Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-03-25


time. They halted at the stations onl,
long enough to change horses and oh
tain food. Occasionally the position
and the soldier exchanged places, 80 o.
to allow che former to obtain the sleel
he could not easily get while sitting boil
upright on the box. The teIyaga is al
ordinary wagon, mounted on wooden
springs, which have very little elasticity
and, where tho roads are rough, the
jolting is very uncomfortable. To ease
the motion little, the traveller generally
filla the vehiolo with straw Or hsy, and
lies, half sitting and half-reoiining, upon
IL. The horses are driven ct the best Of
their speed, If the position demands it,
as he generally does. Most travellers
are anxious to proceed as rapidly as pos
sible, in order that their journey may be
ended at the earliest moment. Whether
they are on pleasure or business, or 60
ing into exile, they are quite willing
that their time on the road shall be
brief.
The exiles who go on foot rest every
third day, but those who ride make no
delay. Very often the pedestrian pris-
oners ask to be allowed to go forward
without these third days Of rest, but the
request is not allowed on account Of the
confusion it would make among the con-
voys OF prisoners on the road. It is
quite desirable that proper distances
should be maintained among the travel.
ing parties, so that no two of them shall
be at the same station at once. The
stations are strong buildings surrounded
with palisaded fences, and generally
little distance from the villages. They
are not very neatly kept, and in summer
the prisoners prefer to camp on the
ground and sleep in the open air, either
in the station yard or outside Of it.
Dolaeff's guard showed him every at
tention consistent with his duties but,
as the guard is held to strict RESPONSE
bility in case of the escape of a prisoner,
he could not allow him many privileges
or relax his vigilance toward him.
Sometimes at the station he prolonged
the halts more than was necessary for re-
freshment and the change of horses, but
he could not allow many delays of this
kind lest the increase Of time over the
usual length CT the journey should at
tract attention. The position looked
upon the journey much as his prisoner
did, and often bemoaned his fate in be.
ing assigned to that duty. "Poor
wretch that I am," said he ;"I am 60
ing to Siberia as we'll as you, and it may
What if should be forgotten, and al
lowed to stay there for years."
On and on they wont among the
foot hills that every hour grew smaller
until they reached the great Barabinsky
steppe, which seemed to stretch away
limitless as the ocean, and apparently
as trackless. Along the level steppe
they galloped, with little to vary the
monotony of their journey. Ferrying
the Irish and the OBJ, those great rivers
of western Siberia, passing town after
town, and village after village, they
came at length to Irkutsk, the capital of
eastern Siberia, when Dolaeff was de-
livered to the hands of the official, and
his weary position released from further
care.
The prisoner, after few days rest.
was appointed to settle as a colonist
thousand miles to the northward, and
once more his journey was resumed.
When this destination was reached, his
duties were assigned to him. With
cause and to similar period of exile-he
was assigned to the hard duties of
farmer in new country. A quantity of
land equal to about fifty acres was given
to them in the valley of small river,
and they were at liberty to cut as much
wood and timber as they pleased from
the public domain that surrounded them.
They were supplied with axes and all
other tools necessary for clearing, build
ing ahouse, and tilling the soil. The gov
ernment gave them food and clothing,
seed for planting their fields, and every
thing absolutely necessary to their sub
sistence for the first two years of their
residence at the end of that time they
were expected to take care OF them
selves.
Once week the two prisoners were
required to report to the st0rvst, or head .
man of the village, four miles away. !
They endeavored to plan an escape, but $
could see no possibility of leaving the ;;
country. The road was long; it was !;
more than three thousand miles to :
European Russia, and at almost every :,
step there were difficulties to be encoun,
tered. They had no passports, and :
without them no one can travel in 81 =
IBERIA; they could not pass in the disguise
If peasants, as their language would be- =
ray them; they had no money for their :
expenses on the road, and would be GER =
ain of detection and severe punish y
nent So, after canvassing the posi- :
oilities of escape, and finding the y
chances altogether against them, Dolaeff =
Ind his companion abandoned hope, and y
II the sadness of despair pursued their v
lreary labors as colonists in Siberia. >,
After the arrest of his master, Ivan y
vas drafted into the Russian service and q:
'ssigned to battalion of the army about u
o move upon Warsaw. Dolaeff's estate, o
ike all the property of men convicted of -
reason, passed into the possession OF :, q
he government, and was managed in n
he interest of the crown. Ivan's bat ~ :,
alion was not long in finding active !, u
ervice, and took part in the battles that . -
lad for their object the capture Of War J.. J.,
aw. In the last attack upon the forti- II Il
led capital, in September, 1881, he dis p
inguished himself by his skill and W
ravery, and was mentioned in the re- " "
'orts Of his regimental commander as "
7orthy of an officers commission. ~
The gulf between the Russian soldier "
nd the Russian officer is wide one; it 81
annot be easily crossed; but when a =! y.
IAN has once left the ranks and passed I'll
he gulf, his promotion is comparatively
asy. Ivan devoted his whole time and 81
ttention to his duties, and won the ad-
liration Of his superiors. Step by step et
Q advanced; the battalion was ordered 10
, st. Petersburg, and four years after nj
is entry into the service Ivan found o,
imself on duty at the palace, and fire. ne
uently under the eye of the emperor. nj
Nicholas was pleased with him, and in
ne day said to Ivan that he would grant Al,
ny favor he might ask, provided it was ed
OF too great. Ivan busted himself q a
az or two in the preparation Of paper, hi
nd then tremblingly presented tito the hi
mperor. The latter glanced moment h,
the document, frowned, and TUNED n1
way. al
That evening courier left the palace al,
nd hsstened away eastward as fast as co
is horses could carry him. Four la'