The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-24
A DESPERATE FIGHT.


We were Polish mobiles aad Polish patriots, |
aud had each T'assed separately the trial and
Imprisonment in irons which had followed
our participation i'm the conspiracy Of ioio-I
Siecinsd and Bogdaszewsh preceded me TO
Siberia, and there, alas left them.
pass over the Grst five years Of nay exile
with It's tolls and trials, and will merely OBJ
serve that the permission 20 build and oc'
cupy dwelling apart had been granted 70
NV two friends and myself as reward Tor
diligence and good conduct
Oar three guards never left rs by day or
nirht. bat they drew apart during the long
evenings. aud either slept or feIsnei 70 10 go
while We talked together of our beloved
country and tho irrcvOcablc past
or ono subiect, and that the ono probably
most constantly i'm our minds, we never
spokeat aH N0meof whispered The "ord
"oscapo and douot set know whether my
,vo friends have succeeded in doing so or
not But this / know, That If sim IN cap
uvify they ponder through al the hours ol
every day the cxles problem, when ana
how 90 cscauc, Alas, how many die without
solcIna itf From the moment Of my nrfe't
had resolved upon flight and q knowledge
Of tho terrible punishments inflicted by lhe
Russian government. not only upon rug
tives but unon all who aid fugitive, had
induced me 10 determine 20 take no one INTO
my confidence.
NV occunation during the last four years
Of nv IMPRISONMENT bad been that OF cor
responding clerk In the Bureau Of Inc liS',l
Icries and | had in that way been brought
I'm contact with merchants and peasants from
ali parts Of Siberia, and had acquired very
thorough knowledge Of the geography o. 'he
country, Of its customs and It's inhabitants.
in the latter part OF the year lSi' l u"u
made three attempts 20 escape "hic", io'
tunately for me, remained undiscoVofe" ana
uususpected
These fixtures were. However, Of psc 70 me,
,jnce IN consequence Of them | was induced
10 try the route which proved the way 10
freedom The choice of a route ~ OF inc
greatest consequence % a fugitive when De
ginning his perilous journey. The hiSh road
from Siberia b the center of Russia Is the one
offeuost taken, because the most direct ana
the easiest. But for this very reason 10 Is in-
comnarably the most dangerous. Inc sur
VIGILANCE there exercised 10y the government
is ono ofunccasing vigilance, and 10 Is aply
seconded by the inhabitants, whose zeal am }
y,uacifv arc continually on the alert. lie
Tartars have saying with regard TO the III
eitlvos from Siberia, III You Kill squirrel
Non have but his single skin. hut If YOU hlii
a .carnnE "a term of contempt applied 10
p,ieoncr). "vou have thrce-bis clothes, ms
shirt and himself tho reward for giving up
tho man to fusticcl. Five other roads re-
manned. ali less dangerous than the ono above
alluded 10. hut far more difficult and "oarl'
sono decided TO go northward across the
O,ral mountains and the steppo ~ leiclaia
and Archaugcl o. Archaneei a route "hieH
was not only the least used. but had also INC
immense advantage Of being TIC shortest
for once 20 Archaugel, ! hoped 90 Doe able iC
,scai,e in one Of the many foreign ships al
ways % DC found in that port
had for many months been accunula'in1
ono toy one, with great secrecy and 10 sin"i
difficulty the articles indispensable 10 mN
flight c
First among these was passport. The ~
lor.ot, peasant ls fond Of travelling. aud tA'
law requires mm % be- provided with t"'
rossnorts. one Tor small distances, that is
nom VILLAGE o. village. and another, seaic'
with the imperial arms, and bearing the gov
crnmcnt stamp.
succeeded IN falricatng the one and ih
ether. also procured "a Siberian VIC. tua
l. fo saw. the hood called WIG worn bs cd
,easauts i'm Siberia. Il Is made of sheep
hid, the wool turned inward. aud covers lh
forehead down 90 the eyes, and comes "c.
forward over the checks, making for an,
ono rot if t.lc habit OF wearing tia DISCUS
almost ms complete as a mask and domino
had also succeeded in procuring peasant
costume. and had accumulated the sum O
ls0ynhIc- about POO francs. IA small sum io
tueh q long Journey, aud destined 10 b
diminished still further 10y "a fatal accident
On the NIGHT Of the Sin Of February. lSto
crcpt out Of the hut while my companion
were slecniug Ny enterprise was deSper
oto ouc 40 any time, aud bad selected thi
month because OF the great yearly iar q
Irtif. which attracted q vast crowd 81 peolt
from an parts Of Siberia, among whom
boned 10 pass unperce.ved. | were tire
shirt. the ouicr ono hung over my heav
pantaloons of Russian cloth, and my peasant
xyaistcoat and 'arm.ak' "a short burnoose a
sbcenslin soaked i'm tallowl were boun
roYrd INV waist with aired. black and whit
wooden sash. Long boots of tarrcd rawmd
met tho ca &c CA tnN sNH'''''.i 49, ~
viii wore tho round cap Of red velvet hol
dcrcl with fur, which every Siberian peas''i
soorts OH fete days An enormous iurre
melissa. the collar OF which was turned u
and tied round nay neck with handkerchief
(urred gloVos and heavy stick complete
my announcement In the ieg OF my rst
too. had q roniard, my money was IN M
vais'coa.. and carried bag containing
pair' Of uautaloois Of blue linen, a shirt an
n pair Of boots, as well us some bread an
dried fish
/ slipped noiselesSly ont of the hut an
crcnt round crossway in order not 10 eai
the NIGH road Immediately.
IL was freezing hard and bitter cold; Il
bright moonlight glittered on the snow.
soon crossed the frozen lrtisch, and wake
alta rapid pace along the high road, reilee
inc that the nights in Siberia wero long al
calculating how far | could GO before ia
LIGHT. when my flight must inevitably DC d,
covered. Suddenly heard far behind me u
noisc Of a sledge advancing at full speed
.hndiered. but nevertheless resolved 70 q"
1t when it passed IN. was saved IN
trouble
"Whcrc are you goingf sad the peaSU'