The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-09
AILKHANOFF, THE AvAR.
A Romance Of the Caucasus.


Russian officer who has since attained high
distinction, who now occupies one of the most
delicate and responsible positions in central
Asia, and upon whose Judgment, discretion and
self-restraint may depend the question of peace
or the frontier of Afghanstan. I refer
to Colonel Alikhanoif, Governor of Merv, mem
Der Of the Afghanistan boundary commits
sion, and commander of the Russian advance at
Perj deh
-aas on my way from the armed line of the
Terek to Temir Khan Shoura, the seat of the
provincial government of Daghestan, and bad
just crossed the rugged mountain range Of
Andi, which separates Daghestan from Chech-
MIA Tired, hungry and thirsty from long
frayel, / rode down, late one October after
noon, into a little oasis of greenery at the
bottom of deep valley walled in by gray,
desolate mountains, and entered a small village
of fat-roofed adobe houses known to the Rus
slams as the Aoul of Botlekn. There was, Of
course, in this remote and secluded mountain
settlement no inn or hotel where a traveller could
obtain food or shelter and | therefore stopped
ut open booth in the bazaar near the village
mosque, bought loaf of bread and half dozen
lunches of grapes and sat in the saddle eating
them while my interpreter went in search OF the
ing mountaineers attracted by my unfamiliar
west European dress gathered about me and
proceeded to discuss in the most animated man
Nor the probable nationality of this strange
locking foreigner and his object in visiting
Daghestan Just as their scrutity and COM
ments were beginning to become annoying
an orderly in the uniform of the Caucasian
native cavalry ebowed his way through the
crew touched his hat to me- and inquired in
Russian whether was the Armenian traveller"
~lsnA& 1nfI fnn ntn Init nf Apv1n
nian He said that he had been sent by Captain
Alikhanoff to find the Armenian" or 'Armeni-
can traveller and invite him to come to Captain
Alkhanoffs house. Knowing that there was
other foreign traveller at that time in the eastern
Caucasus, accepted the invitation as probably
intended for me, and followed the orderly to a
large, comfortable-look house near the center
OF the village, where he said the nechalnik lived.
Throwing open the door of interior apart
ment, he introduced me with tho brief announce
msnt, "Nashol!"-"I found him"-and withdrew,
leaving me standing on thick. soft rug in what
seemed to be the comfortably furnished library
of student or literary worker, where became
Suddenly and painfully conscious of my I'M
washed, unshaven, and generally neglected con-
dition.
A young man in undress uniform who sat
writing at a large fiat desk half covered with
books and magazines sprang to his feet as
entered and came with outstretched hand to
meet me, greeting me with eager cordiality and
introducing himself as Maksoot Alikhanoff cap
tain and aide on the staff of Prince Chefcha-
vadxi de was a handsome, graceful, athletic
young fellow of twenty four or twenty five, with
q finely shaped head and an alert, resolute face,
which might perhaps have seemed stern but for
its ever-varying play of expression, its bright
cordially, and suggestion of lurking fun in the
brilliant eyes His manner was that of a pol
ished, cultivated man of the world, except that
his graceful courtesy never for a moment sug
gested affectation or insincerity. His manner
was simply and naturally cordial and his whole
personality had a sort of winning attractiveness
which broke down all barriers of formality and
reserve and made even stranger feel as if he
were a friend and a comrade. In five minutes
had entirely forgotten my dirty face and hands,
my soiled blue flannel shirt, and my generally
disreputable appearance, and was gayly discuss
ing with my host the vicisstudes of Caucasian
life, the transformation of wandering Ameri-
can into Armenian traveller, and the perils Of
the Caucasian cliff roads.
Captain Alikhanoff extended to me an urgent
invitation to stay at his house as long as my
plans would permit me to remain in Botlekh,
and after dinner we disposed ourselves comforta
bly, on big, soft divan, lighted long-stemmed
Georgian pipes, filled with fragrant Turkish to-
baeeo, and talked until midnight. l soon dscov
cred that the range of Captain Alikhanoff's
knowledge and experience was much wider than
at first supposed. He read and spoke fiuently
both French and German; he received regularly
ut his lonely post of duty in the mountains of
Daghestan, Revue des Deux Mondes and half
dozen other French and German magazines
whose names have now forgotten: he was sur
its history knew something of our literature,
and had, | remember, a Russian translation of
Longfellows "Evangline" in his small but we'll
chosen library. The favorable impression which
be made upon me at first sight deepened with
every successive hour of our friendly intercourse,
and when finally went to my room that night
strongly under the influence of his peculiar
charm of manner, / could not help saying to
hat 1v.I~ N
young Russian officer of the best class! How
did he ever come to be buried in this miserable
little mountain villages"
After breakfast the next morning, while Cap
tain Alikhanoff was writing at his desk and
was turning over one of his Russian magazines,
y mountaineer in high, muff shaped sheepskin
hat and along black HAITIAN, with his belt full of
Giittering weapons entered the room and ad-
dressed my host in one of the native languages
OF western Daghestan, whose peculiar strang-
ling, clicking articulation seemed to me to set
civilized organs of speech at defiance. Captain
Alikhanoff replied in the same language bring
ing out the clicks. clerks and gurgles with as
much facility as if he were assisted by the inter
mittent grips of a friendly hand at his throat
When the mountaineer had retired said to my
host: 1T seems to me that you are very young
man to have acquired such language as that
III had not just had evidence to the contrary
should say that it would be utterly impossible
for any civilized human being ever to learn that
BAhhHkHuS dEttCuldtiOL.
.sThat is my native language replied Ali
khanoff, with smile. Il learned it at nv
motbers knee; did you suppose me to be Rus
slant / am a Caucasian mountaineer"
was so much surprised that did not for a
moment reply had noticed that his name
MaKsoost Ahkhandoff-was Asiatic and Moham-
medan in form, but such slightly modified Tar
tar names are not uncommon in Russia, par
tenlarly in the frontier provinces and his ap-
pearance and manifest culture were so suggest
i've of European birth and training that did not
give his peculiar name second thought until he
announced his nationality. could hardly bring
myself to believe even then that this handsome.
cultivated young officer, who spoke Russian,
French and German. who read Cooper's novels
and Longfellow's ''Evangeline" who could dis
euss intelligently with me the American civil
war. and who expressed so strong an admiration
for President Lincoln, was by birth an Avar--a
half wild mountaineer of central Daghestan. 1t
seemed Incredible
.lOf course finally said ~ sunrosed Won