Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-09-25

Yegor summoned up all he possessed He
complained of the invitation made with arm.
ed hand by one of the soldiers of the ostrog.
protesting that he was accustomed to more
respect.
M. Lafeur, thinking that his friend was
assuming too lofty tone, interposed.
Look here, my dear fellow" said he
''my gluttony cid as much towards deciding
you to come to pay your respects to our
Esaoule as all that abominable CossacB
said. l am hungry and want something
warm to eat" added he, addressing the
Esaoule
ut was not your intention to stop here
them" said the latter You wished neithrl
to renew your stock Of provisions nor {
procure fresh aniInals?"
This officer, all-powerfl in the district.
could alone grant permission to obtain rein,
deer and purchase food.
eve came from Yaboutsl1," answered
Yeg0r,. but our reindeer. which were
fatigucd and our provisions are still abuu.
dant."
"And you are going"
''To Nijni-hollmsk. This young girl AND
her brother are tne chiI4ran Of your col.
league, the Esaoule of that town; thei,
father is very iIl-and am taking them to
him.
"Ah Tou1anoff is illa-dying? I have
heard nothing of it !" said the old officer 50
knew that his daughter and son were being
educated at Yakoutsl1."
"They are before you," said Yegor, blush.
ing deeply at the lie he was forced to tell.
His color and confusion did not escape the
EsaOule.
Have you passports?" asked he.
Certainly" said Yegor, drawing from his
bosom the document he had prepared.
'Let me look at it," said the official.
He took the stamped paper, read and re-
read it, turning it over and over in his hand.
and staring at the fugitives in a disturbing
fashion.
Yermac smiled; he kept his eyes on the
Esaoule and was amused at the embarrass.
ment of YegOr, whom his presence alone
greatly troubled.
'"The passport is in proper shape" SAID
the officer, at length ''but it is only for you
and my colleagues children. Have the two
men who are with you passports, also!"
Zone of Them" said Yegor, drawing on
all the powers of his imagination, IN. LAT,
leur," and he presented to the Esaoule the
former herbaIist, lis Partisan and, furth.
er, distinguished naturalist and the author
of the ''F'lOra Altaica!"
"All this is not passport" observed the
old Russian official.
I'M. Lafeur has ticket permitting him tc
so as far as Aldansl1oi where l met him,
and he risked accompanying me out Of pure
love for science"
"Hum!" muttered the Esaoule, but hall
convinced.
Never" said M. Lafleur, ''am 1 asked for
my passport-no, never! and every year
run through Siberia from the Ural Noun
tainS to Kamtchatka, ard from the Altai
chain to the Arctic Ocean. The rest of my
time pass in the intimacy of the governor
of YakOutsk and his charming family. ]
enjoy the respect of the governor, the esteem
Of his wife, and the friendship Of Miles.
Agrafena and Elena, their daughters. Are
you satisfied, Esaoule? For relay-master
you are furiously exacting! Look at me
WE'LL am Frenchman, born in Paris, on
the Place de la Bastille. My spine is
straight and l have not the air of being &C
customed to receive the knout-know that,
and vive la liberte! Respect in me a
friend of your superior, and don't annoy me
further with your ridiculous formalities !"
While speaking, M. Lafleur had. never
theless, handed his ticket to the officer.
Il ask your pardon, Monsieur" said the
latter, respectfully taking the paper; 'but
the chief of police of Yakouts5" tine fugi-
tives could not repress a start of great sur
prise) notified me through my Cossacks of
the escape of several eXiles and sent me de-
scriptiOns answering exactly to you, this
young lady, her brother, and the young man
accompanying them"
Yermac drew himself up, radiant at hay.
ing succeeded so well.
Yegor thought he was about to speak-to
denOunce them.
He made a desperate attempt to assure
his silence.
''You have not asked me, said he to the
EsaOule, 'Wno is my other travelling COM
panion. have the honor to present to you
in him one of the four or five Polish priests, "
(Yermac seemed overcome with supreme
amazement)-'oneo Of the Polish priests
whom the Russian government allows to
travel through Siberia, to visit once a year
the settlements in which are the political
conyictS OF their race and faith. He passes
bravely through the Siberian cold from
Tobolsk to the colonies OF the Amoor, and
from the mines of Ncrtchinsk to the ship
yards of OkhOtsk"
''He ought to have regular passport"
murmured the Esaoule.
The chief of police had about him only
papers establishing his identity. To show
them, would be equivalent to a denuncia-
ton.
Permit me to finish, resumed Yegor, to
whom the danger lent activity of mind.
THE devotion of our new friend does not al
ways receive its recompense; among the
Verkho-Yansk Mountains, we drew him, so
to speak, from the jaws of bear"
(Which had already cruelty torn his
arm, said NJ. Laheur, coming to Yegor's aid.
But the passport?"
"Eaten by the bear" said M. Laleur.
"Lost with a valuable wallet, in the agony
of the terrible strife" said Yegor, drown
ing the voice of the distinguished naturalist.
The Esaoule, astonished at the silence of
the pretended Polish priest, looked at him
as if to obtain from him a word agreeing
with the declarations of his companions.
The chief of police replied to this look
II have nothing to add, said he, ''to what
has been told you-the Verkho- Yansk Noun
tains, the bear, the wound-all this is the
exact truth"
This was an immense relief to Yegor and
Nadege, but all the trouble was not yet
over"
'.All this" said the Esaoule, scratching his
head, lis far from being regular"
''What further can do!" asked Yegor.
''You?-nothing But must do what the
circumstances render necessary. I arrest
Won oo5 Cbon ing IF no COW
ernor of Yakoutsb and his chief of police,
at the same time sending Cossac- to
Nijni-Kolimsk to announce to the Es 2oule,