The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-11-20

I
corner, and one where, in the dusk, it
would have been hard matter to see
inc, but had full view of the lattice.
| waited till my patience was beginning
to wear out, and then fancied that |
heard some slight sound outside under
the fortockka. 1t was 80 slight that at
first | was not sure whether it might
not be merely fancy, but after little
pause heard it again, louder and more
distinctly. l sat still as a mouse, and
kept sharp lookout.
Slowly and gradually something
raised itself before the opening. 1t
was head, but in the uncertain light
| could not say whether it was a hu
man head or that of some brute crea-
ture. Whichever it might be, | could
see enough of it to know that it was
such q wild, haggard, unearthy look
ing think as | had never looked upon
before. Any quantity of shaggy hair
was hanging about it, and its only
features to speak of seemed to be eyes.
Eyes it had passed all mistake. Never
did | see anything like the way in
which it gared at our good provisions
within. l have seen what a famished
wolf looks like, and | should hardly
think famished wolf worth comparing
with that creature. 1t was ravenous
after what it saw. Up beside the head
came two bunches of long claws, which
wrenched at the woodenllattice as if to
tear it down. But they were too weak.
The strips held fast. And then the
thing fell Ito work with its teeth to
gnaw away through.
While the creature was thus engag-
ed | contrived to slip quietly from my
dark corner by the door, and catching
up big stick went out at the back of
the house. stole round as noiseess-
ly as / could toward the window
There were, as l said, young fir trees
on that side of the house, so that with
a little care it was not difficult to ap-
proach the place unobserved. When
| got to within few yards | saw that
the man-for the creature was man
was still hard at work trying to
force way in.
dropped my stick, and made a rush
at him, and had him before he knew
anything about it. lie did not give
up quietly. He struggled hard--des-
perately, | may say. But bless you
he'd not the ghost of a chance with
me. l am tolerably strong man
still, as men go, and l was younger
then. | could have undertaken three
such as he and thought nothing of it.
The poor wretch had no sort of condi.
onsabout him-he was mere skin and
bones-no muscle at all. He was
nothing but a walking anatomy, with
few rags by way of covering-and
only a very few.
All that he gained by.,his struggles
was good shaking, for l gave him
one that made every tooth in his head
chatter, and then l laid him flat on
| his back
l had been long enough in the
country to gain some knowledge of
Russia. | could use it freely to our
mill people, and l must own that for
terms in which to blackguard set of
lazy rascals, as most of those fellows
are, Billingsgate isn't match on it.
So | could make my prisoner under
stand me. "Now, then, my friend" I
said to him, you needn't take the
trouble to show any more fight You
see it won't pay. So just get up and
march quietly off with me to the
ouchastok"--the onchastok being, as
you perhaps know, equivalent to the
police station in English.
But instead of getting up and doing
as he was told, like reasonable being,
the creature contrived to wriggle itself
upon its knees, and to hold up its
hands, while it begged of me, in the
Virgin and all the Saints not to hand
it over to the poltzia. 1t would rath-
er be killed outright, and was ready to
be beaten as much as l pleased
"My ragged friend | said, "you
are queer chap Why do you OBJ.
ject to the police so strongly ?"
The poor wretch made no direct
answer, but only reiterated his ell
treaties that would not give him up
| began TO have some suspicion of the
quality fmy guest. 81 am declined
to think, said, shat you are neither
more nor less than an escaped con-
Wet"
Instead OF attempting to deny it, he
only begged me to pity him as before.
Russian law is terrible hard on those
who in any way assist in or conceal
the escape of convict OF that |
was aware. But though I am a big
fellow to look at, and in some things
can hold my own, as well as any man,
i have always been poor, soft-heart
ed fool in others. l was beginning to
feel downright sorry for that poor
dewitt was not so much his prayers
that fetched me as his looks. "Well,"
| said, suppose | don't give you up,
but let you go. What then ?"
He would always remember me with
gratitude. He would go on his way
at once, and do no harm to my pro
perty. He was no thief. He had
only entered this dvor- this yard-to
hide himself, but that the sight of food
had overcome him, he was famishing,
he dared not beg. He had walked,
how far he could not tell, perhaps a
thousand versts, and all the way he
dared not ask for food, scarcely to
speak to a living soul. He was trying
to reach lis own village, perhaps a
thousand versts further. If | would
only set him free he would go on at
once.
That was about the substance of the
fellows answer. His appearance SEEM
ed to bear out his statements, and | was
inclined to believe him. "It's sheer
nonsense" | said, "for you to talk of
setting off for walk of thousand
versts, if let You go. You might as
well talk of flying. You have not the
strength to walk ten. You would only
fall by the roadside, you miserable
scarecrow, and die in ditch. | should
be doing the kinder thing by You if
handed you over to the authorities. II
do let you go, / must give you some,
thing TO eat first Come with me"
| The miserable wretch hardly believ-
| ed that | meant IN fne1 hin, and uonld