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

Ine pOdts InOncuIdFlly eApSCLluS U DC
asked for his papers, the old woman's
daughter arrived. Helping her carry a
trunk, he trudged along behind her mother,
who carried on her head the empty jar that
had contained her food. They went through
an enjless number of streets and lanes,
and at last reached a wretched lodging
house, where he felt himself tolerably Sc.
cure. Being still fearful Of trouble about
his passport, he inquired what were the
necessary formalities to be observed The
landlady looked at his shabby little pass,
and, observing the seal, for she could not
read, asked him how long he intended to
remain. Learning that he only expected
to stay four or five days, she told him it
would be better not to 90 to the police, for
they had become so exacting that they re-
quired the landlady to accompany every
newcomer and she declared she could not
spare the time to wait her turn among the
crowd at the Prefecture.
The next day he went up and down the
bank of the Neva, furtively scanning the
placards on the different steamers, giving
their time of departure-for a Russian
peasant is not supposed to know how to
read. At last he saw an announcement,
in large letters, placed near the mast of
one of the steamers, that this vessel was to
leave for Riga the next morning. \ man
was walking the deck with his red shirt
worn over his trousers, q Ia RlSSe, but, not
daring to enter into conversation, the Pole
stood and gazed wistfully at him. In the
meantime it was getting late, when sudden
ly the man with the red shirt looked up
and said
Do you happen to want to 90 10 Riga
If you do come with me"
" Certainly, | want to 60 replied Pi O.
trowski; but how can poor man like
me 20 in the steamer ? 1t costs a good deal,
and is not for such as | am"
Why not? Come along We sha mt
ask much for a ulozlyif like you
" How much
The sum mentioned was so small that it
really astonished the Pole.
" Well, will that suit you? Why do
you still hesitate
a. only arrived here to-day, and l must
have my passport looked to by the police
But the police will detain YOU three
days, and the boat starts tomorrow
morning
What can | DO then
Why, leave without having it looked
at"
" But suppose l get into trouble.
Fool Have you got your passport
with you? Let me see it.
Piotrowski drew from his pocket the
pass-ticket, carefully wrapped in a silk
handkerchief after the fashion af Russian
peasants but, without taking the trouble
to look at it, the man said
Come tomorrow morning at seven, and
if | am not here, wait for me now be off
with you.
The fugitive returned Joytully to his
lodgings and punctually kept his appoint
ment the next morning. Steam was already
up. The man perceived him, but only
said " Give me your money" He then
went away, but Immediately returned with
a yellow ticket, Of the meaning Of which
the disguised Pole pretended to be ignorant
" Well" said the man, " hold your
tongue, moujik, and let me manage this
affair"
The bell rang three times; the psssen-
gers hurried aboard Piotrowski was
showed after them by his new acquaintance,
and the ship moved of. He thought he
was in a dream.
On board the steamer be epIayed his part
as a moujik so well as to make a German
traveller, who saw him breakfasting on
a bit Of bread and onion say to another,
" That is a Russian hog and when sea
sickness obliged him to take refuge in the
first class cabin, an elderly Russian lady
charged him with corrupting the air. Two
young Poles were the only persons who
showed any interest in him. But he dared
not betray his secret even 70 them.
After reaching Riga he assumed the
character Of a stcbetinuih, or Russian
peasant, employed by merchants to buy
hogs bristles. This allowed him to make
many inquiries on the road. He still
Travelled on foot, and, as it was now July,
slept with comfort in the woods and com
fields. Exchanging his thick winter cloth
ing for the blue summer suit which be
brought from Siberia, he still wore, not
withstanding the warm weather, the dis
tinctive garment of the Russian peasant
the little bernouse Of sheepskin After
passing through Lithuania, where he
learned from Russian soldier the precau-
tions taken by the authorities to prevent
fugitives and smugglers from crossing the
frontier into Prussia, he decided to make
the attempt N the daytime. When nearly
over the line he was discovered and fired
upon by the sentries, but succeeded in
effecting his escape, and took refuge in q
wood. Being now in Prussia, he cut off
his beard, and leaving behind him the
characteristic marks Of Russian peasant,
effected a new transformation, He passed
himself off as a French cotton spinner re-
turning from Brussels. Alter a fatiguing
journey on foot he arrived safely at Ko
nigsberg. There he found a vessel which
was to sail on the following day for FL
bing, and determined to avail himself of
this opportunity to return to the neighbor-
hood of his friends. But, having been
thus far successful in avoiding gendarmes,
he became careless, and, when almost in
safety, circumstance occurred that nearly
proved his ruin Toward evening he sat
dswn on a heap of stones near a ruined
house, intending to 60 and sleep in the
fields at night as usual but, very tired,
he fell asleep, and was awaked byI
a watchman, who, dissatisfied with his
attempt at explanation in execrable Ger
man, took him to the nearest police station
The feeling that he experienced at this
untoward event was one ofshame far more
than of sadness or despair. To have
escaped innumerable perils only to be
arrested at last by night policeman made
him blush for himself. His statement that
he was a French cotton spinner returning
from Russia was discredited by the police
authorities, who believed him to be a COM