Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-22

naQ gone on IN advance, acllng as cOu1ler,
must have been either drunk or crazy
perhaps both, for at the relay stations the
horses were not ready, the positions were
not prompt-in short, the early part of the
night was a series of misadventures, among
which the absence of supper was by nc
means the least important.
Toward midnight The spell was broken.
The kibitka. drawn by good, strong ami
mails, rushed like the wind over the smooth,
even surface of the snow, but no supper
appeared. At last, long after midnight,
the everlasting question, Is there any.
thing to eat." obtained reply in the at
firmative. Kamoatsine, who up to that
time had been sleeping peacefully, awoke,
rubbed his eyes, and invited his guard to
sup with him.
1t was dainty, delicious meal. On the
table were huge jugs filed with foaming
XMAS. which had the sparkling efferves.
cence of champagne-and. to tell thetrntb,
it was champagne, slightly altered for the
occasion BY the addition of generous
quantity Of the strongest alcohol, which in
about twenty minutes produced such an
effect upon the four gendarmes, after their
prolonged fast, the extreme cold OF the
outside atmosphere and the intense heat of
the post-station, that they were al lying
on, or under, the table snoring in chorus.
Kamoutsine, taking his pelisse and valise,
quietly went out and jumped into peas
ants sleigh standing before the door. The
wretched little animal broke into rapid
trot Excellent relays were in readiness
at every station, and at o'clock IN the
morning cur hero drove triumphantly into
the capital, from which he had been SO
cruelty exiled
Before the door OF the restaurant where
he had once occupied the ostensible posi-
tion of waiter was travelling kfbit;a, suffi.
GENTLY bespattered with mud to suggest
the idea of long journey. Kamoutsine
entered the house quickly and changed his
uniform for a civilians suit which was in
readiness, came out and sprang INFO the
ki5itka. His faithful valet, who had not
left him for moment, gathered up the
reins and drove at a furious pace, which
never slackened till he brought up at the
palace of his excellency the Governor Gen.
eral of the fortress.
The servants rushed out and treated
Kamoutsine as if expecting him.
Announce the nephew OF his Excellen-
cy, said Kamoutsine, calmly.
They hurried up the stairs with his
valise, while he followed them without
waiting.
The Governor General hurried forward
to meet him.
"My dear nephew" be cried. holding
out his arms, "y GU are welcome, indeed.
I have been expecting you for a week"
81 beg your pardon, nay dear uncle, |
have been unavoidably detained, but l will
explain all later"
"Yes, yes, understand; but how you
are altered l should never have known
You. You must be very tired y
81 have been three nights on the road,
to lose no time in reaching you.
s'Poor boy Come and have some tea.
I was just about taking my breakfast
Your aunt is still asleep. You know. of
course, that there is ball tonight: Z"
"Indeed a ball / did not know |
had not heard but my travelling dress 1
cannot it will be impossible"
"Then you have brought no dress coat p
" Yes, but 1t is with my luggage, which
have left to be forwarded.
"Ah well, you can easily get one from
a tailor-it is not as if we were IN little
provincial town; one can get anything
here come and get some tea.
And the General hurried his supposed
nephew into the dining room, and while
serving the boiling tea, which Kamoutsine
swallowed without waiting to be pressed,
he asked a thousand questions about the
family, his friends at Odessa, whence he
was supposed to have Just arrived.
Kamoutsine replied with perfect self.
possession and assurance. He never al
lowed himself to be caught mapping, and
on this important occasion his resources
did not fail him.
GOOD heavens how you are changed, .
cried the General. I" never should have
recognized you. And yet you resemble
your mother.
g So they tell me" answered Kamout-
sine, carelessly, not at all embarrassed.
s. l, of course, am no judge"
You were about so high, said the
General, pointing to the table. 81 think
you were only FIVE years DID,"
-Four years and eight months, exactly,
my dear uncle.
& You are quite right. What an extra
ordinary memory you have! But tell me,
is your Aunt Elizabeth"
81 beg your pardon, my dear uncle, but
l am nearly dead with fatigue as, think
/ told you, l have been travelling three
nights consecutively.
g You did indeed tell me SO, and am
very thoughtless N forgetting it. Your
chamber is ready for you; go directly to
bed. Your aunt will excuse you"
~ ~. 10 tbsa
ingl@
only in season for the ball"
g But my dress coat cannot so out fol
one, and confess -''
s'Don't disturb yourself in the least, my
dear boy. Hand your clothes to the ser
want; everything will be in readiness fo1
you, and you will only have TO make your
toilet when you wake.
Kamoutsine was conducted to mis- cham.
Der, when he comfortably went to bed,
after taking from his portfolio letter he
had received day or two previous, and
which had been his source Of inspiration
we started day before yesterday, >
wrote one of his brother officers on leave al
Moscow 'the nephew OF our new
Governor. General has just arrived from
Odessa, and the very first night he was
thoroughly feeced by some gamblers al
ecarte. He had lost more than he ha;
taken with him, and, as he is not at all a
bad fellow, he has constituted himself 3
prisoner on parole till he receives funds
from Odessa.
"We go in time to receive him, and We
all offer him our sympathy- repeating the
same little phrases of coincidence; but he
has not even shown himself for forty-eight
hours The most amusing part of it is that
he has deadly terror of his uncle, the new
Governor, and no one can imagine why, FOL
he has never seen him since he was child
but he would rather die than confess hi.
escapade to him. There are still ten days
or a fortnight of his voluntary seclusion
and he is Just idiot enough to hold out t.
the end.
"In ten days" says Kamoutsine, foldins
the letter 81 shall be quietly settled
whereg Perhaps on the road to Siberia
Bah ! we will 60 to sleep now-and after
Nous veT7ons &c que nous ve7rons.
His dinner was served in his chamber