The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-10-30
THE EXILES.
A RUSSIAN STORY
CHAPTER v.-rHE CHIEF OF POLICE.


thousand difficult things attending a life
of Punishment. The care he required, in
his turn, took the orphans attention from
her grief
Yegor, thanks to the influence of M.
Nadeieff, was soon enabled to establish him
self in the little hamlet where Nadege and
Ladislas lived. He lodged with some po-
litical exiles of noble birth, stricken for
that reason with greater severity. They
occupied a cabin opposite to that in which
Davidoff had passed the last years of his
life.
Every hour not demanded by the employ
ment given him by the grantee of the mines,
Yegor consecrated to his betrothed, who
was also assisted on many occasions by the
wives and daughters of the exiles in the vi
entity.
What a terrible promise have made to
Nadege's father!' he often said to himself
in terror
No exile in Siberia can marry save with
the Cars permission. Formerly, if chill
dren sprang from such marriages, they be-
came serfs of the crown. If the condemned
man received his pardon, if he were included
N an amnesty, his offspring did not partici-
pate in the benefits but remained serfs
The ukase Of 1861, relative to the abolition of
serfdOm somewhat modified this deDlorable
condition of affairs But could Yegor soon
fulfil the engagement made at Davidoff's
deathbed?
The future frightened him,
eff you are willing" said he, at last to
Nadege, 1--WE will postpone our union until it
can be celebrated upon free soil"
Il am willing, answered the young girl,
blushing 'But do you hope to regain your
liberty?"
"Yes-by f1ight-my liberty and yours"
Give the word and will follow you !" said
Davidoff's daughter.
Then Yegor felt himself stronger. He
admitted to his bGtrothed that, when he
set foot on Siberian soil, he was already
thinking of the means by which to escape
from the Odious punishment which had
overtal1en him. If he wished to be free
when he thought her dead to him, what
would he not do now to be worthy Of her?
He did not wish her to become the wife OF
a convict.
From that moment, YegOr began to study
the chances offered by the various modes OF
escape He adrOitly questioned the hunters
and merchants whom he met in the tea
shops of the bazaar, addressing by preference
men who had been to the frontiers Of China
or Kamtchatka, in the country of the
Tchouktchis. for he could not think of 60
ing towards either the west or the north.
west
The frontier touched, so to speak, the
gates of the capital of the province. The
town of Kiakhta can be reached in three or
four days by sledge in winter and there
China begins. But could YegOr expose
the weak Nadege and little Ladislas to
the perils incideat to the crossing of the
horrible soitudes of the Desert of Cobb?
To put themselves in the hands of the Chi
nese authorities would be to subject them
selves to cruel treatment and, finally, ex.
tradition
He thought that it would be less danger
Gus to go to the Sea of Ol1hotslz, that is to
say the Pacific Ocean, following the banks
of Lake Baikal and slzirting the Yablonvj
mountain chain, afterwards descending the
Lena to its mouth, ascending that river tC
its source and, finally crossing the StanOvoi
Mountains. Once at Oudskoi, on the shores
of the Sea of Olzhotsl, they could reach q
ship bearing the French, English, or Ameri-
can flag.
He adopted this last plan In spite of all
he no longer recoiled, neither for himself,
Nadege, nor little Ladislas whom he could
not abandon from the terrible difficulties
that he would encounter in crossing immense
tracts of country, avoiding habitations and
even keeping away from roads when there
were traces of any.
In the evening, when Ladislas was asleep.
the young people spoke in low tones of their
projects and going beyond, into their flu.
ture, Yogor pointed out to Nadege, upon 9
small map he had drawn, the route to be
followed and explained to her the difficulties
to be overcome.
Far from offering any objection, she re,
piled to everything:
Il am ready to follow you"
Suddenly an incident happened which an.
initiated all their hopes.
One evening Nadege saw her betrothed
arrive with a troubled face
''All is lost" cried he, as he entered
Have they discovered our plans?" asked
the young girl.
NO but an unexpected accident has re.
duced them to nothing" said Yegor, drop
ping overwhelmed upon the bench which ex.
tended along the deal partition.
Perhaps you exaggerate things" said
Nadege
Judge for yourself" responded Yegor.
1.-The governor of Yakoutsk has been here,
as you know, for several days, on visit tc
his colleague of eastern Siberia. This morn
ing, he had occasion to converse with me in
NJ. Nadeieff's offices. What could I have
done to give him such high idea of my ca
pacity? After his departure, M Nadeieff
told me that struck with my intelligence and
numerous talents, he had asked him to as
sign me to him"
''And NJ. Nadeieff?"
HE could not refuse so powerful a per-
sonage, although, as he assures me, he
strongly regrets losing his secretary. All!
the statement for the Car is finished! My
consent has not been asked, you may be
sure of that, and I am ordered to attend
to the little formalty at the chancellor's
office necessary on changing my proprietor. ="
You must strive to gain time" said Mad
age; 'you must speak of the authorization
to marry which we expect"
II have done so, but in vain. I was
forced to limit myself to soliciting the favor
of taking you and little Ladislas with me-"