St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-12

reappeared.
Narkiz was astonished at my insistance
cut gave no heed to the disappearing shakes
of his tall cap and left the garden, following
the brigadier, whom Cucumber supported by
the arm. The old man walked fast enough,
but with short steps, quick and stiff as if with
stills.
TX.
We followed a bypath hardly traced in a
grassy dale between two knots of birch tree s
The sun was broiling; orioles answered each
other i'll the green thicket; landfails gave
forth their strident cry, little blue butterflies
futtered in troops on the clover flowers
bees, as if asleep, entangled themselves and
hummed in the motionless grass. Cucum-
Der shook himself and recovered his spirits
he feared Narkiz, under whose eyes he had
to live. As to me, was to him nothing but
stranger, a passer; he soon became famil-
lar.
''See," said he, in his hurried, thick voice
''his Grace is very moderate; but how could
you expect single fish to satisfy him. I'M
less your Honor deign to make US little
gift? There is, round the turning, famous
inn where one can get very good rolls OF
brown bread, and if you should wish to ex-
tend your benevolence to me, a fisherman,
[ should treat myself to a little glass to your
health, to wish you length of days"
gave him piece of twenty kopecks, and
had hardly time to withdraw my hand, which
he had snatched to kiss. He learned that
was sportsman, and began to relate that he
had good acquaintace, a retired officer,
who possessed true Swedish firelock,
''Min-d in-den-ger with a copper barrel, a
regular cannon" added he, ''for you fire a
shot and you stand quite stunned and
dreamy. 1t was found after the retreat of
the French in 1912. This officer had dog
of which can only say a single thing; it
was freak of nature Myself, / have YER
liable passion for sport, and my pope finds
nothing to blame in it. Far from that. One
night we botll placed ourselves in our shirts,
to go and catch some quail by call-note; but
our Archbishop is an implacable tyrant As
to Narkiz Semenitch" added he with Bit
ter smile, ''if according to his judgment
have become man Of little account, shall
have the honor to object that he has forced
his eyebrows out like a blackjack, and mag
ines by that he has traversed all the scien-
ces.''
Discoursingin this manner we approached
the inn, an old solitary isba without court
yard or enclosure. A lean dog was curled
up under the window, and a fowl no less
emaciated scratched the dust under his nose.
Cucumber seated the brigadier on little
bank Of earth and disappeared Immediately
behind the door of the inn. While he was
buying his rolls and treating himself to a
glass of brandy, did not take my eyes off
the brigadier, whom l persisted in regarding
as an enigma. II am sure" said [ to my
self, ''that something extraordinary has
taken place in the life Of this man" AS to
him, he did not seem even to notice me. He
was seated on the bank with arched back,
and he rolled in his fingers several pinks
gathered in my friends garden. Cucumber
reappeareda at last with a string of rolls. His
face, red, and in perspiration, expressed a
sanctimonious astonishment as if he had
just learned something very agreeable and
unexpected. One of the rolls he immediate
offered to the brigadier, who put it between
his teeth, and we set out again.
Y.
The glass of brandy had, as we say, IN
screwed Cucumber. He began to lavish his
consultations on the brigadier, who fastened
to walk in front with his short steps, tremu-
lous and stiff.
''Ohl your Grace, my little father, why
arc JOu hOI gay w ny w (Ou 1CO JOUl AOoS
hang down? Permit me to sing you little
song. You will have great satisfaction with
it at once No doubt OF it," resumed he
turning to my side," ''our master is a great
Laughter. Obi great God what laugher.
Yesterday 1 saw peasant woman washing
her husbands breeches in the pool. Such
a big peasant woman it was. And our
master who kept behind, died of laughing
of bnr 10 P,t1 IN
you know the song of the hare? Never mind
my appearance. We have in the town b.
hemian woman, regular guy. She begins
to sing: Qnick! a coffin lie down in it
and die of pleasure" Cucumber opened
back and eyes half closed, chanted the fol-
lowing song:
''The hare is crouching under a bush (;
some sportsmen cross the fields; the hare
hardly breathes; he is content to raise one
ear, for he looks for death.
{" How have 1 vexed you my dear sports
men? What troubles have caused you? 1t
is true I visit the cabbages, but eat only
one leaf at a time, and that is in the pope's
kitchen garden, alas = a"
Cucumber's voice rose higher and higher:
'The hare leaped in the sombre forest and
6UOWcOt Ill utilSlOn Ills Udli W Guc
''Adieu, dear sportsmen, contemplate my
tail, as to myself, I am free"
Cucumber no longer sang-he howled:
The sportsmen wandered all day on the
plain. They discussed the hare's actions.
They ended by insulting each other and
fighting.
The hare will not be caught; the squint-
eyed villain has made fun of us.
Cucumber sang the first two verses of each
stanza in drawing voice, the three last on
the contrary, with agility, skipping and
pushing his legs one before the other. At
the end of each stanza he made his Torture,
that is to say, he struck himself behind with
his heels. After having screamed out the
last verse he did wheel. His hope was re-
allied. The brigadier burst out suddenly
into a roar of laughter, trembling and tear
full; it was so strong that he could go no
further, and bent forward striking his knees
with his feeble hands. regarded his face,
become purple and convulsively twisted, and
in that moment, more than before, / was
seized with great compassion for the poor
old man. Animated by success, Cucumber
began to dance like Cossack, and ended
by falling with his face on the ground. The
brigadier brusquely ceased laughing and re-
Sumed his walk.
XI.
We passed over quarter of verste more.
A hamlet appeared at last on the border of a
ravine of no great depth. In by-place was
a cottage with thatch roof, half uncovered,
and a single chimney. In one of the two
chambers of this wretched iSba lived the
brigadier. The lady of the hamlet was the
wife of counsellor of state, Nine Lomoff,
who resided constantly at st. Petersburg. 1t
was she, learned later, who had given this
corner to the brigadier. She had also as
signed for his nourishment monthly al
lowance of pood of -four with little salt
and oil, and finally had allowed him as ser
want young idiot girl, taken from the serfs
of the hamlet who, though she hardly under
stood human language, yet sufficed in the
Judgment of Nine. Lomoff to sweep the floor
and cook cabbage sOup On the threshold