The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-30
CALLED BACK.
A well-Told Story Of Continuous
and Absorbing Interest.
BY HUGH CONWAY.
CuAprFR yr-corr,x,,rn

-Al.-tONTtNUED.
Tobo- K at last! The sight of my
passports renders the Governor eivility
itself. He invited me to dine with him,
and, as for prudential reasons, thought
it better to accept his invitation, treated
me royalty. His register told me all l
wanted to know about Ceneri. He had
been sent to the very extreme of the
Cars dominions, as his was case
which called for special severity. Where
he would finish his journey was not set
tied, but that made little difference to
me. As he would travel the greater
part of the way on foot, and as there
was but one road, / must overtake him,
although he left Tobolsk months ago
The escort which accompanied that
particular gang of prisoners was under
the command of Captain Varlenoff, to
whom his Excellency would write a
few lines, which l should take with me
he would also give me a supplemental
ry passport signed by himself.
''Where do you think shall overtake
the party?" l asked.
The Governor made calculation.
+'Someehere about Irkutsk," he
thought.
And Irkutsk two thousand miles,
more or less, from Tobolsk!
babe the great man grateful adieu
and spurred on at such speed that even
the good-tempered Ivan began to grum-
BILE. Man. even a Russian, was but
mortal, he said. and | could not ex-
pect to find Arab steeds among Govern
ment post-horses which the postmasters
were compelled to furnish at about
twopence mile horse. | left the
yemschik and himself no time fer re-
freshment. Their tea had not grown cool
enough TO swallow before was insist
ing on a fresh start. And as for a
proper nights rest!
Tea! Until / made that journey l
never knew the amount of tea mortal
stomach could hold. One and all they
drank it by the gallon. They carried it
about compressed into bricks, cemented,
| heard with shudder, by sleeps or
some other animals blood. They drank
it morn, noon and night. Whenever
there was a stoppage and boiling water
could be obtained, bucketsful of tea
were made and poured down their
threats.
The impressions retain of that long
journey are not very deep. | was not
traversing the country for the sake of
writing q book of travels. or to observe
the manners and customs of the people.
My great object was to oyertake Ccneri
as quickly as possible, and my endeav-
ors were directed to passing from one
posting station to another as swiftly as
/ could. We sped over vast steppes,
wild marshes, through forests of birch,
tall pines. oak. ash. and went Is straight
to our destination as the great post
ROAD would take us. When nature
forced us to rest we had to put up with
such pitiful accommodation as we could
get Unless the place at which we
stopped was of some importance, inns
Were unknown. BY dint of practice, |
at last contrived to obtain almost
enough sleep, if not to satisfy me, to
serve NV needs, whilst iolting along in
the tarantaSS.
1t was a monotonous Journey. |
turned aside to visit no objects of inter-
est spoken of BY travellers. From morn
to night and generally through the
greater part of the night our wheels
rolled along the road. And at every
posting station | read on the wooden
post which stands in front OF it the
number of miles we were from St.
Petersburg. until. as the days and weeks
passed, / began W feel appalled, at the
distance had come and the distance |
must return. Should ever sec Pauline
again? Who can say what may have
happened before / return to England?
AT times | grew quite dispirited.
Il. al.
length of the journey even more than
days or measured miles was to see, as
we went on. the country people grad
ually changing their costume and dia-
lect. The vcmSchikS who drove us
changed in appearance and in national
ity; the very breed of the horses varied.
But let man or cattle be of what kind
they may. we were well and skillfully
conducted.
The weather was glorious, almost too
glorious. The cultivated country we
passed through looked thriving and
productive. Siberia was very different
in appearance from what is usually
associated with its name. The air when
not too warm was simply delicious.
Never have breathed more invigora-
ting and bracing atmosphere. There
were DAYS when the breeze seemed to
send new life through every vein.
The people thought fairly honest. and
whenever l found a need of producing
my papers the word ciyility will scarce
lv express the treatment | received.
How 1 should have been treated without
these potent talismans / can not say.
The whole countryside in most places
was busy with the hay-harvest; a mat
ter OF such importance to the commu-
nitv at large that convicts are told off
for some six weeks to assist in the work
of saving the crops. The wild flowers,
many of them very beautiful. grew
freely: the people looked well and con-
tented. Altogether my impressions of
Siberia in summer were pleasant ones
Yet l wished it had been the dead of
winter Then it is that. in spite of the
cold, one travels more pleasantly. Ivan
assured me that when good snow road
is formed and tarantass may be- c.
changed for a sledge, the amount Of
ground passed over in n day is some
thing marvellous. 1 am afraid from
memory to say how many miles may be
covered in twenty-four hours when the
smooth-going runners take the place of
wheels.
We had, of course, various small ac-
cidents and delays on the road. How
ever strongly built tarantass may be
it is but mortal. Wheels broke, axle
trees gave way, shafts snapped. twice