Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-01-17
..Yes; they are from this village

poaSahts' we are eAcusaole, you See, lOT
there are often escaped convicts about"
The rest of the night passed comfortably
and quietly, but the next morning / break
| lasted and babe farewell to the women, with
the melancholy certainty of passing my
| nights in future in the heart of the forest.
| The demand for passport had shown me
how dangerous it was for me to frequent
the haunts of men. For many night after
ward, therefore, the Ostiak burrow was my
sole refuge, and became so accustomed to
it that at close Of day entered the forest as
II it were well known hosiery.
| From the 18th or 10Th of February to the
first week in April journeyed northward,
only thrice venturing to seek shelter in a
| house. | suffered much. The absence of
all civilized comforts, and especially of hot
food, a privation more difficult to bear than
any other on such a long cold journey,
almost brought me 10 the grave. Then, too,
| had constantly to struggle against that dis
position to sleep which is death in such a
case as mine.
! 1t was at Paouda, high up in the Oural
Mountains, that slept in a house for the
second time after leaving Irbit. ] was pass
ing late at night through village, when a
| NUItc lTOu Ull0 VI blC lLDdo knulo) CullOo Oup.
| "Who goes there!n
IA traveller"
'Are you going farl"
80, very far"
"Well, if you choose como in and sleep in
our house."
MAY the God reward you!" exclaimed
as entered the door. "But shall not be a
trouble to you!n
"How should you trouble usl We IRE not
yet in bed. Come in"
My two good kind hosts-an old peasant
and his wife--gave me meager supper,
which was to me a feast In the morning |
breakfasted with them, and for my food and
bed they refused any recompense AS l
prepared to leave them, the old man said .
"a little beyond Paouda you will find a
corps de gdrde who will look at your papers
and give you all the information about your
| journey"
| was, of course very careful to avoid the
corps de garde and journeyed on as before,
buying my provisions at the izbas during
the day. but sleeping in the forest at night.
reached the summit Of the Oural Noun
tains on clear, calm night in March. The
moon was at the full, and lit up landscape
at once magnificent and strange, where
| gigantic rocks and trees cast their shadows
on vast expanse of snow. A. silence pro-
| found and solemn reigned over all. Every
now and then a hard metallic ring was
| audible. 1t was the swapping of the stones
caused by the intense cold. A few days
afterwari passed through Solikamsk, and
went on over the steppe of Petchara toward
| Veliki- Oustioug. The journey was always
the same-the same vast snow-covered
plains, the same deep forests, the same icy
winds, and for me always my toilsome
march, my Ostiak burrow, and now and
| then less meager repast in an izbolchka
| "a sort of peasant inn).
These izbouchkas were my greatest
temptation. dared not think of sleeping in
them. But little hot soup! How ardently
longed to stop and buy some, and eat it in
warm room! l could not venture to do
this often, and one night when, after losing
my way in whirlwind of snow, found my
self without bread, and racked by acute
pain as well as hunger, writhed in my
burrow and prayed for death. When morning
broke found could not walk. After sew
eral attempts l sank unconscious on the
snow. How long lay there | do not know.
was aroused by loud voice. A stranger
stood beside me, who inquired what l was
doing in the forest
l answered that had lost my way that
/ was from Tchordine, and was making a
pilgrimage to the monastery at Solovetsk,
but that was dying of hunger
at is not surprising that you should have
lost your way in such Storm" answered
the man. ~ do so often, though l am from
this district, and know the forest well. Now
taste that"
So say ing he held bottle to my mouth,
| and l drank. 1t contained some excellent
| brandy, which revived me at once, but at the
| same time burned so terribly that fell on
the snow in commissions. My good friend
soothed me, and gave me some bread and
dried fish, which l devoured eargerly. We
then sat it the foot of tree, and my com
panion explained that he was trapper, and
was now on his way home with the game
which he had caught. He added that he
would remain with me until l felt calmer
and stronger, and would then conduct me to
the nearest izbouchka.
II thank you with all my heart. May the
good God reward youW
"Eh! for what thenr he answered,
kindly. "We are Christians"
He afterward supported me to the door of
the izbouchka, where he bade me farewell,
recommending me to God.
An immense relief was mine as crossed
the Threshold of the izbouchka, but had
scarcely done so when l fell senseless to
the floor. recovered in half an hour and
asked for some warm soup, but could not
swallow it. fell asleep on a bench at mid
day, and never stirred for twenty four
hours, when was awakened by my host,
who was anxious. He was an honest man,
and his kindness and sympathy redoubled
| when he learned that | was making pous
pilgrimage to the monastery of Solopetsk
He begged me to stay several days, but
| dared not do so, and on the following
morning l resumed my journey l reached
the gates of Veliki-Oustioug on the 18th OF
April, and there in my role Of pilgrim lodged
in humble inn with many others, all bound
for the monastery of Solovetsk.
At eliki-Oustioug we were all obliged to
remain for month, in order to await the
thawing of the Dvina. The month over
agreed, as did many other pilgrims, to row
In boat going to ArchangeL Each Of us
received fifteen rubles. We reached Arch
angel in fortnight, and most of my com.
panions pressed on to the monastery.
pretended fatigue, and for several days
huanted the quays in the hopeo discovering
French vessel. Alas! not one was in port
and on the deck Of every vessel, Russian
and foreign paced a Russian soldier, armed
to the teeth. This precaution is taken in
order to prevent the escape of exiles by way
of ArchangeL After a week passed in this
manner became aware that was watched
and decided most reluctantly to abandon
the hope which had hitherto sustained me
that of escaping from the portof Archangel
/ therefore, in order to disarm suspicion,
took the road to Solovetsk. had not then
decided what to do, but as journeyed on |
came to the conclusion that the safest plan
would be for me to make the pilgrim Jour.
ney, as it is called; that is, to go from
Solovetsx to Omega, and thence to the
shriues of Novgorod and Kew. Tho pill
grim disguise had hitherto served me we'll
and it continued to do so.
Inever reached Solovetsk, but took boat