The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-18
PRINCE BOLTIKOFF.


laps, than Fort Needham on the South
Coast, but it is at all times 50 strictly
garrisoned that the integrity Of the
Empire might depend upon it's tenure.
was once it's garrison-I, Randall de
Loutherberg Carruthers, Lieutenant in
her Majesty's Royal Regiment of Fen
cibles-that is to say, L, with hand
full of soldiers, held it against all COM
ers. My men were better off than l
was, for they took it in turn to mount
guard upon the honeycombed ordnance
and the tumble down gates of the fort
ress. They had employment. l had
none. bathed, breakfasted, and walk
ed upon the shore; to eat, drink, sleep,
and smoke made up the sum total of
my diversions. But that I was gifted
with powers of progression, might
have been an oyster.
One day as usual strolled upon the
beach. The season was springtime the
sky bright, the sea like mirror.
Nothing ever broke the stiffness that
reigned around Fort Needham; it lay
off the highroad, no one came to it
even the fishing boats avoided the bay,
because of the shoal water. With my
glass I swept the horizon, now and
again examining the sea gulls or far
off sail.
What is that black thing bobbing up
and down in the water? A hen coop
or a whale? or new rock shot up sud.
denly from beneath the waves?
No, it is a boat of some sort very
low in the water, not unlike a rattan
there is a figure on it, a man pad!ling.
He is making for the shore; slowly and
surely he approaches. Closer and clo-
ser. His face is plainly visible now,
and his breast through his open shirt.
He handles his little oar with skill and
vigor-nearer and nearer he comes.
At length-grate, squeeze, thud, his
Taft has run aground, and he jumps
onto the shingle.
The strangers first act was to throw
himself upon his knees and exclaim
fervently in French, ''Thanl God
safe at last !"
Then he rose and came to greet me
with the bow of a finished courtier.
He was in rags, he wore only dilapi-
dated shirt OF coarse calico, and a pair
of tattered trousers reaching just be-
You'd his knees, made apparently from
an old gray blanket yet, in spite of
all, he seemed a gentleman. His man.
ner was perfect, the English in which
he addressed me, though tinged with a
foreign accent, pure, and in information
decidedly well bred.
"This is a sorry plight in which I
find myself, Monsieur. I am q wait
castup by the sea. have been ship
wrecked. I never dreamt l should
reach land alive!"
''Shipwrecked, I asked. 'sWhen
Where? HoW?''
'Yesterday I was on board my own
yacht, the Feodorowna-I am Prince
haps,' seeing that bowed at this in
PRODUCTION of himself. ''No? am
Russian. was en- route for Cowes.
Last night the yacht lay becalmed off
the needles. [ was in my berth-half
reading half doing, when-crack -
something crashed into the side of the
yacht. l jumped from bed and rush.
ed as was, on deck. It was a COILS
sion. Death stared us one and all in
the face. snatched up the first gar
ments could find-you see Them" he
pointed, smiling, to his rags-F'and
jumped overheard. am good swim
mer. At dawn was still afloat. Then
[ got together few floating spars
from the wreck, and made that little
raft-good friend it has done it's Duty
and as he spoke he pushed it back
into the tide-"Adieu; go, mon ami,
go.".
''May ASK continued the stranger,
as soon as the raft had drifted away.
''May ask where am? Would you
have the extreme cOmplaisance to d.
rect me to the nearest town %
''This is Fort Needham, said I. Var
chester is the nearest town-some doz-
en- miles distant.
So far! am hardly in walking trim,
[ fear, but must make shift to push
on
''1mpossible. I cannot permit it.
You need rest, food. My quarters are
close at hand. lam the commandment of
the fort-''
''You are then an English officer! 1
might have guessed it! You are all
generous as you are brave. was with
Menschikoff in Sebastopol, and learnt
to respect you Them
eff you are yourself a soldier, Prince,
it is the more incumbent upon me be-
ing your host
With this, l led the way to the fort.
The admission of such tatterdema-
lion rather surprised the decorous SEN
try, but my servant, who was called
in to assist at the Princes toilet. soon
spread the real story through the bar
racks.
A bath, my razors, and a complete
rig-out of my clothes, made wonder