LIGHT SIDE OF WAR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 199, 11 January 1913, Page 1 (Supplement)

LIGHT SIDE OF WAR

TIIK ISRAVE LITTLE TAILOIC I Delightful .stories of tlu> battle of Ktiinanovo are told In- 1-h.e Melgrade corresjniudi'iit of (.ln> Journal ilc Conevc. A body of infantrv that liml advanced too fur was repeatedly ordered to halt, nnil lie down, ami let the artillery -bi'liimt it piepare tin l way for a. general aTivancc. Tin- men. at last, resignedly obeyed tlie order, but wlicu they' noticed Die Havoc wrought, by the shrapnel they turned round anil shouted furiously at. vim gunners: "Hi! Stop (bat! "'There won't Ik: miv Turks left lor us!" One of the heroes of I lie day was an iiisignilieantlooking little Reservist, a .Jewish (nilor named Abraham Levy, of the 71.1 i Servian Regiment of Infantn, There was piccious" Hide „' the soldier in liirn, judging from hir, outer man. lie was a regular little malingerer, who shook with fear at the sound of every shot fired by a, gun. There was no lieed to tell him to lie down. lie stretched himself full length on lite ground as soon as his comrades knelt down 1,0 lire. Suddeiilv the colonel gave the order to rise and deliver an attack. The regiment rushed forward, but in the very lirst nio-"':menl-The":"s!:a"iidiirfi-lVeaTei-' leil"mortallv wounded. The Hag was picked up Jjv a man wlio rushed to the front of the "attacking force, and was the lirst to climb the rampart, and there plant Ihe flag with a "Hurrah!" The regiment hardly knew how to believe its"" eyes. The dashing warrior was none other than the little tailor breathless but. smiling. IJis comrades crowded round and showered congratulations upon him. When the babbie wis oyer the Own Prince came, to thank (.lie soldiers, and in so doing he asked to see the one who hud shown himself the bravest of the brave. All hands pointed at the little, tailor.' The Prince complimented, him on tlie courage he had shown. "Sire." stammered the modest, frightened .little .follow, ■'! mil, 'indebted' for my good luck to my presence of. mind, anil a little calculation I made." ■■ ' '

"I can understand tin- part, played' by presence of mind, but what had any calculation to do with your..' act, of bravery?"' "It is i ( nite simple," answered, .the little tailor. "Ifwa.s only 200. yards to the Turkish'position, anil 800 yards to our own. | calculated that it was less dangerous to go on than, to go back. And my reckoning proved correct." The . Trin'ce gave the ready-reckoner £lO as a reward for his arithmetic.'