The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-04-26

NlVi W. WV IlhEN Ilh
now started, and at such pace that the
Cossacks of the escort were compelled to
keep their wiry little nags at a hand-gal-
lop, AS we flew through the deserted
streets, and long after the suburbs had
been cleared and the lights of Warsaw
were lost to sight, ! continued to ponder
over this strange event, and TO puzzle
myself by vain efforts to guess why |, an
Englishman, quite free from political
complications OF any sort, had been thus
suddenly consigned to exile. had
heard of such arrests, but never OF n for
eigner, still less of a British subject, as
their victim.
"Ths is Stanislawow," said n voice
that | had heard before, speaking in
French, as the carriage drew up at the
door of lowrooied posthouse, and Il
fresh relay of horses were harnessed and
put to. "And now, count, if you will
take my advice, and promise to abstain
from useless resistance, shall be happy
to give orders for the removal Of that
chain around your wrists Come, come,
sir, | make allowance for your excite
ment at the outset of the affair, and do
not desire to cause you any needless an
noyaDce. Should you refuse, your irons
must remain on until the governor OF
Minsk-"
WMinskw | repeated, halfstupifed.
The junior of the two officers who had
arrested me, and who stood beside his
roo V kipy hprSn la1
1t is the nearest fortified place which
you will pass" he said: for need not
tell you, Count Ladislas, that we are
anxious to get you safe across the Bug,
and out of Poland. VIII you give your
parole"
And then flashed upon me, all at
once, the key to the enigma that had
perplexed me. had been arrested in
place ofmy friend and entertainer, whom
had suspected, rather than knew, to be
mixed up in one Of those wide-spreading
conspiracies in which Poles are so often
concerned and whose heart ] was aware
was better than his head As the glare
of the torches fell upon us | could even
guess the cause of the mistake, for in the
hurry of leaving the theater | had put
sables instead Of NV own while in beicht
and fgure we ware alike | had fhe
nresenre Of mind to repress the indignant
protest a. to nv nationality which WAS
on my lips.
i will give my parole, since you ask
it," | said, COnccaling my face as if to
hide nv emotion and the chain which
fcttered NV hands was at once removed
aft will no longer count he necessary
that an officer should accompany Won b
snid Iiout ImkoA' civiIlv Will vnu
JrinL somc brandy hefore siartingg Tbr
nirbt ia cold and thc storc a long one },
7 shook nv hcoG and made ne ortic.
ulo,o rcnlv Glad os | should heen of the
nronosed dram Of coarse corn brandy
and chilled as I was bv the unusual ex.
nosurn to the kecn nicht wind Rut
fcared to show nv focc lcost the mistake
should no found ont foo soon for NV
friend;s safetv TLo driver cIutched the
rains while a rrim Cossock cornorol took
his scat beside me in thc place lately
occupied by the Warsaw police-agcnt.
The other troops were in their saddles.
Forward, there! Push on, men !"
cried the lieutenant, in Russian, and off
we set. amidst howling wind and whirl-
ing snowhakes.
1t was not until Stanislawow was left
behind, and | and my wild guards were
far ON the road, that began to reflect
that. in providing for the security of
Count Ladistas, | had perhaps seriously
compromised nv own. Nv strategem
had succeeded. Nv first captors were
convinced that it was the rich Young
Polish landowner whom they had des.
patched on the dismal Journey to Sibcria
and in all likelihood the marriage next
morning would take place without in
terruption. and the newly-wedded pair
start for Jtaly, unsuspicious of the danger
which had threatened their happiness
with shipwreck at the very outset of life's
VOYAGE. Could but keep up the de-
centi0n for another twenty.fou hours,
I,adisIas and his bride would be safe
across the frontier.
d.. uho+ would hocome of mo or bow
n,ouII nI thn IH Russian % authorities regord % tbe
"nthor Who Of their discomfiture9 True
I"J "S'iIa baon " orrosted in sheer icnorance Of
,%a % blunJar which nromised to be 90
nro6tahle @ to NV friend -. but had n fair
po pihomco nf declar;ns who I was and had
chosen wilfuIlv if MIGHT be soid to mis-.
Iaad tho imneriaI poliee, had heard
nnst - ros;Jnpts in Russia had heard-.uclv
,OrI n,"r;ea s' as 70 what can be done in NM.
oouv IU whan il is no longer needf,l to hide
~ ~ honJ Of stool With the glova ot
vnIvat VOL Vet I resolved TO plav ont NV
,,ort oo Iona as T deemed il indisnonsobie
70 r." tbe safety of Count Ladislas and
manfnllv addressed myself to confront
tho har1shins of the long and arduous
Journey m that law before me-
That terrible nigbt and tho dark and
otormv dav that Gollowed il. 7 tb;nt ID
them vet as of some bideous dream oI
tbe ancw the cuttino blasts tho toll r.
force a wav tbrough the drifts tho bl,cL
nina % woods The monnted escort ox
Changed AZ every second stage for fresh