New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-17
ON THE FRONTIER.
A wOMAN's WILD MISUNDERSTANDING.
s,pox An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRiboskl

interest
sarticular portion of the Austro- Russian fronter
~b;ch will constitute the basis of operations in
war between these two great Empires. The bonn
asrv lines in question are closely guarded by in-
nuusrabIe patrps of seuni-savase Cossacks on the
Russian side and by sqaadrons of lsncers on thau
of Austria The surrounding country IS VIII anu
eparsey populated, and the life of the oihc"rs deSis
mated for frontier duty is not without certain
amonnt of piouancy and adventure. In August
ls-.my husbands regiment the - Lancers was
ordered to leave the pleasant quarters at VIENNA IN
order to perform lite term of frontier duty. on"
two of the married ladies, Princess l. wire Oh '"o
seuior major and myself wore adventurous e"o"s'
"a accompany the reg ment; the remainder prefer
ring the life of ease in the capital to the harusnipS
of military life in miserable Polish villages. o"r
frsnos took leave of us as II we were marching OF
IN the field of battle and after gracious fare Fei
andience of the Empress, who was 10th to separate
herself for so long from one OF her tavorle a"'o'
In waiting we left Vienna ant few days la'er
reached our station on the border OF the stepPo
near the river s.. The country Is nat ana
melancholy with and there cluster OF stnhted
willow or birch trees. and many a stream Oh run
ming water bubbles through the tall grasses OF INC
nl.ir No one however who has ever seen North
ern Poland can deny the grandeur OF these nounu
less vistas of green prairies with the undulatlns
- % th. Karnat Mountains in the dim dis
lance and the little villages with their o'ne anu
mink cottages dotting the landscape with so many
hr,rbt snots But in winter the desolaton OF the
nIaca ia heartrending and to remain Tor eisut
months in the snow. badly protected from the e'e-
ments as we were. was far from being cheer'hR
prospect The nearest raiW station was nine
teen bonrs distant and the only diversions we had
were hunting driving,and riding.
When arrived at my new destination l'looked
rather disconsolately at the bare damp walls OF
the three peasant huts which were allotted 10 me-
and asked myself how | could ever succeed IN
making snch a primitive place comfortable. Luck
ily had brought with me an ample supply Vi
Turkish rugs and draperes, AMI after having the
bare earth floors first covered with thick layer vi
dry straw stretched the carpets over H. Ine
uars I competeIy concealed with Oriental drop
erie. and nv pretty Vieunese furniture arranged
"a best could throwing piles oil CUSHIONS Oh inc
ground and hanging curtains and pieces OF tapes
try every where to keep out tue draugnts which
have but too fair play in these wretched woooei
constructions My drawing and dining rooms were
In the first "Tiba." nv bedrooms and DRESSING
room, in the second ami the kitchen and servants
lodgings in the third. My horses had 10 DC quar-
tered in the regiwental stables.
The Young officers of the regiment were anso-
lutelv at loss to know how to get through their
awnings in our dreary village. so Princess t and
7 took pitv on them. and it soon became their
crsto,n To spend them all either at nv house or AT
hers We used to play whist and drink tea till IL
or o'clock every night; and we even managed 10
have some private theatrcals Tor the amuseu emu OF
orr soldiers nd their wives
In nv leisure hours took particular pleasure in
training Young pig which had bought from
neasant The animal very Intelligent and
taught him not only all the tricks OF clrcushorse
but also to smoke pipe ana play dominoes' ne
wasa great source Of amusement to us. and was
usbered into the dining-rOOm by nv butler every
evening after dinner with blue ribbons tied round
his neck aud tail needless to add that he wa IN
vited 10 partake of cake and fruit, which he IN
variabsy did with very good grace. | was only
seventeen then and though had already been mar
ried for over year WAS still enough OF child to
enjoy such finn immensely
Dnrny the whole of september and October we
bunted three times a week and was very proud OF
beinr A WAYS the first in at the death and oil thns
obtaining the foot OF brush. likewise became an
expert shot aud many were the golden pheasants'
raj nartridgss aud spotted snpes which fell VIC
tins to my gun
One fine October davlTrode off alone on my Eng
Hsh mare. Water-Vvmph intending to have gaiop
hrora dinner Somehow lost nv and wan
dered unaware over the !Rnssian frontier. thing
which hal been strictly forbidden to any OF u.s. /
was vending nv way through the deep grasses
lost in the enjoyment of the crisp bright ar Oh 'he
STAMINA and oui,e unconscious that was miles from
home and on foreign ground, when suddenly
heard the pattering of horses boots ana the h'oou
cnrdling whooD of the COssacks Inrnlng I'D my
saddle espied party of abont fifty OF these ter
rih,o Russian "gardes-frontiere" galloping toward
me with their lances glittering in the sun anu
their horses names huttering wildIyin the wind
I bad sat tlOrONg
and WA. sperding at "A breakneck pace through the
meadows pursued holly by the COssacks IL womb
have been no Joke for to be caught by them.
asapart from being detained in their camp MI mat
ters were ex pl aimed and could identify myself the
Cossscks are Il savage race capable OF any mlsoe-
havior in a case like this one. All these thoughts
flashed through nv mind as How along, urging nv
mare forward with zest that the noble amman
hardly needed. tor she SCENE to understand the
fact that for she was being chased instead OF
chasing and covered the ground with the swiftness
Of hunted deer Turning my head once more
saw that one Of the Cossacks was getting close 10
MIN another moment his hand on my bride
r,in and Water Nvmph standing M on her hlnd
legs was making frantic efforts 10 shake him on
did not hesitate but gathering all my strength
rave MIN one blow across the eyes with the handle
OF nv heavy hunting whip, aud Keeling IN MS SAD
die he fell to the ground. sped along Win 'he
now Infatuated men a my heels an d Just as was
going to be caught second time saw the river
slittering like a silver band before my eyes.
knew then that saved my English mare
excited a. she was bv tits mad race. would rel
nearly certain. clear at bound the twenty ieet
deep 6ue water which separated me from Austri'
"A feat which the COssack horses. active Dut no
trained could never accomplish. gathered my
hunter together and as she rose in the air shut
WI, .vas exnecting TO be plunged with her into thu
torrent. lint no! nv noble horse landed me safely
and like a bro on the other bank and heard the
disapponted yell of my pursuers. Jumped from
INV saddle and turning to them laughed aloud a
their discontinue As they stood on the OPPOSITE
side of the water.