The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-12-02
my ADVENTURES IN RUSSIA.
concluded.

IL steamer left the quay without other pas
sengers, and pushed out into Lake Ladoga,
which stretches away to the east of Cron-
sdadt and st. Petersburg. Getting clear
of the shipping, the steamer was headed
to the northeast, and then / knew that Joe
was right. To guard, the fourteen on the
chain there were ten soldiers, all sulen-
looking, uncivil fellows, who would not
answer a question. The twelve Russian
prisoners on the chain kept sobbing and
lamenting, but the women bore up more
bravely than the men, and were the
soonest over their outburst of grief We
all sat down in circle on the deck of the
clumsy dirty craft, and the guards occupied
benches little distance of, and gave us no
particular attention. Encouraging one of
the prisoners to hope that something fav-
orable might turn up in his case, ques-
toned him as to the long journey, the
usage we would receive, the fare, and what
the prospects were of escape.
"Ah, my dear sir" he whispered, "have
no hope from this moment They look
upon as wolves, and we will be treated as
such from now to the end have read
that prisoners have escaped while pursuing
the journey, but they were recaptured and
cruelty tortured, and then sent to even a
worse fate than Siberia"
l saw that it was no use trying to en-
courage any of them, and Joe and held
conversation between ourselves. Both of
us had read as much as the Russian had
about the journey, but we began planning
escape from the very start, and were quite
positive of getting out of the country some
how, if we could once elude the vigilance of
those who would guard the chain.
The steamer went along like an old tub,
having head wind and bad sea, and it
was near midnight before we landed at
Shakudoo, small town on the northeast
We marched up the crooked street to the
Jail, filed in, and dumped down on stone
floor, having no straw or blankets, and
having had no food since morning. When
Joe found out that they did not intend to
feed u.s. he began bowling and hopping in
prisoners begged him to be quiet, put he
would not, and continued his noise until an
official came in, when explained what was
wanted. He shook his head, and went out,
but Joe's yells brought him back, and after
storming around and threatening, he finally
brought some bread and water.
None of us got much sleep that night,
and at daylight we were marched out, and
our guards delivered us to those who were
to take the chain through to Siberia. These
men were differently uniformed, looking
more like guides, but well armed, and had
had previous experience. never could
understand why the Russian government
tramps its prisoners SO far across the coun-
try, when they might have posts and use
some sort of conveyance but it is perhaps
because they do not take time into account,
and marching wears out no wheels. We
were to go the whole journey on foot, as the
commander of the guards informed us. He
stated that if we made no trouble we should
be well treated, and get the best of fare in
his power to give but that if we attempt
ed to escape, it would end in the speedy
death of those who planned the enterprise.
1t was four hundred leagues to the Ural
Mountains, and fifty more to the point
where we would be left, making journey
of over thirteen hundred miles. He would
be satisfied if we made six leagues or
eighteen miles, per day on an average.
This would give us journey of seventy
five days, or nearly three months, not
counting for delays.
There was general sobbing and groan-
ing among the prisoners as they contem-
plated the hardships of the long march
The fare would be black bread and water,
with meat now and then, and vegetables
every seventh day, if they could be pro-
cured.
cts too much walking and too poor liv-
ing for Yankee" replied Joe, when had
explained the soldiers statements. "Tll
bet you an anchor against chaw of 'bacco
that don't march week p
should have said the same thing, only I
didn't see at that moment how we could
help taking the whole journey. The word
was given to march, and away we went,
just as the Russian burgbers were crawling
out of their beds. The weather was by no
means unpleasant, it being midsummer,
and the weight Of the chain was so evenly
distributed that we marched quite freely.
The first thing was to practise us to march;
soldier went in front of us, another came