ectedly, but they stood like true
men. Courage, however, was of no avail. The dragoons were heavy and
irresistible. They cut right through the Turks; turned, charged again,
and scattered them like chaff. I could perceive, in the midst of the
fray, the lithe forms of Nicholas and Andre laying about them with
tremendous impetuosity.

Personal valour is necessary, but it is not omnipotent nowadays. When
the squadron returned, reduced almost to a skeleton, the Turks had
reformed, were largely reinforced, and came at us again with steady
determination. At the same time reinforcements came pouring in on our
side, and I soon found that the position we occupied was deemed one of
considerable importance.

The Turks came on steadily, and now I learned, for the first time, the
power of modern weapons. Our men were armed with breech-loaders, so
that no time was lost in loading.

Our commander acted on a principle which is said to be usually adopted
by General Skobeleff. He reserved his fire until the Turks were within
a hundred yards, and then gave the order to commence. The scene that
followed is indescribable. Eight hundred men fell at once before the
withering blast of lead. The firing was continuous. No troops on earth
could have stood it. The Turks were instantly shattered and repulsed.

When they had retired, and the smoke had partially cleared away, I saw
the plain covered with slaughtered men. Some were prone and motionless
in death. Some were moving slightly. Others were struggling, as if in
a delirium of agony, which it was frightful to witness. A few had life
enough to rise, stagger forward several paces, fall and rise again to
repeat the process until death ensued.

I stood fascinated.

"God help us!" I exclaimed aloud; "these murdered hundreds represent
thousands of bleeding hearts AT HOME, and yet the maniacs continue to
kill each other as if human lives were of no account and human souls not
worth a thought."

"Pardon me, sir," said a voice at my side, "the maniacs who cause all
this are not here, but at the place you mentioned just now--_at home_.
These fine fellows are their unhappy tools, who, with untold depths of
enthusiasm and kindliness in their nature, and a good deal of devilment
too, are compelled, willing or not willing, to fight for what is called
`religion and country'!"

I found that the speaker was the special correspondent of a Scotch
newspaper. As brother "specials" we fr