WHERE DEATH STALKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12663, 17 September 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

WHERE DEATH STALKS.

BRAVE SOLDIERS.

The following little stories of bravery, taken from Yune Noguchi's translation, show the little brown man's hardihood in the face of death: — •

In the hot battle outside the south gate of Ghongju, Sergeant Sato made a dash and got his foot struck by the enemy's bullet. "Yarrareta" (I was hit), he exclaimed. But he pushed his way, saying : "As long as my eyes can —what does it matter? I shall ne-'er be beaten by any Russian."

There was the bustle of men and the tramping of horses. A party of "redcapped" Imperial Guards are now on their way to the front. They all had their waterproof fur coats rolled up tightly and fastened on their knapsacks, and carried on their backs shovel-like things, together with several other implements of war. Their swords and muskets were bright with careful burnishing. They were in splendid martial array. Dear soldiers! Oh, what proportion of these fighters would be fortunate enough to come back safely with laurels of victory! They are hastening to their graves, truly. But they marched, talking quietly and laughing sweetly. Now, firm the second storey of a beef shop an attractive girl of about 18 or 19 leaned over the rail and watched them,. When they came right before the shop every one of them looked up and stared at her at. once, and passed on, whispering something. The girl never took her eves off the soldiers, and kept casting hei flirting "-miles at them. One of the soldiers suddenly turned up his face toward the girl and exclaimed, ."No more flirtation, my dear lassie:! Oh, no, none of your jokes!" The third-class bluejacket Koma Shinowara, of the Fuji, a youth of 22 years, was serving as an. aide-de-camp to the chief gunner, having stood in the front bridge. A shell came whistling and carried his right hand off. The young sailor, however, stood calm,, stopping the gushing blood with his left hand. "I am wounded, as you see," he said, seeing his superior officer approach him. " Mav I leave my post?" he asked quietly. He saluted his chief, raising his left hand, and quietly walked down.

A fragment of the shell flew past the breast of Yasua Minamisawa, third-class engineer of "he Kasumi. The blood instantly began to flow. But the engineer was too intent on his duties to become conscious of the wound. He was deaf to the rolling sound cf thj guns. Nor did he notice the shells bursting close to him. All that made him suap?ct something was wrong was the temporary tremors of his hand and a little choking sensation he experienced at the moment. After a. while a sailor noticed his wound and cried:

"What? Look! You are struck!" The engineer seemed not to hear the remark. " Your honor, you are wounded The engineer remained still silent. The sailor approached him and repeated, "You have been wounded, sir!" The engineer turned his head and said: "I? Oh, no." "Yes. sir; your breast." "My breast?" He touched his breast and saw his hand stained with blood. Soon after there came the officer who wits to relieve the wounded engineer, and he was accordingly made to retire into the officer's room. "Am I to be treated as a wounded man. when the wound gave me no pain?" he exclaimed with indignation. A while ago a second torpedo which the Russian warship sent out struck the illfated transport Kinsn Maru near the en-gine-room and split her in two. Sergeant Okano, who had his musket levelled at the enemy all the time, and continued firing, seeing that his ship was sinking, dropped down on deck in despair and exclaimed, "All is over!'' The next moment he unsheathed his sword, and holding it with its point against him, cut himself in the stomach crosswise. " How shameful of you to destroy an unarmed transport! You cowards of Russian wretches! Now, look and see' how a Japanese fighter meets his death," he. exclaimed. The Susanami succeeded in capturing the Russian destroyer Steregchiti. . She despatched some of her crew to the captured vesse l to have our battleship flag hoisted on board and bring her near the coast. But, as the sea began to rise highev and higher, the tugging cord was cut off, and the poor ship began to sink. The captain of the Susanami said to himself: "The ship may be allowed to sink, butnot our naval flag, never!" He sent a boat to fetch the flag back to him. The following letter was written by Katsutaro Tsuchida to Lieutenant Saito, entreating to ''be put among the members on the occasion of the second sealing of Port Arthur: — ". . . . While I had been at home my father told me that it- is said in a proverb the one who does not die when he ought to is liable to disgrace mora bitter than death. I will not behave like a coward at any cost. I expect to die for the sake of our country. A rumour is current that in the near future the second calling for the 'Resolved to Die' party will be announced. 'If this be the case I solicit your favour that you would do me the honour of selecting me for the party once more. In case the announcement is for-, mally made I, of course, would apply to the captain, chief engineer, and divisional lieutenant. The uncertainty of the appointment makes me so uneasy that I have not been able to enjoy sleep many a night. As you know I have resolved to die under your command, and I would* like to follow you even to the world next.. Please pick me up by your special influence, if the selection comes to be a fact. As I have already resolved upon dying, I should not be satisfied till lam dead. lam fully convinced and am thinking night and day that now is the time to give proof of my devotion to the Emperor."