New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-26
ALIKHANOFF THE AVAR.
BY GEORGE KEENAN,.
A ROMANCE OF TIE CAUCASUS.

officer who has since attained Ugh distinction. who
now occupies one of the most delicate and respoh'
sible positions in Central Asia. and upon whose
Judgment, discretion and selfrestrant may depend
the question of peace or war on the frontier Vi
Afghanlstan. l refer to Colonel AlIkhanon' oo'-
ornor of Merv. member OF the Aighanistah
Boundary Commission and commander OF the
Russian advance at Penjdeh
was on my way from the armed line OF the
Terek to Temir- Khan-Shoura, the seat of the
provincial government of Daghestan, and had just
crossed the rugged mountain range OF Andl WHICH
separates Daghestan from Chechnia. Tired, hungry
and thirsty from long travel. rode down late one
October afternoon into little oasis of greenery a'
the bottom of deep valley walled in by gray
desolate mountains aud entered small village OF
1at-roofed adobe houses known to the Russians as
the Aonl of Botlekh There was. of course, IN this
remote and secluded mountain settlement DO inn OF
hotel where traveller could obtain food shelter,
and therefore stopped at omen booth In the
bazaar near the village mosque. bought LOAF OF
bread and half a dozen punches of grapes and sat
in the saddle eating them while my interpreter
went in search of the head-man of the village. A
crowd OF wild looking mountaineers attracted by
my unfamiliar West-European dress gathered about
me and proceeded to discuss in the most animated
manner the probable nationality of this strange
looking foreigner and his object in visiting Daghes-
tan. Just as their scrutiny and comments were
beginning TO become annoying an orderly. in the
uniform of the Caucasian native cavalry elbowed
his way through the crowd. touched his hat to me
and inquired in Russian whether l was the
Armenian traveller" | replied that / was q
traveller but not an Armenian. He said that he
had been sent by Captain Aikhanoh TO find the
Armenian" or Armenian traveller" and invite
him 70 come TO Captain Alikhanoi7s house.
Knowing that there was TO other foreign traveller
at that time in the Eastern Caucasus accepted the
invitation as probably intended for me and
followed the orderly to large, comfortabe-looking
house near the centre of the village where he said
the Ncchalnik lived. Throwing open the door of an
interior apartment he introduced mo with the brief
announcement aNashol r-aI found him p-and
withdrew leaving me standing thick soft rug
in what seemed to be the comfortably furnished
library of q student or literary worker. where
became suddenly and painfully conscious of my
unwasbed, unshaven and generally neglected
condition.
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 Alikhanof captain and aide on the staff
of Prince Chefchavadzi. He was handsome
graceful, athletic young fellow of twenty -four or
five, with finely shaped head and an alert, rcso-
lutte face which might perhaps have seemed stern
but for ITS ever-varying play OF expression, It's
bright cordIaity and suggestion OF lurking fun In
the brilliant eyes. His manner was that Of a
polished cultivated man OF the world. except that
his graceful courtesy never for moment suggested
affectation or insncerity. He was simply and
l..1 rh,Ia ho1a
sort of winning attractiveness which broke down
all barriers Of formaIty and reserve and made
stranger feel as if he were friend and a comrade.
In five minutes | had entirely forgotten my dirty
face and hands, my soled blue flannel shirt and my
generally disreputable appearance. and was gayly
discussing with my host the vcissitudes of
Caucasian life, tho transformation of n wandeIin
American ilto q Armenian traveller and the perls
of tho Caucasian cliff roads.
Captain Alikhanof extended 70 me an urgent
invitation to stay at his house long as my plans
would permit me TO remain in BOtckh. and after
dinner disposed ourselves comfortably on a
big soft divan. lighted long -stemmed Georgian
pipes filed with fragrant Turkish tobacco. and
talked until midnight | soon discovered that the
range of Captain Alikhanof's knowledge and x
perience was much wider than at first supposed.
lie read aud smoke luen,ly both French and Ger
man he received regularly at his lonely post of
duty In the mountains of Daghestan the R6rHc d;s
DeLr MOndes and half n dozen other French and
German magazines whose names J have now for
gotten; he was surprisingly well acquainted
with our country and its history. knew something
Dt our literature. and had, | remember. n Russian
Of Longfellow's Evange inc in his
small but well-choson library. Tho favorable I'M
preston which he made upon me at first sight
lecpened with every hour of our friendly
Intercourse, and when I finally went 10 my room
that night strongly under tho influence Of his
peculiar charm of manner could not help saying
10 myself: What splendid specimen of the young
Russian officer Of the best class! How did he ever
come 60 be buried III this miserable little mountain
yillagei
After breakfast the next morning while Captain
AlikhanOf was writing at his desk and was turning
over one of his Russian magazines a mountain
ser in q HIGH mufl-shaped sheepskin hat ami q long
black kAftan, with his belt full of glitterng
weapons entered the room and addressed my host
N one of the native languages Of Western Daghes
tan, whose peculiar strangIing. clicking articula-
ton seemed to me to set civilized organs of speech
1t defiance. Captain Alikhanof replied in the
same language. bringing out the clicks, chorks and
gurgles with as much facility as if ho were assisted
~ the intermittent gripe of friendly hand at his
throat When the mountaineer had retired said
o my host IL seems to me that you are n very
Young man to have acquired such language as
hat II l had not Just had evidence TO the con
rary ] should say that it would be utterly i'm
possible for any civilized human being ever TO learn
hat stranglng articulation"
"That is my native language" replied Alikhano0.
With a SMILE ." learned 1t at my mothers knee
lid you suppose to DO a Russian am
Caucasian mountaineer."
was so much surprised that l did not for a
moment reply. | had noticed that his name
Maksoot Alkhanof-was Asiatic and Mohammedan
N form. but such slightly modified Tartar names
ire not uncommon in Russia, particularly in the
frontier provinces; and his appearance and
manifest culture were 80 suggestive of European
birth and training that did not give his peculiar