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insurgent forces, had temporarily attached himself to Jezioranski's detachment. In his grey hairs, careworn face, and stooping figure, even less than in Jezioranski's case, could you read anything of the general in his appearance, but the head on his shoulders is worth more than the erect bearing and martial air of the Russian and Austrian commanders. Before the recognition of the Kingdom of Italy by Russia, General Waligorski superintended the engineer and artillery department of the Polish military college in Piedmont, where some two hundred students were trained in all branches of military science, but the college had only existed some twelve months when it was broken up in consequence of the stipulation made by Russia, that on no other terms would she recognise the new-born Kingdom of Italy. Thus Poland suffered that Italy might be free.

Schmiechowski was a striking contrast to his two colleagues. Strong-built and wiry, with a weatherbeaten face and short black moustache, he looked as if his whole life had been spent in the camp, and seemed exactly cut out to command a guerilla band. He is a good-natured, jovial fellow, and generally sleeps when neither fighting nor drinking. In battle he is always to be found where but one or two follow, and his cool daring is the astonishment of all.

Lelewel, who for six weeks supported a most unequal contest in the south of the province of Lublin, and whose instructions were to keep the pot boiling till Jezioranski had effected his entrance into the same province, had now made his way into camp with the small remainder of his forces. His appearance was very unmilitary, but about him was a very remarkable air of

quiet decision which was particularly striking. In the course of last summer, Lelewel was engaged some twenty times with the Russians, and displayed extraordinary talents as a partizan leader. After numerous hairbreadth escapes, he met his death on the battle-field, fighting gallantly against overwhelming numbers.

CHAPTER IX.

FIGHT AT KOBYLANKA.

I HAD left Jezioranski's camp barely twelve hours before a most severe fight took place, ending, it is true, in favour of the Poles, but costing them more than onethird of their forces. On the evening of the day of the fight a courier from the camp reached Jaroslaw, the nearest railway station, some forty miles distant, and at once telegraphed to Lemberg for surgeons and nurses. The fight, he said, was still raging when he left at one o'clock, and the number of killed and wounded up to that time was very large. That night we heard no more tidings, and anxiously awaited the courier who was expected in the morning. At five o'clock he brought the news that at the end of the day the Poles had remained masters of the field, but that the victory had been very dearly bought. At seven o'clock I started off again for the camp, a weary drive of forty miles over the most detestable of roads. At Oleszice, about ten miles from the woods of Kobylanka, where the battle took place, we found Winniçki, the chief of the staff, lying wounded. A ball had struck him in the head, but happily only carried away part of the scalp, without fracturing the skull. He described the battle as having been tremendously severe, and, from all accounts, the volleys fired at intervals of a few minutes by the

Russians were more like a flood of lead than a mere shower of bullets.

At Cieszanow, the town nearest to the battle-field, and whither most of the wounded were brought, we learnt that at that moment Jezioranski was again engaged with the Russians, who had renewed their yesterday's assault. This was very alarming intelligence, but it happily turned out to be false. At Lubliniec, the residence of Baron Brunicki, which had been converted into a sort of hotel for the past week, we found a knot of persons discussing the probability of a fresh attack, but quite ignorant of what was going on at the camp. Accordingly I got a horse and rode off to find out the true state of things, but at the forester's house at the entrance of the wood was abruptly pulled up by a guard of Austrian soldiers. The bar across the road was down, and a crowd was collected on this side listening for the first shot, which was momentarily expected. On application to the major, he regretted that he could not allow me to pass at that point, but hinted he had no objection to my making a détour, and so getting to the camp. This I did accordingly, and after some difficulty, owing to the necessity of diving into the woods to avoid subsequent patrols, reached my destination in safety. The baggage wagons were all packed up, and the horses put to, ready for instant departure, while the insurgent force, fearfully diminished in numbers, was drawn up on the edge of the frontier. The insurgent position on May 6th was the same as that occupied by them on May 1st, the day of the first assault. That position was in the shape of a bow, to which the Austrian territory acted as string, while on the Russian side it was

rendered difficult of approach by a bog and moat, varying in width and depth, never exceeding three feet of water. On the present occasion the Russians repeated their violation of the Austrian territory, and again planted their batteries in the same position as in the former battle. The insurgent infantry, numbering 416 effective men, was disposed in companies of forty at both horns and at the centre of the bow, while the reserve and the cavalry were drawn up in the heart of the position. About a quarter of an hour before the attack commenced, General Waligorski was pointing out to an Austrian officer the violation of the Austrian territory on May 1st, but while thus engaged, he was suddenly interrupted by the Russians opening a heavy fire on the Polish advanced guard, resting on the Austrian frontier. The advanced guard, numbering some forty men, were unable to hold their own, and fell back on the reserve, who were at once ordered to the front. The sappers, under Major Bobowski, opened a brisk fire on the enemy, and after an hour's fighting drove them back across the marsh. While the Russian attack on the right wing was thus repulsed, such overwhelming numbers threw themselves on to the centre that it was compelled to yield ground. To the number of about 800 men the Russians poured across the moat, at precisely the centre point in the bend of the bow, and temporarily occupied the Polish camp. On the left, where General Waligorski commanded, the Russians made a tremendous onslaught, on this side, too, pouring a flank fire, and from guns planted on Austrian territory. Thus the Polish position was assaulted from every side, and but for the extraordinary bravery of its defenders must have been effectually

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