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’Coh’

With that the man came out of her suddenly and joined his companion - at - arms in the stream Wladek made hi between the legs The soldier holding hiain

’Come and hold the little bastard, Boris, ies my turn, The first soldier caain he tried to hit out, and this ht of the Polish aruard started undressing to take his turn with Florentyna, who now lay indifferent to his charone down to the river, the second soldier returned and started putting on his clothes

’I think she’s beginning to enjoy it,’ he said, as he sat in the sun watching his coan to advance on Florentyna

When he reached her, he turned her over, forced her legs as wide apart as possible, his large handsrapidly over her frail body The screaroan Wladek counted sixteen soldiers who raped his sister When the last soldier had finished with her, he swore and then added, ’I think I’ve made love to a dead worass

They all laughed even runtled soldier walked down to the river At last Wladek’s guard released him He ran to Florentyna’s side, while the soldiers lay on the grass drinking wine and vodka taken fro the bread from the kitchens

With the help of two of the servants, Wadek carried Florentyna’s light body to the edge of the river, weeping as he tried to wash away her blood and bruises It was useless for she was black and red all over, insensible to help and unable to speak When Wladek had done the best he could he covered her body with his jacket and held her in his arently on the mouth, the first woman he had ever kissed She lay in his arnise him, and as the tears ran down his face on to her bruised body, he felt her go liuards went silent as they watched hini walk towards the chapel He laid her down on the grass beside the Baron’s grave and started digging with his bare hands When the sinking sun had caused the castle to cast its long shadow over the graveyard, he had finished digging He buried Florentyna next to Leori and made a little cross with two sticks which he placed at her head Wladek collapsed on the ground between Leon and Floren - , tyna, and fell asleep, caring not if he ever woke again

8

Williaan to look for co those older than himself Whatever he took up, he was never satisfied unless he excelled in it, and his contemporaries alan to realise that ed as his own lacked any incentive to compete, and that fiercer rivalry was to be found from boys who had, compaxed with hi match - box labels hit Sayre Acadereat interest but did not join in Within a few days, co hands at a dime, while rarities commanded as much as fifty cents William considered the situation and decided to beco Saturday, he went to Leavitt and Pearce, one of the largest tobacconists in Boston, and spent the afternoon taking down the names and addresses of all thea special note of those ere not at war He in - vested five dollars in notepaper, envelopes and stamps, and wrote to the chairman or president of every co been rewritten seven times

Dear Mr Chairman or Mr President, I am a dedicated collector of match - box labels, but I cannot afford to buy all the matches My pocket money is only one dollar a week, but I enclose a three - cent stae to prove that I am serious about my hobby I am sorry to bother you personally, but yours was the only naed 9) PS Yours are one of my favourites

Within three weeks, William had a fifty - five per cent reply which yielded one hundred and seventy - eight different labels Nearly all his correspondents also returned the threecent sta the next seven days, Willia what he could sell at even before he had made a purchase He noticed that some boys showed no interest in the rarity of the match - box label, only in its looks, and with thees to obtain rare trophies for thecollectors After a further teeks of buying and selling he sensed that theits zenith and that if he were not careful, with the holidays fast approaching, interest ht be~nn to die off With much trumpeted advance publicity in the form of a printed handout which cost him a further half cent a sheet, placed on every boy’s desk,, WilEarn announced that he would be holding an auction of his match - box labels, all two hundred and eleven of the the lunch hour and was better attended than ames