Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-05-29

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awoke by three peasants, who asked to see
his passport After disputing their right tc
make such demand, he showed them hi:
only remaining pass, which could not have
imposed on any official, but the sight oi
the seal satisfied these ignorant peasants
who excused themselves for troubling him
by the not very comforting assurance that
they had mistaken him for an escaped con.
viot. The rest of the night passed of
quietly, but, realizing as he left in the
morning the danger of asking for shelter,
he determined to depend for the future
wholly on his bed scooped in the ground
Ostiak fashion. In his long journey over
the Ural Mountains to Velliki-O Oustiong,
extending from the middle of February to
the beginning of April he had to content
himself with this primitive way of sleep
ing Only three or four times did he dare
to ask shelter for the night in some lonely
hut, being forced to do so by utter exhaus-
tion after fifteen or twenty days tramp in
the forest, which made him almost uncon-
scious Of what he did. All the other nj ghts
were passed in the scooped-out hole in the
earth, in the natural hollows formed at
the foot Of great trees, or, on ground where
the ickly-falling snow soon formed a
warm covering, which however, was not
easily thrown off in the morning. By
degrees he became so accustomed to this
way Of sleeping that he used to find him
self at night going into the thickest part
Of the forest as to an inn, through at other
times this savage life was almost unbear-
able. The absence Of any human habita-
ton, the want Of hot food, and even of
frozen bread, which was sometimes his only
nourishment for days together brought be-
fore him, in all their horrible reality, the
two hideous spectres called Cold and Hun
ger. At such times he dreaded most the
sudden fits Of droWsiness which came over
him, for they seemed like premonitions of
death, and he struggled against them with
his little remaining strength. The craving
for hot food was sometimes SO strong that
it was very difficult for him to refrain from
going into some hut to beg for little ST.
berian turnip-soup.
The solemn silence brooding over the
vast expanse Of snow and ice in these for
est solitudes, only broken by the crack
ing Of the stones from the intensity of the
cold, had an effect on the weary traveller,
who yet thought Nature even in her rudest
aspect kinder friend than man for she, at
least, he quantity says, never asked him
for his passport.
In crossing the Ural Mountains he lost
his way in a snow-storm, and having ex
hausted his stock of bread, passed hor
ribe night in the agonies of cold and hun
ger. Unable to sleep he earnestly prayed
fou death as a relief to his suferings
At daybreak he dragged himself along in
search Of the path, but soon sank exhaust
ed at the foot Of tree. The sleep which
in that region IS the forerunner Of death,
had already owe rtaken him when he was
saved by a trapper who was crossing the
forest. After giving him some brandy
bread and dried fruit, which were eagerly
dev0ured, the man spoke words of encour-
agement, and, after showing him the road
leading to a house of refuge, disappeared
in the woods.
PiatrOwski's Joy at seeing the house in
the distance was so great that he would
have entered it had he known it was full
Of gendarmes waiting to arrest him. After
reaching the door, he had hardly crossed
the threshold when his strength gave out,
and he fell down and rolled under bench.
For some minutes he was in a state of COM
plete insensibility. On coming to he was
scar rcely able to swallow the food given to
him by his host, and soon fell into a sleep
which lasted twenty four hours, when the
landlord becoming alarmed, reused him
On learning that his visitor was a boh0mo-
lets, or worshiper of God-whch was the
new character assumed by the fugitive
going to pay his devotions to the holy i'm
ages of the convent of Solovetsk, near
Archangel the man was uuwearied in his
attention.
Under this new title, which inspired the
respect and sympathy of the Russian peas
ants, the refugee reached Veliki-Oustiong
in safety. There he boldly associated with
the bohomolcts, who were waiting in large
numbers for the breaking up Of ice OF the
Dwina, SO as to embark for Archangel
Receiving a cordial welcome from these
unsuspecting religionists, whose devotional
habits he furtively studied, he remained a
month with them, taking part in their ex-
.ercises with exemplary punctuality, though
fearing all the time lest the priest should
request him to repeat the Russian creed,
OF which he was totally ignorant. At
last he embarked in one of the barges
used for the conveyance Of merchandise to
Archangel which take pilgrims, bringing
their own provisions, free Of charge. BY
assisting in rowing the craft, he earned
fifteen rubles, the exact sum he had spent
in coming from Irbite. In a fortnight
they arrived at Archangel, where he sup
posed his troubles would be over, for, as it
was frequented by vessels Of all nations,
there seemed little doubt of finding one to
take him to France or England.
To avoid endangering mis- safety by
undue haste, he still performed the religious
duties Of a Johon1oletS, but his chief in
terest was in the vessels in the bay. As
it was early in the season, there were only
twenty in port, and among them he sought
in vain for the French flag. 10 add to
his disappointment, a Russian sentinel
stood on the deck OF each of these vessels,
which were thus guarded night and day.
All along the quays were sentries to pre-
vent any persons from crossing their lines
without giving satisfactory explanations or
papers.
Not daring to submit to this ordeal, and
making several unsuccessful attempts to
reach the outward bound vessels, he sor-
rowfully relinquished his long cherished
plan of escape by water. As his stay in
the town after the departure of the pill
grims for the Holy Isle had already ex
cited surprise, he took the road for Omega
as a pilgrim, who having visited the holy
images of Solovetsk, was going to Kiev
q to salute the sacred bones" On arriving
at Vytiegta, he was accosted on the quay
by a peasant, who inquired where he was