Page:The Tsar's Window.djvu/31

 a band at one end began the national hymn, which was taken up by the other bands in turn; the soldiers fell into place; and, looking intently far down the line of gray overcoats which covered the brilliant uniforms below us, I saw a crowd of horsemen approaching: as they came nearer I distinguished the Emperor on a gray horse, followed by his brothers and sons, and his staff, which consisted of about one hundred horsemen. I have no doubt there were many famous men among that retinue.

The Tsar was closely followed by the two Cossacks who went through the war with him, and always accompany him when he is on horseback.

After riding past the troops he took up his position on one side of the field, surrounded by his generals and military attachés. Here he remained while all the regiments filed by.

These troops did good service during the war. The Chasseurs lost one man out of three in the fight before Plevna.

A fat, jolly-looking priest, in a purple gown, was pointed out to me as having crossed the Balkans with the Simeonovsky regiment, last winter. On one occasion he was separated from the others, and found himself surrounded by Turks. Tucking his Icon under his left arm, he picked up a musket from the ground and laid about him with it, braining the first man he struck.

At the head of the cavalry came a motley crowd of a hundred horsemen, who at once attracted our attention. They carried a quantity of richly decorated weapons, of various antiquated shapes, and no two were dressed