The mountain Democrat., 1864-07-16

when the day began to dawn, dim and
misty, and the carriage stopped at soli-
tnry post. house In the midst of q wide
barren plain, which looked like the first
Of the steppes. Out came the postmaster,
all hair and beard; out came company ot
men, who looked every one like engineers;
and out at their head, as if leading grand
survey, came my principal, Mr.. Evans. -
No sight that ever met my eyes before or
since seemed half so joyful or glorious as
his broad, bronzcd face.
"Help me-save me, Mr.. Evans!"
cried "they are carrying me away to
the III ines of Siberia, and | have done no
evil"
"Don't be afraid, said Evans to me in
English, while his company quietly sur.
rounded the carriage, and he addressed
himself to the officer in sound Russiac,
exhibiting papers, and, | knew, dscours.
ing abeut the knout. The man hesitnted,
and held back for while but at length,
seeing that the engineers company were
about to take the business in their own
hands, he gave wav, allowed me to be ta.
ken out of the carriage, unbound, and
lodged at the post-hOuse, while he and
his poor satellites stayed outside to keep
guard.
1--WE must remain here" said Evans,
till the governors courier from Wilma
comes up. We have outridden him by
some hours, fancy, for the moment the
mounted, took the shortest route across
the country, and got here about twenty
minutes ago. Hawkins, how did you get
into this confonndcd scrape?'
'' 1t was all Duroche's doings." said I.
"Duroche'" said the engineer; "he
was the very man who sent me the intel
ligence, and he must have paid the mes.
senger we'll to have run so fast. Here is
his letter."
He put into my hand crumpled pa.
per, and | read by the fading wood Hre
and the kindling day, one If the most
earnest and urgent appeals that man could
write un'ter the spur Of fear and friend
ship. He prayed Evans, for the sake Of
everything in this world and the next, to
| fly TO my reScue gave full particulars Of
where and how was to be found, at that
very post house, en- route for Moscow
and adjIged him not to let his dear Eng
liSh friend suffer by such an absurd mis-
take, which he believed was rather con-
spiracy got up by certain Russian no.
bleman for his own purposes.
Whether the Frenchman or myself had
gone mad in the course Of that night, !
could not be certain; Evans was inclined
to think it was me. But the governors
courier from wilma arrived at last, with
the warrant for my immediate transfer to
that town. ! could not be liberated at
once, as the governor had some doubts in
his mind but in the custody Of the sol
tlierS, and escorted by the engineer and his
men, | reached wilma, and was brought
before his eXcellency. By that time the
governor had got positive intelligence Of
the escape Of Count Henry Vladimir ia
Sinski, who. not beina lost in the lam
burg steamer, had stolen back u his
family in the disguise of an Austrian off,
Ger, aud was all but taken, the authorities
having received information from Krou.
zot, when | came ont wearing his well
known cloak, and was arrested in his
stead The officer on duty might have
! AlSSONCiSo llio lIllSAuhC Jul lOI uttGStuo
tion Of thNensincer Durochc, and in the
same Ion night in which | was driven
toward Moscow, that gentleman, together
with the Jasinskis, one and all. contrivcd
to make their way to the Russian frontier.
Nothing but the energy with " hich had
protested against my own arrest saved me
from the charge Of completely in the plot.
AS it was had some difficulty in getting
liberated, and had to be sent to different
station, on account Of the umbrage given
to the authorities. Mr.. Evans found his
credit so much involved in the affair that
he soon after found business for me in
I England. So lost the chance Of being
his head man on the Warsaw and St. Pc.
tersburg Railway, and took resolution
to take signal vengeance on Duroche, If
ever he came in my way. know not
how far that resolution would have been
kept, but very short time after my arri.
val in England, | received his wedding
cards. and 2 most iendly pate, ,inforwing
me that CIemeMa had consented to be.
come Madame Durnche, They had been
engaged for years. he was gond enough to
say, but the old count could not be bro't
to approve of the match till after the lit
tic service which he had the happiness to
render to the family through my instru-
mentality. Duruche further assured me
that nothing but the urgent necessity of
| the case, and the sight he got of the Rus
sian soldiers stealing through the forest to
surround the chateau, would have made
him subject me 10 such Inconvenience,
but he knew my benevolent heart would
/ rejoice in having been the agent of escape
to perSecuted patriot. My benevolent
heart did not exactly rejoice; it wns for q
good cause, but had been tricked, lost
my engineering prospects, and we'll de.
served it all None Of my friends were
enlightened, however, on the last fact |
went back to Birkenhcad, and gave Lncy
Anne to understand the peril had escap-
/ ed. am not sure that she didn't believe
it was owing to the unrcquited love of a
Russian countess. Al anyrate there was
a great impression made, not only on her
but on all the PatterSons. became u
hero Of romance among them, the mamma
consented to the renewal of our engage
ment | got a position almost to her
mind sometime after. got married. am now
a family man. and can afford to give n
true account of my adventure in Poland.
Chambers's Journal
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