Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-10-14
Gales aud Sketthts.
SENTENCED 70 SIBERIA.
CONTINUED from Yesterday

said, for you to talk of setting of for a
walk of a 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 mis-
cradle scare-crow, and die in ditch. |
should be doing kinder thing by you
if handed you over to the authorities. If
do let you go,I must give you something
to eat first. Come with me-"
The miserable wretch hardly believed
that really ment to feed him, and would
have run away had he dared. took him
into the empty house. of which had the
key. and fetched him as much food as
thought it safe for him to eat.
So there | was with an escaped convict
on nv hauds. Had been more prudent
| should have reflected that the fellow
was most likely hardened scoundrel,
quite undeserving of pity, and that his
gratitude would probably be shown either
by robbng me. or if he should happen to
fall into the hands of the police. by get
ting me into trouble to save his own
worthless neck. ought to have thought
of these things; but. as said before.
am soft hearted old fool. and neglected
to do so.
kept him in that empty house for sew
eral days; in fact, till he had 80 far re-
covered his strength as to be fit to 60 no.
Nobody knew about him. not even the
members of my own family. for if was
doing foolish thing. had sense enough
to run as little risk over it as possible.
Feodor Stepanovtch for that my convict
told me was his name, enlightened me on
some points of his personal history. His
native village was. he said. in the gov
eminent OF Vladimer, and he had left tito
get work in the town of Ivanova. where
there are factories. Every man tries to
make out good case tor himself so did
not feel myself bound to place implicit re-
lance on FeOdor's statement that he had
never committed anything that could
properly be called a crime. According t.
his showing the sole course of his troubles
had been a difference with an OuUadnak-a
police agent. do not exactly remember
the particulars, but, of course, there was
a woman in the business blows had pass
ed and the ouradntk had. by false charge,
procured Feeders condemnation to Sibe-
ria for sfe This, say, was his story.
Feodor told me that his place of exile
had been somewhere far up the country
and of the tyranny of officials, he spoke
bitterly. After making his escape, the
privations and dangers he had undergone
before reaching Ekatinburg were such as
| should not have believed from his words
had they not been verified by his appear
ance.
For Russian he appeared to me to be
a not uninteligent fellow, and | pointed
out to him the difficulties he would find in
making his way to lvanova--a distance OF
not less than twelve hundred versts from
Ekaterinburg, as the crow flies; and ad-
vised him. as he was used to mill work
to stay and find employment where he
was, was weak enough to offer to help
him, and see what could be done in the
way of getting a passport for him. But
the fellow was bent on going forward.
He was resolved, he said, to see his fami-
lv again, and he was resolved to see
Basil Makaroff. This Makaroff was,
found the ourddnik to whom Feodor at
attributed his troubles, and it seemed to
me that this particular hankering to see
this person meant a craving to have hi:
revenge confess, that when | had
heard this much, felt no desire to detain
my friend Feodor longer than necessary
| was glad to give him something more
decent in the way of clothing than he had
brought. and trifle in money to help
him on his way. and to be rid of him.
never expected to see him again, MOI
wished to do So and I was somewhat
startled. when a few weeks later, among
a gang of convicts which were being
marched by guard of soldiers out of the
town on their way eastward, | recognized
Stepanovitch | was standing close by
when he passed. and was so much sur
prised to see him that somewhat lmpru-
IDENTIFY. perhaps. spoke to him by name.
But. will YOU believe it?-the ungrateful
dog stared me in the face, and marched
sullenly by without q word or sign of
recognition. $50 much" thought |, ''for
gratitude y
Some months later when the next sum-
mer was getting well advanced, we had
one night. an alarm of fire. Many of the
newer mills at Ekaterinburg are of stone,
but the main building of ours. being com.
parativelv old. was of wood. 1t was a
thing to blaze up like box of matches.
1t was not. however, in the main building
that the fire had broken out. but in some
sheds connected with the main building
by range of shopping. This last was
stone Quilt. but as i'll luck would have it.
covered with wooden shingles.
A good many people were soon got to-
gether. mostly our own hands. and | di-
rected and encouraged them as we'll as
could to get the fire under. But they
were stolid. heavy set of fellows, those
Russians. and the way in.which they take
care not to over-exert themselves at fire
is enough to drive an Englshman wild.
Yet there were some few who worked
well. and one fellow in particular. no.
ticed. ragged fellow. a beggar. | took
him to be. who.really worked splendidly.
and in way that ought to have made
many OF those whose daily bread depended
on the existence of the mill. ashamed of
themselves.
What between the apathy of those lazy
scoundrels generally, and want of water.
it was soon plain that the sheds
which were on fire could not be saved.
and what we had to look to was the mill
itself. The danger of the main building
was increasing every moment, tor the fire
was beginning to make its way along the
shingled roof of which spoke.
could see what had to be done-those
shingles had to be stripped off. had a
ladder reared against the building, and
called for volunteers to mount it. The
height of that roof from the ground was