Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-04-07
AN ESCAPED CONVICT.
Why the nPolitzia" Did Not Take
Him the Third Time.

am Lancashire man and rose from
the ranks. / began life much as other
mill-hands do; but my head was set the
right way on my shoulders, and got to be
an overlooker Five and twenty years
ago, when great English firm, whose
operations extend over many parts OF
Russia, started cotton mill at Ekaterin-
burg, was offered post as manager
Ekaternburg is, as dare say you know
on the Siberian side Of the Ural Noun.
tains, and in the heart of the Governm emf
mining districts. A man thinks twice be.
fore he transports himself and his family
to such place, but 1 had made up my
mind to get on, and this was good chance
to one in my position.
was not disappointed. l looked after
the mill, and it prospered. We north
country operatives are q thrifty folk, and
like living in plain way. saved money
and as il was the policy of the firm to keep
me in my post, and to give me personal
interest in the undertaking, l was allowed
to invest my few hundred of roubles in
the mill.
These common place particulars about
my own affairs can have very little in
terest for you, sir. / only tell them be-
cause otherwise you would scarcely under
stand what has to follow.
One evening, late in our short Russian
summer, when the long days were fast
drawing in, we were in our family sitting
room, engaged with some of the mill ac-
counts, and my wife with her sewing,
when Lottie, our eldest daughter, rushed
in, and, without q word, tainted right
away on the floor.
This did not more brighten my wife and
myself than it surprised us, for Lottie was
a sensible girl, and had never given way
TO any hysterical fancies before. We knew
that il must have taken good deal to up
set her in that way, and as soon>as we had
contrived to bring her round, we made her
tell us what had been the matter
1t seemed that she had been alone in her
room, when, turning suddenly towards the
window, she became aware of face
pressed closely against the glass and
glaring at her. What the face was like
she was unable to describe, but il appeared
too ugly and horrible for human being.
If it could have been called that of a man
or woman, she said, she should not have
been so frightened.
Invent out and looked round the house.
Nothing was to be seen. We knew Lottie
to be sensible girl, but were inclined to
think that her fancy must have played her
o trick for once.
After time my wife left the room to SEES
about our supper, My wife (she has been
dead now this nine years. had as strong
nerves as any woman that ever knew
nothing ever seemed to knock her off her
balance. Well, she came back in minute
or two, and beckoned me to the door. She
was calm enough, but / could see by her
face that something was wrong. She
would not say what she had to say before
the girl for fear Of frightening her again.
So she whispered to me outside: "Lottie
must have been right, there is something
about. When opened the door of the
kladouoy" (the larder that isl 81 heard
something at the window. Whatever il
may have been it took alarm, and did not
let me see it; but it has left its marks on
the lattice"
followed her silently to the klddoroy
All was now quiet there. l examined the
fortQchkd-as in Russia we call the little
window of such place. In summer time
its glass easement was removed, and it was
now only protected by a lattice Of crossed
strips of fir-wood. These strips were
slightly displaced, as il some one had tried
to force them out, and thus to gain en-
trance. The Jortochka was about large
enough to have admitted the body of a
man.
Nothing was to be seen by looking out;
for though reasonable amount of twi-
light still remained, it was only enough to
show things with any distinctness in
the open, and had sheltered the back of
our house by planting number of young
fir trees. whispered to my wife that she
should 60 hack to Lottie and that would
stay where was for bit, and see whether
the robber-if it was arobber-would come
again.
1t w9s scarcely to be called late, vet IL
was too late for any of our mill people to be
about, and they were our only neighbors.
Indeed, we had no near neighbors. My
house, and one adjoining it INTENDED for
another employee, but ut that time unoccu-
pied) stood partly within the high wooden
fence which inclosed the mill: that is,
their backs opened into the Enclosure (the
door, as we call icy, while their fronts
looked on a public thoroughfare. Thus our
back premises were strictly private after
the gates to the mill had been closed; and
the person-if it was a person-who had
got to the windows must either have se-
GREETED himself within the door, or have
gained access to IL In some improper man.
ner. Now, however, all was still as could
be.
Down sat, to watch, close by the door
OF the klddouoy. 1 chose a dark corner,
and one where, In the dusk, IL would have
been hard matter to see me, but had q
| full view OF the lattice. l waited till my
then fancied that 1 heard some slight
sound outside under the fortochka. 1t was
| so slight that at first / was not sure
| whether it might not be merely fancy, but
| after little pause heard IL again, louder
and more distinctly. sat still as mouse,
and kept a sharp lookout.
Slowly and gradually something raised
itself before the opening. IL was head
| but In the uncertain light could not say
| whether IL was a human head or that Of
some brute creature. Whichever IL might
| be, could see enough of IL to know that IL
was such wild, haggard, unearthly look
| ing thing as 1 had never looked upon be-
| fore. Any quantity of shaggy hair was
hanging about IL, and its only features to
| speak of seemed to be eyes. Eyes IL had
| past all mistake. Never did / see any
thing like the way In which IL glared at
| our good provisions within. / have seen
what famished wolf looks like, and I
should hardly think famished wolf worth
| comparing with that creature. It was
| ravenous after what 1t saw Up beside
the head came two lunches of long claws,
| which wrenched at the wooden lattice as II
| to tear u down. But they were too weak.
| The strips held fast. And then the thing
fell to with its teeth to gnaw a way
| through.
While the creature was thus engaged,
contrived to slip quietly from my dark
| corner by the door, and catching up a big
Il al All - - IA