Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-04-04
The Snow Flood.

| enough, Oh course, mere IN hllCHtt, De'
hind our strong stockadcs and brass can
non. But there is scarcely post to the
eastward that can be called secure, now
the Mongols are over the border"
Surely, however," said l, looking up
from the desk and the invoice in which
was duly recording packages of brick ten
coarse silk, the white sonorous brass pecu-
liar to China, and other imports from the
Flowcry Island - the Mongols will content
themselves with sweeping off some flocks
and herds, and not venture on attacking
the settlements. The Russian military
| power"
Its far cry, as they say in my coun.
try, to st. Petersburgh, or even to the
Wolga," grimly rejoined the first speaker
whose name was Gil6llan. These " Tar.
tar thieves know well enough that, short
of Irkutsk, there are but some weak de
tachmcnts to bar their way. Even the
sotnia of CossackS has been withdrawn,
and, for the moment, the whole of Eastern
Siberia lies ut the mercy of the Mongols." -"
THIS was serious news to me, for, nl
though my colleague from the Land OF
Cakes was quite correct in his assertion
that we were safe at Kischtu fortified
position too strong to be attempted by the
barbarian foe, there was one whose life
held dearer than my own, and who, should
the tidings of u Mongol inroad be confirm
ed, might BE- exposed to some peril.
|, Frank Richards, had been. during two
out oc the three years which / lad passet
in this out -of-the-way corner of the Rus
pIn in a I.lp n
Merton O. Paulovitch the managing part
ner OF which resided at Irkutsk, and was
us his name implies, like myself, an Eng
lishman. Mr.. Merton. however, was ont
of those Anglo-Russians of whom many
are to be found in the higher mercantile
society of St Petersburgh, and who have
taken root, us it were, in the country ir
which the greater part of their lives hat
been spent lie was II man of considers
bic property, and as a member Of the Ful
Trading Guild was possessed of certain
valued privileges which almost amounted
to monopoly.
1t was with anger and annoyance that
the rich merchant learned that his clerk
WAS in love with his only daughter. Ellen
and that the sentiment was reciprocal. MIR
Merton, US was very natural, had othel
views for his daughters establishment in
life. lie was always looking forward tt
the day when, leaving the active conduc
of the business in younger hands, he
would withdraw to the capital, where Mis-!
Merton, rs well-dowered heiress, might
very probably marry Count or possibly t
Prince. 1t was II piliful anthithesis tt
such exalted visions that she should bestcW
her hand on mere subordinate IN the
house of Merton " Fauloyltch.
b" ike you Richards, tle mercnan'
had said to me not unkindly; and II you
and Ellen, too, Will but be reasonable ant
promise to forget this tolly-Ah! well
then, there Is no help tor 1t, see.
And thereupon we parted. l was
good linguist and was well trained to lh'
routine Of business III that remote region
so it was easy enough for me to oHtall
employment In II mercantile house II
klachta, at higher rate OF salary lhal
that which had hitherto drawn. doubt
however, If should have cared TO continue
any longer in my self-imposed eXil'
from the civilization OF Europe had it no
been that | could not muster the resolution
to tear myself away from the country o
which Ellen Merton was still an lnhablt
ant. Even this poor consolation was, i
seemed, soon to be taken from me, for TIN
gosslps of the colony were unanimous tina
the ensuing winter was the last that woult
see the Mertons resident in Siberia.
And then, preceded by certain threaten
ing rumors, to which scanty credence hat
been attached, there had occurred thu
Mongol incursion, prompted, rs there WA
reason to suspect, by the Chinese authori
ties of whose sentiments toward the riva
empire, pressing yearly closer TO their eX
tenslve frontier, few doubts could be en-
tcrtained by even the most optlmistically
disposed of the motley European communi
ty-Russian, German, Polish and British
whose task it WAS to develop the grea
natural resources of this long neglected
corner of the earth. We were well aware
that in reply TO the diplomatic reMons
frances, the Mandarins ut the helm OF tht
State would discIaim all responsibility fol
the acts OF Il tribe OF turbulent marauderS
willie at the same time they would chuckl
slyly at the injuries thus vicariously inllict
ed on the detested Fan Qui.
On the fourth day after the outbreak o
: hOstilities, there arrived in Kiachta ii groul
Of Englshmen, engineers and COrnisl
miners, from II valuable mine on the furth
er bank of the Amour, the whole plant o
which had been wantonly destroyed by th
Mongol raiders. They reported the station
Of Chernsk, with all its factories AM
dwellings, to be in flames, while the Eu
ropean residents, with such Of their pro
perty as they could contrive TO save, wer
slowly retreating, under the protection o
II military escort, toward Irkutsk.
Toward lrkutsk" | exclaimed, in
crodulously; You mean, surely, towar,
Kiachta, L. would be running into tn
lions mouth to attempt the long marc
over the open plains that lie between tn
northern end of Lake Bakal and til
mountains ut the head waters of tn
Amour. No one in his senses would Civ
such an advantage to the hcet-foote,
enemy
But my informant was positive rs to tn
: route which the caravan of refugees from
Chcrinsk had adopted A Cornish miner
dispatched thther 10 purchase powder 70
blasting purposes, just before the inroad
had rejoined his comrades with the news
1t appeared that the decision, perilousl