Connecticut western news., 1882-08-02
A COLD TALE FOR A HOT DAY.
A Grim Russian who is Not so Cold
 in These Times as he Once Was.
From the New York Sun.1

1n 1n0Se IlmeS as ne once Was.
 From the New York Sun.1
 Col. Bungstarter, the grim Russian of the Battery benches, sat down in shady spot beside Sun reporter, who was waiting for the latest news of Castle Garden.
 "On this blazing hot day, Colonel, your "reminiscences of Russian frosts were welcome"
 '"I am afraid" said the Colonel, "to make you shiver over the bad jokes which Frost, the Red Nose. usually makes on my countrymen. But here goes: Many years have passed since I studied various sciences at the college in Voroneie City. Together with a number of the college boys I had decided to pass Christmes at home. about 200 miles distant from the city. At that time there were no railroads, and so we engaged an Ivan to take us home with his three-horse team and open sledge. It was very cold, of course. At first the road was smooth, and we flew rather than drove. On the second day of our journey, toward evening, dreadful snow storm caught us on our way in steppe. We see med to be drowned at once in an ocean of snowfakes. Nothing could be seen a few feet away. We could hardly dis tinguish our horses. We lost our road; in fact, there was no more road. The steppe we were in was suddenly turned into snowy desert. Yet our Ivan con- tinued to drive the horses in direction which he thought was right. Slowly we wandered for some hours; repeatedly we all scattered around, digging fresh snow and trying to find some trace of the road. It was all in vain. Toward midnight our horses were exhausted, and refused to go further. We stopped. It was evident that we were lost.
 Meanwhile, Frost, the Red Nose, was raging. One moment he poured on us a snowdrift from the north, and the next moment another from the south. Then he tried to bury us under snow from the east, and again hurled snow at us from the west. Then Red Nose pinched our toes, fingers, ears, noses and cheeks. My tears flowed aud froze on my cheeks. could hardly breathe. Our condition was desperate. I did not think of death, however, till | I heard Ivan crying out:
 ooh my children, shall never see you again in this world
 'Then, I confess, my heart fell, and I began to realize our danger. What should we do2 We knew it was dan- gerous to sleep, and so we decided to keep one another awake. Ivan shame. fully left us to our fate. He unhar. messed the horses, tied them to the sledge, gave them hay, and remained himself all the time standing among the horses. Soon I found out that it was beyond my power to keep awake. Ide' cided to get up and to walk around the sledge; but it was an exceedingly harc task to walk in the soft snow about two feet deep and strong wind blowing In 8 few minutes I returned to tht sledge and took my place by the side O
 my comrades. In order not to fal
 asleep tried to keep myself busy.
 took off my boots and found mysel
 very comfortable, for my feet got warn } instantly so began to pull the boot
 of the others, who drowsily scolded m
 for my pains. tried hard not to sleep 7 yet there were moments when was un
 conscious of what was going on aroun' , me. The wind blew fiercely; and witl each rush of wind I heard the indistinc , sound of distant bell. In Russia the. l usually toll the church bells during dan 7 gerous snow storms, in order to assist } by the sound, those caught by tn 3 storm in finding their way to some vii 3 lage. The hours ran on, and at last 3 lost consciousness.
 l "When I awoke l found myself an 3 my comrades in @ village house; tn people were rubbing our limbs wit r snow. When he saw us all alive, Iva @ cried with joy. He told us that at tb D dawn of day the snow storm ceased, an 8 he saw that we were not far from @ vi @ lage. He harnessed the horses, an l. brought us at once to his friends. Whe 'f saw the horror. stricken faces of il }. nd-heArted peasants, I realized ho @ narrowly we had escaped from the fat n embraces of Frost, the Red Nose. ] n this day, be it cold or hot, I always ha' le goose skin as soon as recollect tn le dreadful night. And l have it now"