Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-24
AFLOAT WITH MURDERERS.
The Clanking OF Chains-Russian
Criminnls-A Handsome EiCnh.

the little Russian port OF Pctrovsk,
where-after scurrying night and day
across the whole breadth Of the Caucasus
to catch the one weekly steamer for AS
tr1khan-l found on arrival that there
was no steamer to catch, for IL had not
come in yet. This was owing 10 the
fact that his majesty, the shah of Persia
there on visst to the car, had been
graciously pleased to go horthward in
four or five steamers at once. completely
deranging all local communication for
the time being.
For four mortal days did | "kicl my
heels in this delightful plrcc. sleeping
at night on bench in the dirty little
log cabin that served as n posting house
(Which was haunted by countless lin
digonous creepers' not classified by
botanistsl, while during the whole day
had nothing to do but to swim, to eat
black bread and goats milk
cheese. and to pass restlosslv up
and down the stone brcakwatcr
Of the little harbor, watching in vain
through my glasses for any sign of the
delayed boat. On the third afternoon
Of my vigila n Russian peasant. who was
also waiting to go by her, came up to
me and SAID with great eagerness, levi
IDENTIFY in perfect good faith that 1.-The
steamer ought to be at Lenkoran by
this time, and he wished | would turn
my glass that way and try if | could see
her." Lentoran being at least one
hundred miles Distant
But just rs | was turning disconso-
lately to go up again after the third of
these disappointmcnts, | caught sight
of a group OF about dozen men on the
main deck, just beyond the line which
marked OIL the first class from the sec
| ond class passengers. Six of them dis
played the olive green jacket and gray
frieae overcoat of Russian grcnadiers of
the line. while the rest wore the high
sheepsliin cap, white tunic embroidered
across the breast, and smart velvet
trousers, of Georgian or Cireassian
mountaineers. Two of the latter were
lying asleep on the deck. while the
other four were playing cards with four
of the soldiers. AS they moved their
feeet the mysterious clinklng sound,
which had so often puzzled me already,
was heard again louder than before; and
/ now perceived that it proceeded from
the chains with which their limbs were
linked together at the ankles.
Then | saw it all | was in company
with a batch of desperate criminals, on
their way under escort to join one of the
chain gangs which are sent every year
| to Siberia. They must be murdercrs.
| too, for no other malefactors would be
so heavily ironed, unless, indeed, they
were political offenders; and they, as
knew, are hardly ever dispatched to ST.
IBERIA by that particular route.
OF the four whom l was able to OBJ
serve-for the two sleepers had their
| faces hidden-thrce We're formidable
looking fellows, whose fierce, brigand-
| like visages bore ample traces in their
| of hot
savage, unreasoning fury which deiics
all restraints and ignores all conse-
| quences. But the countcnance of the
| fourth, who sat facing me rs | stood, was
oven more appalling in its own peculiar
| way. The features themselves We're
mild and almost handsome, but there
| was II dreadful blankness about them
an absolute want of any expression
whatever - which was unutterablc
| ghastly. 1t was the face not of an
idiot, but of an Dnimal-not of a being
in whom reason and conscience had be-
come extinct, but of one in whom they
| had never existed.
| just then up came one of the two un :
occupied soldiers, a sturdy veteran of
the Bohemian war, whose strong, up
| right figure and bold sunburned face al
| most contradicted the evidence of his
| grizzled hair.
Are you looking at our birds papa?
You neednt be afraid of them, they re
quiet enough in their cages, as you
| see."
I'm not afraid, brother" answered
I've seen plenty of such fellows in my
| time and there's no fear of their break
ing loose with q good soldier like you
to look after them"
"Well father, said the old mustacho,
/ do h.,
Il dare say c;n take Charge of them as
! he added. lowering his voice mysteri
ously, II shall be very glad to get rid Of
them"
"Why SOP" asked T., startled by the
mans voice and manner, more than by
his words, you must surely be vel
used to mOuntang guard over murderers
by this time"
"Aye, ordinary murderers; but there's
one man here who's enough to sink the
ship all by himself. If we get safe tc
land with him on board it'll be by the
mercy of God' (here he crossed himself
devotedly.)
(Which is he?"I inquired, awed in
spite of myself by the undisguised terror
face showed that he had seen
many battle field, and had probably
taken more than one life with his own
hand.
Before the Russian could answer, one
of the two sleeping prisoners suddenly
awolie, and raised himself slowly from
the deck, showing me as he did SO the
handsomest face that | had ever seen il
my life.
Beautiful as an Apollo slim and grace
full as deer hound, with bright and
boyish look on his fresh young face that
would have won any heart at the first
glance, he looked so utterly out of place
amid this rabble of cut-throats, that
could hardly have been more startled il
| had seen one OF Raphael's cherubim
picking pocket. But was doubly Sc
when my old grenadier pointed to him
and said, with a look and tone that
shall never forget:
That's the mani"
"He!n cried / in amazement; "why
he has the face Of an angel"
80 every one says, and | can believ,
now what Father Gregory used to tel
me, that the devil himself was an angc
once. This fellow may have been ange
when he was born, but now-ugh.
never 90 near him without feeling as i
were in the presence of satan himself
| "What has he done, thenpn asked |