The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-08-10
For the National Era.
The BANDIT iBR0THERS
rRox The RUSSIAN or rousHxrs.

Beyond the Volga, by tho light
OF watchfrcs cleaning through the nigks
AmiIture strange of garbs and faces,
OF tribes, conditions, tongues, and races
From oioisters, huts, and dungeon cells,
They're banded in the hope of spoilss
Here, 10 al hearts, oae purpose dwells~~
No Law to hold them In its tolls
Tho hardy fugitive is there,
Fled from thy banks, heroic Don;
The Hebrew with his raven hair,
And many fierce and warliks SON
The steppes have borne-.he grim Basbkier,
The wild Caimuck, unknown to fear,
Tho rcd-haired Finn, the Gypsy rude,
Rowing in lazy lassitude-
Danger and blood, debauch and fraud,
life byiustioo never nwed--
These are the korrid ties that bind
This band in war against their kind.
Meet in their work to bear q part
Is he who, with q stony heart,
Has passed through every stage Of guilt;
Who mocks Mt helpless orphans grosns,
And finds sweet music in their tones;
By whose unshrinking hand Is split
The widows blood; who mover spares
Or infant locks or silver hain;
Who inds in murder joy less ieetlng
Than that which crowns the lovers meeting
Now ell Is silent, and the moon
Sheds DER them its uncertain light;
And Oft the wins-eup's sparkling boon
Is sought to cheer the tagging night
Some, prone upon the dew damp ground,
Have sunk into Htful slumber;
While dark, their guilty heads around,
Fit boding phantoms without number.
Others the sullen hours beguiled,
While slowly on the night was wearing
With barbarous legends, strange and Wild
Recounting deeds of reckless daring.
But now, in willing fascination,
A strangers voice the rest has bound;
And all in silence gather round,
Attentive to his rude narration
"we were but two-in infancy
Left to dreary orphanage.
Fed by grudging charity,
Mid strangers passed our tender age.
United in our Loneliness,
We little knew of childhood's bliss
Full oft we suffered pinching want
Full OF endured the bitter taunt;
And while the cup of Life for others
Flowed sparkling from the fount of pleasure.
Distress and anguish without measure
Were poured out to the orphan brothers.;
And without hope for future years,
Youth dawned mid perjury and tears.
All! comrades, ye will wonder not
We tired ut length of such q lot,
And with strong arm resolved to try
Some more eongenial destiny.
With trusty steel ard friendly night,
The sole companions Of our fight,
We fed, not fearing lest the morrow
Should dawn amid new want and sorrow.
Ali fears and griefs we cast aside,
And treacherous conscience learned To hide.
All, youth bold, brave, adventurous youth
A glorious life we led in soot6,
While, scorning death in many fray,
The strife We shared by nightly day,
Safe in the forest, shared the prey.
Whene'er the moon, with friendly light
To guide the traveller on his way,
Shone clear amid the vault of night,
We sailed forth in quest of prey
In ambuscado We silent wait,
Till lucky chance may bring to view
Some sorry priest or wealthy Jew,
Returning homsward tired and late
And when into our hands they fall,
Whate'er we fnd-we seize on all.
II winter oft, at dead of night,
II was for us wild delight,
With darling sledge and bounding steed,
Across the snowy depth TO speed.
We sing and shout-and whom we fly,
AS arrows through the frosty air,
Our powerful arm who dares defy?
Whenoer o country inn we spy,
By lights which through the darkness faro,
Thither we haste, with joy clste,
And with loud knock assault the gate
We call the housewife Justify,
And, entering, al TO us is free.
We feast, with many mirthful sally,
And with the buxom maidens daily.
"But, ali not long the brothers Toasted.
Tho minions Of tho Law soon found Us,
And in their loathed fettors bound us;
And while one summer slowly wasted,
The woes of dungeon lifo we tasted.
older by five full years was /,
And harder than my hapless brother
Shut from the bright and cheerful sky,
The gloom his spirit seemed to smother;
And longing for the forest breeze,
He pined in sorrow and disease.
Drawing with pain his stifled breath,
Wand'ring in thought-his heated head
Upon my shoulder faint reclining
Already, at the gates of Death,
To that grim Power whom mortals dread,
His Heeting life he was resiguing.
And STILL with weak and piteous ory
He called to ms incessantly:
L choke within these gloomy wallis
o, for the woods and waterfalls!
I die with thirst but all in vain
gave to him the cooling draughtc-
Soon, as With burning lips he quaffsd,
Tormentins thirst returned again;
While from his face and o'or his breast,
Tortured with fevorish unrest,
The beaded sweat ran down like rain
And the fierce heat that sent his blood
Along the veins, a lava food,
With crazy fancies fred bis brain.
"No longer now my face he knew,
But cried, as were far away:
How hast thou vanished from my view,
And whittier Ia en- thy hidden way?
Why has my brother left me here,
Wrapt in this dsnk and loathsome gloom,
With reptiles in . living tomb7
He lured me to this mad career,
From peaceful fields and cottage cheer
Inspired me with his fearless NIGH
Amid the forests Wild and drear,
And in the darkness of the night
Taught me to murder .--far from me
Wide roaming now at liberty,
He wanders in the open fields,
GaiIy his pondercus weapon Yields;
And in his enviable lot,
His prisoned oomrade has forgot!'
snow kindiing fierce within his heart,
The angry fires of conscience wake
Dire phantoms into beirg start,
Whose coldly threatening fingers make
His anguishsd soul with terror shake.
More frequent far than all the rest,
Awhite-haired form, approaching slow.
OF one we murdered long ago,
Comes back to haunt his tortured breast