The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-07-20

lTubn 10 Tell, the vessels Oh Tie Anglo
Russian navigation company delivery.
little business in the passenger carrying
line. BY towing, by the transport of
light goods, and so forth, we earned
decent dividend; but although we had
an elaborate printed tariff of charges,
the I" neat private cabins, and " saloon"
forsfrst class passengers, had come to be
sadly CONSPICUOUS by their absence.
However, the bishop, with his easy bon
homie, made things pleasant. Russians,
he said, with truth, needed, in fine
weather, but scanty accommodation.
Students, nuns, and himself, could rough
it, only thankful for speedy sjourney.
And the payment he would leave to me
% 4 compliment, !" added the gpreIate,
with laugh and a shrug, " which | as
sure you, captain, / would not offer to
my own countrymen. But you English
have conscieneeP's - s EsfE
/ did not forfeit the national reputa-
ton for fair dealing, for charging His
Worthiness-for such | believe to be the
correct designation Of Muscoyite bish-
op-too much for the meagre comfort
which | was able ON board the Fair
Helen to supply to this clerical company.
We set to work with hammer and saw,
and as al sailors, even Russian fresh
water mariners, are handy fellows, we
soon pat up some rough cabins for the
nuns, while | gave up my own quarters
to the bishop. As for the students, the
weather was fine, and a set of hardy
young fellows might surely make shift to
keep the deck.
"There were, as it turned out, four
nuns, two of them being tall, burly Ia
vorniks, of that the grenadier aspect, so
common among the Russian peasant
women who take the vows, and
the other two, slight, delicate in manners
and appearance, and Enthusiastically
ladies. The prettier of these, who was
decorated with large gold cross, and
wore snowy. linen. and black French
cashmere instead of coarse serge, was
styled the prioress There were twenty
three students, weltgrown lads enough,
bat apparently shy and ill at ease and
who huddled together in a mob when
brought on board, and stunned eonver-
satioil.s Nor were thenuns very commu-s
nicative;. but the bishop, swho was
fluent. and agreeable talker, made amends
for the taeiturnity of the rest. :, "a
!, g WISH said the mate to me, as I'VE
dropped down stream, @.3t that we hadn't
got freight of blackavised cattle like
yon picture-worshippers aboard. It's
borne in upon my mind that i'll will
come O t." "a rsisg rrafee7 zseT5
2 But knowing the strength ofzMac's.
Scottish prejudiees, ] did, but laugh at
his prediction.
At Stostitza, where we stopped to take
in frewood, and where the oyerseer of
the RATS went ashore to hire fresh labor
ers in the room of a dozen fever-stricken
wretches on whom the miasma of the
muddy river had done its work, and who
had been left behind at Bykhow, sad
procession went by the wharf alongside
of which the steamer lay. This con-
sisted of some thirty political prisoners,
Poles, as we were told, implicated in an
abortive revolt near Minsk, and now on
their way to Siberia They were of all
ranks and ages; some with delicate
hands and faces that told of culture and
refinement; others who showed the
marks of honest toll; but all bore them
selves with a certain air of quiet dignity
which seemed to impress even the half
savage Cossacks who guarded them.
There was something in the proud en-
durance of the captives which touched
me. They were in chains, their clothes
were worn and ragged. Their faces
were wan with the privations of a Rus
sian prison, and all were foot-sore and
weary. Yet it was impossible not to
admire the patient courage of their de-
meanor.
"Bahl They are not of our century,
these Poles" said the bishop, taking a
pinch of snuff and offering to me the
gilt box with suave courtesy. "They
sacrifice themselves for a dream"
We were long time at Stostitza, for
the oyerseer's new hands were hard to
coax away from the vodka shops, though
when they did arrive they certainly
turned out to be fifteen as strapping fell
lows as | had ever seen; men, too, who
walked with the steady step of old sol
diers. OF this, however, since conscrip-
ton passes half the peasantry through
the ranks, thought little but gave or
ders to cast off the moorings, get up a
fuller head of steam, 70 make up for lost
time, and push on to Rogaczew, our next
halting-place. Four versts down the
river, | caught the CLEAN, among the
tall reeds of the bank, of Cossack lance
points, and soon, rounding a head-land,
deserted the katfla of prisoners. These
latter marched but slowly, and their
mounted guards, under the orders of an
officer in green uniform-a major, as
guessed, by his medals and the glitter of
his epaulettes-were driving them on
with blows and threats. Just as we came
abreast of the captives, heard the over
seer o. the RATS shouting hoarseIy orders.
which seemed worse than useless, for by
some mismanagement of the poles, the
raftsmen had grounded one of the cum
berous structures on sand-bank. The
tough tow-rope jerked and creaked.
Stop her, there below-reverse en-
gines!'' | called out; but scarcely had /
done so, before, to my utter amazement,
the travelling bishop drew from beneath
his purple-hemmed cassock silver whis-
tie, and blew a long, shrfll note. The
effect of this signnl call was magical in
its rapidity. Wading waist deep in the
water, the raft workers whom we had
taken in at StOstizta hurried to shore,
scrambled up the slippery bank, and
rushed like SO many tigers upon the
escort that guarded the prisoners.
"Hal traitorsl Cut the Williams
down" Numbered the Russian major,
whisking out his sabre and aiming
heavy stroke at the first assailant who
reached him; but cudgel parted the
blow, and in less time than it takes to
tell 1t, the officer was disarmed and drag
ged from his saddle OF the nine Cos