San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-22
CHAPTER XXI.-AN ELK HUNT.

ing and inconsolable Nadege to consent to
resume the journey.
The succeeding days We're Of the most
sorrowful description. The fugitives de-
cided that they must follow the left bank
OF the Kolima. LadislaS had been lost not
far from the river. He knew that they were
going towards the north to reach the Arctic
Ocean. If he were still alive, he would,
perhaps. perceive the fire that they would
light on establishing each encampment and
would keep up every night upon an elevated
shore.
Besides these reasons, Yegor had others
for not going tao far from the banks Of the
river The provisions brought in the sledges
had greatly diminished during the forced
journeys across the desert of snow But
there existed on the borders Of the Kolima,
between the Bolchoy- Aniouy and the Mali
Aniouy rivers which flow into it, plains
sheltered by lofty mountains from the winds
of the north. The vegetation there is in
comparably more beautiful. One finds there
the aspen, the poplar, the willow, and the
cedar; after having crossed the icy and bare
toundra, these plains are the GASES of these
solitudes. The forests which clothe the
sides of the mountains are inhabited by
herds of reindeer; elk, foxes, and brown
and black bears are met there in large num-
bers.
Yegor thought that it would be easy to kill
some of these animals, which would furnish
them with food for Sc eral days.
Swift as the lightning, the two sledges,
without leaviu q trace, glided anew over
the icy stretch. Nadege, her eyes red with
weeping and her heart sad, silently and sor.
rowfully thought of her dear Ladislas. She
could not believe him lost. A secret pre-
sentiment told her to hope and that she
would, perhaps, see him again. NJ. Laf-
leur, usually so loquacious, was also silent
Plunged in his reflections, with lowered
head and compressed lips, he internally
consoed himself for the present by think
ing of the future. He was busy making
plans.
His mind, with the rapidity of the electric
spark, sped from Yakoutsk to the ice of the
pole, from the pole to Paris, upon the Place
de la Bastille lighted up by that bright sun
of Thermidor sung of by Beranger, and
from Paris to Chateau Thierry, in the little
house he had inherited from his maternal
uncle. 1t was in this house that NJ. Lafeur
intended to found the museum which was
W DGdF MS ndllt anu attract, every SUMMER,
caravans of visitors to the town which gave
birth to the great French fable-writer, The
former dancing-maSter had detinitivcly re.
nounCed his idea of Selling upon the first
occasion that should present itself to return
and solicit his pardon, that he might con-
tinue TO teach cOuntry-dances and good
manners to the daughters of the high Siber-
ian functionaries. True, the affairs of his
millinery shop remained to be settled, but
that was not much. He willingly sacrificed
his profits. Being man Of foresight, M.
Latieur had not kept his savings in stock
ing in the depths of a drawer; neither had
he entrusted them to the Jewish usurers OF
the country. Twice year, at collection
time, he had sent, by the hands of reliable
agent, his funds to Paris, to the address Of
a solid and honorable house-the house Of
Vernes ct Ce.
M. Lafeur, so far as worldly wealth was
concerned, was, therefore, exempt from
care, and he was approaching an age when
it is permitted to a man to repose and enjoy
the fruit of his toll. He had yet very
long road to travel over to return to Paris
and Chateau-Thierry; but, at the rate at
which he was going the distance was, so to
SPEAK, NlSlDly diminishing,
At his side Yermac, well wrapped in his
furs, kept his eyes closed and seemed asleep.
He was as motionless and stiff as frozen
corpse.
Directed by Yegor, who took his eyes
neither from his compass nor the little map
sketched by him at the ostrog from wall
map, prepared by the Esaoule in accordance
with the most reliable information he had
been able to gather, Tekel drove so admir-
ably that the fugitives were enabled to fol-
low the surest and shortest route.
The teams of dogs, furnished by the Esa-
oule of Sredne- Kolimsk, did marvels in the
hands of Tekel and Chort. The dogs Of the
north of Siberia have long and slenders ears,
always erect, and their tails are thick. Some
have smooth hair and others curly hair OF
different shades
At the head of each team was the most
active and best disciplined dog. Itkept the
others, less intelligent or more stubborn, in
the right direction, preventing them, es-
pecially, from turning aside from the road
to follow the tracks of animals.
Once, Yegor's animals precipitated them
selves on the footprints of a fox marked
upon the snow; already, the dogs were
bowling with all their might and it seemed
as if nothing could arrest them-when the |
leader, turning in the opposite direction,
commenced to bark as if it had seen some
animal worthier Of pursuit.
Tekel and Chort encouraged their dogs by |
whistling and by cries peculiar to them |
selves, to which the intelligent creatures |
had soon become accustomed. They drove |
in the Siberian fashion, without using a |