a-tish," meaning, "Give me a light." The man clambered -out of the trench, saluted, and handed his lighted cigarette to Prince -Czetwertinski. As he stood there in the act of saluting a rifle-bullet -went through his head, and the man threw up his arms and fell dead. -Czetwertinski remarked to me that it was not good enough to stop there -any longer; so we retired to the other side of the hill again, and -rejoined the cavalry, who were waiting there under cover. - -Just at this juncture the Russians, who were advancing in two lines of -company columns, a formation totally unfitted for modern warfare, began -to falter under the terrific fire from our trenches. The faltering grew -more decided, and in a few moments the advance was changed to a retreat. -This was our opportunity. The bugles sounded for the Turkish cavalry to -advance; and almost before I could realize what was happening, I saw old -Mustapha Bey, the colonel of the regiment, and the eighty troopers, with -Czetwertinski among them, going off at full gallop straight towards the -retreating Russian infantry, who had already begun to run. For a moment -I hesitated what to do. Then old Mustapha Bey waved his sword, and sang -out to me to come along with them; so I forgot that I was a simple -medical officer. I drove the spurs into my horse, and in half a minute I -was riding alongside Czetwertinski in a wild charge against the flying -Russians. We climbed the hill at a gallop, rode through our own men at -the top, and charged down the slope towards Schahoffskoi's fugitives. -There was a large field of ripe maize on our right as we went down the -hill, and I could see the Russians running through it as hard as their -legs could carry them, believing of course that a strong body of cavalry -was swooping down to cut off their retreat. Next to the field of -standing maize was a field of barley, which had been reaped and piled in -stooks. I could see the Russians dodging in and out among the stooks as -we rode towards them, our troopers yelling and cheering as they emptied -their carbines and revolvers into the mass of the fugitives. The Russian -officers were trying to rally their men, and parties of them began to -make a stand under some trees and to reply to our fire. In a moment -more, when the most venturesome of the troopers had got within forty or -fifty yards of the fugitives, the Russians suddenly faced round, and, -recognizing that they were attacked by a mere handful of men, took up a -formation and poured their fire into us in earnest. Hassan Labri Pasha, -who was watching the whole thing, foresaw that our retreat was likely to -be cut off, and he sounded the retreat. We wheeled our horses just in -time, drove the spurs in, and galloped back for our lives. - -Probably no man except one who has been in a similar position can even -faintly guess at the rapid change of feeling which comes over one at -such a crisis. A few moments before, while we were galloping forward -against the fugitives, I felt as brave as a lion; but when once I had -turned my back to them and heard their bullets whistling round me, a -mortal dread came over me, and if I had had a hundred millions in the -bank I would have given it all to be a furlong farther from the muzzles -of those Russian rifles. It was every man for himself of course, and we -did not attempt to preserve any sort of formation. The instinct of a -hunted animal flying for cover made me turn towards the maize-field, and -I galloped into the friendly shelter of the tall stems, bending my head -low over my horse's neck and urging him forward with voice and spur. The -maize was tall enough to conceal a horse and man completely, so that the -Russians could not take aim at any individual mark; but they poured -incessant volleys into the field, and many a bullet fired at random -found its billet. As these hundreds of bullets cut the maize stalks in -all directions round me, I must confess that my previous recklessness -had given place to a ghastly, overmastering terror. Wherever I turned, -danger was by my side, and I could only press blindly forward and hope -for the best. A trooper close by me suddenly threw up his arms, and -seemed to spring several feet up from the saddle before he fell with a -thud among the blood-soaked maize stalks. It occurred to me then that he -must have been shot through the heart. - -By this time the entire Russian force which had been attacking our -position on the hill was in full pursuit; and as I came out on the other -side of the maize-field with the other survivors of that mistaken -charge, I saw with dismay that our retreat had affected our own -infantrymen with a panic. They had held their ground stubbornly while -the Russians were developing the original attack; but when they saw us -galloping back pell-mell with the returning Russians behind us, the -moral influence of our retreat was too much for them, and they started -to run from the position. It was a critical moment; but the threatened -retreat was stopped as quickly as it began; for Osman Pasha, who had -been watching the affair with his staff from the top of the hill, took -prompt steps to rally the men. The slope of the hill, from the crest -down to where the men were entrenched, was extraordinarily steep; but -when we rode up it, and the men in the trenches began to follow us, -Osman Pasha and his staff came down it at full gallop, with shouts and -direful threats, emptying their revolvers at the advancing body of their -own men. This drastic remedy had the desired effect, and the men -rallied, took their places again in the trenches, and opened fire upon -the Russians. - -By this time it was beginning to get dusk; and as the firing showed no -signs of diminution, I made my way back to Plevna as fast as I could go, -in the full conviction that it was all up with us, and that the Russians -would be in the town soon after me. What actually happened was this. The -Russians took our first line of trenches, when Osman Pasha, seeing that -the northern attack had died out, ordered down two fresh regiments along -the Nicopolis road to reinforce the position. The men were quite fresh, -and they "doubled" the whole way, covering the intervening two miles in -about twelve minutes, and arriving just in time to bar the farther -advance of the Russians, who fell back after some desperate hand-to-hand -fighting. - -When I reached the town, the bullets were falling pretty thickly in the -streets, showing that the Russians had penetrated unpleasantly close. I -saw a Bulgarian coming out of a house with a bucket to fill it with -water from a small fountain in the middle of the street; but before he -reached the fountain he fell dead drilled by a rifle-ball. - -Coming to the hospital, I was soon up to my neck in work. Gradually the -firing died away, and all night long the wounded kept coming in, some -walking and others in arabas. We had thirty-seven medical men on the -staff at this time, and there was plenty for all to do. No one knew -exactly what had happened; and I remember telling several of the wounded -men, who inquired how the day had gone, that we had been beaten. Later -on, however, I found that we had won a great victory, and that the -Russians had been decisively beaten all along the line; Krüdener's and -Schahoffskoi's columns having suffered terrible loss, while Skobeleff -who had been fighting on the Green Hills, had retired his force in good -order, and with lighter loss. The Russian total loss was given as one -hundred and sixty-nine officers, and seven thousand one hundred and -thirty-six men, or about one-fourth of the total force. Even this -figure, however, is believed to be largely under-estimated. The Turkish -loss was about eight hundred killed and nine hundred wounded. - -In spite of this splendid victory, the great chance of the campaign was -missed owing to the want of cavalry. If we had had a strong body of -cavalry, scarcely a Russian would have reached the Danube alive; and -even as it was the panic among the Russians at Sistova was so great -that a rush was made upon the bridge, and many waggons were actually -pushed over into the river by the crowding fugitives. - -As for my little troop of cavalry with whom I made that desperate charge -and still more desperate retreat, it had been absolutely decimated, -though Mustapha Bey the colonel, Czetwertinski the captain, and the -Turkish lieutenant, all escaped as fortunately as myself. - -In the town of Plevna we had plenty of accommodation for the wounded, -and all the arrangements for attending to them were in far better order -than on the occasion of the first battle. When the main hospital was -full, we sent the men off to the smaller hospitals, and many of the less -serious cases lay out in the open air all night. It was a repetition in -many respects of our experience after the first battle; for we had -forty-eight hours of almost continuous work, and then the great bulk of -the men were put into carts and sent away to Sofia. On the first night -after the artillery firing had ceased, all was quiet, and the only -sounds to be heard in the town were the cries and moans of the wounded -and the loud creaking of the great wooden-wheeled waggons as they rolled -over the cobble-stones outside. - -As I have said, we were much better prepared for the reception of the -wounded than after the first battle; for we had plenty of instruments, -chloroform, antiseptic solutions, and bandages, and, moreover, we had -trained a number of the soldiers to act as an ambulance corps. These -assistants were able to help us very materially, and had become quite -expert dressers. In the majority of cases the wounds were very severe, -as the men had fought principally in the trenches, and when hit they -were generally shot either through the head or right through the chest. - -On August 1 I got away from the hospital at about five o'clock in the -afternoon, and rode out to have a look at the battle-field. Near the -spot where the Grivitza redoubt was afterwards built the Russian dead -lay thickest, and within a space of about two acres on this rising slope -I counted fifteen hundred bodies. The spectacle was a horrifying one. -Turkish burial parties had already been out burying our dead; but the -Russians were left where they fell. Nearly all of them were absolutely -naked, for the Bashi-Bazouks had been there already, and had stripped -them of arms and clothing completely. I could not help noticing the -difference in physique between the Russian soldiers and the Turks. The -Russians were far less robust, and many of them seemed to be mere lads, -hardly equal to the task of carrying the heavy Berdan or Krenke rifle. -Broken gun carriages lay on every side, and the ground was scarred and -torn in all directions. - -A number of wounded horses, lying on the ground unable to rise, were -neighing pitifully, and farther off two or three more with broken legs -and entrails hanging out were dragging themselves slowly and painfully -to a pool of water that had collected in a hollow at the foot of a hill. -I shot four of the unfortunate creatures with my revolver, and put them -out of their misery. - -Some of the wounded men were in very strange attitudes. One man was -kneeling as if in prayer; another was on his hands and knees; another -was lying in his own brains. All three had been stripped by the -Bashi-Bazouks. The Russian line of retreat could be easily -distinguished, for it was marked out by a track of dead bodies laid as -plainly as the track of a paper-chase. Here and there I could see where -groups of them had tried to make a little stand, and had been shot down -thirty or forty or fifty at a time. I saw one dead man in a most -extraordinary position. He was stuck in the fork of a tree about fifteen -feet from the ground, having evidently climbed it for safety, and then -been shot by a stray bullet. - -Returning from my visit to the dead, I devoted myself again to the -wounded in the hospitals, and performed a number of amputations together -with Osman Effendi, who worked splendidly with me. In the intervals of -work next day I rode out again to the battle-field, which was beginning -to smell terribly, so that we had to send out more burial parties to -bury them in large trenches containing eighty or a hundred bodies each. -So terrible had been the slaughter that some Russian regiments had -literally ceased to exist. - -Within a very few days after the battle we had sent away the greater -number of the wounded, and only the cases for operation remained. All of -these were removed to the main hospital, and Osman Effendi and myself -resumed our work upon this new supply of patients. All our operations -were done out of doors in the same place under the willow tree near the -bank of the Tutchenitza. A great number of cases ended fatally which in -a civil hospital would probably have resulted differently; but we did -not attempt any intricate operations, and we were also hampered by the -fact that the patients frequently preferred to die rather than undergo -the amputation of a limb. If a man had a bullet in his knee, for -instance, such a thing as excising the knee or laying it open was never -thought of, and we simply took the leg off. This is a legitimate course -for a surgeon to adopt in time of war, because the skilled attention -necessary to the after treatment of a delicate operation was not -available, and it was often better surgery to take a man's leg off and -preserve his life than to perform an intricate operation in order to -save the leg with the probability of the patient succumbing for want of -careful nursing afterwards. As in the case of the wounded in the first -battle, there were a large number of men whose fingers we had to -amputate. - -Trade revived quite briskly as soon as things began to settle down again -in the town, and the bazaars were all in full swing. Many Spanish Jews, -scenting large profits from afar, put in an appearance, and bought -Russian coin and arms from the Circassians who had secured the plunder. -A Russian rouble was to be had for twopence, and an officer's sword -could be had for a franc. I myself bought two beautifully mounted -Russian revolvers, which I still possess. - -Osman Pasha was overwhelmed with congratulations upon his brilliant -victory from all quarters of Europe, and I was a witness of an -impressive scene when he was the recipient of the highest military -honour that the Sultan can bestow. It was a few days after the battle, -and I was standing close to the headquarters camp, behind which all the -reserves were stationed, when I heard the bugles sounding the "fall in." -Everything had been perfectly quiet, and there was no sign of the -proximity of the Russians, so that I was at a loss to understand the -meaning of the order; but it was carried out with astonishing celerity. -Within five minutes several thousand men were on parade under arms, and -I was looking round to see what was the matter, when I saw a Turkish -officer in gorgeous uniform galloping up to the headquarters camp -accompanied by a troop of cavalry. It proved to be an aide-de-camp of -the Sultan, who had come up from Constantinople with an escort bearing -despatches for Osman Pasha. Soon all the camp was in motion, and as the -bugles repeated the call troops came pouring down to the parade-ground -from the different redoubts and the earthworks on the Janik Bair and at -Grivitza, and formed up into square. All the field officers were -present, including Adil Pasha, the second in command. The Sultan's -aide-de-camp and some of the officers went into the tent of Osman Pasha, -who presently appeared with the first order of the Osmanli, the highest -Turkish military decoration, pinned upon his breast, with the cordon. -The aide-de-camp read out a special despatch from the Sultan, -congratulating Osman Pasha upon his recent brilliant victory. He then -presented him with a splendid sword, the hilt of which was set in -diamonds, and he presented Adil Pasha with a brace of magnificently -mounted pistols as a token of the Sultan's appreciation of his soldierly -qualities. All the officers came forward with the standard-bearers, and -Osman Pasha then delivered a stirring address to the troops. He said -that his Imperial Majesty the Sultan had done him the honour of -decorating him with the order which he then wore, and had presented him -with that magnificent sword in token of his pleasure at the decisive -defeat which had been inflicted upon the Russians. Though the Sultan had -decorated him personally, yet the credit of the victory did not belong -so much to him as to his brave officers and troops, who, he felt -certain, were still eager and ready to try conclusions again with the -enemy. He added that the battle which they had just fought was not to -end the campaign. They were fighting for hearths and homes, for wives -and children; and though the fighting still in store for them would -probably be even more severe than that which they had already gone -through, still he placed the fullest confidence in their bravery and -their patriotism. The troops all cheered their leader lustily, and the -ceremony came to an end with a great, united shout of "La ilaha illallah -Mohammed Rasul Allah." - -During those days after the second battle the work of fortification -proceeded with ceaseless activity under the direction of Tewfik Pasha, -who was rapidly rearing a chain of redoubts connected by trenches and -subterranean passages to bar the passage of the Russian troops into -Turkish territory. These earthworks were marvels of intricate -construction, and at this period the greater number of our troops lived -underground like moles, tunnelling communications between the different -redoubts, the largest of which was the famous one at Grivitza, which -contained four thousand men. - -When we had finished our work with the wounded and sent them all away, I -had practically nothing to do, and used to spend my time riding about -the hills either on Dr. Robert's trotting pony or my own charger. I got -tired of my quarters in the Bulgarian house, and decided to flit to some -place more convenient to the hospital. I found the place I was looking -for in another Bulgarian house, situated in the extreme north-west of -the town on the bank of the Tutchenitza, and within a couple of minutes' -walk of the hospital. It was a remarkable house, for it had no front -door and no staircase inside, although it was a two-story edifice. There -was a large yard at the back, and in one corner of it was the shed, -which did duty for a stable. I saw that there was a fine garden attached -to the house, and that it was separated from the Tutchenitza by a fence. -The ground floor was inhabited by a forbidding-looking Bulgarian and his -family, and I took possession of the upper rooms, which were reached by -a flight of stone steps from the outside. There I installed myself in -the best bedroom as comfortably as possible under the circumstances, and -Ahmet, my Circassian servant, occupied an adjoining apartment. He had no -trouble about arranging the furniture in my room, because there wasn't -any, with the exception of a wide divan running round the wall. - -Cordial hospitality was not at that time the strong point of the average -Bulgarian, and my host downstairs was an unusually surly person. I was a -tenant at will--that is to say, at my own will, not at my -landlord's--but the heads of the household took no more notice of me -than if I had been dead--probably indeed not so much. There was one -little chap, though, a yellow-haired, blue-eyed Bulgarian boy of about -thirteen, who used occasionally to visit me; and he endeavoured without -success to explain to me his views upon the position. I encouraged his -confidences with an eye to subsequent advantages, and reaped the reward -in milk, which the little chap used to bring me from his father's dairy -cow. With the addition of the milk to my daily fare, I was enabled to -boil my rice in a new way and to improve my _menu_ considerably. - -In the beautiful garden which surrounded the house were some of the most -magnificent specimens of china asters, zinnias, and balsams that I have -ever seen. I sent some of the seed home to Australia, and can still, -even after long years, pluck flowers which are the lineal descendants of -those that bloomed for the first time in the blood-stained soil of -Plevna. But sometimes that garden produced another and a ghastlier -crop. About ten days after the battle we had a terrific downfall of -rain. It poured for about twenty-four hours in torrents, and the -Tutchenitza was soon running a banker. Presently the flood-waters -encroached, and poured across the low-lying flats, through the fence, -and over our beautiful garden. When the rain stopped and the water -receded, I walked in the garden one morning, and found _débris_ of all -sorts, which had been brought down by the stream, still sticking in my -favourite gooseberry bushes. Among the flotsam and jetsam gathered there -was a grisly relic from the battle-field a mile or two away. It was a -human head, with most of the flesh worn off the skull by the action of -the water, and the teeth set fast in a horrid grin. It was impossible to -say whether it was the head of a Turk or a Russian, and I buried it -under the gooseberry bush where I found it. - -A day or two after this great rainstorm I rode out again over the hills -and visited the battle-field. Far down on the lower ground, where the -main Russian attack upon Grivitza was delivered, I came upon a gully, -down which the recent rains had poured a miniature mountain torrent. The -water had scooped away the earth that was thinly laid over the Russian -dead, and had robbed the shallow graves of the corpses, carrying the -bones away to the lowest lying ground, and depositing them there to -whiten in the sun. Hundreds of skulls which had been separated from the -bodies were lying there. I thought of the Kurdish colonel, and of the -fate which his Circassian servant meted out to the wounded Russian -officer, and I guessed the shocking reason. These were the heads of -wounded men whom the Circassians had decapitated. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. -THE FIASCOS OF PELISCHAT AND LOVTCHA. - - A Circassian and a Pig--A Call on Olivier Pain--His Photographs - surprise me--A View of Sydney Harbour in Plevna--The Story of a - French Journalist--A Lonely Death in the Soudan--"The - Butter-making Prince"--Bulgarian Fleas--The Expedition to - Poradim--Going to the Front--An Ambulance at Work--Capture of - Russian Guns--A Diabolical Circassian--Attack on a Redoubt--A - General Retreat--Wounded Men left in the Redoubt--I help them to - escape--An Exciting Moment--My Horse has to carry Double--Death - takes one of the Riders--Battle of Pelischat--The March to - Lovtcha--A Scrimmage in a Wheat-field--Sleeping in a - Wheat-stook--Weinberger and I are apprehensive--A Delightful - Surprise--Drawing a Covert--Lovtcha in the Distance--A Council - of War--An Appalling Sight--Our Mutilated Comrades--The Sergeant - and his Cigarette--A Night Alarm--Ammunition Boxes blow up--A - Disastrous Explosion--Lauri and Drew Gay. - - -My own Circassian servant, Ahmet, was an excellent attendant, and I -seldom had any trouble with him. Once, however, an incident occurred -through which I nearly lost him. It all arose through a pig. Next door -to my quarters, and between them and the house occupied by Dr. Robert, -was the residence of a Bulgarian, who was rather more affable than most -of his compatriots, and who allowed me to use a right-of-way through his -place to get to Dr. Robert's, so as to avoid the necessity of going a -long way round. I often saw this Bulgarian as I went through his garden, -and one day he told me that he was going to kill a pig, and that if I -sent Ahmet in to him he would give him some fresh pork for me. When I -conveyed my wishes to Ahmet, I was met by an unexpected obstacle. Ahmet -was a good Mussulman, and hated pork as the devil hates holy water. He -refused to touch the accursed thing, and it was in vain that by turns I -bullied and entreated, threatened and cajoled him to fetch the material -for an appetizing plateful of pork chops. He positively refused, and at -last I told him that if he would not obey my orders I would have to send -him back to his regiment. This was an unpleasant alternative, for with -me he had light duties, comfortable quarters, plenty to eat and drink, -and no fighting, whereas if he were sent back to his regiment he would -have to spend long hours digging in the trenches, with the certainty of -being sent under fire on the first reappearance of the Russians. In -spite of all this he steadily refused to fetch the pork, and I admired -his steadfastness so much that at last I went and fetched it myself. I -took it over to Dr. Robert's, and we had a splendid dinner. - -It was about this time that I first met that remarkable adventurer -Olivier Pain, whose history forms one of the strangest pages in the -book of political martyrs. Tewfik Bey told me one morning that a -Frenchman had arrived in Plevna; and as I was extremely anxious for some -news of the outside world, I determined to call on the visitor. He was -established in the Bulgarian house which I had not long quitted, and was -receiving the scant attention which the black-eyed daughter of the house -found time to bestow upon him, and the conversational treat which her -one remark "London" occasionally afforded. When I visited the stranger -in my old well known quarters, I found a tall, sallow man, apparently -about twenty-five years of age, with a small, pointed beard, and an air -of intelligence and almost of distinction. He was arranging his few -possessions in the room when I entered and introduced myself to him. As -my eyes wandered round the room, I was thunderstruck to see this -Frenchman pinning upon the wall a photograph of Sydney Harbour, and I -asked him at once if he knew Sydney. He replied that he did; and when I -told him that I was a native of Melbourne, he said that he had also been -in Melbourne, and knew it well. He seemed somewhat troubled at my -recognition of the photograph, and at last, speaking in very tolerable -English, he said to me, "Sir, I have a very high idea of the honour of -an English gentleman, and I take you to be one. If you will promise not -to betray me, I will tell you who I am." - -"Like yourself," I replied, "I am alone here, and it does not matter a -straw to me who you are. You are evidently an intelligent and educated -man, and that is quite enough for me." Then he told me that he was -Olivier Pain, and that during the stormy days of 1871 in Paris he had -embraced the cause of the Commune, and been deported for life to New -Caledonia, in company with the fiery and _intransigéant_ Henri -Rochefort. He had escaped in 1874 with Rochefort to the Australian -coast, and had reached Sydney in safety, afterwards making his way to -Melbourne, and thence to America, where for some time he lay _perdu_. -Venturing back to Europe, however, after many adventures he reached -Geneva, and on the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish war was engaged as a -war correspondent by one of the principal Geneva newspapers. - -Now war correspondents were regarded with the utmost distrust in Turkey, -while Osman Pasha positively hated them, and strict instructions were -given that no stranger should be allowed into Plevna without a special -firman from the Sultan. It was characteristic of the audacity of Olivier -Pain that he should have made his way from Constantinople unprovided -with the necessary firman, and should have "bluffed" himself into -Plevna, in the belief that among the hundreds of departing wounded men -and arriving reinforcements his presence would not at first be noticed. -As a matter of fact, however, he was noted at once, and eventually had -to leave the town temporarily; but for a fortnight he continued to -inhabit my old quarters, and I saw a good deal of him. - -Little skirmishes between our pickets and the Russian vedettes used to -occur from day to day, and Pain began to exercise his _métier_ as war -correspondent at once, writing the most picturesque descriptive articles -to his Geneva newspaper. I was shown afterwards a copy of that journal, -in which a long account appeared written by him, and purporting to be a -description of some heroic exploits performed by myself. Upon the -slender foundation of my participation in one of the trifling cavalry -skirmishes which were constantly taking place, he had built up a -remarkable narrative, in which he portrayed me, I am afraid with more -vividness than veracity, cutting down Russian troopers by the score. -However, fortunately for himself, Pain was an enthusiastic admirer of -everything Turkish, and he found in Osman Pasha a model of all the -military virtues. It was fortunate for him that he adopted this view in -his letters, for unknown to him they were all opened and read by Tewfik -Bey before being despatched from Plevna. Of course Tewfik Bey apprised -his superior officer of the contents of the letters, and the result was -that Osman Pasha's antipathy to war correspondents was mollified in -this particular case. War correspondents are not usually thin-skinned; -and when at last it became necessary absolutely to turn Pain out of -Plevna because he had no authority to be there, Osman Pasha himself gave -him a letter to the executive in Constantinople recommending that the -necessary permission should be given to him to return to Plevna. He was -unable to return at once as the road was blocked; but Chefket Pasha, -coming up in October with fresh troops, reopened it, and with him came -back Olivier Pain. He survived all the horrors of the fall of Plevna, -and lived to seek for new adventures in the service of the Mahdi in the -Soudan. The quixotism of Pain's politics was well revealed in his -conduct in going to the Soudan as a colleague of Rochefort's, with the -idea that he could assist the Mahdi against England, and so injure the -traditional antagonist of France. In that book of fascinating interest -_Fire and Sword in the Sudan_, Slatin Bey tells the story of Olivier -Pain's appearance in the Mahdi's camp while his troops were marching on -Khartoum, and of his acceptance with suspicion both by the Mahdi and the -Khalifa. A few days after Pain joined in the march he became ill with -fever, and was placed on an _angareb_, or couch, slung upon a donkey. -Growing weaker and weaker, he slipped at last from the donkey, fractured -his skull, and died miserably when the column was within three days' -march of Khartoum. - -As I knew him at Plevna, Pain was capital company. He told us what -Europe was thinking of us set there to repel the repeated assaults of -the Russians; and he gave us many stories of wild life as a political -convict in New Caledonia and a refugee ever since in half the countries -of the world. - -My friend Czetwertinski had come to stay in my quarters as his health -was very delicate and he could not live under canvas; so he and Pain and -myself generally dined together, and gathered for a smoke and a chat in -the evenings. One night a slight contretemps occurred which came near -depriving me of one of my friends, if not both. Czetwertinski conceived -the brilliant idea of converting some of the milk which the Bulgarian -boy used to bring me into butter, and with this object he extemporized a -small churn and turned himself into an impromptu butter factory. The -volatile Frenchman could not resist giving his communistic feelings -expression, and he made some remark about "the butter-making prince" -which grievously incensed the haughty Pole. An instant challenge to a -duel followed, and I had the greatest difficulty in preventing my two -friends from exchanging shots according to the recognized code. Finally -I pacified them, and had the satisfaction of seeing them fall upon each -other's necks in a cordial embrace. When Pain finally left us in -response to a peremptory order from headquarters, he bequeathed his -stock of firewood to me as an acknowledgment of the hospitality which he -had received; and I secured possession of this coveted luxury in spite -of the loud objections of Pain's Bulgarian landlord, who regarded the -wood, which was now becoming a scarce commodity in Plevna, as his lawful -perquisite. - -A curious superstition on the part of the Turks came under my notice one -night soon after Pain's departure. I was tossing about feverishly in -bed, suffering agonies from the assaults of the domestic insects which -in Bulgaria attain to stupendous proportions, when I heard a tremendous -volley of guns, and for the moment I believed that a night attack was -taking place. However, after a few minutes of independent firing, the -noise died away, and I went to sleep again. Next morning it appeared -that there had been an eclipse of the moon on the previous night, and -the townspeople were acting in accordance with an ancient superstition -when they fired off every available gun, believing that in doing so they -would scare away the monstrous animal which was endeavouring to devour -the silver queen of night. They were curiously alive to an empty -superstition, yet curiously insensible to hard facts, for they appeared -to tolerate the ever-present annoyance of the insects with equanimity. -When I resorted to the device of putting the legs of my bed in vessels -full of water, so that the fleas and other hopping and crawling visitors -could not climb up to attack me, the pertinacious creatures thought out -a way to circumvent me. They simply crawled up the wall and along the -ceiling until they were in a position to drop down upon me, which they -did. It was the most marked display of reasoning power in the lower -creatures that ever forced itself upon my notice. The only way that I -could baffle the voracious crowd was by moving my bed out into the open -air, and this I did. - -In the forenoon of August 31, while I was pottering about my hospital, I -heard guns at a distance of about five miles, and jumping on my horse I -galloped off to the headquarters camp, only to find it deserted. -Information was obtainable, however, showing that Osman Pasha had -suddenly moved off eastward in the direction of Poradim before daybreak -with nineteen battalions of infantry, three batteries of artillery, and -all the cavalry at his disposal. He had gone out really for the purpose -of getting information and ascertaining the position of the Russians. It -was a huge reconnaissance ending in a battle. - -As I had received no orders to remain in camp, I rode off in the -direction of the firing, and after going a couple of miles I saw three -or four mounted officers. Fearing that I might be sent back, I went a -little aside, and passed them, as I thought, unnoticed; but they -speedily ordered me to halt, and when I went up to them I found that one -was Hassib Bey, the principal medical officer. - -"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he said to me; "you are the very -man we want." - -I told him that I was anxious to see the fun, and he advised me, with a -laugh, to curb my ardour, and ordered me to remain with him. - -We rode on together for another couple of miles, when we came to an -ambulance at work. It was the only ambulance that I ever saw in the -field with the Turkish troops, and was a very simple affair, managed by -four surgeons, who had brought tables, instruments, water, basins, and -bandages with them. A number of wounded men were waiting to be treated, -and a long stream of others were coming in from the direction of the -fighting. Hassib Bey ordered me to assist the other surgeons working at -the ambulance, and I took up my duties among the wounded forthwith. We -were stationed on the lee side of a hill in comparative safety and out -of the line of fire; but the battle was so close to us that we could -hear the roar of the heavy guns, the sharp rattle of the breech-loaders, -and the loud hurrahs of the troops engaged. - -Presently a rumour reached us that our men had captured two Russian guns -on the crest of the long ridge between Pelischat and Sgalevitcha and a -few minutes later those field-pieces, which were made of bronze and were -the first Russian guns that we had yet seen closely, were taken past us -at a gallop by Turkish drivers heading for Plevna. When the wounded men -who were lying all round us waiting for their turns saw the captured -guns, they were excited to the wildest enthusiasm. Many of them rose to -their feet in spite of their wounds, and many more propped themselves up -painfully on their rifles as they cheered the capture that had been -made. - -I remained with the ambulance for several hours, and the record of work -there shows how much can be accomplished in the way of surgery under -active-service conditions. I had a small chamois-leather bag in my -pocket which I used generally for carrying coffee; but I devoted it on -this occasion to holding the bullets which I extracted from my patients. -I was the only operator; and when the afternoon's work was done, I -counted nineteen bullets in it--not a bad record of operations all -performed within three hours. - -If a wounded man came in with the bullet in anything like a handy place -I whipped it out at once, and in no case did we give chloroform. Most of -the men were walking back or crawling along as well as they could, and a -few were being brought in on stretchers by their comrades. - -Among the wounded arrivals was an infantry captain who was a nephew of -Hassib Bey. He was shot through the calf of the leg, and he was able to -give us some details of the fighting. He told us that the Turks had -taken a Russian redoubt, or rather a small entrenchment fortified with -sandbags, and that there were a good many wounded men there, but no -doctor. - -I saluted Hassib Bey, and asked him if I could go forward. - -"All right," he replied, "you can go; but, for goodness' sake, take care -of yourself." - -I promised to do so, and galloped off towards the sound of the fighting. -On my way I passed a long string of wounded men making their way back to -the ambulance, and was able to stanch their bleeding in many cases, and -place them in a better condition for continuing their journey. Presently -I came across several dead men, and the shells began to fly about. As I -advanced farther the numbers of the dead increased, and the bodies of -several Russians among the Turks marked the spot where the fighting had -been hand-to-hand. Soon I saw the Russian camp about a mile away. It -consisted of a number of little wooden huts on a slight slope in front -of the village of Pelischat, and there were a good many tents as well. I -could see the Turkish troops engaged; but as I came up to them, they -were beginning for the second time to fall back under a hot fire from -the Russians. - -The country was very open, and lightly timbered, with here and there a -few beeches and walnut trees, under which little groups of wounded men -were resting on their way to the rear. It was plain that the Russians -had recently occupied the ground which our troops at this moment were -holding, for lying on the plain were many wounded Russians who had been -left behind when their regiments fell back, and those hapless creatures -received short shrift from the irregular troops fighting under the -Turkish flag. - -One instance of the savagery with which the conflict was conducted I -witnessed personally; and though it shows the Turkish irregulars in very -lurid colours, I can vouch for the performance of similar and even worse -atrocities on the part of the Cossacks a few days later. - -As I was looking at the firing and wondering how much longer our men -would be able to hold the advantage which they had gained, I saw a -Circassian, with a most diabolical expression on his face, stooping down -to pluck some of the long grass that grew there abundantly and wiping -his _camer_, or short sharp sword, upon it. I rode up to see what he was -doing, and found that he had just cut the head off an unfortunate -wounded Russian. The headless trunk, still quivering with muscular -contractions, lay on the ground at his feet, and he was holding up his -horrid trophy by the hair. - -I rode on to the small earthwork which our men had captured. The -regiment which had taken it still held possession, and the Russian -troops were advancing in strong force to recapture it. I gathered that -desperate fighting had gone on here, and that the redoubt had already -been captured and recaptured two or three times. The men who were then -holding it were the remnant of the attacking party, and when I was about -a hundred yards from the fortified spot I passed an immense number of -Turkish dead. They were the first company in the column of assault which -perished to a man. The Russians in the redoubt must have reserved their -fire, for nearly every man of the first company had five or six bullets -through him. The redoubt itself was full of dead and dying men, and the -Russians, having rallied, were already coming back beyond their foremost -line, being within about five hundred yards of the redoubt. It was plain -that if our men did not retire they would be annihilated, and they began -to fall back in good order, taking as many of the wounded with them as -possible. - -One of the first men I saw was Czetwertinski, who was captain in a -cavalry troop. He told me that a few minutes before I arrived his horse -had been killed under him by a shell which ripped the animal's side -open. So perished the magnificent black charger which no man in the -squadron could ride but Czetwertinski; the horse to whom he really owed -his commission. Czetwertinski had been left unmounted for a minute or -two; but he speedily took the horse ridden by his servant Faizi, who had -to find his way back as best he could. - -The shells began to come pretty thickly among us, and the Russian -gunners were making very fair practice. I saw a Turkish regiment lying -down close by some trees, when a couple of shells exploded almost -simultaneously among them, killing seven men and wounding many more, -whom I attended on the spot. - -Osman Pasha with Tewfik Bey and his staff were there in the thick of it. -The commander-in-chief had had three horses shot under him that day. -Presently our men began to retire in earnest, under a perfect storm of -shot and shell from the returning Russians. All our wounded men had been -got away except two who were left behind in the redoubt. I saw them -there, and, realizing what their fate would be when the Russians should -have retaken the redoubt, I decided to make an effort to save them. I -got into the redoubt, and found that one of the men had been shot -through the neck by a rifle-bullet. He was bleeding terribly, and was -already blanched to the colour of death. The other man had been struck -in the left thigh by a fragment of shell which had shattered the bone. I -got them both out, and managed to get the man who was shot in the neck -upon my horse. I placed him in the saddle, and I put the man with the -shattered leg up behind him. I held the second man in position with my -right hand, and led the horse by the bridle with the left. The man with -the broken leg was suffering terrible agony, but he held up his comrade -in front of him and prevented him from falling off. In this way we -started to rejoin our troops, who were now nearly half a mile away, -retreating slowly and firing as they went. The Russians were within -about four hundred yards of the redoubt when I left it with the two -wounded men and the horse. - -The Russians were pouring in a hot fire on our retreating troops, and -our men were answering at intervals, so that I was caught between two -fires. I could hear the Russian shells screaming over my head as I made -my way back. Our pace was necessarily slow, for I had to walk the horse -all the way, and to take the utmost care lest the men should fall off. -When we had got about half a mile from the redoubt, the man in front -fell off the horse dead, and I left him there. I put the other man into -the saddle; and after a period that seemed like a lifetime, I reached -our foremost lines and went on through them, and out of the line of -fire, without having received a scratch. - -We saw several regiments of Russian cavalry detach themselves from the -main body and come galloping down as if to cut off our retreat; so our -officers ordered the field-guns into action, and we opened a destructive -shell fire on them which stopped their pursuit. The main body of the -Russians also drew back, and did not pursue us farther; so that without -further misadventure we reached the site of the field ambulance, and I -placed my man in one of the waggons after bandaging up his leg. When I -took him off the saddle, I noticed a little pyramid of clotted blood, -about three or four inches high, on the horse's wither. It had been -caused by the slow drip-drip from the neck of the first man before he -fell off dead. - -I stopped at the field-ambulance depot attending to the wounded men -until about six o'clock in the evening, when we all cleared off and went -back to Plevna. This was the battle of Pelischat, otherwise named -Sgalevitcha. We had about one thousand three hundred men killed and -wounded, and we had gained absolutely nothing. I never could understand -the exact object of this sortie from Plevna, since even if we had -succeeded in capturing the Pelischat-Sgalevitcha position we could never -have held it. - -Early on the morning of September 4 an orderly came to my quarters -before I was up, and said to me, "At eleven o'clock you will see some -troops advancing by the Lovtcha road, and you will follow them." - -I asked him where they were going, and he said that he did not know. I -inquired how long we were likely to be away, and he said that he had no -idea, adding that I had better take my instruments with me because I -should probably want them. - -After I had done my work at the hospital, I went up to the headquarters -camp, and found that Osman Pasha and a number of officers, Hassan Labri -Pasha, Emin Bey, Tahir Pasha, Tewfik Bey, Osman Bey, and Yalaat Bey, -with sixteen battalions and three batteries, were marching out along the -Lovtcha road, and I joined them at once. About a mile from Plevna on -this road were some large vineyards laden with clusters of ripe grapes, -which had attracted the attention of our troops some days before this. -In fact, the Turkish soldiers, in their desire to get the ripe fruit, -had been in the habit of stealing out by night past our vedettes into -the vineyards, and several of them had been shot by the Russian -outposts; strict orders had accordingly been given to the troops to -refrain from indulging their appetite for grapes under the -circumstances, and the Turkish sentries had been instructed to shoot any -men who attempted to pass them during the night for the purpose of -getting into the vineyards. - -When, however, we were marching out towards Lovtcha in the daytime, it -was impossible to keep the troops out of the vineyards; and many of the -men who had not been too plentifully supplied with rations for some time -past gorged themselves with fruit to such an extent that they became ill -with dysentery, and I had to attend to them. On the outskirts of Plevna -also I noticed many Turkish professional beggars who pestered the troops -for money; and as it was considered lucky to give something in charity -before going into action, the soldiers were very liberal, and the -beggars reaped a rich harvest of piastres. - -Almost as soon as we were well clear of Plevna and out into the open -country, we fell in with some Russian cavalry vedettes, and began a -period of intermittent fighting which continued all that day. When the -vedettes saw that we were in strong force, they fell back upon a field -where the corn had been cut and stood piled up at intervals in stooks. -It was quite interesting to watch them dodging for cover from one stook -to another, while our men tried to pick them off with their rifles. A -good many of the Cossacks fell in the wheat-field, and the remainder -were driven back without difficulty. Hardly had we got rid of those, -however, when three or four Russian infantry regiments put in an -appearance with a couple of batteries of artillery, and opened fire on -us. We were drawn up in very open order, and Osman Pasha sent a couple -of batteries up to the crest of some rising ground, and we started to -shell the enemy, still continuing to push forward with the main body. -There was a small creek to cross, and we had a hard task to get the guns -over the bridge under a heavy fire from the Russians. It was very -exciting work; and as Tewfik Bey was directing the passage of the -bridge, his horse was killed under him by a shell. At last, however, we -got safely over, just as it was growing dusk, and sending out -skirmishers in front we continued to advance. The firing went on for -some hours, sudden sheets of flame appearing on both sides in the -twilight as the opposing troops discharged volley after volley; but our -casualties were very few, and at last there was a cessation of -hostilities. - -We camped in a wheat-field which had just been reaped, and Weinberger -and I sat all night in one of the stooks, holding our horses. We had no -rations with us; but I had had a good feed of grapes in the morning, and -with some cobs of maize that I had put in my pocket before starting we -managed to satisfy our hunger. As we squatted in the stook together, -Weinberger and I discussed the situation seriously, and came to the -conclusion that it was by no means reassuring. In point of fact we made -up our minds that our last hour was all but come, for we made sure that -before morning the Russians would bring up their troops and we should -have to be struck by a flank attack. Our communication with Plevna would -no doubt be cut off during the night, and we apprehended that when the -morning came our force would probably be annihilated. When day broke, -however, we looked out of our stook, and found to our intense relief -that there was not a Russian in sight anywhere. It was the most -beautiful morning that I remember to have ever seen; and after the bare -hills round Plevna and the narrow streets of the town, the well -timbered, undulating country was a delightful sight. - -The march was resumed soon after daybreak, and it must have been midday -before we halted in the doghole Bulgarian village of Kakrinka, a little -distance eastward of Lovtcha. A number of pigs belonging to the fugitive -villagers were roaming about among the empty cottages, and the -Circassians, who, like all good Mussulmen, regard the pig as a filthy -and abominable creature, showed their religious zeal by shooting several -of them. On the outskirts of the village we met a Bulgarian woman with -two children, and from her we learnt the fatal news that Lovtcha had -fallen two days before. Our march from Plevna had been with the object -of relieving Rifaat Pasha, who commanded the garrison at Lovtcha; but we -had arrived too late, for he had been attacked by an overwhelming -Russian force, and the Turkish troops in Lovtcha had been cut to pieces. - -What had happened was this. Skobeleff had advanced upon Lovtcha on -September 1, with about twenty-one thousand men and eighty-four guns, -exclusive of the Cossacks and their batteries. Aware that he was vastly -outnumbered, Rifaat Pasha had sent an urgent request to Osman Pasha in -Plevna for immediate assistance; but the commander-in-chief apparently -considered that the Lovtcha position could hold out for a few days, and -delayed to send reinforcements at once. - -During the night of September 1, Skobeleff had thrown up entrenchments -and established batteries on a hill two miles from Lovtcha, and opened -fire early on the morning of the 2nd upon the position. Later in the day -the main Russian body had come up, and thrown up entrenchments to -prepare for the general attack, which took place on September 3. After -three hours of desperate fighting, the position was carried, and the -Turks withdrew their left wing across the river Osma. The attack on the -second Turkish position was then commenced, and the citadel of Lovtcha -was at last carried by Skobeleff and his Russians, after a general rush -from all sides late in the evening. - -Most of the Turkish fugitives had already fled towards Mikren, twelve -miles south-west of Lovtcha, hotly pursued by Cossacks and artillery. -Cut down by the Cossacks or killed by Russian shells, the Turkish force -was practically wiped out. Ignorant of the details, however, and knowing -only the bare fact that Lovtcha was in the hands of the Russians, we -pressed on towards the position; and when we were about five miles from -Lovtcha, we saw a couple of regiments of cavalry and a regiment of -infantry drawn up on the bank of the Osma. They advanced over the plain -to meet us; and as we were well posted on a fairly high eminence, we -opened fire on them with artillery. I saw one of the shells drop right -in the middle of a squadron of cavalry, and five or six men with their -horses were all down on the ground together. - -Under the stress of the artillery fire the cavalry scattered and -retired, some remaining to pick up their wounded. We continued to fire -upon these, and killed about twenty-five or thirty more of them. Below -the eminence upon which our troops were drawn up was a wood of dwarf -oaks, walnuts, and beeches running down into the plain which form the -valley of the Osma; and Osman Pasha, believing that a Russian force was -concealed in the wood, sent down a couple of battalions to clear it. - -I sat on my horse on the top of the hill, and watched this interesting -operation. There were little open spaces here and there in the wood, -and I could see the red fezzes of the soldiers bobbing about among the -trees as they worked the cover exactly like a pack of foxhounds. There -was a great deal of shouting and indiscriminate firing, and we all -expected to see the Russians bolting out of the wood on the other side. -It was intensely exciting; but at last we saw the fezzes emerging on the -far side of the wood, and we realized that they had drawn it blank. -There was not a Russian in the place; but I had three wounded Turks to -attend to who had been shot by their own comrades when the promiscuous -firing was going on in the wood. - -As we looked over upon Lovtcha from the hill where we were halted, the -town appeared as if it was on the stage of a vast theatre, while we were -in the dress circle. Below us was a long green plain with the silver -thread of the river Osma meandering through it, and farther away was the -town of Lovtcha nestling in the ranges. On the banks of the river were -two Bulgarian villages, and we could see Russian troops in both of them. - -Osman Pasha held a council of war on the top of the hill, and all the -principal officers attended, the question debated being whether an -attempt should be made to recapture Lovtcha or not. The general opinion -was that it was inadvisable to make the attempt, and Hassan Labri Pasha -alone was in favour of an attack. At last, after discussing all the -arguments for and against, it was decided not to attack such a strong -position occupied by an immensely superior force; and Osman Pasha, much -against his will, was obliged to order a return to Plevna. - -Meanwhile our cavalry and Circassians were sent down the hill to make a -reconnaissance, and I went with them. After going some little distance, -we came across a ghastly evidence of the ferocity of the fighting, for -we counted nearly four hundred Turks all lying dead together. They had -apparently tried to break away when Lovtcha fell, and had been cut down -by the Cossacks when making a last stand under the walnut trees. Every -corpse was fearfully disfigured. The faces had been slashed with sabres -even after death, and the corpses had been subjected to the horrible -indignities which are usually supposed to be practised only by the hill -tribes of Afghanistan. Whether those atrocities were committed by the -Russians or by the Bulgarians I could not definitely determine; but the -sight enraged the Circassians to an appalling extent, and their threats -boded ill for any Russians who might fall into their hands alive. - -It was impossible for the column to return to Plevna by the same way -that it had come, because we knew that the Russians had seized some -important positions on the road, fortified them with earthworks, and -brought up their artillery. Consequently Osman Pasha decided to make a -_détour_; and as Lovtcha was about due south of Plevna, we headed at -first in a westerly direction and gradually worked round to the north. - -It was an intensely hot day, and we all suffered severely from thirst, -having been without water for several hours. I managed to find a pool of -dirty water, however, and I drank as much as I could, not knowing when -the next opportunity for a drink might arrive. As for food, all that we -had consisted of the cobs of maize that we gathered in the fields as we -passed. - -Later in the afternoon, however, we had another meal with a different -_menu_. As I passed through a Bulgarian village with an advance party of -Circassians, we came to a farmhouse on the top of a ridge well timbered -with walnut trees. The Circassians made a hurried investigation of the -premises, and then set fire to some outbuildings which were thatched -with straw. They had found a hive of bees in the shed, and calmly burnt -the place down to smoke them out, so that we secured an excellent meal -of walnuts and honey. - -Osman Pasha was very strict in putting down pillaging, and an instance -occurred on the same afternoon of the severity with which he punished -any infraction of orders in that respect. As the column passed through -one of the small Bulgarian villages which were sprinkled at frequent -intervals along the line of route, a small field of tobacco enclosed by -a brushwood fence was espied, and a Turkish sergeant who was pining for -a cigarette could not resist the temptation, but climbed through the -fence and filled his pockets with the dry leaf. Osman Pasha happened to -see the incident; and, putting his horse at the fence, he jumped over -into the tobacco-field, seized the sergeant and tore the stripes from -his shoulder, degrading him to the ranks for his insubordination. - -After we had marched about five miles beyond the farmhouse where we had -got the honey, we camped for the night, and a very unpleasant night it -was. The bivouac was pitched in the middle of a wide expanse of swampy -ground, which was so moist that the water oozed through as one sat on -the grass. I procured a plank, and lay on it all night, snatching a few -minutes of fitful slumber at intervals. - -At about eleven o'clock I was roused by a terrific rattle of infantry -fire, and we all leaped to our feet firmly convinced that the long -expected Russian attack had come at last. All was confusion as the men -hastily threw themselves into formation and rammed the cartridges into -their rifles; but the firing stopped as unexpectedly as it had begun, -and we were left staring into the darkness in anxious suspense. Soon we -discovered that it was a false alarm. A white horse which had been -wounded in the fighting round Lovtcha had dragged himself painfully all -the way from that vicinage after our column, recognizing the bugle calls -of the army to which he belonged. But the poor brute paid the penalty of -devotion, for our sentries mistook him in the darkness for a Russian -vedette, and an alarm was sounded which brought about a volley of -musketry fire that put him out of his pain at once. - -Next morning the column started very early, and marched through -beautifully timbered, undulating country. We saw a couple of Russian -vedettes galloping away from one of the Bulgarian villages, and guessed -that the enemy were in the neighbourhood. But they kept out of our way, -and did not provoke an engagement. - -At about two o'clock in the afternoon, as I was riding with the -Circassians in front of a battery of field artillery, I heard a terrific -explosion, and, looking round, saw a column of smoke behind me fully a -hundred feet in height. There were a number of small black fragments -falling through the smoke, and I found that an explosion had taken place -in one of the gun carriages. The ammunition had gone off in some -mysterious way, and the black fragments falling through the air were all -that was left of the two unfortunate gunners who had been sitting on the -ammunition box. Both the wheel horses were killed on the spot, and one -of the drivers was badly injured. No one ever knew how that mysterious -explosion occurred. That night we camped in the open again, and at -eleven o'clock next morning we arrived at Plevna. I went to my quarters, -had a wash, and then resumed my work at the hospital. But there was not -much to do, and at two o'clock I was free to take a walk through the -town. - -To my intense surprise I saw a man who looked like an Englishman; and as -I had not seen an Englishman for several months, I shouted to him, half -in Turkish and half in English, to ask him who he was. He proved to be a -man called Drew Gay, the correspondent of the London _Daily Telegraph_, -and he wore an extraordinary nondescript get-up, including a little -forage cap, patent leather riding-boots, and an enormous cavalry sword. -He was on his way to pay a visit to the kaimakan, and was accompanied by -a German artist named Lauri. - -This little Lauri was a charming fellow, and full of the spirit of -adventure. He was a great friend of Hamdi Bey, who was the son of Edim -Pasha, the grand vizier, and in this way he was able to exercise -sufficient influence to secure a firman authorizing him to visit Plevna. -Lauri had lived in Cairo for some time, and had earned some notoriety by -painting a portrait of the Khedive. - -Next day occurred the third and greatest battle of Plevna--a battle in -which the enormous value of the breech-loader when backed by -entrenchments was fully demonstrated, as were also the magnificent pluck -and endurance of the Turkish troops. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. -THE THIRD BATTLE OF PLEVNA. - - The Third Battle of Plevna--Turkish Genius for - Fortification--How the Redoubts were built--Description of an - Earthwork--Sleeping Underground--Living Men in Holes in the - Clay--The Triple Tier of Fire--Commencement of the Battle--The - "Mammoth Battery"--Lauri and the Live Shell--Radishevo on - Fire--The General Assault--Turkish Civilians join in the - Fight--Attack on the Grivitza Redoubt--The Brushwood Shelter - takes Fire--I visit the Redoubt--The Sight from the Parapet--A - Word to Sadik Pasha--I ride towards Krishin--Turkish Fugitives - from our Redoubt--A Compliment from a Civilian--Panic among the - Troops--Fall of the Grivitza Redoubt and Capture of Two Krishin - Redoubts by Skobeleff--The Counter-attacks--Parapets of Dead - Bodies--Tewfik Bey Invincible--The Krishin Redoubts - recaptured--A Glorious Victory--Delirious Excitement--Russian - Sortie from the Grivitza Redoubt--Repulsed with Terrible - Slaughter--Hospital Work heavy once more--Some Stoical - Sufferers--Russian Bravery--Osman Pasha and the - Wounded--Departure of Drew Gay to run the Gauntlet--A War - Correspondent and his News--Perilous Ride from Plevna. - - -Those two factors in the Turkish defence, _viz._ rapid rifle fire and -complete field fortification, were justly regarded by the Russian -general, Todleben, the principal defender of Sevastopol, to have been -the chief causes of the overwhelming defeat of the Russians in the third -battle of Plevna. - -During the six weeks which had elapsed since we entered Plevna from -Widdin, I had plenty of opportunities of watching the natural genius of -the Turks for fortification unfold itself. The pick and the spade were -never idle night or day since our tired troops first camped on the Janik -Bair; and now on the eve of the great battle the splendid result of -their labours was apparent. - -Plevna was defended by a line of earthworks of tremendous strength, -drawing a ring of fire almost completely round the town. The chain of -redoubts extended in the form of a horseshoe, the toe of which, pointing -due east, was formed by the Grivitza redoubt, while one heel was at -Opanetz in the north, and the other at Krishin in the south. Plevna -itself lay, as it were, in the "frog" of the foot, the nearest -earthworks on either side being the Bukova redoubts on the north, and a -double redoubt facing the "Green Hills" and dominating a long stretch of -sloping vineyard on the south. It was round the Grivitza redoubt in the -toe of the horseshoe, and this double redoubt close into Plevna in the -heel, that the fiercest fighting of the whole protracted series of -engagements was centred. - -In six weeks the Turkish troops, under the direction of Tewfik Bey, had -constructed the most elaborate and perfect system of field fortification -that the world had ever seen--a system which utterly routed the old -military idea that a bold and well reinforced attack must always -succeed against a defended position. It may be as well to briefly -describe the main features in the construction of these works as they -appeared to an untechnical observer. - -The usual type of redoubt was a large quadrangular fort, the walls of -which were about seven feet high on the outside, and about twenty feet -in thickness, the earth of which the walls were formed being a stiff -loam, admirably suited for the work. Field-pieces were mounted inside -the fort and fired through embrasures protected by bonnettes. The troops -fired over the top of the parapet from a banquette reached by steps from -the floor which was excavated below the level of the ground outside. The -Grivitza redoubt, which was one of the largest, was a perfect square, -each side of which was about fifty yards in length. Inside, the redoubt -was divided into four compartments by a huge traverse of earth about -eight feet thick, which was designed to protect the defenders from -reverse fire. Communication between the four compartments was afforded -by narrow passages left open between the cross-walls and the exterior -wall. The ammunition magazine was stored in a great subterranean chamber -excavated underneath the massive cross-walls; and so efficacious was -this mode of storing the cartridges, that during the four days' -bombardment only two explosions occurred, although it is computed that -the Russians fired at least three hundred thousand shells into the -redoubts. In the Ibrahim Bey redoubt a segment of a shell found its way -into the magazine, which blew up during the height of the attack, -killing forty of the defenders, Colonel Ibrahim Bey himself falling at -the head of his men soon afterwards. In the Yunuz Bey redoubt in the -extreme south-west there was also a disastrous explosion. Yunuz Bey, who -commanded all the Krishin redoubts, survived the assault of Skobeleff -and was decorated for personal bravery, together with Tewfik Bey, after -the battle. - -Access to each redoubt was gained from the rear, and in some cases one -side was also left open, as Skobeleff's troops found to their cost in -the work of which they held temporary possession. Sleeping accommodation -for the artillerymen was provided inside the redoubts, while the -infantrymen were lodged outside in the trenches. There was something -weirdly dramatic in the sight of those Turkish gunners, black and weary -and smoke-begrimed with battle, sleeping, as I have often seen them, in -their narrow resting-places scooped out of the stiff loam in the inner -side of the great wall of the redoubt. The Russian shells came crashing -into the exterior face of the earth wall; but the gunners slept on -calmly in their subterranean clay beds, and after a brief slumber -mounted to relieve their comrades again, often indeed only to exchange -their narrow beds in the thickness of the earth wall for couches in the -cold, wet earth outside and the sleep that knew no waking. Immediately -in front of the redoubt in every case was a ditch about fifteen feet -wide and ten feet deep as a first line of defence. Farther in advance -was a line of trenches, in many cases connecting with an adjacent -redoubt; and a second line farther on down the slope of the hill -provided another line of fire. The trenches had breastworks about three -feet high, pierced with loopholes for rifles at intervals of one foot -six inches. Covered passages effectually connected the trenches, and a -network of similar passages afforded ample living accommodation for the -troops. The scale upon which all these works were carried out may be -imagined when it is mentioned that one of the redoubts contained in -interior area more than ten thousand seven hundred square yards, and was -provided with subterranean chambers affording lodgment for troops and -staff as well as ample storage room and stabling for horses. - -Of course the redoubts were not all uniform in exact pattern, some of -them being designed for artillery and infantry, while others were -defended by infantry only. In many of the works a second line of rifle -fire was obtained from a covered way leading outside, so that when all -the resources of a redoubt and trenches were at work an unremitting fire -of three and in some cases four successive tiers was obtained. The -supply of ammunition was practically unlimited; and it is not difficult -to recognize that, under such conditions, an assaulting force could not -but be terribly scourged both by infantry and artillery. - -During the night of September 6 the Russians brought up their artillery -under cover of the darkness, and threw up cover for the guns with their -entrenching tools. When the morning of September 7 broke in cold and -drizzling rain, the Russians had surrounded us, the Roumanian divisions -being placed in the north and north-east, while the Russian divisions -lay in the south-east and south. All the west side was occupied by -cavalry, who commanded the valley of the Vid and the Orkhanieh road, so -as to cut off the Turkish fugitives who were expected to fly in that -direction. - -The Russians had about eighty thousand infantry, twelve thousand -cavalry, and four hundred and forty guns; while the Turkish forces -numbered about thirty thousand infantry with seventy-two guns and an -inappreciable number of cavalry.[3] - -Every precaution had been taken by the Russians to avoid a repetition of -the previous disasters which had attended their attempts to force Plevna -by assault, and they relied for success upon their vast preponderance in -numbers and upon a prolonged artillery preparation which was intended to -demoralize the defence. - -At six o'clock in the morning of September 7 I heard the roar of the -commencing bombardment from Opanetz in the north, and it quickly worked -round, until the two Grivitza redoubts due east of Plevna were involved. -Across the Bulgarian road, Ibrahim Bey's redoubt and three or four -others connected with it sustained a fierce bombardment, and the line of -guns extending southwards across the Tutchenitza ravine and the Lovtcha -road added their voices to the general roar as far as the village of -Brestovitz, where a heavy fire from siege-guns was concentrated on the -Krishin redoubt. A short experience of the bombardment, however, showed -our troops that they had little to fear from the Russian artillery, and -casualties were few and far between in the redoubts. - -What was called the "mammoth battery," consisting of a tremendous group -of fifty heavy Russian siege-guns, was placed in position due east of -Plevna, and bombarded Ibrahim Bey's redoubt all day, the guns of the -redoubt replying with spirit. The garrison of the redoubt were so well -covered that they lost only forty men in killed and wounded after the -whole day's firing, and the damage which was done to the earthworks -during the day was repaired at night. - -Soon after the commencement of the action I rode over towards Ibrahim -Bey's redoubt, taking Lauri, the newly arrived German artist, with me. -As we rode along together a Russian shell struck the ground about a -hundred yards in front of us, and, ricochetting, flew over our heads and -lodged in the ground behind us. Lauri was tremendously excited. He -rushed off and picked up the shell, which he held in his arms as if it -was a baby, exclaiming at the same time in his broken English, "I am -forty-three years of age, and this is the first time that I haf seen a -gun fired. Ah, what would my wife say if she could now see me!" With -some difficulty I induced him to moderate his transports and drop the -shell, which I was afraid every moment would explode and dissipate poor -Lauri into space. By keeping on the lee side of the hill and dodging up -at intervals we could catch glimpses of the "mammoth battery" scarcely a -mile away, and could see the spirts of flame enveloped in white smoke as -the guns were fired in a tremendous volley. Sometimes the shells struck -the redoubt, and clouds of earth flew up; while at other times the -projectiles went screaming over the crest of the hill, and fell in the -low ground near the town. - -I occupied myself in my hospital for the next few days, riding out at -intervals to watch the progress of the bombardment, which was being -prosecuted with terrific force. On the 10th the village of Radishevo, -where the Russian batteries were in position, caught fire, and the -conflagration lit up the wet grey sky in the east. Little damage was -done to our redoubts, and the artillery preparation was so far a -failure. - -On the 11th the general assault took place. I was working away in the -hospital all the morning, as the wounded were beginning to come into -Plevna in considerable numbers, when I saw a Turkish sergeant who had -been slightly wounded by a splinter from a shell. He announced that he -was going back to the fight, and I said that I would go with him. I rode -out, while the sergeant followed on foot, and passing our farthest -redoubt I found myself among some trees, with the shells flying about in -all directions. When I looked round for the sergeant, I found that he -had disappeared, and that I was there by myself about two hundred yards -in the rear of our foremost fighting line in the trenches. The troops -were almost hidden from me by smoke, and a few wounded men were -crawling back towards the redoubt for shelter. I formed a little field -ambulance behind the trees, and proceeded to give first aid to the -wounded; but the firing began to get so hot that I was obliged to -abandon the position and ride back. As I crossed the Lovtcha road in the -direction of the Krishin redoubts, I came across three or four isolated -rifle pits in which a few old Turkish civilians, armed with antiquated -rifles, were busily firing upon the Russian lines. They had evidently -not been observed by the Russians, and the old fellows, showing nothing -but a pair of gleaming eyes and the long brown barrels of the rifles -above the level of the ground, were knocking over their men at long -range. How on earth they got there I could not conjecture; but they soon -saw me, and resented my appearance strongly. They called out to me in -most forcible language to take myself and my horse away, as they were -afraid that I should draw the Russian fire upon them. I left them still -diligently potting the unconscious enemy, and at about four o'clock in -the afternoon I heard a terrific musketry fire back towards Grivitza. -After crossing the headquarters camp I could see dense masses of troops -advancing from the village of Grivitza, and a black cloud of men already -in the valley, about five hundred yards in front of the Grivitza -redoubt. - -Meanwhile the Russian artillerymen were shelling the redoubt, which was -evidently in imminent danger. The stables at the rear of the redoubt, -which were roofed with boards and hurdles, caught fire from an exploding -shell, and blazed up as I was watching. I could hear the Russians -cheering when they saw the fire. - -Seeing the Russians in the valley, I galloped on the lee side of the -hill, where I was under cover, to the Grivitza redoubt. I went into the -redoubt which was being shelled, and, climbing upon the banquette where -the men were firing, I could see large bodies of Roumanians attacking us -on the north, while a detachment of Russians were advancing from the -east. I found Sadik Pasha, who was in command of the redoubt, and told -him that I had seen a strong body of troops in the valley below us and -invisible from the redoubt. A shell exploded in the redoubt while I was -there, and I was glad to clear out as quickly as I could. - -Jumping on my horse again, I galloped off to the south, where Skobeleff -was attacking the Krishin redoubts and the neighbouring works. As I rode -across the Lovtcha road the firing was something terrific. Skobeleff's -troops had taken the second crest of the Green Hills on the previous -day, and this morning they had taken the third crest and driven our men -back from the trenches into the two redoubts described afterwards by -Skobeleff as the Number 1 and Number 2 Plevna redoubts. In spite of a -furious counter-attack by the Turks, the Russian regiments remained in -possession of the height, having thus carried each successive ridge of -the Green Hills and driven our men back into the redoubts. - -It was now about half-past two in the afternoon, and as I approached the -rear of the two redoubts which were the objective of the main assault -the intensity of the fire redoubled. The Turks were running out of the -back of the redoubts in hundreds, and I tried in vain to rally them and -get them to return. I saw a Turkish lieutenant, who was one of the -fugitives, endeavouring to climb over a paling fence at the back of one -of the redoubts and get away to Plevna. I upbraided him, and thumped him -in vain with the flat of my sword. As he was getting over the fence he -was struck by a rifle-ball, and fell with his back broken. - -As I was shouting, entreating, threatening, and striking the fugitives -to try and get them to rally, I saw two old Turkish civilians in long -beards and caftans. They came up and caught me by both hands, saying, -"Sen choki adam," which means, "You are a noble fellow," or words to -that effect. I remember this incident because it was one of the highest -compliments I have ever received. Troops were flying pell-mell for -Plevna, and shells were exploding at the rate of twenty or thirty per -minute on the side of the hill. The roar of the artillery, the rattle of -the musketry, the explosion of the shells, the loud hurrahs of the -Russians, and the cries of the wounded made up a perfect hell. I met -Czetwertinski near the redoubts, and he and I made renewed efforts to -rally the men; but we were powerless to stop the mad tide of fugitives. -Czetwertinski drove the point of his sword into a man's leg without -being able to stop him; and at last, as it was getting hotter and -hotter, he said to me that it was hopeless stopping there, and we had -better be off. - -As I returned to Plevna the men were flying like wild animals. It was a -regular panic. They were like sheep before a bush-fire. When I got into -the town there was a panic among the townspeople. A universal cry of, -"The Russians are coming! the Russians are coming!" went up on all -sides; and wounded men, old, bed-ridden, half-naked women, and screaming -children were all crowding towards the headquarters camp. I learnt then -that Skobeleff had taken the two redoubts within half a mile of the -town, and that the Grivitza redoubt was also in the hands of the -Russians. - -Skobeleff, it seems, had given the order to attack at three o'clock; and -the Vladimir and Souzdal Regiments, supported by chasseurs, rose and -rushed forward with bands playing and drums beating. They had to -descend the wooded slopes covered with vines from the third ridge, to -enter the valley, cross the stream at the bottom, and climb a stiff -slope, completely bare for about seven hundred yards, on the summit of -which the redoubt was placed. The attacking force received a terrible -fire from the artillery and infantry in the redoubt attacked, as well as -an enfilading fire from the Krishin redoubt; but when reinforced by the -Revel Regiment, they pushed on doggedly under the hail of bullets, which -had already killed nearly half of their number, flung themselves into -the trenches, and finally climbed the parapet and took the redoubt. The -second redoubt, which was connected with the first, also fell -immediately afterwards after a desperate struggle. - -Raked by the guns of the Krishin redoubts and by the fire of the Turkish -infantry, who sallied out from the camp at the rear of these redoubts, -Skobeleff's troops had a fearful night in the defences which they had -captured. - -Successive assaults were delivered upon them all through the night by -the Turks; but time after time our men were driven back by the murderous -fire of the Krenke and Berdan rifles. On the exposed side of the Number -1 redoubt the Russians had built up a parapet of the dead bodies of -friend and foe alike; and sheltered behind this dreadful barrier, they -poured a hail of bullets into the Turkish ranks. When morning broke I -could still hear the rattle of the rifles; and working away in my shirt -sleeves in the hospital, I could hear the rifle-bullets pattering on the -red tiles of the houses in the town. At daybreak I went back to my -quarters for a sleep. The Russian batteries had advanced to closer -range, and two shells exploded in my garden. A bullet came through the -door of the room where I was lying, and buried itself in the wall just -before I fell asleep. - -When I awoke and went out the firing was still going on, and there were -about one thousand five hundred wounded men lying out in the open -square. We started to dress them at once. All the wounded men who had -been in the hospital were removed for greater safety to the south end of -the town, so as to be as far away as possible from the scene of action. -We cleared out a number of small Bulgarian hovels belonging to people of -the poorest class, and installed the wounded in them. - -I had not been at the hospital long before my Circassian servant came -down and informed me that the firing at my house was getting very hot, -and he wanted to know what he should do. He said that he thought the -town was on the point of being taken. I told him to go back, pack up my -things, and put them on my horse. I said, "If you see the Russians -coming over the crest of the hill, come down here at once with my -horse, but not otherwise." My horse had not come out of it scatheless, -for a bullet had gone through the muscles of his neck; but he was still -full of pluck and able to carry me well. - -Meanwhile let us see what had been happening at the redoubts. Attack -after attack was delivered through the night without success; and at -last, at half-past ten a.m., a vigorous assault, backed up with a -telling shell fire, shook the defence, and the Russians began to pour -out of Number 1 redoubt, their example being followed by those in the -adjoining work. Some of the foremost Turks had already penetrated into -the redoubts; but they were sacrificed in vain, for Skobeleff, with his -extraordinary personal magnetism and great courage, rallied his men -again, and staved off the inevitable moment a little longer. I got away -from the hospital at three o'clock in the afternoon, and rode out -towards the redoubts where the Russians were sustaining a last furious -assault by our troops under Tewfik Bey. As I neared the redoubts this -assault was at its height, and this time the Turkish troops would not be -denied. The columns deployed under fire and formed lines of skirmishers, -who received continuous support from fresh accessions of men behind, -carrying the assault forward in successive waves. Soon the Turks were -over the parapet once more, cutting down the Russian defenders, and -driving the remainder out on the other side and down the slope again -towards their own trenches on the Green Hills. - -Thus the third battle of Plevna ended, after five days' fighting, in the -complete defeat of the Russians, who lost nearly twenty thousand men in -the long bloody struggle, and gained nothing but the Grivitza redoubt, -which was absolutely no use to them, and which fell mainly through the -instrumentality of the Roumanian, not the Russian, troops. - -It is amusing to observe how the Russian official documents describe the -result. "The points chosen for attack," we read, "were the following: -the redoubt of Grivitza, the works in the centre opposite the heights of -Radishevo, and the third crest of the Montagnes Vertes. After superhuman -efforts and enormous losses, our troops carried the first and last of -these points. The Grivitza redoubt and two of the redoubts south of -Plevna were in our possession; as to the central works, our troops, -notwithstanding that they showed a bravery beyond all praise, could not -carry them. Consequently we had obtained some partial successes; but -fresh troops were necessary to profit by our gains, and these were not -forthcoming. It was decided, therefore, to keep the Grivitza redoubt, -and to abandon the Montagnes Vertes." - -When I think of that last tremendous charge of the Turkish infantry, -when the cry of "La ilaha illallah Mohammed Rasul Allah!" rent the air -and rang from one redoubt to the other, as it went like the flame in a -train of gunpowder round the whole circuit of the defences, I cannot -help smiling at the polite official statement, "It was decided to -abandon the Montagnes Vertes." - -I was inside the Number 1 redoubt two minutes after the men of the front -firing line, and I shall never forget the scene of carnage that I saw -there. The redoubt was literally choked up with dead and dying men, and -the ground was ankle deep in blood, brains, and mutilated fragments of -humanity. The Turks became almost delirious with the excitement of the -victory. Everywhere men were shouting, praying, and giving thanks to -Allah. About three hundred of them got drag-ropes, and took the captured -Russian guns off in triumph to the headquarters camp; and inside the -redoubt the soldiers fell on each other's necks, danced, and sang in a -perfect frenzy of delight. The excitement of the five minutes following -the recapture of the redoubts was worth a lifetime of common-place -existence; but all the while in the Grivitza redoubt, three miles away, -the enemy stood watching with cannons ready--a silent warning of the -conflicts yet in store for us. - -After the battle, the Russians withdrew from their positions and retired -on Radishevo. - -The Turkish army was mad with joy. We attached but little importance to -the capture of the Grivitza redoubt by the Russians, because the Turkish -garrison simply fell back upon the sister redoubt, which was only one -hundred and eighty yards distant from the other in a north-westerly -direction, and really commanded it. The unimportance of the loss of this -redoubt was proved by the fact that, though the enemy occupied it during -the whole of the remainder of the siege, they did little or no damage -from it. - -On the night after the battle, the Russian troops in the Grivitza -redoubt Number 1, or the Kanli Tabiya, made a desperate sortie with the -object of capturing the Number 2 redoubt, or, as we called it, the Bash -Tabiya. - -It is strange how the sleeping brain adjusts itself to -circumstances--sleeps with one eye open, as it were. I could always -sleep soundly under the fire of the heavy guns, even in a redoubt, -because my brain recognized that they were practically harmless when we -were under cover; but as soon as the rattle of the rifles began, I -invariably awoke at once with an instinctive knowledge that the fight -was approaching a crisis. So it was on the night after the battle. The -Russian cannon continued to boom sullenly at intervals, and, worn out -with fatigue as I was, they only lulled me to a deeper slumber in my -quarters in the town. Presently, however, a rifle volley rang out, -quickly answered by another and another. In a second I was out of my -sheepskin rug and on my verandah, from which I could see the night -attack three miles away. The night was dark and drizzling; but looking -in a north-easterly direction towards the line of the Janik Bair -redoubts, I could see the flash of the volleys and the spirting flame of -the artillery as the Russians leaped from their redoubt upon the Bash -Tabiya, only one hundred and eighty yards distant from them. The Bash -Tabiya was strongly garrisoned. Its heavy guns swept every yard of the -ground between it and the newly captured forts; and its defenders poured -an incessant hail of bullets from a triple line of rifle-barrels upon -the attacking troops. To succeed under such circumstances was well nigh -impossible, and after a few minutes of this awful fire the Russian -remnant broke and fled back to the protection of the redoubt. - -It was only on the morrow that we realized what a complete victory we -had won in the battle of the previous day, because we could then see -plainly that the Russians had suffered terrible losses and had achieved -absolutely nothing. We began to feel more secure of our position; and -the wounded, who had all been sent away to the lower end of the town, -were brought back again and placed in temporary hospitals near our -central depot. In the previous battles we had been accustomed to send -the wounded away to Sofia at once, and the wisdom of Osman Pasha's -decision in this matter was now made apparent. Insufficient as was our -hospital accommodation, it was doubly fortunate that we were not -encumbered with the wounded from the previous battles as well, because -we now had about four thousand patients to deal with, and there was no -chance of sending them away because we realized at last that we were in -a state of siege. The Russians were all round Plevna, and they barred -the Orkhanieh road. - -We of the medical staff had four days of real hard work after the -battle. There were an immense number of operations to perform; and as -Osman Effendi and myself had to perform the greater number of them, our -energies were taxed to the utmost. There were about forty doctors all -told in Plevna, to deal with four thousand cases or thereabouts. Owing -to the continuous nature of the work, I never went back to my quarters -during the week after the battle, but used to sleep at the hospital. My -Circassian servant cooked my food, such as it was, at my house, and -brought it down to me while I was at work. As on the previous occasions, -Osman Effendi and myself performed all operations in the open air under -a big willow tree on the bank of the Tutchenitza, and in the shadow of -an old Turkish mosque, where every evening at sundown an ancient -priest, mounting a minaret, called the faithful to prayer. - -Although we were greatly assisted by the magnificent physique of the -patients, still their extraordinary reluctance to undergo operations -perceptibly increased the average mortality. Three days after the -battle, I saw a Turkish soldier crawling slowly along the street and -stopping every minute. He was holding some object in his hand, and his -appearance was so strange that I went over and had a look at him. I -found that he had been shot in the abdomen, and about two feet of the -small intestine had prolapsed, and was protruding through the wound. It -was so altered in appearance by exposure that it looked exactly like a -bit of tarred rope. Two of this man's comrades had been wounded, and had -died in the hospital--a fact which had made him believe that the -hospital treatment was responsible for the fatal termination of their -wounds, and he resolutely refused to allow me to touch him with an -instrument. The intestine was not strangulated; and if he had allowed me -to open up the wound, wash it, and replace the intestine, he would -probably have recovered. As it was, he lived for fifteen days in that -pitiable condition. - -The stoicism of the men was truly remarkable. A soldier was brought to -me to be examined one day, and I found that he had been skylarking with -a comrade, who had "jobbed" him in the stomach with his bayonet. The -surgeon who first saw him could detect only a very small wound in the -stomach, and he put a bit of plaster over the place and sent the man -away. In a few hours' time the patient became very bad, and I was asked -to see him. I asked him at once if he had vomited any blood; and when he -replied in the affirmative, I knew that the wall of the abdomen had been -perforated, and that his fate was sealed. He was quite cheerful, but he -died at the end of twenty-four hours. - -As the greater part of the fighting had been done from behind parapets -or breastworks, the majority of the wounded were shot through the head -or chest, and a large percentage of these wounds necessarily proved -fatal. There was an infinite variety in the nature of the wounds. One -man came under my hands who received six wounds from one bullet. The -ball struck him on the outside of the right arm between the elbow and -the shoulder, passed through the arm, through the fleshy portions of the -chest, and through the left arm as well, leaving six distinct -bullet-holes, all of which I washed and plugged. He made a rapid -recovery, and after a few weeks in the hospital went back to the -trenches. - -Not a single wounded Russian came into my hands after the battle. The -Russians always carried their wounded with them when they retired; and -after the crowning episode of the battle, when I reached the Kavanlik -redoubt as soon as Tewfik Bey had recaptured it, there was not a single -living Russian left there. When the final assault was delivered, a -Russian captain and eighteen men elected to see it out to the bitter -end. Those brave men continued fighting to the last, and were all -bayoneted by the Turkish troops who poured, victorious at last, over the -parapet. It can readily be imagined that fighting of this sanguinary -character left few wounded Russians for us to deal with. - -The staff at the principal operating hospital included, besides Osman -Effendi and myself, Weinberger, Kustler, Gebhardt, Kronberg, Waldemann, -and Rookh. We had also a lot of jarra bashis with a rudimentary idea of -surgery to assist us. Each man brought to us for an operation had to -wait his turn, and such was the pressure of the work that many of the -poor fellows were kept there for four or five days before we could -attend to them. Still, at this period a large percentage recovered from -their wounds, owing principally to the fact that the accommodation was -not overcrowded and that we had few cases of septic disease. We were -able to give them a liberal diet, as we had plenty of broth, milk, rice, -and biscuits. These biscuits when soaked and steamed proved most useful. - -Osman Pasha has been liberally accused of inhuman neglect towards the -wounded; but those accusations have been made against him by people who -had no opportunity of forming an accurate judgment, and who mistook his -inflexible determination to get the wounded away from Plevna for cruelty -and want of consideration for their sufferings. I had many opportunities -of observing the Muchir during my stay in Plevna, and I can definitely -refute these charges of neglect and apathy in the presence of anguish. -Unsparing of his troops in battle, Osman Pasha never forgot his wounded -men when the fighting was over. At this period, after the third battle, -he constantly visited the hospitals, encouraging the wounded by his -presence and by his kindly words. He let it be understood, too, that all -those members of the medical staff who worked well would be decorated; -and it is only bare justice to say that all of them cheerfully performed -long hours of very hard work on insufficient food and with little or no -sleep during the trying days and nights that followed upon our greatest -victory. - -When the brunt of the work was over, I went back to my quarters, and -Czetwertinski and Victor Lauri went with me--Czetwertinski because he -was very delicate, and Lauri because he had no servant of his own, and -did not know where else to go. About four days after the battle, -Czetwertinski, who was in touch with the headquarters staff, heard that -Osman Pasha was looking for some one who would endeavour to run the -gauntlet of the Russians, posted all round Plevna, and carry his -despatches to Constantinople. The gallant young Pole brought me the -news, and asked me if I would join him in an attempt to get through with -the papers. We sat up most of the night talking the matter over, and -Czetwertinski carefully explained to me that, while we should certainly -be hanged if we fell into the hands of the Russians, we should be -rewarded with the highest decorations if we were successful in the -attempt. - -We agreed to offer our services as despatch-carriers to Osman Pasha, and -next morning Czetwertinski waited on the commander-in-chief and formally -represented our decision. Osman Pasha thanked us warmly, but declined -our offer, preferring to entrust the task to a Circassian, who, being -more intimately acquainted with the country, would stand a better chance -of getting through the enemy's lines. - -Gay, the _Daily Telegraph_ correspondent, however, was extremely anxious -to get away. He had shut himself up in his own room as soon as the -battle was over, and had been writing all day and all night ever since, -preparing a glowing description of the stirring events which had taken -place. He had completed a fine budget of work, and was naturally burning -to get it into his paper; for it meant a great journalistic coup for -the _Telegraph_, as Gay was the only correspondent with the Turkish -army, though Forbes, MacGahan, and many others were with the Russians. -The first step was to engage a guide, and Gay selected a smart young -Circassian, who willingly undertook the job for the munificent reward of -three thousand piastres, which he was promised as soon as Sofia was -reached. Sitting in his room in Plevna, Gay wound up his despatch for -the _Daily Telegraph_ by describing his plans for getting it to Sofia. -"To-day, September 15," he wrote, "the cannonade goes forward languidly, -nor is it at all likely that it will end so long as the Russians have a -gun or a man anywhere near us. But it is comparatively harmless, so far -as affecting the Turkish position goes, and will some day, when Osman -Pasha is reinforced, as he shortly will be, come to an untimely end. For -my own part I am about to endeavour to-night to break the blockade which -surrounds Plevna. For two days I have sought for Circassians who would -undertake the task of piloting me over the mountains in the dark and -failed. Last evening Osman Pasha found a one-eyed chieftain, who with a -comrade has engaged to conduct me if the feat is at all practicable, and -according to present arrangements I am to start to-night about the time -it begins to get dark. Mr. Victor Lauri too is anxious to go with me; -and a Turkish officer also desires to be one of the party, which will -thus consist of two Circassians, a Turkish sergeant, and my servant, an -Ionian lad, a Greek groom, Mr. Lauri, the Turkish officer, and -myself--in all a party of eight well armed. At the moment of my writing -the Circassians and the Greek are out on a voyage of exploration, with a -view to seeing whether there is the possibility of our accomplishing the -task, in which case they will be back by evening ready to pilot us. As -the risk is great, the Circassians are to be amply rewarded directly -Sofia is reached, that is, if the work be faithfully done, and upon -their report now all rests. For myself I am determined to go if they -will take me. What the result will be time alone can show. But if you -get this letter safely, I shall have run the gauntlet, and will then -telegraph you the history of our risky ride across country." - -As a matter of fact Gay did not start on that night. Czetwertinski and I -went out with him to the outposts to see him off; but it was plain that -the psychological moment was not yet. It was a bright moonlight night, -and we could see the Russian vedettes sitting on their horses all round -us. A cat could not have got through the lines without being seen, let -alone a man on horseback; and the captain in command of our outpost -absolutely refused to allow the attempt to be made, pointing out that -it meant certain capture and death for all the party. - -On the following night, however, Gay and his escort got away. We heard -afterwards that they had a lively time of it, for they were chased by -Cossacks, and fired on repeatedly by startled Russian sentries. It was -only through the speed and bottom of their horses that they reached -Orkhanieh in safety, and thence made their way to Sofia. Gay had a -quarrel with Lauri before he went, and the result was that the little -German artist stayed behind with me. - - - - -CHAPTER X. -THE INVESTMENT OF PLEVNA. - - Lauri and the Sausage--A Diet of "Poiled Peans"--The Ways of a - _Parlementaire_--Politeness on the Battle-field--Indefatigable - Burrowing by the Turks--Skobeleff's Annoyance--A Visit to a - Redoubt--Russian Artillery Practice--I lose my Groom--Geese, and - how to get them--I go out reconnoitring--We have a Hot Ten - Minutes--Looking out for a New Horse--A Grand Charger lost--We - retire on Netropol--The Use of Artillery--The Russians attack - our Convoy--We lose our Medical Stores--A Humorous Russian - Prisoner--Afternoon Coffee with Sadik Pasha--A Call made under - Difficulties--The Uninvited Guest--Kronberg my Colleague--He - saves a Supposed Spy--A Visit to Sadik Pasha--Coffee under - difficulties--In my Hospital again--Fearful Scenes of - Suffering--Wounds, Filth, and Disease--Heavy - Mortality--Antiseptics exhausted--Appearance of Gangrene--My - Anatolian Soldier--Pyæmia Rampant. - - -Amid the recollection of all those scenes of bloodshed, the memory of -the little German artist's yearning for the unattainable stands out -clear and distinct. It was connected with a German sausage; but in order -to make the matter plain, it is necessary to point out that Gay and -Lauri had expended about thirty pounds in equipping a private -commissariat department before they came to Plevna. In Constantinople -they had bought provisions of all kinds: English kippered herrings, -American canned beef, potted vegetables of strange and fearful hues, -portable meat lozenges, and last, but not least, a magnificent German -sausage--not one of those insignificant cylinders of suspicious -ingredients which are exposed for sale in the piping times of peace, but -a sausage which was constructed, so to speak, on a war footing. It was -about four feet long and one foot six inches in circumference, and it -was enclosed in a metal case of the kind generally used to carry maps -and charts. This noble specimen of _wurst_ was the apple of little -Lauri's artistic eye. But, alas! I was ignorant of this. Before Gay went -away, being incensed with Lauri over some trivial dispute, he presented -me with the remains of the commissariat, which, it appeared, had been -bought with his money, and which included the famous sausage. He also -gave me several other things, including a capital bell tent, which, I am -sorry to say, was afterwards stolen from me. - -However, when I got this sausage Lauri was away, camping, I fancy, in -one of the redoubts, and I at once invited every good fellow that I knew -in the place to come to the banquet. We had two meals off it, and -then--where, oh, where was that triumph of the sausage-maker's art? -"Where," asks that inspired bard Hans Breitmann, "is dat little cloud -that fringed the mountain brow?" We procured some raki, the pungent -Turkish spirit which burns a hole in the membrane of the throat as it -passes down, and we had dinner. Then we procured some more raki, and we -had supper. After that we looked round for the sausage; but it was -gone--"gone where the woodbine twineth." Lauri came back to my quarters -next day, and behaved with contumely when invited to sit down to our -usual fare of boiled beans and rice. He consigned every individual -boiled bean in Turkey to a place where it would soon become unpleasantly -scorched, and then he mourned for the sausage, which he believed Gay had -eaten in the silence of the night all by himself. "If only he had left -me my peautiful sausage!" he wailed, while I said never a word, but only -winked at Czetwertinski. When Lauri had continued every day for a week -making lamentation over the loss of that satisfying yard and a quarter -of food, I broke the news gently to him that we had eaten it in his -absence. Contrary to my expectation, he was not seized with an -apoplectic attack, and at last even became reconciled again to the -"verdammte poiled peans." - -One day when I rode up to the headquarters camp at about two o'clock in -the afternoon, I found the whole place in a simmer of suppressed -excitement, and addressed myself to Tewfik Pasha, who had been promoted -to that rank after the battle, in order to ascertain the cause of the -commotion. He told me that the Russians had sent forward a -_parlementaire_ to invite Osman Pasha or some officer representing him -to meet a Russian general at a certain place and discuss a matter of -interest to both. I asked what the subject of discussion was to be, and -Tewfik replied that he did not know. He also told me that Osman Pasha -wished to go himself, but that his staff were endeavouring to dissuade -him, pointing out to him that he would impair his dignity by consenting -to meet any officer of lower grade than the commander-in-chief of the -Russian army, who at this time was Prince Charles of Roumania. - -As I sat on my horse at the headquarters camp I saw that Osman Pasha was -ready to start. His best horse, a magnificent chestnut charger with a -saddlecloth heavily embroidered with gold, was champing the bit in front -of the Muchir's tent, and presently Osman Pasha emerged, dressed in his -full State uniform, and actually wearing, what I should never have -expected to see in Plevna at that grim period, a pair of white kid -gloves. It was arranged that if he went he should be accompanied by -Tewfik Pasha. - -At the last moment, however, Osman Pasha yielded to the advice of his -staff, and decided to remain behind; so Tewfik Pasha and Czetwertinski -went forward with a small escort. They rode out about a mile and a half -from Plevna, where they met two Russian officers, and after an -elaborate exchange of polite courtesies the business of the conference -was broached. It appeared that during the attack on the Grivitza redoubt -and the subsequent night attack on the Bash Tabiya many hundreds of men -had been killed; and as the Grivitza redoubt remained in the hands of -the Russians, and the Bash redoubt, only one hundred and eighty yards -away, was still held by the Turks, the corpses both of Turks and -Russians which lay between the two works had been left unburied, with -the result that the stench had become almost unbearable, and was a -serious annoyance to the defenders of both forts. The Russian officers -politely pointed out that a removal of the nuisance would be as welcome -to them as it would be to the Turks, and courteously offered to send out -a burial party and inter all the bodies lying between the Grivitza and -the Bash redoubts, if the occupants of the latter work would incommode -themselves so far as to abstain from potting at the military -gravediggers while they were pursuing their melancholy occupation. -Tewfik Pasha and Czetwertinski begged that the Russian officers would -excuse them for a moment while they considered the subject, and then, -after a brief consultation in Turkish, Czetwertinski as spokesman took -up his parable in reply. It was with feelings of the most profound -regret, he explained, that Tewfik Pasha was obliged to deny himself the -pleasure of accepting the generous offer of the Russians. Certainly the -odour from the ill fated corpses, both of the Turks and of their so -gallant and courageous assailants, was decidedly offensive; but it would -not be fair to allow the Russians to incur the whole of the annoyance -which would attach to the burial of so many patriots who had fallen on -the field of honour. In effect he would propose as an alternative that -if the Russians would inconvenience themselves to the extent of sending -out a party of men to bury all the corpses within ninety yards of their -redoubt, the Turks on their side would feel it a pleasure and an honour -to bury all the bodies within a similar distance of the work which they -occupied. Thus the labour would be equally divided and the interment -carried out most satisfactorily. - -The wily Tewfik had seen at a glance the object of the Russians in -proposing this generous action. If they had been allowed to advance one -hundred and twenty yards from their redoubt on the pretence of burying -the bodies, they would surmount the crest of the hill, and would be able -to see into Plevna, besides securing most valuable observations as to -the position of the various defences. Hence his polite reply. - -The Russian officers were overwhelmed of course with admiration for the -generous proposal made by Tewfik Pasha, but were desolated at their -inability to accept it. After further parleying in the same strain it -was plain that the _parlementaires_ would be unable to come to terms, so -the Russians produced a flask of excellent brandy which they pressed -upon their visitors. Tewfik Pasha did not drink, but Czetwertinski -politely drained a glass to the health of his entertainers, and all sat -down for a few minutes' pleasant chat about the weather and the crops, -the latest story from the clubs, and the legs of the last new -ballet-dancer at the Paris opera-house. Then Tewfik Pasha took out his -watch, and thought that it was really time to be going; so the Russian -officers bowed, and wished their visitors _au revoir_, while Tewfik -Pasha and Czetwertinski with their escort of a couple of troopers -trotted back towards the Turkish lines. It is pleasant to reflect that -the disagreeable necessities of war cannot blunt the exquisite -politeness of true diplomacy. - -Day by day the Russians, who were beginning to recover their lost -_morale_, worked up closer and closer towards our entrenchments. Taught -by the example of their adversaries, they began to make a more extensive -use of the entrenching spade which had already revolutionized the art of -warfare; and seeing the completeness with which the Turks protected -themselves by means of the shield which they carried with them, the -Russians too rapidly adopted the same practice. - -One morning the Russian outposts were so close to our lines that they -could see our men laying out fresh lines of shelter trenches, and -working parties commencing their tasks with a will. Skobeleff -accompanied by his staff, was examining these works, and, feeling -irritated by the tenacity of the Turks, he ordered a gun to be brought -up to the outposts. The gun was placed in position, and fired several -rounds of case shot at the working parties, killing a couple of men and -wounding three others. Our fellows replied energetically, and the -workers presently returned to their burrowing with fresh zest. - -Day and night a desultory bombardment continued. During the night the -Russians used to fire from ten to twenty shells into the town, and at -intervals during the day also the shells arrived, knocking down a few -houses and killing a good many men, more Bulgarians, however, than -Turks. - -Very shortly after the battle we found that the 4th division of the -Roumanian army was entrenched about six hundred yards to the east of the -Bash Tabiya. Owing to the terrible stench caused by the dead bodies -which lay unburied, we had to change the entire garrison of the Bash -Tabiya, numbering four thousand men in all, every forty-eight hours; and -as the approach to the Bash Tabiya was exposed for about thirty yards to -the fire of the Russians, the operation of relieving the guard was -always exciting. - -I often paid a visit to the Bash Tabiya in the afternoon to have a cup -of coffee and a cigarette with old Sadik Pasha, who was in command, and -these afternoon calls were always attended with a certain amount of -risk. The fellows in the Grivitza redoubt used to keep a look out for -visitors; but the range was over eight hundred yards, and I used to skip -across those thirty yards of exposed space, dodging like a strong blue -rock before the barrels of the pigeon-shooter, and always coming through -safely. It did not take me more than three seconds to cover the -distance, and before they could sight their rifles I was across. - -At about three o'clock every afternoon Ahmet brought my horse down to -the hospital, and I went for a ride out to the redoubts, and paid my -respects to one or other of the commanders. One day a Turkish major in -one of them consulted me about an eruption on his chin. He was mightily -concerned about it, and I promised to bring him some ointment to allay -the unpleasant symptoms. As a matter of fact, I believe it was barber's -itch that he had. Accordingly I rode out on the following day with the -ointment to the redoubt, which was commanded by a Russian redoubt built -on the slope of a hill about a thousand yards away. As I got up to our -redoubt there were three soldiers sitting on the rear wall smoking -cigarettes, and I called to one of them to come and hold my horse. The -one who came was a magnificently built fellow. He was in great good -humour, laughing and chatting with his comrades, and he came out of the -redoubt and held my bridle while I walked into the work. As I did so the -officer in command of the Russian redoubt, seeing a horseman approaching -the work opposite to him, thought that it would be good fun to have a -shot at him; so he let drive at me with three field-guns. I saw the -three puffs of smoke together as I walked into the redoubt. One shell -buried itself in the front wall of the redoubt without exploding, -another burst in the redoubt, and the third passed over the redoubt and -exploded just behind it. The casing of the shell that exploded inside -wounded a man in the heel, taking half the boot off and cutting the heel -to the bone. He was a black soldier, a Nubian. I was looking after him, -when some one called out to me to come outside; and the first thing I -saw was my horse quietly grazing about fifty yards at the rear of the -redoubt. The man who had been holding him had been cut in two by the -third shell. He was quite dead. I went back into the redoubt, and -dressed the Nubian's heel. Then the Turkish major and I had coffee and -cigarettes together, and I gave him the ointment for his chin, whereat -he was much gratified. We were so much accustomed to whole hecatombs of -victims in those days, that we were callous to a single casualty. - -We were beginning to get a little short of food in Plevna; and though I -was not very particular about my cuisine and got on fairly well on -boiled beans and rice, I felt sorry for poor Czetwertinski, who had been -very bad with dysentery, and for whom I prescribed nourishing food in -vain, for there was no one to make up the prescription. However, one -morning I noticed a fine flock of geese in the yard of a Bulgarian house -between my place and the hospital, so I approached the proprietor with -an eye to purchase. He was a sour-tempered fellow; and though I offered -him a medjidie apiece for the geese, he declined to trade. When I got -home again that night and sat down to more boiled beans, I casually -mentioned to Ahmet that there were a nice lot of geese in a Bulgarian -house not far away. Next night all the geese were in our yard. I did not -inquire too closely the motive which impelled the toothsome birds to -seek for change of scene; but it flashed across me that Ahmet and his -mate Faizi were young and strong, and also that they were Circassians. -We ate four of the geese in our house, and gave the rest away to my -brother surgeons. There were a dozen of them originally, and I sent the -Bulgarian goose-farmer a couple of Turkish liras for them, so that he -did not do so badly after all out of his forced sale. - -Although big engagements seemed at an end for the present, and the -Russians evidently intended to starve us out, instead of attempting to -take Plevna by assault, still we had plenty of casual skirmishes to keep -us in form and remind us that we were not at a picnic. Towards the end -of September, Mustapha Bey was ordered to go out with a squadron of -cavalry across the Vid and reconnoitre the Sofia road, to see what sort -of a force the Russians had placed there. I was a great favourite with -old Mustapha, and he made an application to Osman Pasha that I should be -allowed to accompany the column. - -Permission was readily granted, and one beautiful morning I found myself -cantering out of Plevna, with Mustapha Bey and Czetwertinski at the head -of a troop of four hundred regular cavalry and three hundred -Circassians. We rode out to the foot of the Janik Bair colline below -Opanetz, and from that point we could see the village of Dolni-Netropol, -about a mile away. - -As we were riding towards that village the troop suddenly halted, and -Czetwertinski declared that he could make out a regiment of infantry -drawn up about three-quarters of a mile away. We held a consultation, -and Czetwertinski said that he could see a battery of Russian artillery -in position as well. I had a great reputation for being sharp-sighted in -those days, and was generally the first to see the enemy; but I fancied -that what Czetwertinski saw was really a herd of the small black cattle -of the country. - -"Wait here a moment while I go on and have a look," I shouted; and -sticking the spurs into my horse, I galloped forward by myself. - -When I had gone about two hundred yards, I caught sight of a Russian -vedette, galloping for his life towards Netropol. The Circassians saw -him too, and in a second they were after him like greyhounds coursing a -hare. The whole troop followed them; but before we had gone a furlong we -heard the sharp crack of the rifles, and the piff-paff of the bullets -striking the ground all round us. - -Old Mustapha was taken by surprise, and was quite disconcerted for the -moment; but we galloped on to the next ridge, and we found that the -Circassians had thrown themselves on the ground at the top of the ridge -in skirmishing order, and were busily blazing at a Russian cavalry -regiment about five hundred yards away. We all took up the same order, -lying down and firing away as fast as we could pull our triggers at the -dense masses of the enemy scarcely a quarter of a mile away. I was on -the extreme right, and I kept at it with my Winchester, vaguely -wondering how long that sort of thing could last before we were driven -back by the vastly outnumbering Russian force. - -The fusillade only lasted about ten minutes; but during that time no -fewer than thirteen Russian horses came galloping towards us riderless, -showing that we had emptied that number of saddles at least. The -Russians were giving us volley after volley; but they had not got the -range, and our casualties were few. - -I saw a very fine roan charger, which had lost his rider, come galloping -towards us; and I started out to catch him, reckoning that he would do -capitally for an extra mount, and to give my own horse a spell. -Circassians, however, are keen judges of a horse, and a fellow on my -left started out at the same time as I did and with the same object. It -was a curious experience to be dodging bullets between the two lines; -but the prize was worth the risk. However, when the roan saw the -Circassian and myself running up with outstretched arms to stop him, he -took fright, and, wheeling round, galloped back to his own lines, -sending the earth flying behind him in all directions. The Circassian -and I, looking rather sheepish, bolted back to the cover of the friendly -ridge, which we both reached in safety. We only had two casualties so -far. One man was shot through the thigh and another through the -shoulder. I treated them both on the spot; but the man who was wounded -in the shoulder died almost immediately. - -The Russians brought up their infantry and artillery, and we retired as -hard as we could upon the village of Netropol with the enemy in hot -pursuit. We were only a handful, and things were looking pretty -serious, when, to my great relief, I heard the boom of answering -artillery and caught the sound of shells screaming overhead. I found -that we were under the protection of our own guns, which commanded the -whole of the plain, and had opened on the advancing Russians. We -exchanged a few shots in the main street of Netropol, a dirty little -Bulgarian village from which the population had fled; and at one time -the Russians were so close to us that we fired our revolvers at them. We -retreated towards our own lines, and the Russians dispersed under the -fire of our artillery. - -As we were riding back to Plevna, we looked down towards the Sofia road -about a mile away, and saw a long train of arabas winding along like an -enormous snake towards Plevna. This was the great train of provisions -and supplies of all sorts that Hakki Pasha brought up from Sofia and -Orkhanieh, opening up communication again with Plevna, and forcing a -passage through the Russian opposition with reinforcements of six -thousand fresh troops. The train of arabas was more than a mile long, -and the extent of the convoy may be gauged from the fact that there were -about three hundred waggons full of ammunition, rations, drugs, and -medical stores. - -As we were watching the train winding along the road, a trooper came -galloping up and told Mustapha Bey that a couple of Russian regiments -had swooped down upon the tail end of the convoy, shot a few men, and -captured thirty waggons full of stores. We were ordered to go in -pursuit, and away we went at a gallop, with the object of intercepting -the Russian cutting-out party and recapturing the precious supplies. On -the way we surprised a squadron of about sixty Russian cavalry who were -camping in a maize-field. They had dismounted, and were resting when we -came suddenly upon them; but they had time to mount and gallop off, many -of them leaving their carbines behind in their hurry. As the cutting-out -party had rejoined their main body, it was hopeless for us to attempt to -recapture the waggons, and we had to return reluctantly to Plevna. It -was a fairly exciting day's work, taking it all through, and when I got -back I had spent fourteen hours continuously in the saddle. - -We settled down to the routine of camp life afresh, with the prospect of -a long winter siege before us, and I was much disheartened to find that -our stock of medical supplies was already almost exhausted, and that -there was no chance of replenishing them. The stock of drugs, bandages, -and other appliances intended for our hospitals was unfortunately -contained in the thirty waggons which the Russians carried off. - -Although the prospect was gloomy enough, the troops continued in -excellent spirits, and some of the daily incidents of the siege were -decidedly humorous. Two days after the Netropol expedition I was riding -out towards the Lovtcha road with Czetwertinski, when we came upon a -party of about a dozen Turks jabbering away in a great state of -excitement. They had got something with them, and from a distance I -thought that they had caught a hare, but when we rode up we found that -it was a Russian hussar. He spoke to Czetwertinski in Russian and told -his story. It seemed that he was with his company when he got some -vodka, and imbibed so freely that he speedily became drunk and went to -sleep. When he woke up, he had not the faintest idea where he was, and, -missing his company, walked right into our outposts, where the men on -duty collared him. He was still very drunk when we saw him, and he -regarded his adventure as a capital joke. The Turks had treated him very -well, and he was smoking cigarettes which they had given him, surveying -his captors with the fatuous smile of semi-inebriety, while they in -their turn laughed heartily over their strange find. In due course he -was escorted into Plevna, and lodged in durance as a prisoner of war. I -never heard what became of him afterwards; but he was doubtless more -comfortable than in the Russian trenches. - -We were in hopes that we should be able to get our wounded men away from -Plevna now that the road had been opened, and Osman Pasha sent orders -to the medical quarters for us to select all the men who were able to -travel. However, before we could get them ready the Russians barred the -road again with a strong force, and once more we were in a state of -siege. During the two days that the road was open, however, I sent -Czetwertinski away invalided to Constantinople, and with him the German -artist Victor Lauri. It was a very good thing for Czetwertinski that he -left Plevna when he did, for as a Russian subject it would have gone -hard with him when the Russians finally took the town. When the war was -over, Czetwertinski met Skobeleff at San Stefano and lunched with him. -Over the coffee and cigars the conversation naturally turned upon the -recent experiences of both, and Czetwertinski ventured to ask his host -with a smile what would have happened if they had met earlier. - -"Oh!" said Skobeleff pleasantly, "we knew that you were in Plevna all -the time, and we were always on the look out for you. If I had happened -to come across you there, I should have had you shot of course." - -Kronberg was one of the most companionable of my medical colleagues. He -was a regular dare-devil, always ready for any adventure; and one -afternoon he and I decided to go and pay a visit to the Bash Tabiya, the -second redoubt opposite Grivitza which commanded the main Grivitza -redoubt, at this time in the hands of the Russians. We rode up the slope -of the Janik Bair, tied our horses to a tree under cover from the -enemy's fire, and advanced cautiously over the exposed ground. We had to -run the gauntlet as usual for about thirty yards; and though it did not -take us more than three or four seconds, several bullets whistled past -us from the Russian works. They used to watch the exposed space with -field-glasses, and never missed an opportunity of having a "pot" at any -one who showed himself either there or above the parapets of the redoubt -or trenches. Our men of course used to return the compliment from the -Bash Tabiya. When Kronberg and I had safely passed this dangerous Tom -Tiddler's ground, we struck the trenches in which my regiment was -encamped, facing north, and I went to call on my colonel. I found him -living like a prehistoric troglodyte in a neatly dug hole in the ground -about four hundred yards from the redoubt. The hole was connected by a -trench with the redoubt, so that the colonel could go forward and come -back without drawing the fire of the enemy's rifles. It was about seven -feet deep, and comfortably furnished with Turkish rugs and brightly -coloured praying-mats to keep out the damp. After a cup of coffee and a -chat, I walked along the connecting trench, which was about six feet -deep, and wide enough to allow the men to move about freely. In the -clay inner walls tiers of bunks had been hollowed out like -sleeping-berths on board ship, and the "watch below" were lying asleep, -wrapped in their great-coats and looking like mummies, while the watch -on deck kept their eyes open for squalls. Steps were constructed to -enable the firing parties to aim over the parapet, and taking off my fez -so as not to attract fire I cautiously peered over the parapet. I took -up a rifle and had a few shots without seeing the result, and then I -walked on through the trench and entered the redoubt. The first sight -that met my eyes was a gruesome one, for the bodies of ten men who had -been killed that day were lying at the entrance awaiting burial. - -On my way to Sadik Pasha's abode I saw a Turkish soldier wearing a very -fine pair of Russian high boots that had evidently belonged to a Russian -officer, and without inquiring too closely how they had been procured I -proceeded to do a deal. My own boots were thin patent leather -riding-boots, which looked very nice, but were quite unsuitable for -walking; so I persuaded the Turk to accept them, together with three -piastres, or sixpence, in return for the more useful if less ornamental -pair. The faithful servant of the Prophet was delighted with his -bargain, and strutted about in my fashionable Bond Street patent -leathers admiring himself, while I, for my part, had changed my -nationality by stepping literally into the boots of a Russian. - -Old Sadik Pasha gave me a warm welcome. I found him squatting on his -haunches, with a praying-mat under him, looking the picture of contented -cheerfulness. As the weather was pretty hot, he had rigged an awning -over the top of his subterranean domicile to keep the sun off, and -Kronberg and I squatted down beside him to hear all the news. - -It was like dropping in to see a man at his club--with one or two slight -differences. Sadik Pasha ordered coffee for three; and though we were -six feet underground, the Roumanians in the Grivitza redoubt must have -divined instinctively that we were having refreshments, for they decided -to serve dessert. Finding it impossible to do much with the ordinary -shells, they had pressed a mortar into the service, and just as the man -was coming with the coffee they fired another projectile from this -ingenious engine of warfare. Now the specific charm of the mortar is -that it throws a shell with a very high trajectory, so that the -projectile can soar like a hawk into the heavens and swoop down -perpendicularly upon its prey. With all their ingenuity the Turks had -not succeeded in devising a protection from this mode of annoyance; and -as the Turkish soldier was coming along like a well drilled waiter with -a tray on his arm containing three cups of coffee, the mortar-shell -exploded in the redoubt. No one was killed, but a fragment of the casing -knocked the tray and the cups and saucers into smithereens, and Sadik -Pasha had to order "The same again, please." This time the coffee -reached the consumer without any interruption in transit; and I was in -the act of drinking mine when another shell exploded in the redoubt -about ten feet distant from where we were sitting, and made a hole in -the ground big enough to bury a man in. I was so startled that I poured -the greater part of my coffee over my breeches instead of into my mouth, -and old Sadik Pasha chuckled mightily over my want of _sang-froid_. He -gave me a cordial invitation to come and stop with him for a week, -assuring me that I would soon get used to little accidents like that. - -I was too polite to tell Sadik Pasha that, much as I liked his company, -the smell round his house was so unpleasant that I felt obliged to -decline his invitation. Owing to the inability of the _parlementaires_ -to come to terms at the conference which I have already described, the -bodies of the Turks and Russians lying between Sadik's redoubt and the -Grivitza work remained unburied, and the stench was so terrible that -Kronberg was actually sick while we were calling on our hardy little -entertainer, and I myself was very nearly guilty of the same solecism. - -Owing to the vigilance of _nos amis les ennemis_, who saluted us so -warmly on our arrival at the redoubt, Kronberg and I prolonged our call -until it was dusk, and amused ourselves as well as we could in the -redoubt. Occasionally we elevated a fez on a bayonet, and drew the fire -of a dozen Roumanian rifles at once. Then we returned the compliment -with much _empressement_. In this pleasant interchange of civilities the -day wore to a close; and when it was dark we said _au revoir_ to Sadik -Pasha, slipped out at the back, found our horses, and rode into the town -again. - -Kronberg was, as I have said, a capital fellow, plucky as a lion and -generous to a fault. He hated the Bulgarians bitterly, but never allowed -his detestation of them as a class to outweigh his sense of justice. -There was a Bulgarian of some rank and standing in Plevna whom Osman -Pasha suspected of allowing his Russophile inclinations to go too far. -In fact, the Muchir believed that the man was a Russian spy, and he gave -orders to have him shot. Kronberg and Rookh were quartered in this -Bulgarian's house; and when the sentence was made known, the man's wife -went to them in a terrible state of grief and anxiety, imploring them on -her knees to save her husband, and swearing with the most solemn -protestations that he was absolutely innocent. Kronberg and Rookh were -of the same opinion; and knowing that I had a little influence with the -headquarters staff, they came to me and asked me to see Osman Pasha on -the subject, and ask him to reconsider his decision. Osman Pasha -listened to my representations very courteously, and I was so far -successful that he consented to the man being simply locked up instead -of being shot. The Bulgarian's life was spared, and he was sent down as -a prisoner to Constantinople when the road was opened up by Chefket -Pasha. - -It was at this period that my hospital work, which had previously -proceeded on regulated lines, with a hopeful measure of success -attending my efforts, began to degenerate into a desperate, -single-handed struggle against wounds, want, filth, disease, and death. - -I was sent to take charge of a large building which had been converted -into a hospital, and was already overcrowded with the most pitiable -cases. The building stood in several acres of ground on the bank of the -Tutchenitza, and about a quarter of a mile from the town, up stream. It -had previously been occupied by a wealthy Turk, and consisted really of -two large houses, one behind the other, and connected by a passage. The -house in the rear had been the harem, while the one in front had been -occupied by the old Turk and the male members of the household. There -was a small well kept garden leading up to the central entrance, and a -picket fence with a gate shut it off from the road. There were two -large rooms, one on each side of the front door, and two more behind the -staircase, with others upstairs and in the building attached at the -rear. Altogether there must have been about twelve large rooms, high, -fairly well ventilated, and whitewashed; but more than half of them had -no beds, and the forms of the tortured soldiers were huddled together in -their clothes on the bare boards. When I went there first, I had two -hundred and fifty men to look after, and the task appeared such a -hopeless one that my heart sank within me. - -We had a hundred beds in the hospital, and a small supply of extra -mattresses and blankets; but those were soon apportioned, and for the -other unfortunates nothing remained but to lie huddled up on the floor -in the clothes in which they had been shot. They lay on the floor of the -passages as well as in the rooms, and were packed so closely that it was -most difficult to pick one's way through the hospital without treading -on them. In one room, fifteen feet by fifteen feet, I had sixteen men, -all hideously wounded, dying hard on the hard boards. The bare, -whitewashed walls were splashed with blood, which had turned to rusty -dark brown stains, and the horrors of the place can only be faintly -hinted at. I was the only medical man on duty in that hospital, with a -couple of jarra bashis, or dispensers, to assist in dressing, and a -squad of Turkish soldiers as hospital nurses. I had chloroform, it is -true, but no other drugs of any kind; for the first supply of medicines, -as I have explained before, fell into the hands of the Russians when -they captured the tail waggons of the convoy. Worse than all, I saw with -dismay that the stock of antiseptic dressings was giving out, and that -unless it could be replenished the fearful scourge of hospital gangrene -was already threatening us closely. - -In the large room in which sixty men were lying, some on stretcher-beds, -some on mattresses, and many on the floor, the boards were covered with -blood and filth like a shambles. Round many of the sufferers pools of -pus had formed on the floor, and the smell was terrible. Here, where -these brave men were dying, the atmosphere was intolerable, stifling, -asphyxiating. As their eyes roamed round that house of suffering -instinctively searching for relief, they rested at intervals on small -glass windows set high up in the staring whitewashed wall. Through the -latticed panes they could see small squares of far blue sky, and now and -then there flitted past one of the white doves that Moslems regard as -sacred, on its way to the willows on the bank of the Tutchenitza. - -Presently the antiseptic dressings were exhausted altogether, and I had -to fall back upon coloured prints from the bazaars for bandages, and to -plug the wounds with plain cotton-wool, of which we had a large supply. -This was non-absorbent, and naturally when treated in this way the -wounds became frightfully repulsive. It was impossible to keep the -tissues healthy, and all I could do was to go round on my hands and -knees from one man to another, literally scraping the maggots out of the -wounds either with my finger or an instrument. The unfortunate men were -saturated with blood and pus from their wounds, and covered with maggots -which lodged in the festering tissues. Often and often, as I went round -the "wards"--save the mark--plodding on almost in despair against the -dreadful odds, I have taken the plugging of cotton-wool out of a gaping -wound, and found underneath it a nest of maggots, feeding on the flesh -of the still living man, who would thank me with a look for temporarily -relieving him of the torture. - -In one small ward with five beds in it, I had five men who were the -finest specimens of humanity that I ever saw in my life. I became -greatly attached to them, as they did also to me; and it was pathetic to -see their gratitude for the most trifling service. One of them, with his -strong aquiline face and piercing eyes, reminded me very much of a -statue of Dante which I had seen in the market-place of Verona. My -patient had been shot through the thigh. The bone had been dreadfully -smashed, and the whole leg was a mass of gangrened flesh. If I could -have operated, I might have saved his life; but without antiseptic -dressings, and without the possibility of subsequent careful nursing, an -operation was out of the question, and I had to watch him suffering day -by day dying literally by inches. - -In the next bed was an Asiatic Turk, whose wound was a peculiar one. A -rifle-bullet had struck the top of his skull, and cut a groove -longitudinally from front to back through it. I could do but little for -the man, except to keep the wound as clean as possible, and the poor -fellow suffered great pain. He used to be continually telling me of his -wife and children, in some distant Anatolian village, which he knew he -would never see again, and he was very grateful for a sympathetic -listener. I was always afraid of brain trouble developing, and after -about a week of suffering he became delirious through inflammation of -the membranes of the brain, and died at last in fearful convulsions. - -Next to him was a man who had been hit in the shoulder by a piece of a -shell. The bone was smashed to pieces, and several days after the battle -I took a piece of iron as large as a hen's egg from a great hole near -the man's armpit. I asked him to let me amputate the arm at the shoulder -joint; but he would not let it be done, and he was still alive some -weeks afterwards when I finally left Plevna. The fourth man had been -shot in the thigh, and the wound had no chance of healing without proper -dressing. I used to squeeze out about a pint of matter from it every -day. The fifth patient had been shot in the clavicle, and had a huge -ragged wound in the shoulder. I used to stuff it with cotton-wool, and -try to keep the maggots from collecting in the cavity; but when I took -out the plug of wool, there were always maggots underneath it. Four out -of the five were dead before I left the town. - -In the large room, which contained sixty men, though the space would not -properly accommodate more than twenty, I had several cases of -blood-poisoning due to the colours "running" in the cheap prints which I -was obliged to use for bandages. The dyes got into the wounds, and -pyæmia carried off the men like rotting sheep. The food up to this -period was still fairly good, and we had plenty of good water. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. -THE HORRORS OF THE HOSPITAL. - - Some of my Hospital Cases--A Death from Jaundice--Small-pox and - Typhoid Fever--Hospital Gangrene--Waiting for the Burial - Parties--Horrible Depression--I am slightly wounded--Turkish - Florence Nightingales--A Ghastly Case--I am powerless for want - of Stores--The Men die off like Sheep--Arrival of a Party of - English Doctors--A Welcome Visit--Dr. Bond Moore and Dr. - Mackellar--Dr. George Stoker Sick--Interview with Osman - Pasha--His Reception of the English Doctors--Osman Pasha's - Position--The English Doctors indignant--Osman Pasha - justified--A Ride to the Krishin Redoubts--The English Doctors - under Fire--My Reasons for leaving Plevna--A Farewell - Supper--Mustapha Bey and the Whisky--The Departure of the - Wounded--Good-bye to Plevna. - - -One very peculiar case came under my notice in the principal ward. It -was that of a man who had been struck by a spent bullet over the region -of the liver. The wound had not penetrated the flesh, and there was -nothing but a small, sloughing sore over the liver to indicate the spot -where the man had been hit. Two days afterwards he developed acute -jaundice, and died in three days. I could not understand it at the time, -but it struck me afterwards that the blow from the bullet had ruptured -the liver. - -To add to the horrors of the general situation, confluent small-pox made -its appearance among the wounded; and as I had no means of isolating the -patients, it quickly spread. Then several cases of typhoid fever broke -out, owing to the insanitary conditions; but strangely enough the -disease did not spread, and the mortality from it was small. Imagine the -miseries of an unhappy man, who, while suffering from a smashed thigh -which prevented him from even moving to resist the maggots that assailed -him, was then smitten with small-pox or typhoid fever! - -Little by little the septic troubles increased, and at last the crown of -misery was reached when hospital gangrene made its appearance. Few -civilian medical men now practising have ever seen hospital gangrene; -but the records of the terrible mischief which it produced in the days -before the discovery of the antiseptic treatment are still extant. The -patients who took the hospital gangrene usually suffered considerably, -while they rotted away before my eyes, and I was powerless to help them. - -The men also got covered with body lice; and as I spent fourteen hours a -day as a rule lifting them up, washing them, and dressing their wounds, -the noxious insects attacked me too, and during the whole of my -subsequent stay in Plevna I was never absolutely free from them. I had -only two flannel shirts, and one of these was boiled every day by my -servant; but in spite of all precautions, I could never keep free from -the insect pests. - -Every morning when I went to the hospital the first thing that met my -eyes as I opened the little wicket-gate leading into the garden was the -row of corpses of the men who had died during the previous night. They -were put out there to wait for the burial parties, and the sight never -failed to make a profound impression on me. As I walked past them up the -path the sight of those dead faces fascinated me; and when I found among -them men who were my special favourites, and who had told me the stories -of their simple, uneventful lives, and of their wives and children -waiting for them in distant parts of the Turkish Empire, a feeling of -overpowering depression came over me. I was so utterly helpless to save -them, and I was fighting such a hopeless battle, that once or twice I -sat down in the hospital and cried like a child. As fast as the men died -fresh ones were brought in, and often I found that twenty old faces had -gone during the night and that the same number of new ones awaited me in -the morning. Skirmishes were always going on between the outposts, and -the intermittent bombardment claimed a daily quota of victims, a -considerable proportion of whom were sent to me for treatment. - -It was at this period that I was wounded for the first and last time out -of all the scores of occasions that I have been under fire. It was a -mere flesh wound, little more indeed than a scratch; but as I was in a -very low state of health from continuous overwork and under-feeding, the -flesh wound set up a local condition which still further reduced my -strength, and contributed eventually to my leaving Plevna for a short -rest. As I was unable to get back again, owing to the Russians closing -the road, I was prevented from witnessing the last pathetic scene of -all, when Osman Pasha's heroic defence was exhausted, and he had to -surrender to the invader. - -A chance shot from a Russian field-gun did it for me, during the -desultory firing that went on languidly from day to day between the -opposing redoubts. I was riding out one morning to visit Sadik Pasha, -and was cantering leisurely across to the Bash Tabiya, when I heard the -scream of a shell, and recognized instinctively that it was coming my -way. One got so used to estimating the course of shells from constant -practice that one could pretty well tell by the sound where a particular -shell was likely to fall. My charger too was a perfect old war-hardened -veteran, and he took no more notice of a shell exploding five yards in -front of his nose than if it had been a custard-apple. When I heard the -whistle of the shell, I stuck the spurs in and tried to get out of the -way in time; but I did not succeed, and when it exploded a bit of the -casing took me in the back of the neck with a sharp, burning shock that -felt as if I had been struck with a piece of red-hot iron. When I put my -hand up to the place, I drew it back covered with blood; but I quickly -discovered that it was a mere surface wound, and when I got back to town -and bandaged it, I found that it did not in the least interfere with the -performance of my medical duties. However, an abscess formed on the -place, and troubled me a good deal. - -I was very much overworked. Neither food nor rest was plentiful. I never -saw a compatriot, and I spent all my waking hours in the midst of -horrible sufferings which I was powerless to alleviate. It was no -wonder, under these circumstances, that I became despondent; and after -this lapse of time I may as well confess that the thought occurred to me -whether it would not be better to blow my brains out than go on in the -misery any longer. But when I looked round on those magnificent -men--more long-suffering, patient, and courageous men I have never seen -in my life--I banished the dark thought, and went back to the work with -all the spirit I could muster. Sometimes even now when I lie awake at -night I see myself again dressed in a blood-stained shirt and pair of -trousers, as I picked my way among the huddled forms with their ashen -faces bound up in those fantastic bandages of coloured print. I see the -pools of curdled blood on the floor, the staring whitewashed walls, and -the little squares of blue sky through the latticed windows. I hear the -stifled moans and I catch the delirious murmurs of that Anatolian Turk -as in his death-throes, like Falstaff "he babbled o' green fields." - -Although we had no female nurses, still I found that the Turkish women, -whenever they had an opportunity, attended to the wounded with the -devotion of a Florence Nightingale. There was a small outbuilding in the -grounds that surrounded the hospital, and this also was filled with -wounded. One day I found two Turkish women there, and learned that they -were frequent visitors, bringing milk and broth to the wounded. When I -saw them, they were moving silently about in their long white robes, -with only the eyes showing through their thick yashmaks. One -exceptionally hideous case in the outbuilding received attention from -them. The man had been struck on the side of the face by a shell, which -carried away the whole of his upper and lower jaws. Only his eyes -remained, looking plaintively out above the mangled mass that had once -been a human face. The Turkish women could just see by the roots of the -tongue the position of the gullet, and they kept the unfortunate wretch -alive for four days by pouring milk down his throat. - -One evening, as I was leaving the hospital almost heart-broken, three -men were brought in, and I went back to attend to them. One man had -both his legs taken off by a shell from a heavy siege-gun, and was -blanched from loss of blood; the second had been struck by a shell, -which had carried away arm and shoulder together; the third was shot -through the lungs by a rifle-bullet. Next morning, when I returned to -the hospital, I saw the three men lying out dead on the path as soon as -I opened the gate. Some idea of the hopelessness of my position may be -gathered by the medical reader, when he learns that I had forty-seven -compound comminuted fractures under my hands at one time, and all were -suppurating, while I had no appliances of any kind for dressing them -properly. - -This was the state of affairs when Chefket Pasha opened up the road from -Sofia again with a relief column bringing up under his escort a supply -of medical stores and a party of English doctors who desired to -volunteer their services. The head of the medical party was Dr. Bond -Moore; and very picturesque he looked when he arrived in his Circassian -dress. With him was Dr. Mackellar, who had gained a reputation in the -Franco-Prussian war, and was a well known authority on gunshot wounds. -Then there was Mr. David Christie Murray, who was at that time a war -correspondent, but was introduced to me as a medical student, and in -that capacity had an opportunity of inspecting my hospital, which he -afterwards described very graphically in the _Scotsman_. A man named -Smith, who was in the Indian Civil Service, and who had come up for the -sake of the adventure, was another member of the party, which also -included my old friend George Stoker, now a Harley Street physician. -Last, but not least, there was Captain Morisot, a charming fellow, who -was afterwards with me at Erzeroum. - -The visitors hunted me up when they arrived, and we had a great supper -at my quarters. It was an intense relief to meet some of my own -countrymen at last, and I was so glad to see them that I distributed all -my curios among them, presenting to these strangers the crosses in -bronze and gold, the lockets, and the other trinkets that had belonged -to Russian owners before they were sold in the Plevna bazaars as grim -treasure-trove of the battle-field. - -Dr. Mackellar was an old friend, for I had met him before the war when I -was in Vienna; and I was delighted also to meet George Stoker, who was -one of my fellow passengers when I came down the Danube. It is difficult -for any one who has never been placed in such a position to form an idea -of the delightful sensation which I experienced at meeting with -English-speaking men again after a period of seventeen months spent out -of the hearing of my mother tongue. Imagine the feelings of an -Englishman when he first catches sight of the white cliffs of Dover -after long travelling in foreign lands; or think of the sensations of an -Australian returning after a couple of years in Europe when he sees the -lights at Port Phillip Heads or the entrance to Sydney Harbour again. My -feelings were similar when I dropped my Turkish and picked up my -half-forgotten English once more in the presence of men of my own race, -whose cheerful talk dispelled the gloomy thoughts which my daily -struggle against the ever increasing forces of suffering and disease had -engendered. - -The wound on the back of my neck was very painful, and the large abscess -which had formed on it had still further reduced my system. Dr. -Mackellar lanced it for me the first night he was in Plevna, and this -gave me great relief. - -George Stoker had a bad attack of dysentery when he arrived, and he -arranged to stop at my place so that I could look after him more easily. -I opened up negotiations with my little fair-haired Bulgarian boy, who -managed, with a good deal of trouble, to get me some milk, and thus I -was enabled to provide proper diet for the invalid. - -On the morning after the arrival of the English medical party, Dr. Bond -Moore, with Mr. Harvey, a man of English parentage, who was born in the -Levant and spoke Turkish like a Turk, together with Dr. Mackellar, -waited upon Osman Pasha in his tent. Dr. Bond Moore explained to Osman -Pasha through Mr. Harvey that they had been sent out by the Stafford -House Committee, a large national organization in London which had -collected £50,000 for the purpose of relieving the sufferings caused by -the war in Turkey. They desired to undertake the care of the wounded -Turks then in Plevna. - -Now Osman Pasha was essentially a man of action. Though there was plenty -of the _fortiter in re_ about him, there was little of the _suaviter in -modo_; and Bond Moore and Mackellar, who did not know him as well as I -did, jumped to the conclusion that he was intentionally discourteous in -his reception of them and in his reply to their representations. He -pointed out to them that of the four thousand wounded men who were then -in the hospitals, more than two-thirds would be sent away to Sofia on -the following day, now that the road had been opened up by Chefket -Pasha. This determination on his part, he explained, was dictated by -consideration for the wounded as well as for the rest of the troops in -Plevna. They would receive better treatment at Sofia, they would leave -more rations for the fighting men, and there would again be room in the -hospitals available for the wounded men who might be expected after -future engagements. Probably, continued Osman, not more than four -hundred wounded men would be left in the hospitals when the ambulance -train went away, and meanwhile the medical staff at his disposal was -quite strong enough to cope with the work. He also had another powerful -reason for sending away the wounded in the overcrowding of the -hospitals, which was causing terrible devastation by septic disease; and -we knew that if the congested wards were relieved, we might get the -upper hand of the gangrene and pyæmia which were doing all the damage. - -Naturally enough Bond Moore and Mackellar were staggered to find that, -after travelling all the way from England and incurring a good many -hardships on the way, they were not to be allowed to do the work for -which they had been sent. They represented to Osman Pasha the danger of -sending away on a long and terrible journey wounded men who were quite -unfit to travel; and Bond Moore, as the spokesman, entered a vigorous -protest against the "gross inhumanity" of the course proposed by the -Turkish commander-in-chief. Osman Pasha, however, was inexorable; and -always a brusque and stern man at the best, he became still more -forbidding in his manner when the English doctors reiterated their -protests. The deputation left the tent in high dudgeon at what they -regarded as the discourtesy of their reception, and were thoroughly -disappointed after reaching Plevna in safety to be peremptorily ordered -to quit it at once. - -As a further protest, Dr. Mackellar waited upon Hassib Bey, our -principal medical officer, and I was present at the interview, in which -the English surgeon told the old Turk that it was a disgrace to humanity -to send the wounded away by carts in the condition in which they were. -The conversation was carried on in French, and Dr. Mackellar spoke very -strongly, declaring that it was a barbarous and brutal thing to send the -wounded men away, many of whom he considered, as a surgeon of large -experience, to be quite unfit to travel. I felt quite sorry for poor old -Hassib Bey, especially as I myself, with a full comprehension of the -whole position, was thoroughly in accord with Osman Pasha's view. It was -perfectly plain to me that the wisest course was to despatch the wounded -men from out the crowded hospitals into the fresh air and away to Sofia. -No doubt a percentage of them would die on the road from the actual -hardship of travel; but if they were left in Plevna, a far larger -proportion would inevitably die of septic diseases, while the congested -condition of the hospitals would be still further aggravated, and slow -starvation would add shortly to the sufferings of the unfortunates. The -proof of the wisdom of Osman Pasha's action was very manifest -afterwards; for though he was starved out eventually, he could not have -held the town nearly as long as he did if he had not seized the -opportunity when the road was open to send the wounded away. - -Hassib Bey listened deprecatingly to Dr. Mackellar's spirited protest; -but the fiat had gone forth from headquarters, and he was powerless to -accede to his visitor's request even if he had the inclination. - -Dr. Bond Moore sent in a formal written protest to Osman Pasha, who -vouchsafed no reply, and the Stafford House surgeons spent the rest of -the day examining my hospital. In connection with this incident of the -expulsion of the Stafford House doctors from Plevna, I may reproduce the -report on the subject, which I afterwards sent to Mr. V. B. Kennett, the -Stafford House commissioner. My report, which was published in the -_Times_ of November 15, 1877, ran as follows: - -"At your request I write to you a short account of the state of Plevna -on the occasion of the visit of Dr. Bond Moore, Stafford House section, -and the circumstances attending the evacuation of the wounded. When Drs. -Bond Moore and Mackellar arrived in Plevna, we had in our hospitals -there between four and five thousand wounded, probably three thousand -five hundred of them having received their wounds between September 5 -and October 12, the remainder being the graver cases of our former -fighting which were considered too serious to send on to Sofia. We have -always received orders after any heavy fighting to send off all who -were not too gravely wounded to Sofia, and so we have by this means -never had more than five or six hundred in our hospitals. But -unfortunately, during the hard fighting in September, we were completely -surrounded by the Russians, and were actually, so to speak, in a state -of siege, so that we had the accumulation of nearly a month's fighting -in addition to the graver cases of our earlier battles. Such was the -state of affairs when Chefket Pasha relieved Plevna, and when Drs. Moore -and Mackellar arrived and kindly offered to form hospitals in Plevna. On -presenting themselves to Osman they were received quite courteously. He -told them he was very glad to see them, but that if they were sent in -the real cause of humanity, and to assist his wounded, he much preferred -them leaving for Sofia and establishing themselves there; if, however, -they wished to remain and see the fighting, they were perfectly welcome -to do so, but if they did they would have very little work to do, as he -was sending nearly all the wounded to Sofia, and for those who were -remaining he had a sufficient staff of surgeons. His reasons for sending -away the wounded must appear most obvious to any one knowing the -circumstances of the case. I believe that it is always one of the first -considerations of a general, after a battle, to send off as soon as -possible all wounded who are in a state to travel, in order to make room -for further fighting. In addition to this main consideration, I must -state that our accommodation was very insufficient, that many of our -hospitals consisted of houses without windows, and we were fearfully -overcrowded, often having thirty men in a room only large enough for -ten. Then, again, we had no beds, and could not procure them as there -was no wood to make them of. Another great consideration was that we had -not sufficient nor proper food, having only the bare necessaries of -life, such as biscuits and meat. From a sanitary point of view, it was -also extremely desirable to remove them as quickly as possible, thereby -lessening the chances of an epidemic, which is always liable to break -out when such a large population is confined in a small area. It was, I -believe, in 1866 that a very serious epidemic of cholera broke out in -Plevna. Of the four thousand five hundred wounded I believe that all but -two hundred and fifty were sent off, the wounds of those remaining being -of the very gravest character. Most of the wounds of those sent away -were very slight, being flesh wounds caused by bullets, which would be -perfectly healed in from twenty to thirty days. I believe in all about -sixty or seventy cases of fracture were sent off; in most of them union -had already occurred, and in those in which it had not I am of opinion -that they stood a better chance of recovery by their removal from a -hospital impregnated with septic germs into a purer atmosphere and where -they could have more attention paid to them. Dr. George Stoker took with -him in his ambulance to Orkhanieh forty cases, but it must be remembered -that these were the very gravest. Three of them died on the way; but as -they were cases out of my own hospital I can speak about them with -confidence, and can say that in the most favourable circumstances -recovery would have been impossible. Osman Pasha also acted with -foresight from a military point of view; for had he not sent off his -wounded, and had Stafford House and the Red Crescent retained them in -hospitals established there, what would be their position at present now -that Plevna is again surrounded by the Russians? It must be a matter of -satisfaction to Osman Pasha to have sent off as many of the -non-combatant population as possible, for it must be a great drain on -one's commissariat to have to feed four or five thousand non-combatants -in a place like Plevna where provisions are so difficult to procure. I -may add that I consider I am in a position to speak with authority on -such a subject, as I have been for fifteen months in the Turkish -service, and for the last five have been in Plevna." - -When the medical men went round my hospital, they saw the horrors among -which I had been working for the previous month, and then I took them -out to our operating theatre under the blue sky on the banks of the -Tutchenitza. Here Dr. Mackellar performed several operations, and showed -us some brilliant surgery, including four disarticulations of the -shoulder joint. - -Next day we all rode out to the Krishin redoubt which Skobeleff had -taken, and which was soon afterwards recaptured with fearful loss. I was -able to point out the exact spot where the heaviest of the fighting had -taken place to Dr. Bond Moore, Dr. Mackellar, and Mr. David Christie -Murray, who were naturally interested in making a personal inspection of -the scene of such a great historical fight. - -As the four of us rode away in a southerly direction to the Ibrahim Bey -redoubt, the Russian artillerymen saw us, and in a couple of seconds the -Stafford House doctors and the war correspondent had an experience which -struck them with all the force of the novel and the unexpected. The -Russians fired six shells at us, and it certainly was a wonder that some -of us were not killed, for the artillerymen had found the range by long -practice at the redoubts, and their shells fell all round us. It was no -novelty for me to hear the projectiles whizzing about, but I was -surprised at the courage and coolness with which the visitors behaved, -and luckily all four of us came out of it without a scratch. - -That evening I thought the whole position over, and determined to apply -for a short leave of absence, and take a trip down to Constantinople -with the intention of returning to Plevna in a couple of weeks. I should -not have dreamed of leaving the position so long as I could be of any -real service there; but most of the wounded men were about to be sent -away, and there would be nothing left for me to do. In addition to this, -I was in a very bad state of health. I had a large suppurating cavity at -the back of my neck from my wound, and my system had completely run -down. My mother, whom I had not seen for years, was then in Europe, and -I thought that it would be a capital opportunity to run down and see -her. Moreover, my agreement with the Turkish Government was for only one -year, and I had already been serving for seventeen months. It was these -considerations, and not, as was afterwards stated in various newspapers, -the refusal of Osman Pasha to avail himself of the assistance of the -Stafford House doctors, that induced me to interview Hassib Bey and -apply for leave of absence. I asked him for leave of absence for two or -three weeks, pointing out that nearly all the wounded would be sent -away, and that there was no immediate likelihood of any more fighting -before I returned. Hassib Bey said that he would give me leave with very -great pleasure, and he voluntarily gave me a letter to the Seraskierat, -in which he was good enough to express the very highest appreciation of -my services. In fact, it was practically impossible for any man to get a -higher testimonial than that which Hassib Bey gave me on the eve of my -departure from Plevna. He suggested that I should ask Osman Pasha to -ratify the leave of absence; and Tewfik Pasha having conducted me into -Osman Pasha's presence, I repeated my application to him, assuring him -that I would not think of leaving as long as there was any work for me -to do. The Muchir thanked me for my services, of which he expressed high -appreciation, and hoped to see me back in Plevna. - -If I could have foreseen that the road would be blocked again by the -Russians, and that it would be impossible for me to return once I left -the town, I would have stayed by the troops at all costs. I was devoted -to the Turkish army and the Turkish cause. I never spared myself in -carrying out my duties, and I was bound by the strongest ties of -attachment to my patients, as they were also, I felt and knew, to me. I -positively loved the great, rough barbarians who bore their sufferings -with such noble fortitude in my hospital, and during the whole of my -time in Plevna I never had the slightest unpleasantness with a single -one of them, and received always the greatest gratitude from them all. -At that time there was no Turk in Plevna more Turkish in sympathies -than I was. I threw my whole heart and soul and all my energies into the -Turkish cause, and no one could have gone through all that I had without -being impressed with a feeling of the most profound admiration for the -patience, courage, and heroic patriotism of the Turkish private soldier. -Intending as I did to remain away for a couple of weeks at most, I felt -that the parting was only temporary; and when I went to say good-bye to -the colonel of my regiment, Suleiman Bey, he wished me a cheery _au -revoir_, expecting to see me soon back again. I had quite an affecting -farewell with dear old Hassib Bey, and I also went round and said -good-bye to all my intimate friends and the men with whom I had been -brought most closely into contact. It was a great disappointment to me -that I could not find the regimental barber, a little red-headed Turk, -who used to shave me every Sunday, whether there was firing in progress -or not, making me sit down on the ground and taking my head between his -knees for the better performance of his task. Anxious as I was to make -him a little present in recognition of his skill and punctuality, I was -unable to find him. Like his brethren of the craft in other countries, -he was a most loquacious conversationalist, and I got all the gossip of -the trenches during the ten minutes that I was under his hands every -Sunday. - -My Circassian servant Ahmet had to go back to the ranks, much to his -disgust, when I went away, and from that time forward his lot was by no -means such a happy one as before. Instead of leisurely cooking my pilaf, -grooming my horse, and occasionally raiding the country for hay, -poultry, eggs, or anything else that he could get for his own benefit as -well as mine, the poor fellow had to take his place in the wet trenches, -with no bed but a hole scooped in the clay, and little to expect in the -way of breakfast except a bullet. - -Dr. Stoker had about twenty smooth-running ambulance waggons specially -built for the conveyance of wounded men, and having loaded these up with -the most dangerous cases he set out on the long journey to Sofia. Having -no further use for a horse, I sold mine to Dr. Mackellar, and took my -passage in one of the ambulance waggons. Then the night before I left -Plevna the other fellows gave us a great send off and we had a splendid -supper at the house of Dr. Robert, who, I regret to say, became -hopelessly intoxicated, and insisted on yelling patriotic songs in half -a dozen languages, while he thumped his piano until the yellow-faced -Viennese housekeeper hauled him off in wrath and turned us all out. Poor -Robert! Long before this we had eaten all his zoological specimens, his -tame deer as well as his poultry; but he forgave us all. I never saw him -again. - -Old Mustapha Bey was quite concerned when I told him that I was going -away. I had won the goodwill of this crusty old colonel of a regiment of -cavalry some weeks before by the promise of a gift of some real Scotch -whisky, which the old chap had read of but never tasted. He was an -inveterate toper when he got the chance, being in this respect quite a -rarity in the Ottoman army, and would drink raki or anything else with a -fine, generous disregard of quality as long as the quantity was there. -My friend Mr. Wrench, who was then the British consul in Constantinople, -and who has lately died, promised to send me up a case of real Scotch -whisky, and it came up in the previous train of arabas. At least the -case came up all right, but of the dozen bottles only two remained for -the disappointed consignee--myself. Of course we had a general -jollification, and the last drop of genuine Glenlivet had vanished down -the capacious gullet of an Austrian medico before I remembered with a -pang of regret my promise to Mustapha Bey. Fortunately he had never -tasted whisky, so there was still a possibility of keeping faith with -him, at any rate in appearance. I confided my predicament to my -comrades, and we brewed a special _cuvée réservée_ for the Turk. The -basis, I recollect, consisted of a decoction of prunes boiled with some -of the wine of the country, which was heavily loaded with kerosene or -some other mineral oil, and brought to the right amber hue by the -addition of a little harmless colouring matter. This salubrious beverage -I filtered through a sponge, bottled in one of the empty whisky bottles, -and sent to Mustapha Bey with my compliments. When I next met him, he -was smacking his lips with retrospective gusto, declaring that he had -never tasted anything so delicious in his life. Poor old fellow! I felt -quite guilty when I went to say good-bye to him, especially when he -added at the last, "Be sure when you come back to bring me up another -bottle of Scotch whisky." - -Next morning I went away in one of the smoothly running ambulance cars -brought up by Dr. Stoker. I had a pair of horses, and drove them down to -Telish, where we stayed the first night. It was a mercy that we were -able to get on in front of the long line of about three hundred arabas, -each drawn by two small white oxen and laden with wounded. The carts -creaked along at about two miles an hour, and as we passed them the -groans and cries which the excruciating agony forced from the -unfortunate sufferers were most painful to hear. Some of the men had -fractures which remained unset, and the torture produced by the broken -ends of bone jarring together as the waggon jolted and bumped over the -rough road can be left to the imagination. Most of the men, however, -bore their dreadful sufferings with a grim silence that was as painful -as the cries. Oh that ghastly journey of wounded men to Sofia! And here -and there a cart would stop while the driver lifted out a dead man from -among his still living fellow travellers, and laid him down by the side -of the road, at rest at last from the fearful jolting of the araba. -There was no time to dig a grave, so the body was left there to soak in -the rain and bleach in the sun, along the white road that wound from -Plevna to Orkhanieh. I have no means of knowing accurately what -proportion of the wounded died on the road, but I should estimate it at -about 7 per cent. Had they been left behind at Plevna, probably at least -50 per cent, would have been swept away by septic disease and slow -starvation. - -At Telish, where we spent the first night, I found Hakki Pasha in -command, and was very kindly treated by him. This was the scene of a -severe fight about a fortnight after we passed through. - -After three days' travelling we reached Orkhanieh, our first -stopping-place of any considerable size; and here a number of the -wounded who could go no farther were placed in the hospital. At -Orkhanieh the hospital arrangements were a welcome change from those at -Plevna. I met a man named Temple Bey there, an Englishman, who had been -in the Turkish service for a great number of years. There were several -English surgeons, and suitable houses had been turned into hospitals. I -met a man named Roy, and another named Gill, now a well known -practitioner at Welshpool; a man named Pinkerton, working at the -hospitals in Orkhanieh; and there I said good-bye to my friend Dr. -Mackellar, who remained behind to perform some operations, and stayed -there for a considerable time. When I was leaving him, he kindly gave me -a letter to Baron Munday, an Austrian doctor, who was an enthusiast in -the cause of philanthropy, and who afterwards showed me great kindness -in Constantinople. - -At Sofia I met Lady Strangford, who had a well equipped hospital, worked -by three or four English doctors and several English nurses. There were -fifty or sixty beds in it, and the contrast between this hospital and -the dreadful place that I had left behind at Plevna was as startling as -the difference between an "Inferno" and a "Paradiso." Lady Strangford -gave me a letter to the Baroness von Rosen, who had another hospital at -Adrianople, and I spent a couple of pleasant days with that enthusiastic -lady. Going on to Ichtiman, I met there Fano Bey, who was the second -military officer in charge of the hospitals at Widdin; and as he arrived -late at night, I was glad of the opportunity of repaying some of his -past kindnesses by giving up my room to him. Next day we went on to -Tatar Bazardjik, which was the terminus of the railway from -Constantinople; and there, in the company of half a dozen jolly war -correspondents, I shook off the last traces of the depression engendered -by the horrors of my hospital work in Plevna. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. -FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO ERZEROUM. - - Life in Constantinople--Sir Collingwood Dickson--Visit to the - Seraskierat--Roving Englishmen--A Typical Adventurer--War - Correspondents--General Berdan--Colonel Valentine Baker--A - Picnic on the Gulf of Ismet--On Board H.M.S. _Achilles_--The - Turks as Paymasters--A Heavy Fee--Round the _Cafés - Chantants_--An Invitation to Erzeroum--Road to Plevna closed--I - join the Stafford House Ambulance--A Farewell Banquet--A Voyage - in the Black Sea--Trebizond--In the Cradle of Humanity--The Road - of Xenophon's Ten Thousand--Lazistan--Dog and Wolf--An Ancient - Mining Town--The Valley of Pear Trees--Baiburt--Cross and - Crescent in Former Days--A Mountain Road--Genoese Ruins--A Hasty - Descent--On the Kopdagh--The Garden of Eden--First Glimpse of - the Euphrates--Sir Arnold Kemball--Erzeroum at Last--English - Doctors--Mr. Zohrab--Mukhtar Pasha--Organizing our - Hospitals--Sunlight and Shadow--A Presage of Trouble. - - -In Constantinople I put up again at Misserie's Hotel. During the fifteen -months that had elapsed since I last saw that comfortable hostelry I had -lived a whole lifetime, and coming back to it again, a war-worn veteran -of twenty-three, the French cooking and the soft beds after many a -dinner of raw maize cobs and many a sleep on the bare earth appealed to -my feelings in the most convincing manner possible. - -At this time the eyes of the world were turned towards Plevna, and I -found, somewhat to my astonishment, that my name was already fairly well -known in Stamboul. Every one was anxious to hear something of the famous -victories that had just been won from an eye-witness, and I had to fight -my battles over again in the club and the café, the bureau and the -boudoir, for the benefit of hundreds of patriotic inquirers all eager -for the latest news. Among others I met General Sir Collingwood Dickson, -an old Crimea man, who was intensely interested in the operations -against the enemy, whose grey coats he had seen in front of him some -three and twenty years before at Alma and at Inkermann. It was wonderful -to see the warrior's eyes flashing with the battle-light again, as I -told him the story of the Krishin redoubts--how Skobeleff took them and -held them for one desperate day and night, and how, after many repulses, -the Ottoman troops at five o'clock on the following afternoon poured -over the parapets in a mighty, irresistible wave and swept the Russians -back to the Green Hills once more. - -Taking Osman Pasha's letter with me, I paid a visit to the Seraskierat, -and, having presented my introduction, was welcomed most warmly by the -officers of the War Office, who thanked me on behalf of the Turkish -Government for my services. Up to this time the Ottoman troops had been -making a very good fight of it on the whole, in spite of the losses at -the Shipka Pass and on the Lom; and the brilliant victories which Osman -Pasha had been winning encouraged the officers of the Seraskierat to -hope for further successes. It is perhaps outside my purpose here to -criticise in detail the conduct of the operations by the Turkish -Government; but I cannot help referring to the opinion which was very -generally expressed outside that the mismanagement and divided control -at headquarters were entirely responsible for the headway which the -enemy had made up to the present, and that if the brilliant qualities of -the Turkish forces in the field had been supported by a more rational -and consistent policy at Constantinople the peaked caps of the Russians -would never have been seen before Stamboul. - -My mother, whom I was very anxious to see, was in England at this time, -and I had written to her upon my arrival in Constantinople. While I -waited to get a reply from her, I had plenty of time to look about me -and see the change which had taken place in the daily life of the -Turkish capital since my previous visit. Upon the outbreak of a war the -adventurers of all nations seem to emerge from their hiding-places, and -flock to the scene of action for the profit, the pleasure, or the -excitement that they can pick up. The carcase, in fact, was there, and -one could see the eagles gathering together from every quarter. I met a -good many Englishmen of the roving, dare-devil class that has done so -much to build up our own empire, and here in default of an outlet among -Christian nations they were trying all they knew to get into the Turkish -army. Many of them had a special axe to grind of some sort. They had -inventions, new weapons, or improved clothing, or equipment which they -desired to sell to the Turkish Government. For instance, there was a man -called Harris, who had a scheme for blowing up the bridge across the -Danube at Sistova with torpedoes, and was very anxious that I should -join him in his absurd scheme. His idea was to send down the river a -small fleet of torpedoes which would destroy the bridge as soon as they -came into contact with it. How the destruction of the bridge could -hinder the advance of the Russians or alter the course of the campaign -he loftily declined to explain, and my stupidity was such that I missed -this unique opportunity of securing fame and fortune at a blow. Another -man whom I met belonged to a species which is fairly well -distributed--more's the pity--over the outlying portions especially of -the British Empire. He was gentlemanly, well dressed, and by no means -presuming. He talked well, and evidently knew the world. One would take -him to be about thirty-five years of age, though the lines in his -forehead and round the mouth and the streaks of grey in his hair showed -that he had lived all the time. He took a tremendous interest in the -fighting round Plevna, and he invited me to dinner with him one evening. -Let us call him Smith, although that was not his name. Well, I had a -very excellent dinner; and when it was over I had to pay for it myself, -as also for Mr. Smith's own well selected repast and bottle of Château -Léoville. Over the cigars afterwards he casually asked me to lend him -five pounds; but I found, to my regret, that I had not got the money on -me. - -If there were plenty of adventurers in Constantinople just then, there -were also plenty of sterling, good fellows always ready to do one a good -turn without any ulterior object. I made a delightful acquaintance, for -instance, when I met Charles Austin, a Fellow of St. John's, Oxford, who -had gone out to Constantinople to act as special correspondent for the -_Times_. Another capital fellow was Frank Ives Scudamore, whom every one -in Constantinople knew. He was the head of the British post-office -there; and when I told him that I had spent twenty pounds of my own -money in telegraphing to the _Standard_ from Widdin when their own -correspondent went away, Scudamore paid me the money out of his own -pocket, telling me that he would get it from the paper. His son was -acting as the correspondent for some London paper too, and I saw a good -deal of him. The names of the Englishmen whom I met in the town at that -exciting time would fill many pages; but I can mention a few of them. -There was Colonel Valentine Baker, for instance (Baker Pasha), who was -accounted one of the finest cavalry officers in Europe, and was engaged -in reorganizing the _gendarmerie_. He had picked out a lot of retired -English officers for positions, and among them I met Colonel Swire, -Colonel Norton, Colonel Alix, and a fire-eating, devil-may-care Irishman -named Briscoe, who had been in the Guards, and who was the life and soul -of the club. An exceptionally interesting old chap was General Berdan, -the inventor of the Russian rifle that bore his name. I looked at the -harmless, gentle old chap with considerable awe when I recollected the -awful scenes in my hospital and the deadly evidences of the hard-hitting -Berdan bullets. There were several fellows who had failed in -examinations at Sandhurst or Woolwich, and were now hunting for glory -where they fancied that a good seat on horseback would be more -serviceable than trigonometry and a fair shot with the revolver would be -more valuable than the most intimate acquaintance with the differential -calculus. A Sir Peter Something-or-other, who was trying to sell -uniforms to the Turkish Government, completes the list of my personal -club acquaintances. - -During the few days that I was at Constantinople, Valentine Baker -organized a delightful picnic to the Gulf of Ismet, where the British -fleet were lying, and he invited me to join the party. We went up the -Gulf of Ismet in a small steamer, and at Prinkapo we took on board an -addition to our party including several ladies. - -After a few hours' steaming, we came in sight of the ships of the -British squadron riding at anchor on the blue waters of the gulf; and -fighting though I had been under the Turkish flag, I felt a thrill of -pride as our little launch passed under the stern of the mighty -_Téméraire_ and I saw the dear old ensign flying over me again. Those -were stirring times in international politics, for word had been passed -round in high diplomatic circles as well as on the stages of the London -music-halls that "the Russians shall not have Constantinople," and the -presence of the _Achilles_, the _Alexandra_, the _Téméraire_, and the -other ships of Admiral Hornby's squadron almost within shell fire of -Stamboul showed that Great Britain had made up her mind definitely upon -this point. - -We lunched with Commodore Hewitt on board the _Achilles_, and after -lunch we had plenty of time to examine the equipment of that splendid -fighting machine. As I watched the ladies in their white dresses -tripping along the snowy decks and peering down the sights of the great, -silent, burnished guns that pointed out towards Stamboul, I thought of -those other guns that I had left behind at Plevna, grim, -powder-blackened, blood-bespattered veterans, that continued their -deadly work until, broken and dismounted, with their gun crews lying -round them, they were silenced at last in the Krishin redoubts. - -We had a delightful day with the squadron, and in the evening we steamed -back to the city of many minarets, upon which the eyes of Europe were -day by day directed. At Prinkapo I met a man called Pearse, a brother -Australian. He was the first graduate in law from the Adelaide -University. He had a big practice at the bar in the English court at -Constantinople, and we had much to tell each other of our adventures -since we crossed the line. - -My friend Mr. Wrench, the British consul at Constantinople, was -extremely kind to me, and I ventured to approach him upon a somewhat -delicate question. Much as I admired the character of the Turkish troops -and their soldierly qualities in the field, I could not be blind to one -conspicuous defect in Turkish official nature. It was plain from the -first that the executive had a rooted dislike to paying over a single -piastre to any one for services rendered. The pay of the troops was -months in arrear, and my own little bill was mounting up to a quite -portentous figure. Perhaps it occurred to the paymaster of the forces -that it would be folly to hand over good money to a man who might have -his pockets carried away together with his legs by a convenient shell at -any moment. At any rate the fact remained that I was owed about £70 by -the Turkish Government at this time; and as I had no hopes of recovering -my medical fees by my own unaided efforts, I laid the matter before Mr. -Wrench. - -Mr. Wrench had lived long in Constantinople, and was intimately -acquainted with all the devious approaches to the ear of officialdom. I -do not know how many cups of coffee he was obliged to drink, nor how -many artfully worded compliments he paid to solemn old pashas sitting -cross-legged on their divans; but I do know that in a remarkably short -time, considering the length and tortuosity of the negotiations which he -must have gone through, he was able to announce to me that the arrears -of my salary of £200 a year would be paid on application. When I put in -my claim for £70, they brought me the whole amount in silver coin, and I -had to get a small hand-cart to remove my money, which consisted of -about half a hundredweight of Turkish medjidies. It was certainly the -heaviest fee that I have ever received for professional services. - -In order to be more in the swim, so that I could hear prompt news of all -that was going on at the seat of war, I left Misserie's Hotel, and took -up my quarters at the club in the Grande Rue de Pera. This was a very -comfortable and very cosmopolitan caravanserai, and the members included -the leading section of the foreign element in Constantinople. Here I met -again many of my old acquaintances, among them being the Hon. Randolph -Stewart, the Queen's Messenger, who had come down the Danube with me -when I first entered Turkish territory. I found plenty of congenial -spirits in the club, and devoted a day or two to well deserved -relaxation, which was readily obtainable in Constantinople. In the -evenings we used to go the round of the _cafés chantants_, and always -found lots of fun there. One night a French girl came forward on the -stage, and sang a song about Plevna, which was rapturously applauded. -While the song was going on somebody spotted me in the audience, and I -was accorded a demonstration which, although it was highly flattering, -was nevertheless decidedly embarrassing. - -While I was amusing myself with these frivolities, the most momentous -events were occurring at the theatre of war. In Asiatic Turkey the -Russians were making rapid headway, and I learned from Mr. Barrington -Kennett, the head of the Stafford House Relief Committee, who was then -in Constantinople, that the condition of the Turkish garrison of -Erzeroum was deplorable. Medical aid was urgently required there, and -Mr. Barrington Kennett offered me an engagement at once to take charge -of the ambulance work at Erzeroum for the Stafford House Committee. I -was offered far better terms than I was getting from the Turks, and a -free hand to do what I liked at Erzeroum; but I determined not to desert -my old friends at Plevna, and made up my mind to get back there as soon -as I had seen my mother. Mr. Barrington Kennett asked me to reserve my -final decision, and when I left him the offer was still open. - -On the very same day something occurred which compelled me to change my -plans. Sir Collingwood Dickson sent me a telegram asking me to call upon -him at once in the summer residence of the British Embassy at Therapia, -and in an interview which I had with him there he told me that news had -just been received of terrible fighting at Gorny Dübnik and Telish. The -Russian Guards had been brought up, and after a desperate battle at -Telish in which the Russians lost four thousand men the Turkish forces -sustained a complete defeat. As a result of this victory the Russians -were in possession of all the approaches to Plevna, and communication -with Osman Pasha's army was absolutely cut off. I listened to this news -with dismay, for it was clear now that I could not get back to Plevna; -and that night as I lay in bed at the club I made up my mind to accept -the offer of the Stafford House Committee and go to Erzeroum. - -Before I was up in the morning Mr. Barrington Kennett came into my room -and told me that he had received a telegram from Erzeroum giving the -news of a sanguinary battle close to that place. Mukhtar Pasha had -suffered a terrible defeat, and the condition in Erzeroum was desperate. -The town was full of wounded men, and supplies of all kinds were -urgently needed. Mr. Kennett asked me to start that day at twelve -o'clock as there was a steamer going, and he offered to give me any one -I liked to go with me, suggesting that I should take a dragoman and -Captain Morisot, whom I had already met at Plevna, as a companion. Mr. -Stoney, who also belonged to the Stafford House Committee, and who had -treated me with the greatest kindness, also urged me to accept the -offer; and the upshot of it all was that I told Mr. Kennett that I would -be ready to start by the steamer at twelve o'clock. - -Steamers, however, suffer from unpunctuality in Turkey as well as -elsewhere, and at the last moment we found that the boat would not start -until next morning. Baron Munday heard of this, and gave a grand -farewell dinner to me at the club that night, when about a dozen of us -sat down to a regular banquet, and drank each other's healths in bumpers -of champagne. In those old fighting days a farewell dinner to any one -was a thing to wonder at; for it was always a shade of odds that a fever -or a rifle-bullet would claim a good many of the guests before they -could meet again, and the more risky the prospects of the future the -more lively was the certain pleasure of the present. Late that night, or -rather early next morning, they saw me down to the quay where the -Messageries boat was lying, and I went on board, lugging with me a bag -containing three hundred English sovereigns--perhaps the only coins on -earth that will fetch their face value anywhere. With me there went Dr. -Woods, an adventurous spark from the north of Ireland, who was deputed -to act with me, Captain Morisot, and Mr. Harvey. - -A fine old Frenchman commanded the little Messageries steamer, and by -his manner and language he seemed a regular old aristocrat, who had not -always been running a small "tramp" boat on the Black Sea. Although far -from Paris, he had not forgotten the principles of gastronomy, and the -cuisine on board that perambulating little tub was simply perfect. I had -never lived so well in my life. We had a delightful passage up the Black -Sea, calling in at the different ports on the north side, Sinope, -Samsoun, and finally Trebizond, where we disembarked for the overland -journey to Erzeroum. - -Trebizond is a beautiful town built on a table-land at the top of high -cliffs looking down over the Black Sea. There was a very good Greek -hotel there, and we put up for the night in it. As soon as possible we -called on Mr. Biliotti,[4] the English consul at Trebizond, and he gave -us a message to push on to Erzeroum as quickly as possible, as Mukhtar -Pasha was in urgent need of medical officers and stores. - -With Mr. Biliotti we met Captain McCalmont, who was on the staff of Sir -Arnold Kemball, the British military attaché in Asiatic Turkey. All the -preliminaries for our journey had been settled by the indefatigable Mr. -Biliotti; and as we had two dragomen, I left one of them, a man named -Williams, behind us to bring on the heavy packages, the bandages, drugs, -stimulants, and other medical stores, while we pushed forward with the -other. - -When we left Trebizond, our party consisted of Dr. Woods, Captain -Morisot, Harvey, and myself. We started early in the morning for our -long ride to Erzeroum through the wild and picturesque country which -ethnologists and philologists have alike decided upon as the cradle of -the human race, and where biblical legend, agreeing with the conclusions -of science, has placed the primitive Garden of Eden. The road that we -travelled was a splendid one, macadamized nearly all the way, and built -in that solid and enduring form that men gave to their highways before -the railways came to compete with them. It was this road that Xenophon -travelled with his legions over two thousand years ago when they made -their famous return march to Greece. Readers of that dead-and-gone Greek -captain's diary will remember his explicit description of the journey, -and his continually recurring remark that they came after a stage of so -many "parasangs" to "a populous town, well watered, and situated on a -river." Since Xenophon's day most of those populous towns have -disappeared, and nothing is left but the beetling cliffs that frowned -down upon the homeward marching Greeks, and the sea that ripples as -fresh and blue to-day as when the hoplites and the bowmen saw it -gleaming at last before them and ran forward with the glad, exulting -cry, "Thalassa, Thalassa!" - -The road is still divided into posts or stages, and we travelled from -stage to stage with fresh post-horses. It was tiring work riding these -rough and badly broken brutes, and Dr. Woods, who was an indifferent -horseman, suffered very severely; but the excitement of the journey and -the wildness of the scenery kept us up. - -Our first day's journey was very picturesque, for the road wound along -the side of a deep ravine for many miles, and then curled along the -flanks of the hills that rose above us beautifully clad with hazel -trees. We passed through a part of the district of Lazistan, and were -much struck by the magnificent type of men that we saw there, tall, -straight, muscular fellows, lithe and hardy as the mountain ash. Perhaps -it is true that this country is the real cradle of the human race, and -that from there the tide of migration flowed westward over Europe, -sending one tributary stream down into Greece, and another down into -Italy, and passing onwards in ever increasing volume, until it spread -population, not only through Western Europe, but away, as industrious -archæologists have whispered, conning their strange finds among the -Incas of Peru and Mexico, to the great Western continent that lay beyond -the fabled inland of Atlantis. At any rate those who hold to this theory -might find support for it in the magnificent physique of the present -population of this primeval country. At times, when a sick man is sent -back to breathe the air of his native place after a lifetime spent in -some distant city, he gathers new health and strength in some mysterious -way. So tired humanity, sick and undersized in Western Europe, regains -its pristine vigour and development among the mountains and ravines -where it first saw the light. - -Not only were these men of Lazistan very fine fellows themselves, but we -saw that they possessed some magnificent dogs, powerfully built, shaggy -coated animals, with enormous muscular strength. These dogs were greatly -prized by their owners; and though I tried hard to secure one by -purchase, I failed. They are used to guard the flocks of their masters, -and many a fierce duel has been fought at night between a grey old wolf, -impelled by hunger to attack the sheep, and the grim custodian of the -flock. In the winter all the mountains in Lazistan are covered with snow -for months, and the white covering of those lonely grassy slopes is -often stained by the traces of these battles _à outrance_. - -After completing our first day's journey, we came in the evening to a -small village, where we put up at a filthy little khan, and made -ourselves as comfortable as we could. We had brought plenty of food with -us, and our principal discomfort was as usual occasioned by the fleas, -which were as pertinacious as those which Thackeray has depicted as -pulling the Kickleburys out of bed during their famous excursion up the -Rhine. - -On the second day we were able to push on a good deal faster as the road -was more level, and in the evening we came to the small township of -Ghumish Khané, which was chiefly known to fame owing to the existence of -some very old silver mines in the neighbourhood. To an Australian like -myself it did not look at all like a mining township. Where were the -familiar poppet heads, the heaps of mullock, and the diligently -fossicked alluvial? There was no roar of stampers, no monotonous gurgle -of pumps, and there was not one decent bush shanty in the place. We had -seen enough of the comforts of a khan on the previous night, so like -wise men we went straight to the _hammam_, or Turkish bath, with which -even the smallest Turkish township is always provided. Here we enjoyed -the refreshing luxury of being well steamed; and backsheesh, in the -shape of a few piastres to the man in charge, procured for us permission -to sleep on the divans provided for patrons of the establishment. We had -supper and spent the night in the hammam. - -Leaving Ghumish Khané next morning, we rode on through a narrow valley -between two ranges of hills covered with hazel trees and other light -scrub. In this valley, which was about seven miles long by half a mile -wide, we found magnificent groves of pear trees fringing the road on -either side. When we passed through in the middle of autumn, the fruit -was just ripe, and the great juicy pears almost knocked against our -faces as we rode on under the trees with the branches interlacing -overhead. We telegraphed to the kaimakan at Baiburt, our next -stopping-place, before leaving Ghumish Khané, in order that -accommodation might be prepared for us; and when we reached Baiburt in -the evening, we were agreeably surprised to find it an extremely -beautiful town. Baiburt, like all the towns in that country, is a place -of grey antiquity. It sleeps on in the present, dreaming of the past -and of all the wars that have raged about it since the first men of -Baiburt built themselves defences against the robbers of the hills -hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. It was taken by the Russians -in 1828, after the massacres in the Ægean Sea had roused England, -France, and Russia to take joint action against the Turks, and had -whetted the thirst for blood once more by precipitating Navarino. -Looking at the majestic ruins of this town of Baiburt and at the traces -of their presence, left there by the Russian cannoneers, one thought of -the causes that had brought about these ruins; one thought of the Greek -struggle for independence, and of the massacres at Chios and the -adjacent islands; one thought of Byron singing of "The Isles of Greece," -with his passionate appeal against "Turkish force and Latin fraud," and -of Béranger stirring all Europe with the lament of the heroic -Ipsariotes, "Les rois chrétiens ne nous vengeront pas." - -After leaving Baiburt we got among the mountains again, and rode along a -track hewn out of the side of the hills that almost overhung us, a road -that reminded one in places of the magnificent solitudes of the Julier -Pass in Switzerland, and at times brought back the softer beauties of -the track from Hobart to the Huon River in Tasmania. - -On either side of the road grew groves of giant rhododendrons, making -splashes of rich colour amid the green; and here and there the ruined -castles, built by Genoese merchant princes to protect their commerce -from the robbers of the hills, loomed in lonely state above us. Along -this road in the Middle Ages came the greater part of the trade from -Persia; and as the long caravan, laden with silks and spices, with -fabrics from the Persian looms and precious stones from the Persian -mines, made its way slowly towards the markets of Europe, it was no -wonder that the brigands descended from their native fastnesses and -risked a fight with the well armed escort that rode beside the -treasures. - -Inspired by a desire to get a nearer look at these romantic old ruins, I -climbed up to the ridge upon which one of these castles was poised like -an eagle's nest between earth and heaven; but I regretted my curiosity -very quickly, for it was only with the utmost difficulty and most -frantic clutching at convenient shrubs that I reached the road again -with a wild glissade in which everything was forgotten except the -instinctive desire to keep myself right side uppermost. - -Towards evening we passed through a gloomy gorge where the cliffs rose -perpendicularly on each side; and the air, never warmed by the sun's -rays, was bitterly cold. Soon after emerging from this we came to a -village whose name I have forgotten, and rode at once to the konak, or -townhall, where we had a rest and a meal. Here I learnt that Sir Arnold -Kemball was at Purnekapan, at the end of the next stage, and that he had -with him Lieutenant Dugald of the royal navy as an attaché. - -Having sent a telegram to Lieutenant Dugald notifying our approach, we -resumed our journey, travelling over a pass which rose to a height of -between six and seven thousand feet; and at the summit we halted for an -hour at a place called the Kopdagh, from which there was a superb view -over hills and valleys and distant mountain-peaks. Far away in front of -us was the silver line of a river, the very name of which sent a thrill -through our hearts. It was "that great river, the river Euphrates"; and -as we looked down over the plain we realized, almost with a gasp of -astonishment, that we were gazing at the legendary site of the Garden of -Eden. - -At Purnekapan I called on Sir Arnold Kemball, whom I had met previously -at Nish during the Servian war. Sir Arnold Kemball had stirring news for -us. He had just received a telegram from Erzeroum announcing that the -Russians had delivered a terrific assault, and that the town had fallen -into their hands. - -Next morning we pushed on as fast as we could, crossed the Euphrates at -midday, and at five o'clock in the afternoon we reached Erzeroum. As we -entered the town we naturally expected to find the Russians in -possession of the town; but we could see no trace of the well known -uniforms, and gradually it dawned upon us that Sir Arnold Kemball had -been misinformed when he told us that the long expected Russian assault -had already been delivered. - -We went straight to the British Consulate, and called upon Mr. Zohrab, -our consul, who gave us a most cordial reception, and informed us of the -position in the town, which was certainly serious. About a week before -our arrival a desperate attack had been made by the Russians, who had -taken one of the forts, and the Turks lost two thousand men in killed -and wounded. Consequently the hospital resources were taxed to the -utmost, although in addition to the Turkish medical staff there were -several English doctors in Erzeroum before we got there. Lord Blantyre -had sent up a number of English doctors at his own expense; but the -total strength of the medical staff had been depleted by various -accidents. Dr. Casson and Dr. Buckle, for instance, had been taken -prisoners, and were then in the hands of the Russians; Dr. Guppy had -died of typhoid fever about a week before we got there; and the -available surgeons were Charles Fetherstonhaugh, James Denniston, whom I -had known before in Edinburgh, and John Pinkerton. We took up our -quarters with these three, in the great bare house where they lived -without any furniture except a table and a couple of benches. There -were no beds, so we slept on the floor; and our by no means luxurious -meals were cooked for us by an Armenian named David whose son Siropé, -commonly called Jonathan, acted as waiter and general factotum. - -As soon as we were installed we had time to look round, and my first -impression of Erzeroum was a very favourable one. I found that we had -come to a very picturesque town, lying under the lee of a range of -mountains which rose to a height of six thousand feet, the town itself -being about four thousand feet above the sea level. A remarkable feature -about the place was the entire absence of timber, which I noticed at -once with the apprehension of an old campaigner who knew the value of a -supply of fuel and the horrible discomfort of being without it. I found -that the nearest timber was seventy miles away, where the great forest -of Soghanli Dagh was situated. There were very few trees in the town, -and the mountains were great masses of bare rock, without a trace of -vegetation to hide their cold nakedness. Under these circumstances the -inhabitants relied for fuel principally on dried camel's dung, which was -a most precarious source of supply. - -Erzeroum was surrounded by a great wall, strengthened by forts at -intervals, and also by a moat and drawbridge. It was a very important -town, because nearly all the trade from Teheran went through it; and it -had a population of forty thousand inhabitants, most of whom were -Armenians. The houses were strongly built of stone, with flat roofs, -which were used by the inmates as promenades during the warm evenings; -and the bright colours affected by the Turkish women in their dress lent -colour and animation to the scene. The town contained several handsome -Armenian churches, the inner walls of which were decorated with -beautiful blue tiles; and the konak, or townhall, was a very handsome -structure. The water supply was chiefly drawn from wells, and there was -besides a small stream that came down from the mountains, while the -Euphrates was only four miles away. - -Mr. Zohrab, who was to all intents and purposes an Englishman, and had -an English wife and two sons, introduced all of us newcomers to Mukhtar -Pasha, the commander-in-chief, who welcomed us most kindly, and thanked -us for coming. We found that Fetherstonhaugh, Denniston, and Pinkerton -were in charge of a large hospital, which was known as Lord Blantyre's -Hospital; and I arranged to take over from the Turks a large hospital -which had been organized in the Yeni Khan. Pinkerton agreed to come over -to me, as the other two could get through all the work at Lord -Blantyre's Hospital; so Pinkerton, Woods, and myself, with Harvey and -Captain Morisot as assistants, were installed in the Yeni Khan, and -took over all the staff of assistants, servants, and jarra bashis that -had been employed under the Turks. There were two of these jarra bashis; -and one of them, a Turkish sergeant, who had been trained as a dresser, -was one of the hardest and most conscientious workers as well as one of -the best fellows that I met in Turkey. I agreed to pay all those whom I -took over wages at the rate of half what they received from the Turkish -Government in addition to their ordinary pay; and as they could never -look forward with any degree of certainty to receiving their money from -the Turks, they had an additional incentive to faithful service, and I -was enabled to secure a direct control over them by holding the power of -the purse. I also took on a Hungarian surgeon, named Schmidt, to assist -us. He was given a room in the hospital, and was made the house surgeon; -so that in cases of hæmorrhage there was always a competent person ready -to arrest it until one of us could come up. - -We soon had everything ship-shape in the old khan, which was converted -into a well equipped hospital, containing at the outset three hundred -beds. It was very different from the awful building that I had left -behind in Plevna. The main ward of our Stafford House Hospital was a -hundred feet long, with a width of sixty-five feet and a height of -thirty feet. It was ventilated and lighted by means of large glass -skylights, and warmed by two large stoves. This ward contained -ninety-eight beds, and there was another large one containing sixty-two -beds, while smaller rooms, opening off these large ones, provided -accommodation for six or eight patients each, the total number of -patients when I took over control being three hundred. We had an -operating-room, a storeroom, and all the necessary offices. In the main -wards the scene was almost picturesque, if any hospital ever could be -picturesque; for the place was scrupulously clean, and the beds were -dressed with Persian quilts, bright with the most gorgeous colours. As -the midday sunbeams poured in through the skylights overhead, they lit -up the scarlets and the greens, the cobalt blues and lemon yellows, the -deep crimson of the rose, the pink of the geranium, and the purple of -the violet, until the whole place looked like an immense garden full of -flowers. But against this background of brilliant colours the white, -drawn faces of the wounded soldiers stood out in pitiful contrast, and -the gay hues only threw into still stronger relief the ghastly -sufferings. - -At first we had no cases of sickness, and none but wounded men to treat. -Our death-rate was low--in the first week we only had six deaths out of -three hundred patients, and we sent thirty men out cured to rejoin their -regiments. After the hideous experiences in Plevna, this state of things -was a blessed relief, and we became quite light-hearted. But before I -left Erzeroum I had seen sufferings and horrors before which the -sufferings and horrors of the Plevna hospital paled into insignificance. - -The first sign of coming trouble was the discovery one morning of a case -of genuine typhus and several cases of typhoid. These we sent away at -once to the medical central hospital, as we took over our hospital with -the stipulation that we were to treat only wounded cases. But that -solitary case of typhus worried me a good deal, and it seemed to presage -with dreadful certainty the mischief that was to come. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. -A BELEAGUERED CITY. - - The Scourge of Typhus--Pyæmia and Pneumonia--Terrible - Cold--Outposts frozen to Death--Fall of Kars--The March of the - Wounded--One Hundred and Eighty Miles over the Snow--Ghastly - Effects of Frostbite--The Skeleton Hands--Overcrowding in the - Hospitals--Dr. Fetherstonhaugh falls Ill--A Strange - Delusion--"After Long Years"--Edmund O'Donovan--A Circassian - Dinner Party--Sucking-pig _à l'Irlandaise_--A Novel - Target--Departure of Mr. Zohrab--We move into the - Consulate--Exodus to Erzinghan--An Awful Sacrifice--Christmas in - a Besieged Town--A Remarkable Plum Pudding--Illness of - Pinkerton--Funerals in Erzeroum--Casting out the Dead--"The Lean - Dogs beneath the Wall"--An Army Surgeon's Death--I fall Sick - with Typhus--Heroic Devotion of James Denniston--Some of my - Nurses--How I recovered--A Scientific Experiment--The Brain of a - Comatose Person--Vachin's Discomfiture. - - -As we went round the hospital wards, now that fever had made its -appearance, needless to say that we examined each patient anxiously, and -every day we found three or four more cases of typhus among the wounded -men. These we weeded out, and placed in a room specially prepared to -receive them, for on account of the severity of their wounds we could -not send them away to the central hospital. - -Early in December the weather got very bad. There was a heavy fall of -snow, and the hospitals were filled with sick, until altogether there -were about four thousand sick and wounded in the town. Captain Morisot -and Mr. Harvey were most valuable assistants; but in the first week of -December Mr. Harvey, who was wanted at Constantinople, had to leave, -much to our regret. Williams, our dragoman, who had been delayed on the -road by the bad weather, came up with the stores, and took his place, -turning out a very useful assistant. - -Pyæmia began to make great ravages, and the intense cold increased the -sufferings of the wounded. I amputated a man's arm at the shoulder -joint, and hoped to pull him through; but the weather beat me, for he -took pleurisy, and went off in a day. - -Pinkerton, Woods, and myself lived in the great, bare Armenian house -with Fetherstonhaugh and Denniston. Every morning we went off to our -respective hospitals, returned home to lunch, and then went back in the -afternoon to work again. Wood for fuel cost us twopence per pound, and -rations were poor and scarce; but we pegged away doggedly, and Mr. -Zohrab was very good to us. He had a splendid house amply provisioned -for the winter, and he was most hospitable in his invitations to dinner; -while his wife, who was a charming Englishwoman, was always cheering us -up, and his two sons often gave us a hand at the hospital. - -An ominous silence was maintained by our Russian besiegers, and we found -that they had withdrawn the greater number of the troops from Erzeroum -in order to carry out the assault on Kars. Typhus, pyæmia, pneumonia, -and the bitter, deadening cold were working for the Russians, and slew -as many of the defenders of Erzeroum daily as would have fallen under -the heaviest shell fire. Woods became ill; and as there was evidently -heavy work before us, I sent him down to Constantinople, thus reducing -the strength of our little medical garrison by one. - -Snow began to fall heavily, and soon the streets were covered to a depth -of several feet. At night the thermometer dropped to forty degrees below -freezing-point, and the soldiers in the open suffered severely. Every -morning five or six men were found frozen to death on outpost duty, -lying in the snow with their eyes closed and their rifles clasped in -their arms. - -Meanwhile General Melikoff was making preparations for his great attack -on Kars, and at last the long expected assault was delivered, and the -Russians with their strange, untranslatable cry of "Nichivo," which is -the ultimate expression of a reckless bravery that refuses to count any -cost, swept in upon the Turkish batteries, and took the town. - -Melikoff could not accommodate his numerous wounded prisoners with -quarters, so he conceived the brilliant idea of sending them on to us; -and, presenting each man who could walk with a blanket and a few -piastres, he despatched the men on their journey from Kars to Erzeroum. -What a march was that! The snow lay thickly on the frozen ground, and -for league after league the legion of the wounded dragged themselves -along, staining the snow with their blood as they "blazed" their pathway -from Kars to Erzeroum. Hundreds dropped dead on that terrible march, and -Mukhtar Pasha told me that out of two thousand men who left Kars only -three hundred and seventeen reached Erzeroum. About fifty of the -survivors came to our hospital, and one of them told me that he left -with a party of thirty, only ten of whom came through alive, and of -these ten no fewer than seven lost all their toes from frostbite. - -Some typical cases of frostbite were grotesque in their ghastliness. -Fancy the experience of two men who came to us for treatment after -dragging their wounded bodies over the hundred and eighty miles of snow -that separated Kars from Erzeroum. Their hands had been frost-bitten -early in the march, and for the last week nothing was left but the -skeleton of each hand from the wrist to the finger-tips. Every particle -of flesh had rotted off, and the bones were black with decomposition. -They came to me holding out their blackened skeleton hands feebly and -pitifully before them, and I lopped off the maimed remnants at the -wrists. Both these men died from the effects of that terrible march, -which not even the lurid imagination of a Dante could easily rival. - -We in our turn had to send out some of our lightly wounded men to -relieve the congested hospitals and to diminish the chances of an -epidemic. On Christmas Day we sent away sixty-six, most of whom were -wounded in the hands or arms, and they started to march to Baiburt. We -were able to give them warm jerseys, under-clothing, long stockings, and -woollen comforters, thanks to the generosity of Lord Blantyre; and three -days later we sent out another thirty, each of whom got ten piastres -from Lord Blantyre's fund in addition to the clothes. All of the men -reached Baiburt safely. - -The hospitals were soon so crowded that typhus and typhoid fever raged -with added violence, and hospital gangrene, that I had seen before in -Plevna, once more made its dreaded appearance. We had eight cases in our -hospital, and lost three of them. Pyæmia and frostbite were the other -chief causes of mortality. - -Pinkerton and I, with Morisot and Williams to help us, managed our three -hundred beds fairly well; but it was a great blow to us when Williams -took the fever, and was added to the sick list. When Pinkerton and -myself met Fetherstonhaugh and Denniston in the evenings at dinner, we -used to look at each other curiously, wondering which would be the -first. It was Fetherstonhaugh. He was attacked by a kind of remittent -fever, but tried to shake it off and went about his work as usual. One -night, when the rest of us were at dinner, Fetherstonhaugh came into the -dining-room, and remarked that there were three men with their throats -cut in his room. We rushed in, but found nothing, and came to the -conclusion that it was time Fetherstonhaugh left off work, so we sent -him down to Trebizond. - -That was the last that I saw of him for a long, long time; but the -curious agency that for want of a better name we call coincidence -brought us together again after many years in a strange way. It happened -in Melbourne, when I had settled down to steady work at my practice, and -had almost forgotten the stirring days in Asia Minor, except for a few -rare glimpses when memory lifted the veil. I was engaged one day at the -Supreme Court as a professional witness in some case; and when I stepped -out of the box, it occurred to me that I knew the face of a man who was -sitting below me in the body of the court. - -"Hullo, Ryan, how are you?" he said. - -I looked again, and recognized Denniston, who told me that he had come -out from England on a trip, and had just strolled into the court out of -idle curiosity. As he was talking to me, I looked through the door -leading into the passage, and saw another face that I recognized. - -"I wonder what has become of Charlie Fetherstonhaugh?" said Denniston. - -"Look behind you. There he is," I replied, as Charlie Fetherstonhaugh -himself came up, sound and hearty, having left the three men with their -throats cut behind him in the hospital at Erzeroum. He too had dropped -from the clouds, and strolled into the court by mere chance. So we had -dinner together that evening, and great was the jollification thereat. - -At our Stafford House Hospital in Erzeroum we had a continual stream of -fresh cases, for the cavalry were continually making dashes against the -Russians, and small affairs between outposts came off nearly every day; -so that as fast as one lot of patients died or were discharged cured, a -second lot were brought in. Cases of frostbite became very numerous, and -many a time I had to lop off a man's feet or hands the flesh of which -was simply rotting on the bones. Rations too were getting scarce, and as -there was not enough food for every one the prisoners in the gaol were -the first to suffer. The interior of that Erzeroum gaol was a sight not -soon to be forgotten. Crowded together in a state of indescribable -filth, the prisoners fought with the ferocity of wild beasts for the few -handfuls of raw grain that the guard threw to them occasionally. Still, -we continued to get beef tea and mutton broth for our wounded, and I -made a point of going round the wards and administering it myself to -those who needed it. - -It was in connection with a matter of rations that I remember Edmund -O'Donovan especially. O'Donovan was one of the wildest, most brilliant, -and original geniuses who ever left Ireland to follow up the avocation -of a war correspondent. He came to dinner with us one night, and his wit -and versatility made a great impression upon me. The next time that I -saw him was in response to an urgent request that I should call upon him -and get him out of a scrape. His adventure was so thoroughly -characteristic that I may be excused for narrating it. - -O'Donovan, it seemed, with the warm-hearted generosity of his race, had -invited half a dozen Circassian officers to dine with him, and had -prepared an appetizing banquet for them. Among the dishes was an entrée -so savoury, so succulent, so entirely satisfying to the palate of an -epicure, that the Circassians, like the simple children of nature that -they were, sent back their plates again and again for more. There was -something new and strange yet delightful withal about that entrée. The -meat was white and delicate and tender, the gravy was of a luscious -brown, and in a fit of absence of mind the Circassian officers loaded up -the whole cargo, while they laughed politely at O'Donovan's best Dublin -stories, which were chiefly remarkable for having points where one never -expected them. - -Then O'Donovan expressed a hope that they had enjoyed the dinner, and -the Circassians were most effusive in their thanks. Really they had -never eaten anything like that entrée before, and would their host mind -telling them the recipe? - -"Begorra, I can tell ye that aisy enough," spluttered O'Donovan, with a -mighty laugh. "Ye've been atin' the natest slip of a pig I've ever seen -out of Connaught, and beautifully cooked he was too." Then he explained -to them in Turkish more clearly, and these good Mussulmen burst into -eruption. What a shindy there was at that dinner-table! The Circassians -could not have been quicker if they had been at Donnybrook Fair, and -they rushed at their host with the first weapons that came handy. -O'Donovan did very well with the bottles for a minute or two, and -afterwards with the leg of a chair; but they were too many for him, and -when the table was upset and the lamps put out there was a fairly lively -five minutes round the wreck of the dinner-table and of the empty dish -that had once contained a sucking-pig _à l'Irlandaise_. The Moslem -Circassians, full to repletion with the flesh of the accursed creature, -fought under a disadvantage; and when O'Donovan's servants rushed in and -took their master's part, the issue was no longer in doubt. Although the -revolvers were going freely, only one man was hurt, and it appeared that -O'Donovan had shot him in the arm. The affair created a great deal of -excitement at the time, and the Circassians vowed vengeance for the -insult; but we managed to pacify them eventually, and there were so many -other things requiring attention that the trouble soon blew over. - -This was not the only occasion that O'Donovan got into a scrape, for not -long afterwards, while promenading on the roof of his house, the idea -occurred to him that a little revolver practice might improve his aim. -Drawing his six-shooter, he proceeded to blaze away at a dog that was -gnawing a bone in the middle of the street; but like another famous -character in fiction, he "missed the blue-bottle and floored the Mogul." -In other words, a bullet which went wide of the dog found its billet in -a fleshy part of the body of a very stout Turkish woman, who on -receiving this flank attack fled in great disorder screaming loudly. - -O'Donovan sent for me to help him out of this difficulty too, and we had -to give the woman £10 to square her. The erratic marksman was then the -war correspondent of the _Daily News_; but I never saw an account of -this incident in his graphic descriptive sketches. He left Erzeroum in -December, and afterwards, when the army of Hicks Pasha was cut to pieces -in Egypt, O'Donovan met a soldier's death. - -At this time we lost the services of Mr. Zohrab, the consul; for after -the fall of Kars, Lord Derby, desiring to avoid any complications in the -event of the Russians occupying Erzeroum, instructed the British consul -to retire at once to Constantinople. Mr. Zohrab and his wife and sons -accordingly left the town, much to our regret, for they had been very -helpful to us. When he went, however, he handed over to us his house, -which was fully provisioned, amply supplied with fuel, and provided with -a well stocked cellar. We took possession at once, and after the poor -kind of way in which we had been living our new quarters were most -luxurious. - -Although we personally were much better off than before, yet the -condition of the bulk of the people in the town was getting steadily -worse every day. Stores of every kind were getting scarce, and Kurd -Ismael Pasha, who replaced Mukhtar Pasha as commander-in-chief when that -officer was ordered to Constantinople, had a difficult task in -administration. Towards the end of December it became necessary to -relieve the town of a portion of the population, and an expedition -consisting of four hundred men and two hundred women and children was -ordered to start for Erzinghan, a town which was supposed to be five -days' journey distant from Erzeroum. - -This march rivalled in its horrors the march of the wounded men from -Kars; for before the expedition had gone a day's journey from Erzeroum a -fearful snowstorm swept down upon the hapless creatures, and when the -miserable remnant had dragged themselves back to their starting-point it -was found that of the two hundred women and children not a single soul -remained. All died where they fell, including the wife of the colonel -commanding the expedition, and were buried under the drifting heaps of -snow that the wind piled high over the uncoffined remains. Of the -soldiers who got back to Erzeroum the greater number perished from -frostbite, dysentery, and exposure. It was an awful holocaust. - -In spite of fever and dysentery, gunshot wounds in horrible variety and -septic disease in every hospital, so strangely is the Anglo-Saxon mind -constituted that we decided to "enjoy ourselves" at Christmas, although -the Russians were practically knocking at our gates. My previous -Christmas dinner consisted of a handful of maize cobs eaten in solitude -on the ice-bound road to Orkhanieh. During the intervening year I had -lived and worked and suffered much--and almost to my own astonishment I -was still alive. So here at Erzeroum I proposed to have a Christmas -festivity, and Pinkerton, Denniston, and Woods eagerly accepted the -suggestion. We decided to invite all the European doctors in the town, -and to give them a real English Christmas dinner, for which great -preparations had to be made. - -When we took over Mr. Zohrab's house, we also assumed a right title and -interest in the services of two sturdy henchmen. One was old Tom -Rennison, who had been dragoman for General Williams during the siege of -Erzeroum thirty years before, and the other was an Armenian named -Vachin. Tom Rennison, veteran campaigner as he was, had never seen -mince-pies made, so to speak, under fire; and Vachin knew more about the -preparation of pilaf than plum pudding. Consequently not only the -arrangement of the _menu_, but the actual work of cooking it, devolved -upon the medical staff; and I am sorry to say that, though by this time -there were few things in surgery which we would not attempt, from -disarticulation of a thumb to amputation of a thigh, nevertheless in the -science of cooking we were painfully unlearned. Lister was an open book -to us; but the dark sayings of Brillat-Savarin were as obscure as the -Rig-Vedas. - -Pinkerton, Woods, and myself held a consultation over the plum pudding, -which was intended to beget envy and jealousy in the hearts of the -Austrian and Hungarian doctors, and to be a dazzling example of the -superiority of Anglo-Saxon cooking over the unsubstantial kickshaws of -continental cuisines. I noticed that Vachin, who was always an ill -disposed fellow, looked undisguisedly contemptuous of our preparations, -and that old Tom Rennison was obviously fluctuating between the extremes -of hope and fear. It is not easy to recollect exactly what was in that -pudding. Denniston had heard that suet was an ingredient of supreme -importance, so the yellow fat was cut from the joint of beef which had -been moving about the yard only two days before as the sirloin of Mr. -Zohrab's best heifer. We found plenty of currants and raisins among the -stores; but there was no candied peel, and the spices which had been -imported from Teheran somehow smelt quite unlike the unconvincing -substance that we remembered to have seen in our youth at the suburban -grocer's. We had plenty of flour of course, and we mixed our -_chef-d'oeuvre_ in a big brown pot. It was a viscous, oedematous mass, of -the consistency of soft indiarubber, when we had done mixing it, and it -resembled nothing so much as a bucketful of Zante currants which had -fallen by accident into a glue-pot. The other fellows made some very -discouraging remarks; but I tied up the ghastly mixture in half a clean -sheet, and sat up all night on Christmas Eve boiling it in the iron pot. - -On Christmas night we had a grand banquet, and about twenty other -European doctors came in answer to our invitations to receive our -hospitality. We explained to them at some length that we were going to -give them a real English dinner, which was a treat that they had -probably never enjoyed before, and very likely might never enjoy again. - -Certainly the beef was a little tough, as the hapless heifer had only -been sacrificed on the previous day, and then there was no horse-radish -and very little gravy; but the geese were first-rate. Like everything -else in Asia Minor, they were evidently of great antiquity. Probably -they had seen the former siege of Erzeroum; but age, which weakens most -other things, had strengthened their limbs and steeled their muscles, -until to disintegrate the closely knitted tissues was a veritable feat -of strength, and one swallowed a mouthful with the comfortable glow of -satisfaction that follows the surmounting of a desperate difficulty. Of -the mince-pies I cannot speak with certainty, for Woods had taken -complete control over the manufacture of these delicious delicacies, -and, much as I respected my colleague, I was suspicious of his -ingredients. I can testify, however, from the simple experience of -lifting one up from the dish that the mince-pies were solid and weighty -additions to the _menu_. I waited with some anxiety for the pudding, and -the happiness that the artist feels in a work completed came over me as -I saw old Tom Rennison bearing in the dish containing the pudding, -surrounded by leaping tongues of blue flame from the burning brandy. Up -to this period the Hungarian doctors had been politely complimentary, -and had accepted slabs of heifer's flesh as hard as boot leather and -chunks of goose that would have made excellent ammunition for siege -artillery as typical dishes of a correct English dinner. By dint of -washing the food down with plenty of wine and many tumblers of -brandy-and-water, they struggled along gamely through the first courses; -but when they received their portions of the plum pudding they -distinctly jibbed. With the flames playing round its charred, excoriated -surface, it certainly had a diabolical look, and it held together with a -glutinous consistency that for an appreciable number of seconds defied -the attack even of a carving-knife. The Hungarian doctors viewed their -plates with an alarmed suspicion that was too genuine to be concealed, -and I must confess that when I got a spoonful of my masterpiece into my -mouth the taste did not compensate in the least for the difficulty of -detaching the fragment from the surrounding bed-rock. That was the first -and last time that I cooked a plum pudding. - -In spite of these little drawbacks, however, we all thoroughly enjoyed -our Christmas dinner, and we made a fair hole in Mr. Zohrab's cellar, -which was well stocked with wines and spirits and also with beer and -porter. The dawn was coming up over the snow on the distant hills when -we separated, laughing, singing, and wishing each other a Merry -Christmas and a Happy New Year. - -Within a fortnight nearly every one of us was down with typhus, and -within a month more than half of our number were dead. - -The first of the English doctors to catch the fever was poor Pinkerton. -He was always terribly frightened of it, and used to carry quantities of -camphor about in his pockets as a disinfectant; but with the epidemic -raging as it was, any attempt at personal disinfection for a medical man -attending the cases was practically hopeless. Pinkerton was always -talking about his dread of getting typhus, and saying that if he caught -it he would never get over it. This made Denniston and myself very -anxious about him; for though he was a splendidly built, handsome -fellow, with an excellent constitution, his apprehensions laid him open -to attack more readily, and would certainly decrease his chance of -recovery if the fever got its clutch upon him. Wrought up to a state of -high nervous tension by continually moving among the sick and the dying, -it was not to be wondered at that we attached significance to the -veriest trifles, and both Denniston and myself recollected with dismay -that every one of our patients who had had a presentiment of death up to -that time had died. - -On the last day of the old year Pinkerton became ill, and we put him to -bed. He was very despondent, and I could see at once that he had an -attack of the most malignant typhus. He was a very bad patient, and -would take neither his medicine nor his nourishment without a great deal -of trouble. Our number was now reduced to two, and Denniston and myself -looked at each other every morning with questioning gaze. Fortunately -Denniston had had malignant typhus in his student days at Glasgow, and -was not likely to take it again, while I felt that if I could only pull -through we might still be able to keep on the two hospitals. After three -or four days Pinkerton fell into a semi-comatose condition, from which -he never emerged, but lay in bed moaning feebly, and talking -incoherently at intervals of fighting and of operations and of places -and people whose names were unfamiliar to me. - -How clearly those dreadful days come back! We had the ever present, -bitter, numbing cold, and the ceaseless work in the hospital as one -passed from bed to bed, from the moaning wounded to the poor wretches -who were being consumed by the fires of fever, and thence to the ghastly -mutilated creatures who had lost hands, feet, ears, and even noses by -frostbite. Then there was in addition the anxiety about Pinkerton, and -the fear that one or both of us two survivors would succumb to the -strain, and thus leave the bulk of the sick and wounded without medical -succour. In addition to it all was the nervous strain of waiting for the -expected Russian attack, which would have been gladly welcomed as a -relief from the intolerable tension. - -During these early days of January, 1878, the mortality in Erzeroum was -something appalling. Out of a total number of about seventeen thousand -troops in the town, there were on one day no fewer than three hundred -and two deaths, and the daily death-rate frequently rose to two hundred! -The weak, emaciated survivors had hardly strength left to dig graves for -their dead comrades in the hard and frozen ground. At last they gave up -even the pretence of digging, and the bodies were simply carted out -about a mile from the main thoroughfares of the town, and left in the -snow just inside the city walls. - -[Illustration: -Sketch Map of Country -between -Trebizond and Erzerum. -_To face p. 348._ -Walker & Bouthall sc.] - -Of course all conveyances were placed on runners while the snow was on -the ground, and the little sleighs which served as dead-carts passed our -house every morning at about ten o'clock with their mournful loads -collected from the various hospitals. The bodies of the dead soldiers -were stripped of their clothing and wrapped in clean white sheets -according to the Moslem custom. Each little sleigh contained ten or -twelve bodies, and as I looked out in the morning I could see the burial -parties going out on duty. The white-sheeted corpses were packed closely -together; and as the sleighs had no tailboards and were very small, the -naked feet of the corpses projected out at the back in a horribly -grotesque fashion. As the little vehicles, which were dragged by the -fatigue squads, glided in ghostly silence over the frozen snow a long -howl in the distance broke the stillness. This was taken up by another, -and another, and another, until the voices of fully fifteen hundred -famished dogs came through the crisp, clear wintry air with terrible -significance, chilling the marrow of the listener as he watched the long -procession of helpless, white-sheeted corpses moving slowly over the -white-sheeted ground. A Parsee's obsequies, when the filthy vultures -flap their wings and gather to the feast, must be an eerie sight; a -Gussein's funeral in the Ganges, where the great flat-nosed alligators -swarm expectantly, must stir even the sluggish imagination of the -impassive Hindoo. But surely no man ever had more dreadful burial rites -than were celebrated daily over hundreds of the dead inside the walls of -Erzeroum, where the famished dogs disputed the possession of the poor -mutilated remnants with sickening ferocity, and where the only prayers -over the bodies of the dead were the muttered growls of the worrying -pack. There is a short passage in "The Siege of Corinth" which exactly -describes the grisly scene. Lord Byron wrote of Alp the renegade as he -paced under the walls of Corinth these lines: - - And he saw the lean dogs beneath the wall - Hold o'er the dead their carnival, - Gorging and growling o'er carcase and limb. - They were too busy to bark at him. - From a Tartar's skull they had stripped the flesh - As ye peel the fig when its fruit is fresh, - And their white tusks crunched o'er the whiter skull - As it slipped through their jaws when their edge grew dull, - As they lazily mumbled the bones of the dead - When they scarce could rise from the spot where they fed. - -In this passage the poet has described with more detail than one cares -to give in a plain narrative the scene which was enacted every morning -in the early part of that month of January within the walls of Erzeroum. - -It was about January 8 that I took the fever, which was by this time -ravaging both the civil and military population. At first I tried to -shake it off, and continued to walk about with aching head and quaking -limbs in the hope that it might not have got a fair hold of me. On the -second day I became quite stupid, though I still refused to go to bed, -and on the evening of that day Pinkerton died. - -Next morning we buried him. Wood was so difficult to get, that we were -put to great straits to make a coffin for him; but at last we contrived -one out of an old packing-case. Pinkerton was a very tall man, and the -flimsy coffin was hardly big enough for the body. There was scarcely -enough wood to make the lid fit properly. When we were making the -preparations for the burial, I was myself nearly delirious with typhus, -and almost the last thing that I can remember before going off -altogether was the sight of the miserable coffin with a gaping crevice -in the top, through which the end of poor Pinkerton's silky fair beard -was protruding. Denniston notified Hakki Bey, the civil governor, of our -loss; and an escort of soldiers came down and buried our comrade by the -side of Dr. Guppy, who had died on duty in the same place before we -arrived there. The burial service was read by the Rev. Mr. Cole, an -American missionary, who was in Erzeroum, accompanied by his wife and -family and by a young American lady, also engaged in missionary work -among the Armenians. Then the soldiers fired a volley over the grave, -and the career of the fine young army surgeon was closed. - -When I was put to bed, the whole strength of the medical and assisting -staff of the two English hospitals, Lord Blantyre's Hospital and that of -the Stafford House Committee, was reduced to one man, namely, Dr. -Denniston. Guppy and Pinkerton were dead, and Williams, Morisot, and -myself were down with typhus. Under these circumstances, Denniston was -left with the two hospitals full of patients to look after as well as -us three at home, and he rose to the occasion most heroically. - -Of course at that time I was unconscious of everything, but I found out -afterwards what happened. Denniston handed the English hospital back to -the Turkish administration which had managed it before our arrival, and -he secured an assistant from the French consul to help him with the -other one and with us. He told me afterwards that I made a very good -patient, but I doubt it. I can just remember him coming in to see me one -day and giving me a pill, which, though I was almost delirious, I made a -great pretence of swallowing, but really kept it under my tongue and -spat it out as soon as he had left the room! - -The American missionary, Mr. Cole, used to come and sit with me -sometimes. I had known him before I was ill, and admired his character -greatly. He seemed to me to be a very fine type of man and a true -Christian. In Erzeroum at that time the healing of souls was attended -with as much danger as the healing of bodies, and there were martyrs in -both causes. Mr. Cole lost one of his children from typhus, and the -bright, winning, and enthusiastic young American lady who was working as -a missionary in conjunction with him and Mrs. Cole also laid down her -life in the noble service in which she had engaged. - -During the day, while Denniston was away at the hospital fighting a -desperate single-handed battle against wounds and disease of every kind, -we patients at home had many kindly visitors. Morisot and Williams got -over the worst of the illness sooner than I did; but for some time we -all required watching. - -I am sorry to say that during my illness I grievously erred against good -taste, and quite forgot the esteem and regard which I venture to believe -I had always hitherto shown towards ladies. The fact of the matter was -that I had seen so few ladies in the past eighteen months that the sight -of them irritated and annoyed my disordered brain exceedingly. So it -came about that, when two sweet-faced French nuns, who had heard from -Dr. Denniston of his desperate need for nurses, called in and visited -me, I viewed their presence with the profoundest suspicion and distrust. -I had been working for so long among great, strong, hairy-faced Turks -that my delirious imagination failed to recognize these two young nuns, -with their rustling skirts and their soft white hands, as fellow -creatures at all, and I expressed such terror and alarm at their -appearance that the poor things were obliged to fly. In the _Ingoldsby -Legends_ there is a picture of François Xavier Auguste, the gay -_mousquetaire_, sitting up in bed in an attitude of horror, while on -chairs at each side of his pillow sit duplicate images of Sister -Thérèse. I must have looked very much like that when the well meaning -nuns came in to sit by me, and found my language and demeanour so -terrifying that they had to decamp at once, leaving me to the less -exciting ministrations of a dear old Capuchin monk called Father -Basilio, who was sent to take their place. He used to sit up with me in -the long night watches and humour all my fancies, kindly old soul that -he was; but I think he never expected that I would pull through. - -Though young in years, I was a veteran as far as horrors were concerned, -and I can truthfully say that I was absolutely without fear of death. -Possibly it was this that saved me, for I remember telling Denniston at -the worst period of my illness that he need have no fear on my account, -for I had not the slightest intention of "pegging out." - -I was very bad for about twelve days, and the events of that time of -illness impressed themselves on my brain in the vaguest and most -indistinct manner. Still, it is interesting from the scientific point of -view to note that impressions can be made even upon a semi-comatose -brain which are sufficiently strong to be of subsequent use. The -negatives on the convolutions of the brain were not very sharply -outlined; but the will, like a skilful photographer, could retouch them -afterwards until they made a perfect picture. This scientific fact I -was able to demonstrate myself, to the great confusion of our Armenian -dragoman Vachin. - -It happened this way. When I recovered from the fever, I was helping -Denniston to make an inventory of poor Pinkerton's personal effects, so -that we could send them to his relatives, when we made the unpleasant -discovery that a sum of £20 which he had in his possession was missing. -Pinkerton used to carry the money in Turkish liras in the pocket of his -trousers; and as I had been shifted into his room after his death -because it was larger and airier than my own, his trousers were hanging -on a nail on the wall right opposite my bed. We examined the pockets, -but they were empty. - -Then I began to think back and to think hard. Gradually there appeared -before the eye of my mind the picture of a shadowy, misty, unsubstantial -figure, that wobbled grievously from side to side as it walked, and -seemed to turn round and round with the room, the bed, the chair, and -the window, which all swung and oscillated like the engines of the -little Messageries steamer that brought us up to Trebizond. What on -earth was the captain of the Messageries steamer going to do! and how -the little tub was rolling, to be sure! Was it the captain, though, or -some one else? I fastened all the will power of my brain, healthy once -more, upon the misty shadow cast upon its disordered surface during -illness. I saw the scene again, more distinctly now, and noted that the -wobbling figure approached the wall exactly at the spot where the -trousers hung on the nail opposite my bed. The engines seemed to be -slowing down, little by little the room ceased to revolve, and at last -the figure turned round towards my bed, and I saw the face. It was not -the captain of the steamer, but it was Vachin, our dragoman, and he was -deliberately counting out money from poor Pinkerton's trousers pocket. - -All this came back to me with greater clearness the longer I thought -over it; and at last I felt morally certain that Vachin was the thief, -and that he had cynically taken the money before my eyes, knowing that I -was delirious, and confident that I would never recover to bear witness -against him. - -We taxed the Armenian with the theft; and when I told him that it was no -use denying it, for I had seen him take the money, he confessed his -guilt. A short consultation between Denniston and myself was followed by -the despatch of a note to Hakki Bey, the civil governor; and as a -punishment for misdeeds in the past and an incentive to virtue in the -future, Vachin was consigned to the Erzeroum general prison pending the -pleasure of the governor. We got back the £20 from him before he went, -and for three weeks we left him in a place, from which the Black Hole of -Calcutta would have been a pleasant change, to meditate upon the -instability of human happiness. We sent him some blankets and also food -at intervals, besides going up occasionally to see how he was getting on -and whether he was truly repentant. The condition of the unfortunate -wretch, however, was so deplorable, and the interior of that prison, -with its gangs of half-frozen, half-starved prisoners fighting fiercely -among themselves for the scanty dole of raw grain and old rags that were -thrown among them by the gaolers, was so distressing, that we relented, -and procured a release for our thievish dragoman from Hakki Bey. On the -night that he was discharged from prison he deserted to the Russians, -and we never saw him again. And so farewell to Vachin. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. -THE SURRENDER OF ERZEROUM. - - Convalescence--_Membra Disjecta_--Mortality among the Medical - Staff--"En haut Mystère, en bas Misère"--Arrival of Dr. Stoker - and Dr. Stiven--A Desperate Journey--In the Hands of the - Russians--Free under the English Flag--I resume Duty--An - Archæological Curio--Antiques for Sale--An Armistice - declared--Appearance of the Russians--The Gates thrown - Open--Entry of the Russian Army--Our Russian _Confrères_--The - Advantage of knowing French--A Friend in need--Captain - Pizareff--An Impressive Review--Under the Russian Eagles--War or - Peace?--Interview with General Melikoff--An Unpleasant Type of - Consul--Charming Russian Visitors--I receive a - Decoration--Celebrating the Occasion--Our Russian Guests--A - Series of Dinner Parties--Duties of a Cossack Escort--A Perilous - Adventure--The Hero of Devoi Boyun--We leave the - Consulate--Fate's Irony at the Last--Death of General Heymann. - - -When I rose from my sick-bed I was very thin and weak; but under -Denniston's care I soon picked up my strength, and at last he allowed me -to go out for a walk. It was the first week in February, and the snow -was beginning to melt on the low ground; although beyond the valley in -which Erzeroum stood it still lay thick upon the hills, and Kopdagh in -the distance rose to a crystal spear-point of dazzling whiteness -outlined sharply against the sky. - -Contrasted with the serene purity of the mountain heights, the squalid -horrors of Erzeroum in the valley struck home to the imagination with -redoubled force. Here and there, as I paced through the streets with the -unsteady gait and the frequent pauses of a man scarcely yet recovered -from fever, I could see in the dirty, brownish, melting slush grim -evidences of disease and death. The hordes of dogs which infested the -town had dragged the bones of the dead men who had been abandoned to -them into the very streets; and as the snow which hid the poor remains -for a time began to melt, the bones reappeared in ghastly fashion. Close -to the doorstep of our own quarters I saw a skull picked as clean as a -piece of ivory; and before I had gone a hundred yards another pitiable -sight met my eyes. It was the bone of a man's arm, from which the hand -was missing, and the cleanness of the cut showed that it had been -amputated during life. Probably it had been a case of frostbite. On -every side, as I walked on feebly and slowly, I saw these human remains -peeping shamefacedly from the snow that would no longer cover them; and -a few inquiries showed me that while I was raving with the fever and -unconscious of all around me, terrible things had been happening in -Erzeroum. The place had become a veritable pesthouse; and while the -civil and military population had alike fallen under the scourge of -typhus, by far the heaviest losses had occurred in the ranks of the -medical staff. No fewer than twenty-seven doctors had been attacked by -the disease; and the malignant form in which it appeared may be gauged -from the fact that of these twenty-seven more than half had succumbed. -Of the survivors I was one. I knew then--and have remembered it ever -since--that I owed my life to the skill and care of that devoted surgeon -James Denniston. - -Looking round the fever-stricken town, I saw on every hand dead men -lying in the snow, and living men, worn to shadows like myself, crawling -feebly about the streets; while outside the gates the Russians were -waiting grimly until the thaw should enable them to bring up their -artillery and complete the work that sickness had begun. Then lifting my -eyes to the mountains, I saw them rearing their unapproachable pinnacles -to the sky, far above human suffering and weakness. The shadows of the -clouds moved across the face of one great snow-field to the southward, -but the ice-peak that pierced the blue above was iridescent in the -sunlight. It seemed like an illustration of the words of that French -poet who wrote: - - En haut la cime, - En bas l'abîme. - . . . - En haut mystère, - En bas misère. - -As I drew near our quarters again after my short walk, I saw a small -crowd gathered near the door; and next minute I was shaking hands, with -a heart too full for words, with my old friends Dr. Stoker and Dr. -Stiven, who had come up from Constantinople on a mission of relief. - -When I fell ill and Denniston was left alone, he managed to get a letter -away to Constantinople through the Russian lines announcing the -precarious position in Erzeroum, and Dr. Stoker and Dr. Stiven at once -volunteered to come up as a rescue party. Reaching Trebizond on January -27, they pushed forward at once, preparations for the journey having -been expedited by Mr. Biliotti; but they had to stop most of the first -night at Jevislik to rest the post-horses, and here the hazardous nature -of their undertaking was brought home to them. An early start was made -next morning, and all that day these two heroic men pushed on with tired -horses, a reluctant guide, and one hundred and fifty miles of snow and -ice in front of them. The road was excessively difficult, for the little -pathway, about two feet wide, was frozen and slippery, and wound along -the edge of a cliff about nine hundred feet high, while snowdrifts, -which in some places were twenty feet deep, threatened to engulf them. -Several times the baggage-horses fell, and the whole party had to halt -and unpack and reload the animals; so that the march was much delayed, -and it was two hours after dark before they reached the summit of the -Zegana Pass, where they camped for the night. The next day they reached -Ghumish Khané, and there for the first time since leaving Trebizond they -got a relay of post-horses. A long struggle of eighteen hours brought -the relief party from Ghumish Khané to Baiburt; and after procuring -fresh horses with some difficulty, they pushed on to the Kop village at -the foot of the worst pass on the whole road. - -Here another misfortune befell them; for the guide, who had been showing -an inclination to give in for several stages past, refused when they -were half-way up the mountain to go a step farther, declaring that it -was madness to attempt the pass in such weather, and that they were -courting certain death from the avalanches that they could hear at -intervals thundering down into the valley below. - -Taking their lives in their hands, the two doctors left the guide to -make his way back as best he could, and faced the rising path again, -taking the pack-horses with them. Once the whole party were submerged in -a snowdrift, but managed to get clear again; and after a great struggle -of nine hours, they passed the Kopdagh, and arrived at a place called -Purnekapan, where they learnt that they were close to the Russian -outposts. At the top of the pass the snow lay so thick that, had it not -been for the telegraph poles, the whole party must have lost their way -and perished; but by dint of following the track thus marked out they -were able to advance as far as Ashkaleh, where a Cossack guard was -stationed. Hoisting the British flag and also the ambulance flag, the -intrepid doctors were escorted by the Cossacks to Ilidja, where they -were well received by the Russian general Sistovitch; and after some -delay, caused by the necessity of telegraphing to the Grand Duke Michael -for permission, they were allowed to go on to Erzeroum, which they -reached on February 3. Surely that hazardous relief march of seven whole -days, undertaken voluntarily, and carried out with unswerving resolution -in the face of every danger, should live in the annals of the medical -profession as an example of the unflinching devotion of the two brave -men who made it. - -Stoker and Stiven told me that the news of my illness had been received -in Constantinople with great regret, and they had orders if they found -me alive on their arrival at Erzeroum to send me down to the capital at -once to recuperate. They also brought me an invitation from Vice-Admiral -Sir Edward Commerell, who was stationed in the Gulf of Ismet, to pay him -a visit on board his ship for the purpose of regaining my health. - -However, it went against the grain with me to think of leaving a sinking -ship; and at last we arranged that Stiven should go back, taking Captain -Morisot with him, and that Stoker should remain with Denniston and me to -look after the hospitals. So we said good-bye to Stiven and Morisot, and -devoted ourselves anew to the hospital work. During my illness the -Stafford House Hospital, which had been handed back to the Turkish -authorities, had been allowed to go to the bad very much; but after four -or five days' hard work we soon had everything ship-shape again. - -At this period the sickness in the city was at its worst, and the -ravages of typhus and typhoid were fearful. We three English doctors had -our hands full, and whenever we had an hour to spare from the military -hospital our time was taken up in attending upon the poorer Armenians in -the city. We could have earned large fees if we had chosen to attend the -wealthier classes; but we thought it right to devote all our spare time -to the poor people, who had no one else to look after them. - -Among our patients was the Catholic Armenian archbishop of the place, a -dear old fellow, who was most grateful to Denniston and myself for -attending him. When he recovered he wanted us to take a fee, but we -declined; and then he insisted on presenting us with the only article -of value which he possessed. This was a bracelet which had been -excavated from a subterranean village of great antiquity at the foot of -Mount Ararat, and consisted of a large ring of bronze, ornamented with -two serpents' heads. It was supposed to be about two thousand three -hundred years old or thereabouts. We accepted this strange old ornament, -which might have been fashioned by some cunning artificer whose father -saw the sunlight flashing on the Athenian helmets at Marathon or watched -the beak of a Greek galley come crashing through the Persian ship in -which he laboured at the oar at Salamis. The serpents on the old bronze -bracelet had slumbered on in the subterranean village while centuries -came and went and dynasties flitted past like shadows; but at last they -were restored again to the light of day. Denniston and I regarded our -new acquisition with curiosity not unmixed with awe. Then in our simple, -unpoetical way we decided to toss up for it, and the spin of a Turkish -piastre, minted so to speak but yesterday, gave Denniston possession of -this souvenir of the times of mighty Xerxes. - -As soon as it leaked out that archæological objects were regarded with -interest by the English doctors, an extraordinary variety of ancient -curiosities were pressed upon our notice; and owing to the precarious -situation in the town, the owners were all ready to sacrifice their -treasures at an alarming reduction. There was something pathetic in the -eagerness of a few of these collectors to realize upon their treasures. -I was offered an iron signet ring supposed to have belonged to an -exalted personage in the time of Alexander the Great for the price of a -few doses of quinine; and half a bottle of brandy would have purchased -me a curious black stone bearing an inscription that would puzzle the -antiquity experts at the British Museum. One day an Armenian named -Magack, who held an official position in the British Consulate, brought -me a gold coin stamped with a bull's head. He explained to me that it -was coined in the reign of the second Persian king, and that it was -worth _£_70 in London; but the evidence on one point seemed to me as -inconclusive as on the other, and I declined to purchase it at the price -of _£_30. - -Although the snow had begun to melt in the streets, it was still -bitterly cold, and we knew that the Russians were only waiting for a -regular thaw in order to bring up their artillery. However, we were -fortunately not called upon to undergo a bombardment; for with the fall -of Kars and Plevna the war was virtually at an end both in Asia Minor -and in Europe, and rumours of an armistice were already beginning to be -put about. - -At last one day I saw a couple of Russian cavalry officers in the town; -and hurrying back to my quarters as fast as possible, I sent old Tom -Rennison up to headquarters to find out what had happened. He brought -back news that they were two _parlementaires_, who brought telegrams -from Constantinople _viâ_ St. Petersburg, notifying the -commander-in-chief that the town would be occupied by Russian troops in -accordance with the terms of an armistice. - -When old Kurd Ismail Pasha heard this news, he wept tears of rage and -tore his beard in a frenzy of grief. The troops also, in spite of their -terrible losses by wounds and sickness, were very despondent at the -prospect of the town being occupied by the enemy without another blow -being struck in its defence. Lamentations, however, were useless; and -two days later the gates were opened, and General Melikoff, surrounded -by his staff, rode into Erzeroum, and took up his quarters in the town. - -On the same night, just as Denniston, Stoker, and myself were sitting -down to a good dinner in our comfortable quarters, four Russian doctors, -who had come in with Melikoff, called at our house. They belonged to the -Russian Red Cross Society, and explained that they did not know where to -go for the night; so we sent their horses round to our stable, and we -invited them to dine with us and stay the night--an invitation which -they gladly accepted. We gave them a capital dinner, which they enjoyed -very much; and the only thing that marred the complete success of the -gathering was the difficulty under which conversational intercourse had -to be carried on. - -It was on this occasion that my deplorable deficiencies in the matter of -conversational French actually endangered my life, which I had managed -to preserve up till then, in spite of shot and shell, fever and -frostbite. Neither Stoker nor Stiven had pursued his studies in the -language of diplomacy much farther than the irregular verbs -which tormented them in their fourth-form days at school; and my -own French, painfully acquired during my early days in Australia, -and never afterwards improved by practice, was distinctly of the -Stratford-atte-Bow variety. Consequently the natural embarrassment of -finding conversation for the enemy within our gates as well as dinner -was increased by the difficulty which we experienced in achieving any -remark which we considered it in good taste to utter. Drifting naturally -to professional subjects, I made a reference to our colleagues Dr. -Casson and Dr. Buckby, who were captured by Cossacks on their way from -Kars to Erzeroum, after having been under fire with Mukhtar Pasha's -troops at the fighting round Eolia-tepe and Nalban-tepe. I wanted to say -that I had heard that the Russians treated the two doctors who were -taken prisoners with great kindness, and made things as pleasant as -possible for them. What I did say, however, falling into the common -schoolboy error of attempting to render an idiom in one language by a -phrase of similar sound in another, was this. "J'ai entendu," I -remarked, with a smile intended to convey grateful appreciation of -services rendered, but which was interpreted as a sinister and sardonic -grimace denoting a deliberate intention to insult, "que vous avez fait -beaucoup de plaisanteries pour nos deux amis." There was an awkward -pause. It was just that sort of pause which occurs at a large dinner -party when you inquire audibly from your neighbour the name of the -hideously ugly woman who is sitting opposite, and he replies that it is -his wife. Then the four Russian doctors began to jabber excitedly to -each other, and one of them, jumping to his feet, hurled half a dozen -rapid sentences at me, which I dimly felt denoted astonishment, anger, -and a demand for satisfaction. It was very clear that I had put my foot -in it somehow; but to correct my mistake I strove in vain. The more I -said the less it pleased our guests, who loudly insisted upon a duel. -This was a pretty go. Morisot, who would have been my best friend in -this emergency, was unfortunately in Constantinople; but necessity -sharpens one's wits wonderfully, and it flashed upon me in a moment that -Magack, the owner of the gold coin with the bull's head that was stamped -during the reign of the second Persian king, could speak French -admirably. Accordingly the invaluable numismatist was summoned in hot -haste; and although I am sure that he never forgave me for not buying -that bull's head, he condescended to explain to our guests the -difficulty in which the defects of my education had landed me. The -Russian doctors turned out to be very good fellows after all, and when -they left us General Melikoff sent an aide to thank us for the -hospitality which we had shown to them. - -Captain Serge Pizareff was the name of the aide-de-camp who came to call -on us, and a very pleasant young fellow he was. He told us that the -Russians would make a formal entry into the town next day; and that if -we liked to see the spectacle, he would send us horses and place himself -at our disposal, an offer which, needless to say, we accepted. - -There was one thing about Captain Serge Pizareff which struck me very -favourably. He had been to England, and spoke English as well as most -Englishmen. I argued from that circumstance that the Russian doctors -must have dropped a hint as to our deficiencies in the matter of French; -but I was prepared to overlook the humiliation for the sake of the -convenience. - -We got a capital view of the spectacle, thanks to the kindness of -Captain Pizareff; for some Cossacks brought us horses in the morning, -and we rode out to the large open space inside the walls where the -demonstration was to take place. It was a most impressive demonstration. -Outside the town a _corps d'armée_ of sixty thousand Russian troops, -belonging to all branches of the service, was stationed in the various -villages. It was not deemed advisable to bring them all in at once; but -detachments from every regiment, including cavalry, infantry, and -artillery, were marched forward and brigaded outside the gates. Then at -the word of command, while the bands played the regimental quicksteps, -they came forward, with colours flying, and entered Erzeroum without -striking a blow, across the ground where those same regiments had been -swept by the fire from the redoubts along the walls a couple of months -before, and had been hurled back in terrible disorder. - -General Melikoff reviewed his troops in the great open space between the -town and the redoubts which defended the walls. It was a crisp, clear, -exhilarating day, and the hard, smooth surface of the glistening snow -was still strong enough to bear the troops without sinking in, though -here and there an officer's horse would put his foot through the solid -crust into the soft powdery snow below and flounder back again, plunging -and snorting. - -We three Englishmen sat there on the Cossacks' shaggy, hardy little -horses, and watched with mingled feelings the triumphant military -display of the great Northern power which was celebrating the close of a -victorious campaign. We guessed by a kind of instinct that England -herself had come within measurable distance of war with the same great -power; but we scarcely realized that the issue was still hanging in the -balance, and that the steady hand of one man held the scales of war and -peace. The treaty of San Stefano had just been signed. This document, -which the Sultan ratified on March 3, concluded the war between Russia -and Turkey; but the Ottoman Government had to buy peace at a price. Not -only was an indemnity of three hundred million roubles secured to -Russia, but she also took large possessions in Asia Minor and enormous -advantages in Europe. - -While we sat on the horses of the Cossack irregulars listening to the -huzzas of the Russian troops, Lord Beaconsfield, with the provisions of -the treaty before him, was evolving the policy of England. It was not -until May 15 that he returned to London with Lord Salisbury, after the -Berlin Congress, bringing back "peace with honour." - -As we dangled our feet in the big Cossack stirrups watching the Russian -standards that made shadows on the snow as they waved lazily in the -breeze, a British squadron was steaming to Besika Bay, and the -Government of India was preparing to despatch a strong force of Indian -troops to Malta. That was because Russia refused to submit the treaty of -San Stefano to the other powers in accordance with the peremptory demand -of Beaconsfield, and held on her course until the determined attitude -assumed by England forced her to modify her claims in Europe. - -Although we did not know all this at that time, yet we knew enough to -realize that possibly we might see the Russian troops very shortly under -quite different circumstances; and this reflection lent piquancy to the -situation. - -We watched the Russians as they marched in on parade and formed up in a -great hollow square, with General Melikoff and the headquarters staff -sitting on their horses inside it, and the imperial standards of yellow -silk embroidered with the black eagles flaunting in the air. - -Then at a given signal the massed bands of all the regiments struck up -the Russian national anthem, and the huzzas of the soldiery were given -with a goodwill that showed how welcome was the close of the campaign. -Our troubles had been severe enough in Erzeroum; but the sufferings of -the Russian army camped outside in the snow transcended anything that we -had undergone, and General Melikoff told me himself that he had lost 40 -per cent. of his army from typhus fever and exposure. - -A cleric, or "pope," as he was called, who accompanied the troops in the -capacity of an army chaplain, delivered an excited harangue, declaring -that the Almighty had given the soldiers of the cross the victory over -the infidels; and then the men were dismissed from parade, and allowed -to go where they liked. Several carts full of wine were brought in, and -the champions of Christendom embarked on a glorious carouse. - -All the Turkish troops who were able to travel had been sent away to -Erzinghan or Baiburt in order to make room for the Russian army; but we -still had about two thousand men in hospital, and these it was -impossible to remove, so that Stoker, Denniston, and myself had plenty -of work before us. There was a great deal of sickness among the poorer -Armenians in the town, and these unfortunate creatures were almost -entirely dependent upon us for medical aid; so it may readily be guessed -that we had our hands full. - -On the day after the review General Melikoff invited Stoker, Denniston, -and myself to call on him. Piloted by our excellent friend Captain -Pizareff, who was the general's aide-de-camp, we found our way to -headquarters, and were introduced to the Russian field-marshal in the -big house which he had selected for his residence. - -General Melikoff at that time was a man of striking appearance, and -looked every inch a soldier. His tall, well knit figure, his aquiline -nose, and dark, flashing eyes marked him out at once as a military -leader. He received us with the greatest courtesy, and told us that he -had heard how hard we had worked, not only in aid of the sick and -wounded soldiers, but also in aid of the poverty-stricken civil -population of the town. He assured us of his sympathy, and promised to -do everything in his power to help us, asking us to make any suggestions -with regard to improvements that might be desirable in conducting the -sanitation of the city, and expressing his willingness to meet our views -in every way. Encouraged by the kindly and considerate attitude of the -general, I ventured to approach him by letter a few days afterwards, and -once again my unfortunate deficiencies in the matter of French exposed -me to treatment which I shall never believe was authorized by General -Melikoff. - -Hussein Effendi, the Turkish principal medical officer, was the original -cause of the trouble; for he ordered the wounded to be removed from the -English hospital and sent away when they were in such a weak condition -that many of them died in consequence of this heartless treatment. We -reported the matter to Hakki Bey, and Hussein Effendi was at once sent -for; and having no satisfactory explanation to give of his conduct, was -imprisoned. At the same time, remembering General Melikoff's injunction -that I should let him know of anything that required seeing to in the -hospitals, I wrote to him explaining the circumstances. The letter was -really the joint production of Denniston, Stoker, and myself. We wrote -it in the best French that we could muster; and as there was no -cream-laid notepaper left in Erzeroum, we were obliged to use the only -kind of stationery available, which happened to be a bit of blue -foolscap. We surveyed our joint production with pardonable pride, and -despatched it without delay to General Melikoff. When next I saw the -unfortunate letter, it was in the hands of the Russian consul, who had -returned to Erzeroum with the army of occupation, having left the town -in the first instance on the outbreak of hostilities. He was a tall man, -with a very pale face and a thick black beard. His manners were in -striking contrast to those of the Russian officers whom we had met, for -he was an insolent fellow, who had not wit enough to conceal the signs -that betokened an ignorant Jack-in-office unaccustomed to mix with men -of the world or in polite society. This individual came to me next day, -holding in his hand my letter to General Melikoff, which he flung in my -face, remarking at the same time that it was not usual to write to a -field-marshal of the Russian army on a dirty bit of foolscap and in -atrociously bad French. I was relieved to find from Captain Pizareff, -whom I apprised of the circumstance, that such a message was never sent -by General Melikoff. Probably the facts of the case were that Melikoff -handed the letter to this uncouth personage with instructions to attend -to the matter, and that the Jack-in-office, annoyed by the duty, vented -his spite upon the writer. - -We became very intimate with Captain Pizareff, and also made the -acquaintance of a number of Russian officers, whom we invited round to -our quarters in the evenings. - -We found ourselves much sought after by the Russian officers; and, in -fact, the English Consulate, where we lived, became to all intents and -purposes a Russian club. It got to be quite the thing for them to drop -in during the evening; and we occasionally gave little dinner parties, -which were much appreciated. Our house, furnished as it was with Mr. -Zohrab's excellent supply of provisions, and with his admirable and -carefully selected stock of wines and liquors, was the only place in -Erzeroum where a decent dinner was obtainable. An invitation to dine -with us was very acceptable, as may be imagined, to these young Russian -aristocrats, who had been half starving in the snow for several months -past. - -Most of those who came to us were friends of Pizareff, who practically -lived at our place. He was a fine type of young fellow, with the frank -and dashing manner of the born soldier, and with a nature widened and -improved by travel. Like my other great friend, poor Czetwertinski, he -was a brilliant horseman, and his charger was the envy of the regiment. -This horse was an extremely handsome white stallion, which, as the -advertisements say, was formerly the property of a gentleman, and had -been parted with simply because the owner had no further use for him. -The original owner happened to be a notorious brigand in Daghistan, who -for a long time defied all efforts to capture him, but was taken at last -and summarily hanged. Pizareff was offered enormous sums for this famous -animal, which added to his undoubted worth as a charger something of the -extrinsic sentimental value that might have attached to Dick Turpin's -Black Bess. - -Another charming man who used to come to our house was the colonel -commanding the Orenburg Cossacks. We saw a great deal of him, and also -of his adjutant, Captain Anisimoff, who spoke English like an -Englishman, and looked exactly like a British naval officer. They all -drank brandy at a rate that threatened to deplete our stock of this -medical comfort in an alarming manner; and I remember that one evening a -party of them polished off three bottles between them, which made me -open my eyes, especially as brandy was worth two pounds a bottle in -Erzeroum at that time. One of the party was a young Russian prince, -whose name I have forgotten. He had never tasted brandy before, and was -so proud of his achievement that he insisted upon sending a telegram to -his father at St. Petersburg announcing that he had been drinking -eau-de-vie in Erzeroum at the house of three English doctors--a highly -important despatch from the seat of war. - -About this time I received a telegram one day from Constantinople -informing me that the Sultan had been pleased to confer upon me the -decoration of the fourth order of the Medjidie in recognition of my -services. Mere lad as I was, I felt very proud of my decoration, and -Denniston, Stoker, and myself had a great consultation about the matter. -They opined that there was only one course open to me, and that it was -incumbent upon me to give a party in celebration of the event. As the -guests would be all Russians, I felt bound in honour to do the thing -properly, and determined to go outside Mr. Zohrab's cellar in order to -provide materials befitting the occasion. Mr. Zohrab had forgotten to -lay in a stock of champagne before he went, and it was clear that -champagne was the only liquor which would meet the requirements of the -case. Now I knew that there was no champagne in Erzeroum before the -arrival of the Russians; but I guessed that the sutlers and purveyors -who followed the Russian army would not have forgotten to bring the wine -which is so much favoured in Russia. Old Tom Rennison, a campaigner -whose vast experience enabled him to live in luxury in places where a -goat would starve, thought that he knew where to get some "fizz"; so I -despatched him to bring in half a dozen bottles _coûte que coûte_. -Still, it was a bit staggering to find that, when he brought back the -required quantity, he also had a little bill of eighteen pounds to -render for the half-dozen of Moet and Chandon which some enterprising -purveyor had carted on a sledge over the snow from Tiflis, four hundred -miles away. About a dozen Russian officers came round to my party, and -we made a great night of it. Denniston proposed my health in English, -and I responded in the same language. Then Pizareff proposed it in -French, and I made shift to reply in that tongue. Some one else made a -few complimentary remarks in German, and several speeches were added in -Russian. Before the evening was half over we were paying the most -extravagant compliments to each other, and I have an indistinct -recollection of trying somewhere about midnight to teach a big, -fair-bearded captain "Auld lang syne," and to render "We twa ha' paid'lt -i' the burn" into my own peculiar French, a task in which I was entirely -unsuccessful. - -We had quite a number of little dinner parties after this. One night -General Komaroff, who afterwards commanded the Russians at the famous -fight which goes down to history as the "Pendjeh incident," invited us -to dine with him; and Stoker and I accepted, though Denniston was sick -and obliged to stay at home. The general, who was then a young man, -although he wore a beard and spectacles, treated us very hospitably, and -had evidently spared no pains to make the entertainment a success. A -regimental band stationed in the courtyard outside played English airs -as a compliment to the visitors; and the _menu_, which began with a -zacuska of caviare and anchovies, was a capital one. A small tumbler of -raw absinthe was poured out for each guest to begin with; and as they -insisted that I must drink mine in spite of all my protestations, I was -nearly poisoned. Later on English bottled stout was served round gravely -in wine glasses. How on earth it got to Erzeroum I could not make out, -for the Russians do not drink stout; but it was evidently intended as a -compliment to us, so I tossed mine down, much wondering. - -Captain Pizareff, who lived in General Melikoff's house, asked me to go -round and dine with him one night as the general was going out, and with -great thoughtfulness my host sent round a Cossack with a spare horse for -me. We had a capital dinner; but the only thing to drink was a big -stone bottle full of Benedictine, which we finished between us. Pizareff -was equal to the emergency. Late at night he sent me back to my own -quarters with my Cossack guard doubled. I had a Cossack riding on each -side of me to hold me on. They were jolly, good-humoured fellows, clad -in heavy sheepskin overcoats; and they laughed immoderately every time I -fell off my horse, which occurred three times during the journey of -about a mile. On each of these occasions, as I sat disconsolately in the -frozen snow, a melancholy figure in a long overcoat, boots, and spurs, -and a sword which insisted in getting between my legs, my Cossacks -replaced my fez on my head, deftly disentangled me from my sword, and -hoisted me once more into the saddle. In spite of the terrible stories -that one hears about them sometimes, I shall always have a warm corner -in my heart for Cossacks. - -Although we got on capitally with the Russian officers, the rank and -file of the army of occupation behaved very badly to the few unfortunate -Turkish soldiers who were left behind to recover from their wounds when -the bulk of the sufferers were sent away. Whenever the Russian linesmen -came across these poor devils crawling about the streets, they would -jeer them and mock them first, and then beat them cruelly. I have seen -half a dozen Russians attack a couple of wretchedly weak and emaciated -Turks who were painfully creeping along the street, and kick them -brutally, leaving them half dead by the side of the road. - -Once Denniston, Stoker, and myself had a narrow escape. We had gone for -a walk by ourselves outside of the town proper towards the redoubts, -when we came upon a party of Russian infantrymen who were undisguisedly -hostile. One fellow came up to me, said something in Russian, and then -hit me a crack over the head which annoyed me so much that I went for -him with my fists. Denniston and Stoker sailed in at the others; but the -soldiers had their side arms with them, and it would have fared badly -with us but for the sudden appearance of a Russian captain, who saw the -affair, and came running to our assistance, revolver in hand. He knocked -down my assailant with the pistol-butt for a start, and discharged such -a volley of remarks at the others that they slunk off like beaten curs. -We were grateful for his timely intervention, without which we would -probably have been killed outright; and we paid due attention to his -warning that it was dangerous to come unprotected so far from the town. - -The comfort in which we lived at the consulate had not escaped the envy -of some of the Russians, and one man in particular was consumed with -jealousy when he saw the fine house in which we were quartered. This -was General Heymann, who commanded the Russian column of assault at -Devoi Boyun, and showed conspicuous bravery during the engagement. In -fact, he was generally spoken of afterwards as the hero of Devoi Boyun. -It seemed that about twenty years before the war he had been in -Erzeroum, and had occupied the house, which was afterwards turned into -the English Consulate. During the long months of discomfort while the -army was encamped in the stinking little villages outside Erzeroum, -General Heymann had buoyed himself up with the hope that as soon as the -inevitable occupation arrived he would go back to his old quarters -again; and when at last he got into the town, he was disgusted to find -the house upon which he had set his heart in the occupation of some -English doctors. His first move was to send an aide-de-camp to us with a -request that we would vacate the house, which we at once declined to do. -Then the trouble began. Although the fascinating pursuit of "draw poker" -is not practised to any great extent in Russia, still that aide-de-camp -was fully conversant with one of its leading features, and he set -himself to play the game of bluff with great vigour. He began to bluster -in great style, hoping that I would throw up my hand at once; but I went -one better every time. At last he remarked that might was right, that -the Russians were an army of occupation, and that if we did not go out -of our house we would be turned out. I said that we certainly would not -go unless turned out by force, and that as the Russian troops occupied -the town under the terms of an armistice, and not as a consequence of a -successful assault, they could not disturb us in our quarters. I closed -the conversation by saying that if they turned Denniston, Stoker, and -myself out of our house, I would telegraph to Lord Derby requesting him -to make representations at St. Petersburg on the subject. Then I bowed -out General Heymann's aide-de-camp. Next day, however, a communication -arrived from the konak announcing that the general insisted that we -should be turned out, and that the civil authorities of the town would -be glad if we would leave quietly. This was rather too much, and I went -up to the konak next day, taking Tom Rennison as an interpreter. I was -shown into a room where Hakki Bey, the civil governor, and a number of -Turkish and Armenian officials were discussing the situation. Here I -stood up and made a speech, which was interpreted as I went along by Tom -Rennison. I told them that we had come out there to help their sick and -wounded, that two of our number had already died in their cause, and -that the rest of us had risked our lives for them over and over again. - -"We have done all this for you," I said; "we have cared for your -wounded, and eased their sufferings; we have tended your sick, and sent -them food and wine from our own table; and now, you ungrateful beggars, -you want to turn us out of our own house. Well, we won't go." They -listened very courteously to my exordium, which was translated into -Turkish by the faithful Rennison; and when it was finished, I could see -that I had made an impression. Our eviction was no longer insisted upon, -and General Heymann had to content himself with a large house -immediately opposite our quarters. - -Some little time after this the French consul, M. Jardin, approached us, -and used his influence with us, asking us if possible to humour the old -general by granting his wish. Finally we agreed to do so, and I wrote a -letter to General Heymann, saying that as a personal compliment to his -excellency we would give him up the house. At the same time I warned him -that there would be a risk attached to his occupancy, as we had had -several cases of typhus in the house. He came over the same afternoon in -great glee, bringing his dragoman with him to thank us, as he himself -spoke nothing but Russian. He said that, being an old campaigner, he had -no fear of typhus; and he marked his appreciation of the favour shown to -him by presenting us with a box of four hundred cigars, which were most -acceptable. Next day he sent us twenty soldiers to remove our baggage -to the house which he was giving up; and when the moving was -accomplished he entered into possession of the consulate. He went to bed -feeling poorly on the very day that he got into his new quarters, and -four days afterwards he was dead of typhus. Denniston, Stoker, and I all -attended the poor old fellow's funeral, wondering at the strange fate -that had allowed him to live through many a hard-fought fight only to -let him die in his bed when the campaign was over. - - - - -Chapter XV. -THE END OF THE WAR. - - Helping Sick Russians--A Squalid Scene--Work of the Russian - Doctors--Melikoff's Appreciation--Arrival of the Red Cross - Staff--A Novel Candlestick--Great Explosion--The Erzeroum Fire - Brigade--Preparations for our Departure--A Practical Joke on a - Persian--A Pleasant Interlude--The Princess at Erzeroum--Mr. - Zohrab's Library comes in Useful--Our Spanish Widow--Riding on a - Pack-saddle--A Slow March--The Widow meets with - Accidents--Restricted Sleeping Accommodation--We turn Two - Corpses out of Bed--End of a Pack-horse--My Cats from Van--The - Valley of Pear Trees--Trebizond at last. - - -While the Turks and Armenians in Erzeroum were dying by hundreds from -typhus, the Russian soldiers also suffered severely; and as I went round -the town, I found many of them lying sick and untended, not from any -want of care on the part of the Russian doctors, but simply because the -soldiers stole away and hid themselves when they fell ill. - -Captain Pizareff would not believe it when I told him that his men were -dying like sheep, and declared that it was impossible for such a thing -to happen without the knowledge of the colonel of the regiment. In order -to convince the aide-de-camp, I asked him to go with me and see the -state of things with his own eyes. - -Next morning I started out early to visit a poor Armenian woman whose -child had been accidentally scalded, and I took Captain Pizareff with -me. The woman lived in a miserable quarter of the town, inhabited only -by the poorest people; and evidences of distress and semi-starvation -were present on every hand. I found my patient easily enough; and after -dressing the injuries of the scalded child, I took Pizareff on a tour of -inspection down the street. The snow was piled high round the walls of -the first dilapidated, tumble-down shanty that we entered; and at first, -as we went inside out of the strong glare of the sun on the snow, we -could hardly see at all. A small latticed window near the roof admitted -a few gleams of light; and as our eyes became accustomed to the -semi-obscurity, we could make out three Russians lying on a heap of -straw in a corner of the room. They were all down with typhus. One was -lying on his back, with his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. As -we entered he looked at us, and seemed to recognize Pizareff. He made a -feeble effort to rise from the straw and lift his hand in the military -salute; but the strain was too much for him, and he fell back exhausted. -The other two men were moaning and tossing from side to side, calling at -intervals for water. An Armenian child about seven years old was -playing with a dog in the snow which lay thickly in the yard at the back -of the house. While I was looking at the men, the child came to the -door, peered curiously in, and then returned unconcernedly to his game -in the yard. The sight of sickness and death was not sufficiently novel -to disturb the amusement of the moment. - -In several other houses in the same street similar scenes were met with; -and in one an Armenian family consisting of a father, mother, and three -children were unconcernedly eating their dinner--a bowl of grain boiled -into a kind of sticky porridge--while the corpse of a Russian soldier -who had just died lay on the floor in the next room. - -Captain Pizareff was petrified with astonishment, and reported the -circumstances to General Melikoff at once. I sent word to the Russian -Red Cross doctors, and they despatched a party of ambulance men to -collect their sick and bring them into the hospitals. How it was -possible for the absence of the men from roll call to remain unnoticed I -cannot understand; but I heard afterwards that the colonel of the -regiment to which these unfortunates belonged got into serious trouble -over it. - -Denniston, Stoker, and myself found plenty of work to do among the -Russian sick as well as among our own men, and were glad to lend the -Russian doctors our assistance. We found our Russian _confrères_ capital -fellows, and also excellent surgeons. They had worked on bravely while -their army was outside Erzeroum and afterwards at Kars, though their -resources were severely taxed by the number of the wounded at Devoi -Boyun, as well as by the fevers and frostbite that decimated the troops -during the long intervals between the different engagements. - -They spoke of General Melikoff in terms of the highest admiration, -praising his administrative ability as well as his military capacity; -and I felt that their opinions were well founded, when I reflected upon -the difficulties under which he had laboured, especially in the -transport and commissariat department. On one occasion General Melikoff -said to me himself, "I am prouder of having been able to feed my army -than I am of any of my victories." When it is remembered that everything -in the shape of supplies, including provisions and medical stores, had -to be brought over the snow from Tiflis, four hundred miles away, it -will be conceded that the general's pride in his achievement was -justified. General Melikoff was most appreciative of our medical -services on behalf of his troops, and told us on one occasion that he -would recommend us for decorations at the hands of the Russian -Government. However, during the anxious political times which ensued the -Russian Government had something else to think about besides the -services of three unknown English doctors in far away Erzeroum, and the -decorations never came. - -Gladly and willingly as I gave my services in the cause of humanity, it -was nevertheless a real pleasure to find that they were appreciated by -the Russian troops as well as by the Stafford House Committee, and also -the Turkish Government. Captain Morisot, who returned to Erzeroum from -Constantinople, brought me up, not only fresh supplies of money, but -also the news that the Stafford House Committee had passed a special -vote of thanks to myself and the other doctors of the Erzeroum section. -The document setting forth this vote of thanks, signed by the Duke of -Sutherland as chairman of the committee, is couched in most -complimentary terms; and, needless to say, it forms one of my most -cherished mementoes of the war. Similar special votes of thanks were -accorded to Dr. Stiven and Dr. Beresford for their great bravery during -the fighting at Rustchuk. I had already received the fourth order of the -Medjidie, and to this the Turkish Government were afterwards pleased to -add the fourth order of the Osmanli and also the Turkish war medal. - -We were reinforced during March by the arrival of Dr. Roy and a party of -doctors sent out by the Red Cross Society. They had undergone a good -deal of hardship since they left Constantinople, and one of their -number, a Dane named Price, had died. I shall always remember Roy -through a remarkable incident of which I was informed by him some time -after I had left Erzeroum. In my quarters I was accustomed to sleep on -the floor on a mat, and even in a besieged town I had kept up the early -habit of reading in bed. The usual military candlestick was a bayonet, -which was stuck in the floor, with the candle jammed into the socket; -but I found a more convenient receptacle in a Turkish conical shell, -which I had picked up somewhere, and which made a capital candlestick -when the brass cap at the end was unscrewed. Into the orifice of the -shell I stuck my candle every night, and read _Vanity Fair_--which I got -out of Mr. Zohrab's capital library--for the first time. I never can -think of Becky Sharp to this day without a shudder, not on account of -her treatment of Rawdon Crawley or her dubious relationship with the -Marquis of Steyne, but simply owing to the circumstances under which I -first met her. She was certainly a risky acquaintance for me. A week or -two after I left Erzeroum my candlestick fell into other hands, and one -night it exploded, fortunately in an empty room, which it wrecked -without damaging any one in the house. My first introduction to Becky -Sharp was effected by the light of a candle stuck in the mouth of a live -shell! - -Powder was unnecessarily burnt more than once during our last month in -Erzeroum. One night I was awakened by a terrific explosion, and almost -before I could collect my senses a frantic knocking at the door showed -that somebody wanted the doctor in a hurry. We all jumped into our -clothes, and followed the guide to a place where an Armenian house had -stood a few minutes before, but which when we reached the spot was a -mere heap of wreckage. One of the few survivors explained what had -happened. He told us that a lot of Armenians had got hold of some -Turkish cartridges, and were endeavouring to convert the powder to their -own use. Sixteen men were sitting in a circle on their haunches in the -middle of a big room, busily pulling the bullets out of the cartridges -and emptying the powder into a heap, which was gradually increasing in -size in the centre, when the desire for a cigarette came upon one of -them, and he struck a match. The next instant the house was in the air, -and ten of the Armenians were in paradise--or somewhere else. There was -a good deal of confusion in the darkness; but I recollect finding myself -down on my knees in a stable at the back of the house examining two of -the sufferers who were still alive. One of them lay between the legs of -a cow, and while he was in that position I dressed his injuries. The -crowd had been very troublesome, and I had locked the door of the -stable on the inside to keep them away, when I heard a tremendous -hammering and some one demanding admittance. I called out that there was -strictly no admittance; but in a very few minutes a file of soldiers -burst the door in, and General Duhoffskoy, very angry at being kept out -in the cold, stood before me. He was good enough to accept my apologies -when I explained why I had locked the door, and also to thank me for -attending to the sufferers. General Duhoffskoy was appointed to act as a -kind of chief commissioner of police at Erzeroum in addition to his -military duties, and whenever there was any excitement in the town he -was always on the spot. One night we had a very big fire; in fact, half -the street seemed to be burning. There was plenty of water, however; and -if it had not been for the crowd, there would have been no difficulty in -extinguishing the flames. An Armenian crowd at a fire is very much like -any other crowd, and the people indulged in sudden stampedes and all -sorts of "alarums and excursions" to such a degree that the work of the -soldier firemen was greatly hindered. General Duhoffskoy took in the -situation at a glance, and at once announced that if the crowd did not -disperse it would be blown to pieces, as one of the burning houses -contained an enormous quantity of powder and other explosives. The -effect was instantaneous, and the miscellaneous mass of Turks and -Armenians melted away as if by magic. - -Soon after the return of Captain Morisot, I received a telegram from the -Stafford House Committee saying that we had done enough for honour and -glory, and that we had better go back to Constantinople, as the Turkish -administration was able to cope with all the hospital work that remained -to be done in Erzeroum. I was instructed to place the balance of our -medical stores at the disposal of the Turks before leaving, and -accordingly I handed everything over to Hakki Bey, receiving a receipt, -and also a grateful acknowledgment of our services to the Turkish -troops, together with a special letter for presentation to the -Seraskierat. - -My last week in Erzeroum was a busy one, as we had to make extensive -preparations for the journey to Trebizond, which was quite a formidable -undertaking. I had collected a great deal of personal baggage during my -travels, and our equipment was considerable; so I arranged with a -Persian caravan which was going down to Trebizond for the conveyance of -the heaviest of our impedimenta, retaining only my valuables and the -curios which I had got together to take down under my own supervision -with the caravan. There were many Persians in Erzeroum, and as a rule -they got on very well with the Turks, though occasionally racial -antipathy was responsible for those minor persecutions known as -practical jokes, of which the Turks were very fond. One day in the -hammam, or Turkish bath, I met an old Persian, who was in a deplorable -state of grief in consequence of the treatment which he had received -from two young Turks. The Persians all grew very long beards, of which -they were inordinately proud, and they were accustomed, after coming out -of the bath, to dye them a fine rich brickdust colour with henna. One -never saw a Persian with a white beard. Now this particular old Persian -had carefully rubbed his beard with henna, in blissful ignorance of the -fact that two mischievous young Turks had been to his henna-pot and had -mixed a quantity of corrosive acid with the dye. The consequence was -that when the Persian applied the dye the beard came away in pieces, and -left the poor man beardless in his old age and disgraced. - -On the day before we left Erzeroum I called on General Duhoffskoy, as -the military governor of the town, in order to obtain from him a pass -through the Russian lines and the necessary papers authorizing my -departure. The general was a distinguished-looking man of about forty -years of age, and he received me very courteously, expressing polite -regret at my departure, and promising to facilitate my journey as far -as possible. It struck me that I had never seen him in such good -spirits before, and that there was a beam of sunshiny contentment in his -face, which was an agreeable change from the rigid military look of his -usually stern features. As I was inwardly wondering what could have -happened to effect this change, the door opened, and a lady entered the -room. "Permit me to present you to my wife, Dr. Ryan," said the general; -and turning I bowed, there in remote, snow-clad, devastated Erzeroum, to -one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. - -Princess Duhoffskoy, _née_ Princess Galitzin, was then about twenty -years of age, and to my youthful imagination, with her beautifully -chiselled features, complexion of exquisite fairness, and large blue -eyes that looked me frankly in the face, she seemed like a visitant from -another world. For a year and a half almost the only specimens of -womanhood that I had seen were squat and swarthy Bulgarian girls, frowsy -Armenians, or Turkish women closely veiled in their yashmaks. It was no -wonder that this lovely Russian, with her delicate, refined beauty and -her frank and gracious manner, made a profound impression upon me, and -set my heart beating quickly with mingled surprise and delight. - -The general returned to his writing-table, and I was left to talk to -this beauteous vision alone. I stammered a few remarks in execrable -German; for though I spoke that language fairly fluently on ordinary -occasions, my sensations drove my vocabulary out of my head, and I felt -that for one in my position at any rate the resources of that grave and -elephantine tongue were exasperatingly inadequate. - -"Oh, Doctor Ryan, would you not prefer to speak English?" said the -Princess, to my intense astonishment, without the least trace of a -foreign accent. Like many cultured Russians, she had learnt to speak -English as well as French and German when a child; and she soon showed -me that she could not only talk, but talk interestingly, in my own -language. In her lips the Doric harshness of sound in spoken English -disappeared, and the well known words took on something of the smooth, -musical cadence of the softer Italian. She told me that she had only -reached Erzeroum on the previous day, after travelling four hundred -miles across the snow from Tiflis to join her husband, and she chatted -away pleasantly of the incidents which occurred on the way as if there -was nothing unusual in a delicately nurtured lady going through the -hardships necessitated by such a journey in a sleigh. She expressed -great interest in my work among the wounded, and listened attentively -while I spoke of the bravery of the Turkish troops and their fortitude -under pain. When I told her of an Anatolian Turk who died in my hospital -at Plevna with his wife's name on his lips, the beautiful eyes of this -Russian princess filled with tears. "Poor fellow," she whispered softly; -"I hope it is not wrong for us to pity the sufferings of the enemy." - -Coffee was brought in, and I sat there for about two hours chatting with -the princess, while the general continued writing at his table. Every -now and then he looked up with a glance which seemed to say, "Not gone -yet? I wonder how much longer this confounded Englishman is going to -stay." At last I managed to tear myself away, and I said good-bye to -this beautiful Russian lady, with many regrets that I had to leave -Erzeroum next day. I never saw her again; but when I got back to the -consulate, I selected about fifty standard English books from Mr. -Zohrab's excellent library, packed them on a little sleigh, and -despatched them to Princess Duhoffskoy with my card, presenting my -compliments, and hoping that the books would lessen the tedium of her -stay in such a dull place as Erzeroum. General Duhoffskoy is now the -governor of a province in Siberia, where he resides with his beautiful -wife, whose visit to Erzeroum was the one gleam of real sunshine that I -had seen throughout that terrible winter. - -Before we started for Trebizond, a slight difference of opinion arose -between myself and my comrades, Denniston and Stoker, upon a matter -affecting our joint interest. It did not in the least disturb the -friendly relations existing between us, and I only mention the matter -now because it was all my fault that my companions were induced to -assent to incurring the responsibility and inconvenience of escorting -another traveller to Trebizond--and that traveller a lady. - -M. Jardin, the French consul, was a true Frenchman of the best type, -agreeable, polite, and above all things always anxious to oblige a lady. -Accordingly, when he came to me with a pathetic appeal on behalf of a -charming Spanish widow, whose husband had been an apothecary attached to -the medical staff I found the greatest difficulty in turning a deaf ear -to him. He explained to me that the beautiful Spaniard was most anxious -to get to Constantinople, where she had friends who would arrange for -her passage back to her own country, and that he would take it as a -personal favour to him if we would allow the lady to join our party. - -I foresaw the inconvenience of taking a lady on an extremely rough -journey, which had to be accomplished entirely on horseback, over -mountain tracks and passes deep in snow; so at first I gave a polite -refusal to the French consul's request. But M. Jardin would not be -denied. He minimized the difficulties of the journey, which he assured -us would be nothing to such courageous and experienced men as ourselves. -He extolled us for the services which we had already rendered in the -cause of humanity, and he urged us not to decline at the last moment to -still further add to our laurels in this direction. Finally he dwelt at -great length upon the grace and beauty of this dark-eyed Spanish lady, -whom none of us had ever seen, and he painted the despair with which she -looked forward to the prospect of remaining widowed and alone in -Erzeroum, perhaps to die, far from her country and from her own people. -What could I say in answer to such an appeal? What could I do? There was -nothing for it but to submit with some misgiving to the inevitable; and -accordingly I informed M. Jardin that I would withdraw my own -objections, and would consent to the arrangement if he could prevail -upon Denniston and Stoker to agree also. - -If M. Jardin had not been an exceedingly decorous as well as polite -Frenchman, I feel sure he would have jumped with joy when I capitulated, -and he went off forthwith to interview Denniston and Stoker. What -occurred at that interview I cannot precisely say, because both my -comrades were strangely reticent upon the subject. I conjecture, -however, that M. Jardin praised their courage and their chivalry in a -truly generous spirit, and I am convinced that he dwelt with all his -astonishing eloquence upon the grace and loveliness of this poor -Spanish beauty in distress. At any rate, Denniston and Stoker agreed to -let her travel with us. - -Just before we started, and when the pack-horses upon which we were to -ride to Erzeroum were at the door, M. Jardin brought up his beautiful -Spaniard and introduced her to us. I hope I shall not be considered -impolite when I confess that our jaws all dropped simultaneously. No -doubt the lady had been beautiful in her youth; but her particular style -of beauty had not been proof against the devastating power of years, and -I doubt whether any man in Erzeroum, except that very polite French -consul, would have seen extraordinary loveliness in the lady who was -handed over to our care at the very last moment. However, there was -nothing for it but to hoist her upon a pack-saddle, to mount ourselves -upon similar uncomfortable seats, and to start the melancholy -procession. We said good-bye with real regret to Pizareff, who had been -a capital friend and a most charming and genial companion. Fully thirty -or forty other Russian officers came to see us off, and we parted on the -very best of terms. They told us laughingly that they intended to drop -in upon the British army in India some day, and we assured them that we -would be there to meet them when they came. Then we waved our last -adieux, and turned the heads of those long-suffering pack-horses towards -Trebizond. - -Our party consisted of Denniston, Stoker, Morisot, myself, and Williams -our trusty dragoman, while last, but not least, came the lady. We had -hired twelve horses to carry ourselves and our baggage, contracting to -pay the headman of the caravan four pounds per horse for the journey to -Trebizond; and accordingly when we started we formed an important -section of the whole caravan of about fifty horses which set out from -Erzeroum. Besides the headman, who was a most forbidding-looking -Persian, there were fifteen drivers who accompanied us; each, I think, -dirtier, hungrier, and more truculent-looking than the other. We guessed -when we started that the journey would not be exactly a pleasure -excursion; but the reality far exceeded our anticipations, and the next -time that any one asks me to make an overland journey with a widow, a -still small voice within will whisper, "Beware! Remember Erzeroum and -the Spanish doña." - -Riding on a pack-saddle, which consists of two plates of hard wood -joined by hinges at the apex where it fits over the horse's spine, is -not the most agreeable way of taking horse exercise; and the doña, who -was necessarily riding _en cavalier_, began to give tongue before she -had gone a hundred yards. We made a cushion out of an old sack filled -with hay, and our incubus heaved a sigh of relief when we placed it -between her ill used anatomy and the bare boards which she bestrode. -Then the procession went forward again, the horses stepping out in -single file on the first stage of the long journey of one hundred and -eighty miles that lay between us and the sea. - -We left Erzeroum on March 31, intending to catch the Messageries steamer -_Simois_, which was due to leave Trebizond on April 10, and fancying -that by giving ourselves ample time we would have three or four days in -Trebizond to recruit before going on board. However, we reckoned without -our host, or on this occasion, to speak more accurately, without our -guest--the lady. She spoke every continental language except English -with equal facility, and her vocabulary in each was surprisingly -extensive. Day and night for one consecutive fortnight her shrill -falsetto voice poured forth a never failing stream of complaint and -invective, abuse and lamentation in half a dozen languages. What she -suffered no one knew except herself, although this was not her fault, to -be sure, for she lost no opportunity of imparting the information, -sometimes in Spanish, and when she had exhausted the resources of that -noble language in the slang of half the capitals of Europe. We found too -late that our doña had not been cast in the heroic mould. She had never -learnt how beautiful it is to suffer--and be silent. - -A few miles from Erzeroum we came to the village of Ilidja, which was -occupied by the Russians; and there we halted for half an hour, and had -a glass of wine with a party of jovial officers, who were keeping up -their spirits as well as they could in the lonely, God-forsaken place. -On a dunghill in the village we counted eleven dead Russians; so we -guessed that the typhus was not confined to Erzeroum. - -When we got to Purnekapan, we camped for the night in the town, -intending to make an early start, so as to negotiate the Kopdagh Pass -before the sun spoiled the road. An unexpected difficulty, however, -presented itself, for our Persian headman refused to go on, declaring -that it was necessary to rest his horses for a day. In vain did we -cojole, threaten, or bully him. He had come under the spell of a fixed -idea, and nothing that we could say seemed to have the slightest effect -upon his diseased intelligence. But at last I found a way to move him. -There was a Turkish regiment in the village, and I sought an interview -with the colonel, who had heard something about our work, and was very -well disposed towards us. Tapping the butt of his revolver -significantly, he suggested to the Persian that it was high time to -start, and the hint was accepted with alacrity. However, all this had -taken time, and before we left the foot of the mountain and began the -ascent it was eleven o'clock, and the sun's rays were ruining the track. - -It was as exciting a bit of mountaineering as I have ever gone through, -and we had to strain every nerve to climb the pass. In many places the -track was only a couple of feet wide, a winding path cut round the side -of the mountain, with a cliff on one side and a precipice on the other. -As we mounted slowly and cautiously up the path, every nerve was at -tension and every sense on the alert. Now and then, as the Persian -drivers shouted and urged the frightened horses with voice and whip to -face the slippery rising ground, one of the animals would slip, and for -a second or two one's heart was in one's mouth. In spite of every effort -we lost three pack-horses before we won the summit. A slip on the glassy -surface, a couple of frightened plunges in the loose snow near the edge, -and then the unfortunate creatures disappeared over the side, falling -upon a lower spur four hundred feet beneath us. One of the horses that -we lost in this way was loaded with my personal effects. The presents -that I was taking back to my friends, some beautiful turquoises from the -Tiflis mines, as well as the Russian furs, the Russian leather -cigar-cases, and the other keepsakes that the warm-hearted officers in -Erzeroum had given me, all vanished with that hapless pack-horse into -some inaccessible ravine far below the Kopdagh peak. However, all the -Persian drivers came through safely, and there were no missing faces in -our party when we reached the summit, nine thousand feet above the -level of the sea. The widow was still with us, numbed with the cold, -exhausted with fatigue, and half shaken to death on her pack-saddle, but -voluble as ever, and, like the person in the Greek play, "full of groans -and not devoid of tears." - -Just as we neared the summit I saw a Turkish woman climbing slowly and -painfully up the track; but when we got to the shelter-house erected on -the crest of the mountain, I lost sight of her. As we resumed our march, -I noticed tracks in the snow in front of us, and drew the attention of -Williams the dragoman to the impressions which had evidently been made -by a woman. The dragoman disappeared for ten minutes on a tour of -exploration, and when he returned he brought back a strange piece of -intelligence. A Turkish baby had been born in a shed near the -shelter-house while we were there, and the mother, whom we had seen -climbing the pass, was already walking off with her newborn infant to -her own village five miles away across the snow. Surely the cares of -maternity lie lightly on those hardy Turkish mothers in the mountains of -Asia Minor. - -As may be guessed, we found a good deal of difficulty in replenishing -our commissariat during this eventful journey. The Turkish troops had -pretty well swept the board; and if the villagers had not hidden away -some of their scanty stock from the foraging parties, we should have -come off very badly. We managed to get eggs occasionally _en route_, and -onions were also obtainable. I used to stuff my pockets with these -delicacies and munch them raw. I found them very sustaining, and I have -no doubt that my companions when they ventured near me could testify -that my diet was strong. When we reached the village at the foot of the -Kopdagh where we were to camp for the night, we were all ravenously -hungry, and as I shot a keen glance round the village in search of -supplies I espied a kid. It was a very nice-looking kid, and it frisked -and gambolled most alluringly. I slipped off my pack-horse, and -approached the kid in a friendly manner that disarmed suspicion. Then I -grabbed it by the ear, drew my big clasp knife, and cut its throat on -the spot. I skinned it and cleaned it with my own experienced hands, and -Williams the dragoman made an excellent _ragoût_. I gave the owner of -the kid a Turkish lira as compensation for his loss, which was truly our -gain, for the kid was a succulent little creature, and tasted very much -like venison. - -We could not have travelled fast under the most favourable conditions, -and hampered as we were by the Spanish widow our progress became very -slow indeed. It was not an easy task, even for one accustomed to riding, -to remain on the wooden pack-saddle when a rough horse was plunging -about in the snow; but for the Spanish widow it was literally -impossible--a fact which she demonstrated by falling off five times -during the journey over the Kop. It always happened in the same way. The -hind legs of her pack-horse would slip down in the loose snow up to the -hocks, while the fore feet remained steady for just one second on a -harder patch, so that the animal's back described an angle of forty-five -degrees with the surface of the ground. During that one second the widow -seized the opportunity of slipping off backwards over the horse's tail; -and so quickly did she accomplish the feat that the watchful Williams, -whom I specially told off, much to his disgust, to look after her, only -arrived in time to pick her up. The sight of that middle-aged, -sallow-faced Spanish person, in short skirts and blue goggles, sitting -helplessly in the snow while Williams patiently collected her once more, -would have made us laugh heartily were it not for the "damnable -iteration" of the occurrence. - -The presence of the widow caused us much annoyance whenever we camped -for the night, because sleeping accommodation was usually scanty, and we -always had to find a room for the lady before we turned in ourselves. -Once, when we reached the village where we were going to camp for the -night, we found that there were only two sleeping-rooms available for -the whole party, so that we had to give one to the widow, and camp--all -five of us--in the other. First we showed the lady to her apartment, and -then we went to look at our own. It was not a cosy bedroom, with French -bedsteads, dimity curtains on the windows, and roses creeping up the -walls outside. On the contrary, it was a small, square room, that would -have made an excellent dog-kennel. The floor was of mud, and in a corner -there was a heap of dirty straw, on which lay two dead Turkish soldiers -who had died of confluent small-pox. We put the bodies outside the -house, and Denniston, Stoker, Morisot, and myself, with Williams the -dragoman, all went to sleep on the straw. - -As we travelled along day after day the glare on the snow was very -trying to the eyes; and though we all wore blue goggles, we suffered a -good deal of inconvenience, while our faces were dreadfully blistered by -the sun. The Persian headman was always wanting to stop and rest his -horses; so that what with perpetually working at him to keep him up to -the mark, pacifying the Spanish widow, and foraging for our daily bread, -we had plenty of occupation _en route_. All our drivers of course were -eager to rob us whenever the opportunity offered; and in addition to the -furs and turquoises which I had already lost through a pack-horse going -over the precipice, I was also deprived of two very fine cats from the -province of Van. I had purchased these creatures, which were very much -like Persian cats, in Erzeroum, and I had hired a pack-horse specially -to carry them. They were transported in a wooden box fixed to the -pack-saddle, and Williams fed them with milk whenever we halted at a -village. A couple of days before we reached Trebizond, however, my -beautiful cats disappeared; and the only consolation that was vouchsafed -me for my bereavement was the vague lie of a Persian driver, who averred -that they had escaped from their box during the night. Of course he had -planted them somewhere for subsequent conversion into ill gotten -piastres. - -When we commenced to get down towards Trebizond, we left the snow behind -us on the mountains, and entered a tract of well timbered country, which -was looking its best in the first flush of the early spring. The sides -of the hills were gorgeous with pink cyclamen, and with a beautiful blue -bulb which I could not identify. At last we entered the avenue of pear -trees which were laden with juicy fruit when I passed up to Erzeroum six -months previously. When I retraced my steps to Trebizond with new -companions, I found the pear trees in full bloom. Since I had seen them -bending under the burden of the ripening fruitage, fire and sword and -frost and fever had brought many hundreds of men to death before my -eyes, and I myself had been down to the very borders of the Valley of -the Shadow. But now the war was over, the winter was done, and the -scent of the white pear blossoms that filled all the valley blended with -the first faint fragrance of the breezes from the ever nearing waters of -the Black Sea. - -Trebizond at last! - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. -CONCLUSION. - - We fly from the Widow--Arrival at Constantinople--English - Philanthropy--The Baroness Burdett-Coutts--First Acquaintance - with a well known Actress--Osman Pasha back again--The Turkish - Skobeleff--A much perforated Paletot--Captain Morisot's - Career--A Romantic Escape--On Board the _Gamboge_--We reach - Smyrna--Mr. and Mrs. Zohrab--A Sympathetic Englishwoman--Zara - Dilber Effendi--Back in London--Patriotic Ditties--An - Incredulous Music-hall Proprietor--Non é Vero--Bowling out a - Story-teller. - - -We had time to call on Mr. Biliotti again, and to thank him for all his -kindness; and then we went on board the _Simois_, which was ready to -cast off her moorings and head out for Constantinople. Our Spanish widow -was consistent to the last. The real hardships of the journey had not -improved her temper; and when we resolutely declined to pay her passage -to Constantinople in the steamer, she cursed us up and down Trebizond, -each and severally, with the comprehensive particularity that was -devoted to the historic cursing of the Jackdaw of Rheims. She was indeed -that rare--or somewhat rare--phenomenon, an ungrateful woman. - -When we reached Constantinople the whole place was full of excitement, -for the Russian army was at San Stefano, only a few miles away, and Pera -was almost like a Russian town. Every day hundreds of Russians might be -seen clanking up and down the streets in full uniform, when they came in -on leave from San Stefano. - -English philanthropy was displayed as generously at this stage as it had -been throughout the entire course of the war, and English gold was -freely spent on the relief of starving and fever-stricken refugees from -the Turkish provinces as well as on the sick and wounded troops. We got -into touch with the philanthropic scheme undertaken by the Baroness -Burdett-Coutts, who had sent out a large sum of money for the relief of -the refugees; and we also met Mr. William Ashmead-Bartlett, the -administrator of the fund, who afterwards married the baroness. He was -ill with typhoid fever contracted from some of the refugees, and was -under treatment at the English hospital, where his brother (now Sir -Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett) was looking after him. Denniston, Stoker, and I -paid a visit of inspection to the temporary hospitals established with -the money supplied by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, and furnished a -report upon them. - -It is to Sir Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett that I owe my first introduction to -a very charming American lady, who has since become known to a wide -circle through her career on the stage. When I first met her she was an -extraordinarily pretty woman, and she and her husband were on their -honeymoon trip. He was a very gentlemanly man, with a rather retiring -disposition; while she was about twenty years of age, and a perfect -model of youthful womanhood. Every glance of her brightly flashing eyes -and every line of her finely moulded figure told of bounding life and -vivacity. Sir Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett and I saw a good deal of her and -her husband for a week or two. We had lunch together often, and took -part in several picnics up the Bosphorus, in that spring-time nineteen -years ago, when the blue waters of the strait and the bright eyes of La -belle Americaine laughed in harmony, while Europe was waiting with -beating heart for the verdict--peace or war. I met the B---- P----s -again on board the steamer which took me away from Constantinople. Then -our paths in life divided, and I had almost forgotten the vivacious -American lady, when one evening a year or two ago I dropped into the -Princess's Theatre in Melbourne to see Sardou's great play _La Tosca_. -In the actress who was playing the name part I recognized my -acquaintance of the stirring times of the war. It was Mrs. B---- P----. - -Osman Pasha, who had been a prisoner of war in Russia, had been sent -back into Turkey at the cessation of hostilities, and I went up to call -on him at the Seraskierat. He was never a very communicative man, and -the mental strain which the magnificent defence of Plevna and ultimately -the tragic fall of the town imposed upon him seemed to have deepened his -natural reserve. However, he gave me a hearty welcome, and appeared to -be much interested in my account of our doings in Erzeroum. I told him -that if war broke out again on a larger scale than before, I would -return to my old comrades; and I said that if I ever came back to -Constantinople, I would like to bring him a little present from England. -When I asked him what he would choose, he said that there was nothing -which he would like so much as a real English saddle and bridle. Osman -Pasha was a thorough soldier in his love for a first-class equipment, -and I was sorry that I never had the opportunity of seeing him again to -make him the present. - -Dear old Hassib Bey, the principal medical officer in Plevna, was quite -affected when he saw me again, and we had a great chat over old times. - -Tewfik Pasha, who was the Skobeleff of the Turkish army, was living in a -house at Galata, and I went to call on him there. When I entered the -room, he was deeply moved, and embraced me warmly. Tewfik was always in -the forefront of the battle while I was in Plevna; and when the -memorable attack was delivered in which he recaptured the Krishin -redoubts from Skobeleff, it was Tewfik who headed the column of assault -and cheered the Turks on to victory. He seemed to bear a charmed life; -for in spite of all the hot fighting that he had done, he had come -through the campaign without a scratch. When I mentioned that he had -been extraordinarily lucky in all his fighting, he motioned to his -soldier servant who was in the room to take down a big military paletot -which hung on the wall. The man took down the overcoat which was the -garment that Tewfik Pasha had worn all through the siege. It was -fastened down the front with frogs instead of buttons, and was provided -with ample skirts that would blow about in the wind when the coat was -not fastened securely. At Tewfik's request I examined it, and counted no -fewer than eleven different bullet-holes through the cloth. In some -cases no doubt one bullet had made two holes; but it was evident that on -a good many different occasions the gallant soldier who wore the garment -was literally within an inch of death. - -Captain Morisot and I were invited to go to dinner one day at San -Stefano with a party of Russian officers; but, much to my -disappointment, something interfered with the engagement, and I missed -the only chance I ever had of meeting the famous Skobeleff, who was -then quartered at the little port on the Dardanelles. I found Morisot a -delightful companion; and now that we were not oppressed with hospital -duties, I had plenty of time to enjoy his society. His career indeed was -a most romantic and interesting one. He had been shut up in Metz with -Bazaine during the Franco-Prussian war, seven years earlier; and when -the much criticised marshal capitulated, Morisot became a prisoner of -war with the rest of the garrison, and was sent away to Stettin on the -Baltic. Though the prisoners were carefully watched, Morisot, who spoke -English like an Englishman, managed to arrange a plan of escape; and one -dark night he and another French officer eluded the guards, and pulled -out in a dingy to a small Scottish schooner, trading between Glasgow and -Stettin. The skipper, who was a "braw mon fra Glasgie," and hated the -Prooshians with a deep and deadly hatred, received Morisot and his -companion with enthusiasm, and landed them after a fair passage at -Copenhagen, where they were given quite an ovation. The -Schleswig-Holstein affair was still fresh in the minds of the Danes, and -they were delighted at the opportunity of doing honour to men who had -drawn the sword against Germany. Morisot afterwards went to England; and -when the Russo-Turkish campaign broke out, he hurried to Constantinople -in search of further adventures. Animated as he was by the true spirit -of a soldier of fortune, Morisot found a scope for his energies -afterwards in the ideal field of military adventure. "Ex Africa semper -aliquid novi," wrote an old historian; and the dashing young Frenchman, -recognizing the truth of the remark even in these days, went to the -Cape. - -A feeling was creeping over me that it was high time I had a rest after -all the storm and stress of battle; and when a letter came to me one day -from my mother, who was in England, I packed up my things on a sudden -impulse and stepped on board the Messageries steamer _Gamboge_. Among my -fellow passengers were Mr. and Mrs. B---- P----, who were bound on a -trip through the Holy Land, and left us at Smyrna. I also met again -Admiral Sir William Hewitt, who had entertained us on board his ship the -_Achilles_ before I went to Erzeroum. He and I occupied the same cabin -on the voyage. - -At Smyrna I found our old friend Mr. Zohrab with his wife. Mrs. Zohrab -was a dear, kind, motherly Englishwoman; and when she saw me, the -thought of the sufferings that we had all gone through in Erzeroum and -the fate which had fallen upon so many of the people whom she knew quite -overcame her. She flung her arms round my neck, and burst into tears. Of -course Mr. Zohrab was very anxious to hear all that had happened to us -since he left Erzeroum, and whether we were comfortable in the house -that he was obliged to desert. I told him that we did full justice to -his provisions and his wines; and the expression of his face was quite -pathetic when I described the delightful little dinner parties that we -gave to the Russian officers out of his ample stores. Poor old Zohrab! -He listened with much the same feelings that Ulysses might have had when -the island princes, over-bold, were feasting on his substance and the -steam of the roasting beef (which the poet avers is dear to the gods) -rose up in his lordly halls. - -Recollections of Osman Pasha's ball at Widdin came back to me when I met -at Smyrna Zara Dilber Effendi, the skilful entertainer who arranged all -the details of that never to be forgotten function. He and I spent the -afternoon together, and had much to tell each other. The sight of this -polished and dignified gentleman carried me back to my first experiences -in Turkey, and his face was almost the last that I saw before I went on -board ship again, and said good-bye for ever to that strange empire -where the glow of romance and chivalry and the pure flame of passionate -patriotism shone among the gathering shadows that have since almost -obscured the "light of other days." - -When I reached London, I found all England ringing with the tidings of -the fighting, and there were plenty of evidences of the interest taken -in the political situation. The music-halls, where one may touch the -pulse of popular feeling, were crowded every night with audiences who -tumultuously applauded the patriotic ditties that were encored over and -over again, especially the famous song which set forth that "The -Russians shall not have Constantino-o-ple." - -I happened one night to stroll into the newly built "Canterbury Theatre -of Varieties," which, by means of the novelty of a sliding roof, -combined with a programme illustrating scenes in the campaign which was -just concluded, drew big crowds nightly. One of the items on the -programme was a realistic scene depicting the taking of the Grivitza -redoubt by the Russians, and I watched the gallant "supers" with mingled -feelings as they charged home upon the cardboard bayonets. The scene was -capitally done, and there was a prodigious expenditure of ammunition, -which the audience applauded mightily. After the performance I sent my -card round to Mr. Villiers, who was the proprietor of the show, -intimating that I would like to see him. A tall, rather good-looking -man, in the elaborate evening dress of a prosperous theatrical manager, -and wearing an enormous diamond in his shirt front, made his appearance, -and listened quietly while I complimented him upon the realism of the -entertainment. I told him that it was really a very creditable show, -but that there were one or two points in which it might be improved, and -that, as I was the only Englishman in Plevna during the attack, I could -give him some hints which would make the representation more accurate -historically, while at the same time not impairing the spectacular -effect. Mr. Villiers, who, by the way, was the uncle of my friend Fred -Villiers, the war correspondent, did not seem very enthusiastic. In -fact, his demeanour was distinctly discouraging. I felt that he had -something to say, and waited anxiously for his answer. "Well, sir," he -remarked, looking me straight in the face while he twiddled his heavy -gold watch-chain, "I am not going to say that I don't believe you; but -you are the eleventh man who has come round here with exactly the same -story." I was crushed, and bowed myself out from the presence of the -potentate, almost wondering whether I really ever had been to Plevna. - -That there were plenty of impostors about, and that Mr. Villiers had -ample ground for being suspicious of casual strangers professing to have -Turkish military experience, I soon discovered for myself. I happened to -be travelling up to Scotland a couple of days afterwards, when a -gentlemanly looking individual got into the smoking carriage with me, -and we fell to chatting upon the current topics of the day. The -stranger began to interest me vastly, when he turned the conversation -dexterously into a discussion of the Russo-Turkish campaign, and -informed me that, though an Englishman, he had served in the artillery -under Osman Pasha, and had been present in Plevna during the siege. I -let him go on for fully a quarter of an hour recounting his apocryphal -exploits, and then I thought it was time to speak. "Well, sir," I said, -"it is a most extraordinary thing to think that you could have told that -story to any other man in England except myself, and he might have -believed you." I gave him my name, and told him that I knew all the -artillery officers in Plevna, and that he certainly was not one of them. -Never was an unfortunate _raconteur_ so non-plussed. He threw up the -sponge at once, and admitted that his story was a fabrication suggested -to him by the fact that he had once made a holiday trip in Turkey. - -And now the close of the book is reached; but before the last word is -written, I should like to express my profound admiration for the -soldierly qualities of the rank and file of the Turkish army, with whom -I lived on terms of intimate companionship for nearly two years. -Courageous in misfortune, uncomplaining under the most awful suffering, -good-humoured in every situation, the Turkish troops, both officers and -men, showed throughout all the campaign the temper of true heroes. I -need hardly say that for me it is deeply painful to think that the men -whom I almost idealized, the men with whom I fought and suffered, with -whom I tasted the glory of victory and the bitterness of defeat, should -lie under the accusation of the atrocities which we must believe have -been committed in 1896, not only in Armenia, but also in Constantinople. -Yet through the black cloud that hangs over the Turkish Empire to-day I -can still discern the distant stars; for I can look back with honest -pride to the high sense of honour, the dauntless courage, the loyalty -and true patriotism of those who were my comrades in arms in the earlier -and brighter days. - - - - -INDEX. - - -ABDUL KERIM PASHA, 49, 99. - -_Achilles_, 309, 420. - -Adil Pasha, 60, 183. - -Adrianople, 301. - -Ahmed Pasha, 106. - -Ahmet, 22, 185, 189, 256, 258; - his return to the ranks, 297. - -Ahmet Bey, 48; - captures a Servian, 49. - -Ak Palanka, 30. - -_Alexandra_, 309. - -Alexinatz, 30, 34. - -Alix, Colonel, 308. - -Alouf Pasha, 113. - -Anisimoff, Captain, 378. - -Arab regiment, cases of malingering, 145; - remedy, 147. - -Ararat, Mount, 365. - -Archæological curiosities, 365. - -Archbishop, Catholic Armenian, of Erzeroum, 364. - -Armenians, sickness of, 364, 374. - -Artzar village, 103. - -Ashkaleh, 363. - -Ashmead-Bartlett, Sir E., 415, 416. - -Ashmead-Bartlett, Mr. W., 415. - -Austin, Charles, special correspondent for the _Times_, 370. - - -BAIBURT, 320, 334, 362, 374. - -Baker Pasha, 50, 308. - -Baltic, 419. - -Bash Tabiya redoubt, 237, 255, 265. - -Basilio, Father, 354. - -Batavia, 38. - -Bavaria, 4. - -Bazaine, 419. - -Bazias, 9. - -Beaconsfield, Lord, 372. - -Belgrade, 9. - -Beresford, Dr., 392. - -Bergan, General, 308; - rifle bullet, 132. - -Berlin Congress, 372. - -Besika Bay, 372. - -Bey, Fano, 301. - -Bey, Temple, 300. - -Biliotti, Sir A., English consul at Trebizond, 316, 361, 414. - -Bingen, 9. - -Black, Dr., 61; - his habits, 62; - arrested, 64; - sent from Widdin, 65. - -Black Sea, 11, 14, 315. - -Blantyre, Lord, 324; - his hospital, 326; - generosity, 334. - -Bonn, 3, 9. - -Bosphorus, 11, 14. - -Bouchon, Captain, 65. - -Bourbaki, 85. - -Brestovitz village, 225. - -Brisbane, 36. - -Briscoe, 308. - -Buckle, Dr., 324, 368. - -Buda-Pesth, 3, 9. - -Bukova redoubts, 220; - village, 115, 127, 137. - -Bulgareni road, 170. - -Bulgarians, characteristic, 23; - fondness for bright colours, 41; - folk-songs, 42. - -Burdett-Coutts, Baroness, her fund for the relief of the refugees, 415. - -Busch, Dr., 68; - Mdme., 68. - -Busch, Prof., 3. - -Butler, Dr., 11. - -Byron, Lord, extract from "The Siege of Corinth," 350. - - -C----, SENHOR GARCIA, 4. - -Cambridge, Duke of, 43. - -Camp life, routine of, 263. - -"Canterbury Theatre," 422. - -Carlo, Monte, 36. - -Carlos, Don, 85. - -Casson, Dr., 324, 368. - -Chefket Pasha, 194; - his relief column, 283. - -Christmas dinner, 52, 342-345; - mixing the plum pudding, 343. - -Circassians, their bravery and rapacity, 94; - raid on Roumanian cattle, 95; - private forays, 98; - looting the dead, 148, 150. - -Coblenz, 9. - -Cole, Rev. Mr., 351, 352. - -_Colghassi_, or major, 14. - -Cologne, 9. - -Commerell, Vice-Admiral Sir Edward, 363. - -Constantinople, 12, 16, 303, 415; - number of Sundays, 17; - adventurers, 305. - -Cooktown, 39. - -Copenhagen, 419. - -Crajova, 73. - -Crescent, origin of the, 12. - -Czetwertinski, Prince, 32, 171, 178, 195, 202, 231, 243, 251, 259; - his career, 33-39; - death, 39; - sent away invalided, 265. - - -DAGHISTAN, 378. - -Danube, 9, 58. - -Dardanelles, 14, 419. - -David, 325. - -Dead, burial of the, 152, 349. - -Denniston, Dr. James, 324, 326, 331, 335, 336, 342, 351, 360, 374, 379, - 383, 390, 400, 404, 415. - -Derby, Lord, 340. - -Devoi Boyun, 384. - -Dickson, Gen. Sir C., 304, 313. - -Dolni-Netropol village, 259. - -Drachenfels, 3, 9. - -Dugald, Lieut., 223. - -Duhoffskoy, Gen., 395, 397, 400. - -Duhoffskoy, Princess, 398-400. - - -ECCLES, DR. SIMON, 10. - -Eden, Garden of, legendary site of the, 316, 323. - -Edhim Effendi, 30. - -Edim Pasha, 217. - -Edinburgh, 3. - -Egyptian troops, compared with the Turkish allies, 66. - -Ehrenbreitstein, 9. - -Emin Bey, 109, 206. - -Eolia-tepe, 368. - -Epsom salts, method of giving, 76. - -Erzeroum, 323; - condition of the Turkish garrison at, 312, 314; - first impression of, 325; - population, 326; - interior of the gaol, 336; - mortality, 348; - burial of the dead, 349; - horrors of, 359; - occupied by the Russians, 367; - last week in, 396; - departure from, 403. - -Erzinghan, 374; - expedition to, 341. - -Eski-Zagra, 166. - -Euphrates river, 323. - - -FAIZI, 34, 203, 258. - -Fetherstonhaugh, Charles, 324, 326, 331; - attacked by fever, 335. - -FitzGeorge, Colonel, 43. - -Fitzgerald, war correspondent of the _Standard_, 66. - -Flemington, race meeting at, 38. - -Foley, 44. - -Forbes, Archibald, 245. - -Forbes, Dr., 8. - -Forbes, Litton, 30, 31. - -Francis, Mr. J. E., 8. - -Franco-Prussian war, 419. - -French, difficulties in talking, 368. - -Frostbite, cases of, 333, 336. - - -GALATA, 12, 417. - -Galicia, 33, 35. - -_Gamboge_, 420. - -Gay, Drew, war correspondent to the _Daily Telegraph_, 217, 244; - succeeds in getting to Sofia, 245-247. - -Gebhardt, 242. - -Geneva, 192. - -Geoffrey, 8. - -Ghumish Khané, 319, 362. - -Gill, Dr., 301. - -Giorgione, Captain, 80, 81. - -Glasgow, 419. - -Goar, St., 9. - -Golden Horn, 17. - -Gordon, General, 84. - -Gorny Dübnik, 313. - -Gourko, General, 106, 166. - -"Green Hills," 115, 229. - -Grivitza redoubt, 185, 220, 221, 225, 228, 235; - village, 114, 121, 127, 137, 169; - attack on, 171. - -Gunner, death of a, 124. - -Gunshot wounds, variety of, 130. - -Guppy, Dr., 324, 351. - - -HAIN-BOGAN, 106. - -Hainkioj, 106. - -_Hakem bashi_, 29. - -Hakki Bey, 351, 375, 385, 396. - -Hakki Pasha, 262, 300. - -Hamdi Bey, 217. - -Harris, his scheme for blowing up a bridge, 306. - -Harvey, Mr., 285, 315, 316, 326, 331. - -Hassan Hairi Pasha, 99. - -Hassan Labri Pasha, 79, 157, 174, 206, 213. - -Hassan Pasha, 106. - -Hassan, Prince, 66. - -Hassib Bey, head of the hospital, 63, 89, 101, 125, 136, 157, 159, 198, - 294, 417; - his interview with Dr. Mackellar, 288. - -Herbert, Lieut. V., _Defence of -Plevna_, 101 _note_. - -Hewitt, Admiral Sir William, 309, 420. - -Heymann, General, his wish to inhabit the Consulate, 384; - death, 387. - -Hobart, 231. - -Hornby, Admiral, 309. - -Hospital, number of cases, 272; - horrors of the, 272-279; - condition, 273; - gangrene, 278, 334. - -Huon river, 321. - -Hussein Effendi, 375. - - -IBRAHIM BEY, COLONEL, 222; - redoubt, 222, 226. - -Ichtiman village, 23, 301. - -Ilidja village, 363, 405. - -Irving, Sir Henry, 10. - -Isker river, 111. - -Ismet, Gulf of, 14, 309. - -Izzet Effendi, 31. - -Izzet Pasha, 67, 101. - - -JACK, 62. - -James, Captain, 43. - -Janik Bair, 121, 127, 137, 170, 259, 266. - -Jardin, M., 386, 401. - -_Jarra bashi_, 29. - -Jeune, Sir Francis, 10. - -Jevislik, 361. - -Jews, number of, 57. - -Jules, Mr., 37. - -Julier Pass, 321. - - -KABOBS, 103. - -_Kaimakan_, 119. - -Kakrinka village, 209. - -Kalafat, 60, 81; - bombardment from, 90. - -Kanli Tabiya, 237. - -Kars, attack on, 332; - march of the wounded prisoners from, 333. - -Kavanlik redoubt, 242. - -Keen, Howard, 46. - -Kemball, Sir Arnold, 316, 323. - -Kennett, Mr. V. Barrington, 289, 312, 314. - -Khartoum, 84. - -Kischeneff, 89. - -Klapka, General, 33. - -Komaroff, General, 381. - -_Konak_, or townhall, 58. - -Kop village, 362. - -Kopdagh Pass, 323, 362, 406; - crossing the, 407. - -Krenke rifle, 132. - -Krishin redoubt, 220, 225. - -Krivodol, 105, 107. - -Kronberg, Dr., 68; - Mdme., 68. - -Kronberg, Dr., 242, 265, 269; - his hatred of the Bulgarians, 270. - -Krüdener, General, 106, 166. - -Kurd Ismael Pasha, 340, 367. - -Kustler, Dr., 102, 146, 242. - -Kyrchehir Regiment, 18; - ordered to Sofia, 50; - to Orkhanieh, 53; - to Widdin, 55. - - -LADY patient, the first, 27. - -Lalor, Sir Peter, 83. - -Lauri, Victor, 35, 217, 226, 243, 246, 265; - his portrait of the Khedive, 217; - German sausage, 248. - -Lazistan, 317; - men, 318; - dogs, 318. - -Leader, Nicholas, war correspondent of the _Daily Telegraph_, 84; - his adventurous career, 85; - death, 86. - -Lemberg, 33, 35. - -Leslie, Armand, 30. - -Leslie, Ralph, 44. - -Lom, army of the, 50, 165. - -London, 8, 421. - -Lovtcha, 99; - occupied by General Sobatoff, 154; - inhabitants, 155; - recaptured by Osman Pasha, 156; - march towards, 207; - news of the fall, 209. - - -MACEDON, PHILIP OF, 12. - -MacGahan, war correspondent for a London newspaper, 25, 245. - -Mackellar, Dr., 283, 284, 293, 301; - interview with Osman Pasha, 286; - with Hassib Bey, 288. - -Magack, 366, 369. - -Mahomed II., 12. - -Malingering, cases of, 21, 145. - -Mammoth battery, 225, 226. - -Marmora, Sea of, 14. - -McCalmont, Captain, 316. - -Medical staff, mortality among, 360; - loss of supplies, 263. - -Medjidie, fourth order of the, 379, 392; - fifth order, 34. - -Mehemet Ali, the paymaster, 18, 22, 101. - -Mehemet Ali Pasha, 50, 99. - -Mehemet, Circassian servant, 120. - -Mehemet Nazif Bey, 157. - -Melbourne University, 3. - -Melikoff, General, his attack on Kars, 332; - in Erzeroum, 367; - reviews his troops, 371; - his appearance, 374; - administrative ability, 391. - -Metternich, Prince, 33. - -Metz, 419. - -Michael, Grand Duke, 363. - -Midhat Pasha, 24. - -Mikren, 210. - -Misserie's Hotel, 12, 303. - -Montagnes Vertes, 235. - -Moon, eclipse of the, 196. - -Moore, Dr. Bond, 283, 285, 293; - his interview with Osman Pasha, 286. - -Moravia river, 39. - -Morisot, Captain, 284, 314, 316, 326, 331, 334, 364, 404, 418; - attacked with typhus fever, 351; - his return to Erzeroum, 392; - career, 419. - -Mukhtar Pasha, 314, 326. - -Munday, Baron, 301, 314. - -Murray, Mr. D. Christie, 283, 293. - -Mustapha Bey, 34, 172, 178, 259, 262, 298. - -Musurus Pasha, Turkish ambassador in London, 8. - - -NALBAN-TEPE, 368. - -_Narghileh_, 30. - -Netropol village, 261. - -Neuchâtel, 8, 118. - -New Caledonia, 192. - -Nicodema, Gulf of, 14. - -Nicopolis, 166; - march to, 101; - invested by the Russians, 106. - -Nightingale, Miss Florence, 15. - -Nile, 84. - -Nish, 30, 32, 39. - -Norton, Colonel, 308. - -Norway, 3. - - -ODESSA, 35. - -O'Donovan, Edmund, 85, 337; - his dinner to the Circassians, 337-339; - war correspondent of the _Daily News_, 340. - -Opanetz village, 115, 121, 127, 220, 225, 259. - -Orenburg Cossacks, 378. - -Orkhanieh, pass of, 52, 300. - -Osma river, 155, 210. - -Osman Bey, 206. - -Osman Effendi, 67, 143, 180, 239, 242. - -Osman Pasha, 34, 67, 104, 108; - commander-in-chief of the troops in Widdin, 60; - his ball, 68-73; - his interest in artillery practice, 97; - on his troops, 98; - his plan of campaign, 99; - army, 101; - condition of his men, 102; - his arrival at Plevna, 120; - defeats the Russians, 126; - his force, 126; - strict disciplinarian, 147; - his preparations for recapturing Lovtcha, 155; - his bay cob, 169; - at Grivitza, 170; - rallies the men, 175; - congratulations on his victory, 182; - presented with the first order of the Osmanli, 183; - his address to the troops, 183; - antipathy to war correspondents, 192; - council of war, 212; - his care of the wounded, 243; - wish to attend the _parlementaire_, 251; - reception of the medical party, 285; - wish for an English saddle and bridle, 417. - -Osmanli, fourth order of the, 392. - - -PAIN, OLIVIER, 158, 190-196; - war correspondent of a Geneva newspaper, 192. - -Paris, 3. - -Parramatta, 37. - -Pearse, 310. - -Pelischat, 35; - battle of, 198-205. - -Pera, 12, 415. - -Persian, practical joke on a, 397. - -_Pilaf_, or boiled rice, 26. - -Pinkerton, John, 301, 324, 326, 331, 334, 342; - attacked by typhus fever, 346; - death, 350. - -Pirot, 29. - -Pizareff, Captain Serge, 370, 374, 377, 381, 388. - -Plevna, 3, 34, 113, 114, 217; - march to, 107; - inhabitants, 114; - fortifications, 115, 152, 184; - commencement of hostilities, 121; - first battle, 122; - repulse of the Russians, 127; - second battle, 166; - revival of trade, 182; - earthworks, 184, 220; - third battle, 219; - system of field fortification, 220; - defeat of the Russians, 235; - report on the state of the wounded, 289-292. - -Po, the, 7. - -Poradim, 166, 197. - -Power, Frank, war correspondent for the _Daily Telegraph_, 83; - death, 85. - -Pressburg, 3. - -Price, 393. - -Prinkapo, 309. - -Pruth, 79. - -Purnekapan, 323, 362, 406. - -Pyæmia, ravages of, 276, 331, 334. - - -RADISHEVO village, 72, 169, 227, 236. - -Rahova garrison, 99. - -Rasgrad, 166. - -Red Cross Society, 30. - -Redif Pasha, 100. - -Redoubts, construction of, 221; - access to, 222; - area, 223. - -Reif Bey, 125, 159. - -Rennison, Tom, 342, 343, 367, 380, 385. - -Revel Regiment, 232. - -Rhine, 9. - -Rifaat Pasha, Brigadier, 156, 209. - -Robert, Dr., 118, 121, 125, 152, 189, 297; - his hospitality, 164. - -Rochefort, Henri, 192. - -Rome, 4. - -Rookh, 242, 270. - -Rosen, Baroness von, 301. - -Roumania espouses the Russian cause, 79. - -Roumania, Prince Charles of, 251. - -Roumanian gunners, difficulty in finding the range, 97; - troops, 60; - vessel blown up, 92. - -Roy, Dr., 301, 392. - -Russia, declaration of war, 88; - plan of campaign, 105. - -Russians, hostility against Plevna, 121; - number of men, 126, 224; - defeated, 127, 177, 235; - losses, 137 _note_, 177, 224 _note_, 238; - their simple faith, 149; - attack on Grivitza, 171; - retreat, 172; - the dead, 179; - guns captured, 198; - victory at Lovtcha, 210; - capture redoubts, 232; - official statement on the result, 235; - retire to Radishevo, 236; - their _parlementaire_ with Tewfik Pasha, 251-254; - victory at Telish, 313; - hospitality to doctors, 367; - entry of troops into Erzeroum, 371; - review, 371; - sufferings, 373; - cruelty to the Turks, 382. - -Rustchuk, 9, 11. - - -S----, DR., 30, 45; - his quarrel with a Turkish major, 46-48; - death, 48. - -Sadik Pasha, 229, 256, 268. - -Said Pasha, 105. - -Salisbury, Lord, 372. - -Samsoun, 315. - -San Stefano, 265, 415, 418; - treaty of, 372. - -Sardou, his play _La Tosca_, 416. - -Schaffhausen, falls of, 9. - -Schahoffskoi, Prince, 166. - -Schilder-Schulder, General, 122; - his attack on Plevna, 126; - his force, 137 _note_. - -Schmidt, 327. - -Scudamore, Mr. F. Ives, 66, 307. - -Scutari, 15. - -Seraskierat, or War Office at Constantinople, 8, 14, 304. - -Servia, appeal to the Powers, 50; - armistice declared, 60. - -Sevastopol, 219. - -Sgalevitcha, 198. - -Shipka Pass, 86; - taken, 106. - -Shumla, 99; - Regiment, 102. - -Sieben Gebirge, 3. - -_Simois_, 405, 414. - -Sinope, 315. - -Siropé, 325. - -Sistova, 44, 106. - -Sistovitch, General, 363. - -Skobeleff, 35, 265, 419; - his advance on Lovtcha, 210; - attacks the Krishin redoubts, 229. - -Slatin Bey, _Fire and Sword in the Sudan_, 194. - -Smith, 284. - -Smyrna, 420. - -Sobatoff, General, 154. - -Sofia, 24, 51, 53, 301; - march to, 21. - -Soghanli Dagh, forest of, 325. - -Soudan, 84. - -Souzdal Regiment, 231. - -Spanish women under fire, 91. - -Stafford House Committee, vote of thanks, 392. - -Stafford House doctors, 283; - hospital, 327, 336. - -Stamboul, 11; - number of sieges and captures, 12; - by day, 14; - by night, 15. - -Stephenson, 9. - -Stettin, 419. - -Stewart, Capt. Hon. R., Queen's Messenger, 10, 312. - -Stewart, Colonel, 84. - -Stiven, Dr., 25, 55, 392; - his relief march, 361-363. - -Stoker, Bram, 10. - -Stoker, Dr. George, 10, 284, 297, 374, 379, 381, 383, 390, 400, 404, 415; - his relief march, 361-363. - -Stoney, Mr., 314. - -Stracey, Colonel, 89. - -Strangford, Lady, 301. - -Styria, 4. - -Suleiman Bey, 296. - -Suleiman, Colonel, 21. - -Suleiman Pasha, 86, 166. - -Sutherland Duke of, 392. - -Sweden, 3. - -"Sweet Waters," 17. - -Swire, Colonel, 308. - -Sydney, 37, 39. - - -TAHIR PASHA, 206. - -Tallat Bey, 88. - -Tatar Bazardjik, 20, 302. - -Tchernaieff, General, 50. - -Teheran, 325. - -Telish, 299; - battle at, 313. - -_Téméraire_, 309. - -Tewfik Bey, 35, 146, 156, 163, 184, 206, 208, 419; - promoted to the rank of pasha, 250; - his _parlementaire_ with the Russians, 251-254; - his charmed life, 418. - -Therapia, British Embassy, 313. - -Tiflis, 391. - -_Tiftig_, or lint, 122. - -Tirnova, 99, 166. - -Todleben, 219. - -Tooth-drawing, 76. - -Trebizond, 315; - journey to, 403-413. - -Trestenik, recapture of the village, 156. - -Trojan Pass, 155. - -Turin, 7. - -Turkish baby, birth of a, 408. - -Turkish dinner, 26. - -Turkish soldiers, character, 13, 26, 424; - constitution, 13; - fortitude, 31, 131, 144; - compared with the Egyptian troops, 66; - religious prejudices, 132; - casualties, 137 _note_; - number of, 224; - reluctance to undergo operations, 240; - stoicism, 240. - -Turkish women, under fire, 91; - devotion to the wounded, 282. - -Turks, their religion, 77; - wrestling, 79; - superstition, 196; - victories, 177, 235; - losses, 177, 225 _note_; - defeated at Lovtcha, 210; - genius for fortification, 220; - defeated at Telish, 313. - -Tutchenitza, 114, 117, 139, 181, 187, 239, 271. - -Typhus, cases of, 329, 330, 334, 364, 388. - - -VACHIN, 342, 343; - his theft of money, 355; - consigned to prison, 356; - released, 357. - -Van, province of, 411. - -Varna, 11. - -Veltchiderma village, 108. - -Vid, 112, 114, 157, 224, 259. - -Vidpol, 103. - -Vienna, 3, 9. - -Villiers, Mr., 422. - -Villiers, Fred, 423. - -Vladimir Regiment, 231. - -Vratza, 55. - - -WADY HALFA, 85. - -Wagga, 39. - -Waldemann, 242. - -Weinberger, 102, 108, 111, 119, 125, 146, 208, 242. - -Widdin, 22, 34, 43, 55, 56; - population, 57; - fortress, 58; - climate, 59; - arrival of Egyptian troops, 66; - preparations for war, 74; - bombardment, 90; - hospital explosion of a shell, 93; - number of killed and wounded, 97. - -Widow, Spanish, her wish to go to Constantinople, 401; - style of beauty, 403; - vocabulary, 405; - ingratitude, 414. - -Williams, 316, 331, 334, 404, 408; - attacked with typhus fever, 351. - -Williams, General, 342. - -Woods, Dr., 315, 316, 317, 326, 331, 342; - falls ill, 332. - -Wounded, sufferings of the, 129, 138, 272-276, 299, 333; - operations, 143, 181, 239; - finger wounds, 144, 145; - reception of the, 178; - extraction of bullets, 199; - number of, 239; - variety, 241; - cases of small-pox and typhoid fever, 278; - frostbite, 333. - -Wrench, Mr., British consul in Constantinople, 298, 310. - -Wrestling, pastime of, 79. - - -XAVIER, ST., COLLEGE, 38. - - -YALAAT BEY, 206. - -Yeni Khan, 326. - -Yunuz Bey, 222. - -_Yuoart_, bowls of, 24. - - -ZABERGAN, 42. - -_Zacuska_, 125. - -Zaitchar, defeat of the Servians at, 60. - -_Zaptiehs_, 56. - -Zara Dilber Effendi, 67, 421. - -Zegana Pass, 362. - -Zohrab, Mr., British consul at Erzeroum, 324, 326, 331, 420; - ordered to Constantinople, 340; - his excellent provisions and wines, 377. - -Zohrab, Mrs., 420. - -Zola, _Le Petit Village_, 116. - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[Footnote 1: Lieutenant Herbert's reckoning gave the field state of -Osman's marching out strength at 19 battalions, 6 squadrons, 9 -batteries; in all 12,000 men, with 54 guns. _Vide The Defence of -Plevna_, by Lieutenant V. Herbert (Longmans, Green, & Co.).] - -[Footnote 2: No statistics of Turkish casualties, other than the above, -were ever published. The Russian figures far exceed those in the text. -The Russian losses, according to official enumeration, were 22 officers -killed and 52 wounded, and 2,771 men killed and wounded; nearly -two-thirds of the officers and over one-third of the men were therefore -_hors de combat_. Of the three colonels commanding regiments two were -killed; a general commanding a brigade was wounded; of the six field -officers present with the 19th regiment two were killed and two wounded. -Schilder-Schuldner's force consisted of 6,500 men and 46 guns.] - -[Footnote 3: According to Russian official statistics, the force brought -against Plevna numbered over 90,000 men, composed of 70,000 infantry, -10,000 cavalry, with 24 siege-guns, 364 field-guns, and 54 horse-guns. -The losses were in all 18,216 men: killed, 75 officers and 7,558 men; -wounded, 290 officers and 10,658 men. The Turkish strength given in the -text is only approximate. The losses have never been stated; Osman Pasha -admitted after the surrender that he lost more men on the Lovtcha road -and its vicinity than did Skobeleff, who owned to the loss of 160 -officers and over 8,000 men.] - -[Footnote 4: Now Sir Alfred Biliotti, H.B.M. consul in Crete, who -distinguished himself by his exertions on behalf of the inhabitants -during the disturbances in 1897.] - - - - -Transcriber's Notes - -Obvious punctuation errors repaired. - -Hyphen removed: "good[-]will" (p. 298), "note[-]paper" (p. 73), -"over[-]crowded" (p. 271). - -P. 88: "Plenva" changed to "Plevna" (Arrival at Plevna). - -P. 111: "Plevna" changed to "Widdin" (Since leaving Plevna). - -P. 124: "to" added (in the battery next to me). - -P. 140: "assauge" changed to "assuage" (assuage the fiery thirst of -the). - -P. 186: "zineas" changed to "zinnias". - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Under the Red Crescent, by Charles S. 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