m Czernowitz to beyond Rarancze, with the
result that the Russians were compelled to withdraw toward Bojan, near
their own frontier, on March 27. Three days later some Hungarian
Honved battalions, who had penetrated into Russian territory near
Szylowce, were surrounded by Cossacks and severely handled. Besides
many killed and wounded the Austrians lost over 1,000 prisoners, and
by April 2, 1915, the Russians had thrown the remainder back across
their borders. On April 10, 1915, the Russians withdrew from Bojan,
but returned on the 14th. Here, at the close of April, they
concentrated large reenforcements and recovered most of the ground
they had lost since the middle of March.

Some twenty miles northwest of Czernowitz, sheltered in a loop of the
Dniester, lies an important fortified town called Zaleszczyki. It had a
population of over 76,000, and is a station on the branch line
connecting Czortkow junction with the Kolomca-Czernowitz railway. From
the dense forests east of the town an Austrian column commanded by Count
von Bissingen had attempted during the night of March 22-23, 1915, to
turn the adjacent Russian positions, held by Cossacks and Siberian
fusiliers. A furious fight developed, and the Austro-Hungarian column,
which included some of the finest troops, was repulsed with heavy loss.
Two other attempts were made here, on April 10 and 17, 1915. On the
latter date a detachment of Tyrolese sharpshooters were trapped in the
wire entanglements and annihilated.

One more battle on a big scale remains to be chronicled from the far
eastern sector; it may also serve to illustrate the wide divergence
that not infrequently exists between official communiques recording
the same event. Early in April, 1915, a Russian force threw a bridge
across the Dniester near the village of Filipkowu and moved along the
road running from Uscie Biskupie via Okna and Kuczurmik on to
Czernowitz, the intention being to turn the Austrian positions south
of Zaleszczyki from the rear. We will let the rival communiques
relate what happened:

_Austrian Version_

Annihilated two battalions of Russian infantry belonging to the
Alexander Regiment; took 1,400 prisoners, and drove Russians back
beyond the Dniester.

_Russian Version_

Annihilated two battalions of the Honveds; captured 21 officers, over
1,000 rank and file, and 8 machine guns.

The curtain was about to rise for the next act, wherein will be played
one of the m