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i io
i io THE BALKAN WAR, 1912 [chap. ix.
stirring address. From that day and at each fresh
success of the Bulgarian arms up to the taking of
Adrianople inclusive, the like manifestations were
repeated in front of the Russian Legation, but none of
them made such a lasting impression on me as the
first one, in honour of the taking of Lozengrad.
A few days later we heard that the Serbian Army,
after the sanguinary assault of the "Zrny-Vrch" positions,
during which the Serbians accomplished astounding
feats of valour, had completely beaten the Turkish Army
and was pursuing it across the elevated plain—so sadly
famed in the history of the Serbian people—which bears
the name of" Kossovo Pole." I was told later that when
the Serbians reached this place, hallowed throughout
centuries by immortal memories of heroism and
mourning, and extolled in the three epic poems called the
" Kossovo Pole Songs," that each Serbian soldier bent
down to kiss the sacred soil and placed a handful of earth
in his bosom in a clean cloth. . . . Such moments are
indeed rare in the history of nations: all honour to
those amongst them who have purchased them by
time-honoured fidelity to the historic ideal, and with their
noble blood shed on the very spot and at the vital
moment! . . .
Neither the Bulgarian nor the Serbian Army gave
the enemy time to recover. While the Serbians had
occupied their former capital Skoplie almost without
striking a blow, had advanced on Bitolia and there,
after four days’ ferocious and difficult fighting, had
utterly and completely beaten the last Turkish troops,
the Bulgarians were overtaking the Ottoman Army at
Lule-Burgas. After three days’ sanguinary fighting,
during which the positions were perpetually changing
hands, the Turkish resistance was finally overcome
and their Army forced to the most hurried retreat, which
at times degenerated into a flight. Such is the glorious
account of the first Balkan War (October, 1912).
But beside these glorious annals, an incident far less
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