The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-03-18
JUDGE AND EXECUTIONER.


Above the stars, the palng stars?
APPLETON. Wis.
JUDGE AND EXECUTIONER.
About the beginning Of November
in the year 49,, in the middle of the
day, sledge drawn by q horse dashed
through small village III Russia, and
stopped in the courtyard of one of the
largest houses. Tie horse had evident
ly run away, and the sole occupant OF
the sledge was clearly unable to guide
itin the least.
In less than a minute great many OF
the villagers, who had been attracted b.
the gathering of the inhabitants Of the
house, reused by the appearance OF the
sledge in the courtyard, surrounded
the young woman. It was evident she
was powerless to distinguish any one
around her. There was just Il faint sig;.
of life, and that was all but to the ma
GRITTY of the bystanders she looked far
moro dead than alive.
She was carried into The house aud
restoratives We're administered She
had hardly recovered her Consciousness;
when questions CT every sort mud kind
were put to her from oil sides. She was
asked who she was, where she came
from, where she was going To, who was
pursuing her, and how the horse has!
run away. The room in winic!. $! e Wa,
placed was full of villagers, who Ea>?
come in to satisfy their very rutura'
curiosity.
Among the most excited Of the c,,es:-
TONERS was young sc1f ab.:ut 80 years
old, who held in his hands ,l.. ',atcltct
with which he had been fcI;irc WOO!
when the sledgo dashed tIlrou ,}h tl,t,
quiet village. The beauty and painful
grief Of the woman seemed to hive made
rather au effect upon this young serf.
He was certainly more anxious than the
rest to hear her story, and WAS very
prominent in his attentions, and put
himself forward in endcayoring to offer
her consolation
At last the object Of all this excite
ment had so far recovered as to be ell
abled to yield to the entreaties Of those
who surrounded her, and, in broken
voice and amid very general silence. she
spoke as follows:
81 had heard that an old relation Of
mine, who lives in neighboring village,
was dangerously i'll, and I determined
to set out and see if I could be of any
assistance. Early this morning I har-
messed our horse to the little sledge and
set ont"
Alone?" asked the young serf point
edly, still swinging the Ratchet in his
hand.
The bystanders we'll understood the
meaning of the question, and the same
word seemed involuntarily to escape
their lips.
"Alone?"
It may be as well here to give short
explanation, which will account in some
way for the exclamation.
When the Russian troops which had
conquered Finland under the command
OF Gen. BUxoyden were returning home
again, they were followed by countless
troops of bears and wolves, who ragged
and quarreled over the bodies of those
who, from time to time, died of cold or
fatigue, and howled for the scraps of
'ocd left behind by tho conquering
army. The province which the army
passed through was infested by these
fierce animals long after its departure.
and they soon became the terror Of the
humble peasantry who lived in that dis
trict. They were not content with de-
vouring the various domestic dogs and
cats that came in their way, but fiercely
attacked any human creature that
crossed their path. It became irapossi-
bic to travel in safety at any hour of the
day upon even frequentcd road with
out very strong escort. Any ono who
neglected these necessary precautions
paid the penalty Of his carelessness by
a hideous death. In the course of the
preceding winter forty human beings
in this particular district had fallen O
prey either to wolves or bears.
"Alonep answered the young woman
in strange, unnatural voice, half choked
with sobs; "unhappily for me, I was not
alone! Why, in Heavens name, did I
risk such journey? Don't compel me,
beg OF you, to relate the horrors have
gone through and all the miseries Of
that awful morning"
What has happened to you? Who
went with your" still asked many of
those who surrounded the woman, and
whose attention and curiosity were now
thoroughly reused.
Miserable woman that I am,' an
swered she, II took with me my three
little children, the eldest of whom was
about years old, the youngest little
darling only 6 months and still at the
breast"
An exclamation of horror ran through
the circle of bystanders, and each one
at last seemed to guess the hideous truth.
And then, amid a more awful silence
than before, the young woman went on
with her story.
1t was lovely morning, the road in
tolerably good order, and the old horse
trotted merrily along. My two little
boys played at my feet, and the little
one slept in my bosom. was in high
spirits, and happy at the thought that
was able to get away, and SO, perhaps,
ne OF service to my poor old relative.
my happiness, however, was not of very
long duration. About an hour after
our departure from the village. the
thought struck me how daring and
venturesome it was to travel alone with
my little ones through vast desert
Of snow, cut off from aid and far away
from any human habitation. Then. for
the first time, I began to remember all
= the dreadful accidents that had befallen>
lonely travellers in our neighborhood,
and almost made up my mind to turn
back again. This fear grew upon me-.
and it increased moro than ever when
I perceived that the track in the