The Princeton union., 1880-03-17
JUDGE AND EXECUTIONER.


in the year 49,, in the middle of the
day, a sledge drawn by horse dashed
through small village in Russia, and
stopped in the courtyard of one of the
largest houses. The horse had evident.
y run away, and the sole occupant Of
the sledge was clearly unable to guide,
itin the least.
In less than minute great many of
the villagers, who had been attracted by
the clattering of the inhabitants of the
house, reused by the appearance of the
s!edge in the courtyard, surrounded
the young woman. It was evident she
was powerless to distinguish any one
around her. There was just faint sign
OF life, and that was all but to the ma
ority OF the bystanders she looked far
more dead than alive.
She was carried into the house and
restoratives were administered. She
had hardly recovered her consciousness
when questions of every sort and kind
were put to her from all sides. She was
asked who she was, where she came
from, where she was going to, who was
pursuing her, and how the horse had
run away. The room in which she was
placed was full of villagers, who had
come in to satisfy their very natural
curiosity.
Among the most excited of the aues-
TONERS was a young serf about 20 years
old, who held in his hands the hatchet
with which he had been telling wood
when the sledge dashed through the
quiet village. The beauty and painful
grief of the woman seemed to have made
rather an 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 endeavoring to offer
her consolation.
At last the object of all this excite
ment had so far recovered AS to be en-
abled to yield to the entreaties of those
who surrounded her, and, in q broken
voice and amid very general silence. she
spoke as follows:
had heard that an old relation of
mine, who lives in neighboring village.
was dangerously ill, and 7 determined
to set out and see if I could be of anv
assistance. Early this morning har-
messed our horse to the little sledge and
set out" '''->'
Alone?" asked the young serf point
edly, still swinging the hatchet in his
hand.
The bystanders well understood the
meaning of the question, and the same
word seemed involuntarily to escape
their lips.
"Alone?"
1t may be as well here to give a 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 O,
fatigue, and howled for the scraps of
food left behind by the 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
trlct. They were not content with de-
vour1ng the various domestic dogs and |
cats that came in their way, but fercely
attacked any human creature that |
crossed their path. It became impossi-
BILE to travel in safety at any hour of the
day upon even frequented 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 a
prey either to wolves or bears,
"Alonel" answered the young woman
in strange, unnatural voice, half choked
with sobs; "unhappily for me, was not
alone! Why, in Heavens name, did I
risk such a journey? Don't compel me.
1 beg of you, to relate the horrors I have
gone through and all the miseries of
that awful morning"
what has happened to you? Who
went with you?" still asked many of
those who surrounded the woman, and
whose attention and curiosity were now
thoroughly reused.
Miserable woman that I am," an
'wered she. Il took with me my three
little children, the eldest of whom was }