ON THE BANKS OF THE YALU

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1678, 27 April 1904, Page 2

ON THE BANKS OF THE YALU

A PRESENT-DAY EPISODE. “L’Europesn” contain.? amongst iis “Echoes” the following timely sketch:. Those who 'know the rank-ancl-file men of the Russian Army will agree, as to the realism of the conversation between two soldiers, recorded in this little episode: Scene.—On banks of the Yalu. A serene l , star-lit night. Towa-rds the East are massed the sombre ridges of the Korean mour haiins. At the bottom of the precipice the river roars among the rushes. It iff eold. Two Russian sentinels, tlieir feet in the snow, their frosted rifles clutched in their mittened hands, are on guard. Micha: Not a sound to be health Sacha: Nothing, except the water. M.: Nothing stirring. S.: Not hang, except the water. M.: What time is it? S.: I don't know. Let us hope that ve shall soon be relieved. We’ll go back '~> the cainpj.drink tea., and sleep. I aim very tired. M. (after a pause): Do you conic from ar,- brother? S.: I don’t know. I liaw® travelled hirt.y-four days on a waggon. We had > walk across a frozen lake. I am from the Petrovsky village in the Riasan Go- /' > rnme v >t. M.: I am from Perm. S>.: In the Petrovsky village. Riasani Government, there is a girl called Natasha. Her hair is done in two fair plaits, brother. I have just been married to her by the priest. M.: And I —l have an old mother. I have served in a. regiment in Siberia for two- years. At Christmas she sent me a rouble (2s) in a,n envelope. We had: vodka to drink then. I should like to seio my old mother again. 5.,: You will see her again, brother. M.: Where are w-e? S'.: I don’t know. M.: What are those mountains over there ? S.: I don’t know. They are just mountains. M.: Why are we here ? S.: I don’t know. To make war, no doubt, brother. The officers say so. M.: They have, it is true. But against whom are we- going to fight? S.: I don’t know. Against foreigners. M.: But aren’t we abroad', since we are so far from our homes? S. (sadly): Sb far. . . . . I wish I coil’d sen Natasha again. _ M.: But for whom are we going to fight, brother? S. (after reflecting): It must be forGod —for the Orthodox Faith. M.: llow can it be for God ? Being Almighty, God baa no need of us to defend Him. S : Yes; you are right. It can tbe for God. M.: Then for whom can it be ? S.: It must be for Holy Russia. M.: But if Russia is holy, God will defend her. Holy Russia has no need of us poo-r fisherfolk. S.: After reflecting again): I know for whom, brother. It is for the Czar. M.: For the Czar? But he is so mighty Si. : Yes, no doubt, the Czar is mighty. but he is mighty because of , . There are thousands and hundreds of tihou-sandis like us-—in uniform and with guns. . . . That's why the Czar is mighty. M-: Ah yes. . . . yes. . . .1 understand It must be for the Czar. fA Japanese bullet whistles across from the other side of the liver. Mi cha fails, with a hole in liis chest. 1 a.: Brother! . . . Little brother! M. "(trying to rise: I am glad • . • * the Czar ... is mighty (Dies.) S. (in tears): His old mother . . . . his old mother ... I A Manchurian bullet, coming from the; right bank of the river, strikes his forehead. He falls.! (Trying to rise): I should like so much . to see Natasha .... again. (Dies'.) A redl spot spreads over the snow. In - the distance the mysterious Korean mountains rise. The Yalu roars m the! depth. The moon rises between two peaks.—‘‘Westminster Gazette.’