The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-09-26

yves WHOM tuty bAW -oAy wy SAtS1 /,
marching past on the long ana painful
route that fed TO Eastern Siberia.
"They die like lambs in snow-storm,
the delicate ones de" said one laxative
German innkeeper, between the puhs OF
his pipe, "plodding, as they do, for five
months sometimes, IN irons, footsore and
Ill feed; now shivering in the blast, and
now scorched by the sun. Then they got
go little sleep, driven, as they are, at the
bayonet's point by the guards, into the
stone towers that have been built at every
score or go OF versts, and where there Is
not even room to lie down on the bare
ground. No wonder that those rough
monuments OF willow branches nailed to-
gether, OF which, Fraulein, you must have
noticed plenty, stand dotted all along the
road across the steppe, from the Ural
range to Irkutsk, and each OF these marks
out a convict's lonely grave"
1t was sad to hear this and many other
such boding, il we'll meant, remarks, made
BIZ those who knew the country better
than could do; aud ! have no doubt but
that my brother heard more than he cared
to tell me as TO the saEssings OF the priso-
nerR, very often innocent victims OF private
malignity or official mistake, who were
driven like wearied cattle toward the
mines in which they were 10 work ont
their sentence. Bribing, perSuading, COM
manding, using every faculty with which
nature had gifted me, pushed on, travel
ing isster-as the Uossack Positions de-
clared-thau ever had been done, save by
those who had the badges OF imperial au-
thority enforced by the military lash. /
met with no Miniature, for sweeter tenn.
pered population can hardly exist: but
Iaziuess, prejudice and Oriental fAtalism
seemed 10 be like barriers across the road
It was very difficult 10 be quick where
centuries OF tradition h I'd taught the peo-
pie to be SLOW, and that brandy and
sleep, wrapped in sheepskins beside the
healed stove Of tough yellow bricks, COM
prised all human happiness. | heard,
however, that the caravan OF cnpttyes, OF
which Ivan was member. was yet in
front OF me; and as fast as / could l fol-
lowed.
How shuddered after the German
speech, as marked the fire.
Quent ereCtionB Of boughs or strings OF
willow or birch bark rudely nailed to-
gether, that occurred at intervalsl Each
Of these was a tombstone. l saw, too, the
skeletons OF horses and broken carts and
kibitkas left by the warside, while crows
and vuItures rose sullenly on Tapping
wings from their prey as we went by. It
was hot weather now but even yet sud
den gale springing up would chill the air
and bring down weighty shower OF hail
stones aud sharp sleet upon the vast and
shelterless plains. Still We pressed on.
"There it's, English lady-there-crest-
ing he hill-the chain g3nSn cried GU
an excited positillion, Pole, who had
been asoldier, and talked French, as be
pointed with his whip to dark mass OF
human beings on the ridge before US
How my heart throbbed, as The swift Tur-
comaa horses torled the brook, struggled
up the slippery bank OF trPacherous clay,
and tore rapidly up the slope Of green turf
that lay beyond!
Keep back keep back ~ shouted the
armed escort, as, rife in hand, they drew
themselves up across the rough road and
their fre.arms.
"In the CSar's name let me passl"
called out In Russian holding the pardon
high as stood up in the ki6itka, that all
might see the broad imperial seal and rib
bon. Where is your captain, soldiers%
The men lowered their riff "a and relaxed
the terror Of their aspect, and the position,
forget that sight. The prisoners, ragged,
barefooted in many cases, and linked TO.
gether by iron letters, lay or crouched
around, some already asleep, after the
night and toilsome march,
some wrapping linen rags around their
Called and bleeding feet, or waiting, hun.
gry.eyed, till their rations should be doled
out to them. The captain, an anxious and
perhaps cFalty.IRced but not harsh man,
was fetched to speak to me in private.
had heard something Of these command
ers-seldom wantonly cruel, but often
wishful to make profit out the nonrish-
ment OF the exiles, for whose safe delivery
at the end OF the journey they are respon-
sible.
"You have seen our little father-the
White Czar--yourselt, oh, foreign ladyW
said the captain, with a respectful won
der; land here, certainly, Is full pardon
for one OF my prisoners, duly signed and
sealed, while these other documents, from
the Ministries OF the Interior, and Justice,
and War, are to be obeyed by all good
Rqssians. See p
And then he pressed to his forehead and
lips and breast, in Eastern fashion, the |
dread autograph Of his all-powerful mon |
arch. But even then had to give the |
man a hundred roubles before l could |
overcome his hesitation to comply with
the Imperial command and set his captive
free.
~ am afraid, gracious English lady"
said the captain, spologetically, as be led
the way to where Ivan lay, that the
young count, poor lad Is very i'll. So
many Of these political prisoners DO give |
in, even before To6oTosS Is reached, let
alone Irkutsk and the East, that l am
often obliged to come to the end OF the !
route at last with only the mqrdeFers and
the thieves. Anyhow, here Is Count
Carlovitch. 1t was partly because we
thought be was too weak to proceed that
we made our midday halt here, only nine
versts from the starting place."
And there lay 1van-0n a bank, with
letters on his limbs, but alone; since in
pity for his exhaustion, or on account Of
his superior rank. he was chained t. no |
companion in misfortune. He was half
asleep, haggard and. thin and pale, with
tangled hair and wounded feet but When |
he saw me, CLEAN OF recognition bright
ened in those dear eyes Of bis, sadly din !
and despairing as they were.
"You, Marianne! lam glsd-glad that
you o4re Tor me still enough to come here
here; but this Is no place for YOU" he
murmured in English, 'and-"
He tainted, and it was not until water
had been brought and sprinkled on his
face, aud gourd Of course fiery vodki put
to his lips, that he reopened his weary |
eyes. Tread death in them from the first,
But hoped against hope-was resolute,
sanguine, confident, and took my own
one away with me in my carriage, wrap |
ped in ilrs and wooden rugs, since he was
coughing noarsely at intervals, and shiv-
cred and complained Of cold, fleroely as
the hot sun beat down upon US.
There was an exchange OF papers and