Page:Albert Beaumont - Heroic Story of the Czecho-Slovak Legions - 1919.djvu/8

 These reflections now seem whimsical, but they were such as troops who had not yet been under fire were liable to make. Before we had much time to reflect we got orders to march. We did so all night and in the morning we got to a village called Nisko, into which the Russians had already penetrated. We had on either side of us two Austrian, the 14th and the 58th, regiments of Linz, and also a Hungarian Honved regiment. We took up positions, were ordered to dig trenches, but had scarcely time to do so when orders came to fall back We learned that two Czech battalions had passed over to the Russians. Lucky they! we thought in our hearts. Being among the reserves and behind the actual battle line, we had no opportunity of following their example.

The whole of September passed in retreating. The Russians were victorious in every battle. We were shifted from place to place, and saw the exodus of the peasants and villagers, who were mostly escaping towards Moravia. We observed with satisfaction that the officers of the German regiments were treating us politely. They were not so arrogant as they had been in the first days, and, as I am told, they again became later on. I met many German-Austrian officers then who were already disheartened. They spoke freely of the war being lost, and that Austria had nothing to do but to sue on the first opportunity for peace.

In proportion as the Austrians and Magyars became depressed we grew cheerful. We had no regret at Austria and Hungary being beaten. We talked of it among ourselves in camp at evenings, and chuckled over it. Our admiration for Russia grew by leaps and bounds. We little anticipated the terrible disappointments which she had in store for us but in those days we adored everything Russian. Grand Duke Nicholas had made great promises to the Poles, we knew it, and he folloved it up by sending us, by means of Russian aviators, numerous messages of hope and comfort. The leaflets dropped from the sky by Russian aeroplanes were carefully watched by our men and picked up when no Austrians were spying upon them. They hid them avayaway [sic] in their breasts like things sacred. In the evening we sad together in the trenches when no Austrians were about. Our soldiers took out the little leaflets from under their coats and read them. We talked them over in all sorts of ways and felt boundless gratitude tovardstowards [sic] Russia. In our minds she had a divine mission to carry out the liberation of all Slavs. We sincerely believed all the promises. We resolved to do our share to help in their realisation. Our greatest desire was to have an opportunity of going over to the Russians.

Our line of retreat led us gradually to Cracow. When passing through the town we had an incident with a Polish regiment. It was the