FOUR DAYS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 35, 3 November 1911, Page 5

FOUR DAYS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

I recollect how we ran through'the woods, how the bullets hummed, and hew the branches, struck by shots, fell down, .a3 we made our way through the hawthorn bushes. The interval between the shots grew shorter; a red patch appeared on the outskirts of the forest, disappeared, and then again flashed forth: Siderov, a young soldier of No. 1 Company (I remember the thought flickered through my brain: What is he doing in our column ?) suddenly crouched down, and looked at mc in silence with wide-open, scared eyes. A stream of blood guslhed from his mouth. . . . Yes, I remember it all clearly. I also recollect how, on the very ed<t,e of the forest in tho midst of a clump of bushes, I saw a Turk. He was a huge, stout man, and I was a scraggy and feeble being. But I made straight for him; there was a sharp crack, an enormous object seemed to

pass before my eyes, and the sound of bells rang in my ears. "He has shot mc," was my thought. s But with a hoarse cry he fell forward into a hawthorne bush. He might have .avoided it, but in his agony ho forgot everything, and fell right into the prickly ma,ss. With one blow I knocked his gun out of his bands, and with a secoiad blow I jabbed at him with my bayonet, without realising where I struck him. I heard a sound, something between a moan and a roar. Our soldiers shouted "Hurrah I" I recollect also firing several times as I ran out of the wood. Suddenly the "Hurrahs" grew louder, and we started to rush forward together. ... Not "we," however, for I remained behind. That seemed strange to mc, but still more strange was the sudden disappearance of everyone, and. the complete silence which followed. I heard no more cries or shots . . . . and before my eyes floated a blue mass, which must have been the sky; but soon that disappeared also. Never before have I been in such a strange situation. I appear to be lying on my stomach, for I can see nothing but a small patch of earth, some blades of grass, and an ant creeping head foremost down one of them. This, and several sticks of last year's dried grass —_that is all my world. And I can. see this with one eye only, for the other is kept closed by something pressing against it. I realise a feeling of discomfort, but I cannot move; yet I do not understand why movement is impossible. Time passes by; I listen to the chirp of a grasshopper and the hum-humming of a bee. For mc, in my present position, nothing else exists. Finally I make an effort, and release my right hand from under my body; then., resting both hands on. the ground : I attempt to get on my knees. A sharp, quick pain, like a lightning flash, pierces my whole body from the knees upwards, and I once more sink to the ground. Then again everything vanishes, and I remain in complete darkness. ... Once more I- am awake and asking myself why I can see the stars, which s-Kine 'so clearly in the deep blue Bulgarian sky. . . . Where is my tent? Why did I creep out of it? I make a movement, and feel a sharp pain in my legs. Yes, I must have been wounded. ... ■ Dangerously or not ? I touch my legs in the parts where I feel the pain, and both are covered with dried _ blood. When I move them the pain increases: it is like toothache, it never ceases. My head is heavy and giddy; I understand in a confused sort of way that I am wounded in both legs. But then, why have I not been picked up by the ambulance corps? Have -we perhaps been defeated by the Turks ? I begin to recall things, first confusedly, and then more clearly,- and then I decide that we have not been defeated, because, when I came to, after falling down wounded, there was something blue in front of my eyes, and that must have been the sky, as seen" from the meadow oil the top-of the hill. Our small commanding officer had pointed that hill out to us, and had cried in bis clear voice: "My lads, we will be there!" And we had got there, which meant that wo were not defeated. . . But why .then, had they not picked mc up? This meadow is, an open space, and everything on it can be seen. I .am sure I am not the only one lying here. . . . . The firing was so rapid. I must turn my head and have a look round. I can do it better now, for after struggling to my, knees, and then again losing my senses, I fell on my back ■ that is why I can now see the stars. I tried to sit up; it is difficult to do so when one's l legs are broken. Several tiroes I gave up the attempt in despair, but at last, though it brought tears to my eyes, I succeeded. (To be continued.)'