Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-09-23


!, Bakal and the mountains at the hes
: waters Of the Amour. No one in
senses would give such an advantage
the feet footed enemy"
But my informant was positive as
the route which the caravan OF refuge
from Oherinsk had adopted. A Oorni
miner, dispatched thither to purcha
powder for blasting purposes, imme
ately before the inroad, had rejoin.
his comrades with the news. II o
pears that the decision, perilously nj
wise as it seemed to me, to select Il
longer and more northerly line
march, had been formed by Count Al
nenkoff, who commanded tho troop
and who was young man, new to IL
country, and over-confident in his ow
judgment.
Hitherto, il wSs added, the Mongt
horsemen had contented themselve
with lowering, like hawks on the wins
around the destined prey, keeping at
respectful distance from the rife
muskets of the soldiery; bnt there coul
be no doubt that they were waiting th
opportunity, in some unguarded me
ment, of swooping down upon the camr
while the movements of the fugitives
incumbered as they were by heav
baggage train, and accompanied b.
several ladies and children, were O
necessity slow. That Ellen and he
father were Of the company was all bu
certain.
could no longer endure the safe in
action of life at Kiachta, and accordingl,
! formed resolve which to many of my
friends appeared rash and willfui. Thi.
was to make my way, rs best might
to the caravan, the tardy pace of whicl
would readily be overtaken by a wei
mounted rider, and to persuade Eller
and her father rather to trust them
selves to my guidance back to Kiachta,
than to persevere in the arduous march
that otherwise lay before them.
l was excellontly mounted, and fell
that, should l fall in with the enemy.
their shaggy ponies would not easily
come up with my fine Turcoman steed.
The first long days march brought
me to cluster of black felt tents, conf
cal in shape, pitched on the bank of a
shallow brook, while hard by grazed the
sheep and buffaloes that made up the
only wealth of the horde. l rode up to
them without fear-for these ramblers
through the plains of eastern Siberia
have little harm in them-and recognized
in the headman of the camp on old ac-
quaintance, who spoke little Russian,
and often brought in lambskins, yaourt,
and wild strawberries to the market at
Kiachta.
81 would not push on were you,
said the white bearded pa.
triarch, as he set before me the simple
fare-milk, cheese and mutton kabaubs,
skewered on a twig of the arbutus-that
be had to offer. "They were here with
US yesterday, some hundreds of the
light fingered rogues from across the
frontier, and it cost me ten fat sheep,
and many fair words, to coax them into
good behavior. Thoy had two white
nnnn'a haado, Sot ON Of,ea. pvInUp, IUT
heir standards, and their leader swore
not to go back to Mongolia without sill
yer enough to plate the shrines of his
oss-house. They're after the poor folks
rom Cherinsk by this time; not that
they've any more fancy for the whistle
of leaden bullet than other people
nave."
The gift o. golden eagle, aud the
promise of two more coins of the same
nintage, induced the headman to send
with me barefdoted lad of his tribe,
who would, / was assured, prove quite
to conduct me to place
whence could easily overtake the cara
7an, and also to keep up with my horse
1t any pace short of gallop. And
7oung KAHN ran gallantly beside my
'tirrup over weary leagues of grazing
grounds, and stretches OF stony barren
less, till at length he stopped. pointing
to a number of footprints,
If horses, oxen, camels and men, stamp
ID into the half dried mud of shallow
and with wave of his
land toward distant wreath of blue
moke, sure sign of a bivouac fire, he
eceived from me the glittering eagles,
the gold in scrap of raw
heepskin, and thrust it into the gourd
hat dangled by thong from his waist,
nd then, with a grin of leave taking.
rotted off homeward.
had not ridden half mile toward
he camp fire before l saw approaching
ne, at numbering amble, ungainly
nough, but swift and silent, some two
core of laden camels, urged on by four
lorsemen whose lances and the black
tartar caps they wore suggested their
as Mongolian. Two of them,
s soon as they espied me, dashed at me,
With loud excavations and cries of
Feringhee! Russky kill kill |"
NV ravo1var vpoc ont in
nd the sight of it produced some effect
n the wild riders, for they wheeled off
0 right and left, galloping round me in
ircles, still brandishing their spears,
ntil third horseman spurred forward,
alling out something, which seemed as
by magic to suspend their murderous
and then rode quietly up to
~ side, and held out his bony hand for
le to shake.
Brother |" he said, in strange jar
on of mingled Turkish and Russian
very good friend, Batuschka Has
,nglish lord forgotten poor Sing-Si9"
1 looked at the mans broad fiat face,
nd did indeed recognize Tartar of the
ame above mentioned, whom l had, a
ear before, bought of, at an expendi-
ire of some six shillings sterling, from
Cossack patrol about to hang him on a
warf oak for being captured, red
anded, as sheep stealer. He had
ince then worked for us, as a porter,
or some months in Kiachta, but the
agrant instinct was too strong in Sing
i, and he had to throw up his employ.
rent and fed to the steppe.
The other three Tartars became ami
able enough when they found that
neir companion hailed me ns friend,
nd I gathered from the rascals' talk
nat they had been acting as guides to
ne Cherinsk caravan, and had seized an
pportunity OF making off with forty
amels and their loads, with which, as I
lade out, they intended to join their
ousins, the robber Mongols. All this
ing-Si, whose moral fiber was of the
related as an excellent Joke;
ut when he learned that was on nv
ay to join those whom he had Just de-
erted, his countenance assumed q
raver expression.
"Hark ye, English lord," he said,
as the others begun to goad
n their camels with blows and lance
ricks, "we of the steppe love friend
8 we hate foe. Sing-Si does not want
is former protector to leave his bones
bleach Oh the plains, with those of