Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-09

Dy Tile HInelS. IulS gol0 Uney earned INTO
China across the frontier Of the Amoor. en-
ploying against the Cossacks charged with
guarding the banks Of the river now force
and now stratagem. They hid their gold
dust in loaves OF bread. introduced if in
small ingots into their horses hoofs or
placed it in the stomachs Of fish. transform
ing themselves according to circumstances
into merchants or fishermen.
The alarm spread by Yermac, by means
of the Cossacks. caused re doubled watch
fitness among the posts scattered along the
left bank of the immense Asiatic stream
Besides, when the escape Of an exile is the
matter in hand, nothing is neglected to stop
him; if necessary. the Russian government
would put an army in motion to arrest a sin
gle man, in Srder to discourage other at
tempts OF the same kind.
The bandits commanded by Dimitri found
themselves compelled to change their plans
and to give up, for a time. crossing the
AMOR. They went towards the Gulf of
Penjinsk, situated at the most northern
point of the Sea Of Okhotsk At this spot,
they counted upon succeeding in crossing the
Stanovoi Mountains, by ascending the Ono
lon to its source.
They had procured number of nartas
drawn by reindeer purchased in the Yak
QUITE villages, and, forcing their journey,
had already arrived among the spurs of the
great Stanovoi chain, with their bare and
snowy peaks. They did not hesitate to ven
ture among these terrible mountains, from
whence it is rare that one can make his exit
when he has entered their sombre and mex
tricable labyrinths.
Yegor, also, had for moment entertained
thn rf
thanks to his investigations, that every
summer the natives and the Russian hall
breeds from the shores of the Sea of Ok
hotsk assemble together in a village named
TchimiEzan. at the mouth of the Ouda, to
exchange furs, FIRE sh meat and fish for
spirtuous liquors. calico and tobacco brought
by the American whalers; but the fear of
finding Russian vessels in that interior and
altogether Muscovite sea had caused him to
abandon the project
The gold-robbers could manage matters
easier by mingling with the trappers (prom-
ichlenil2s), and such was, in fact their in
tention.
The last exploit of the band had been the
robbery of the mail which departs monthly
from Aian-a station in the district of Ok
hotsk, founded in 1S4S by Russo American
that the postal road, common, narrow
path cut through the forests from Alan to
Yakoutsk, was used by the Russiln gov
eminent to transport arms and munitions to
it's possessions on the Pacific, during the
Crimean war At intervals Of from twenty
twenty-five miles are postal stations.
where reindeer are kept for the mail and
the few travellers who venture into these
regions.
The mail carries every month about
dozen letters; il is entrusted to a courier,
who, ordinarily, reaches Yalzoutsk in ten
days by travelling day and night. In win
ter the Journey is made with reindeer har-
messed in pairs to marta; in summer, the
reindeer are replaced by horses. This pos
tai route connects Yakoutsl, the capital of
eastern Siberia, with Kamtchatka.
The robbery of the mail could not be of
the least profit to the Siberian bandits: but
it furnished them an opportunity of main
tanning their state of revolt against the laws
and authority.
One evening, the bandits halted at the
entrance of narrow valley, there to estab-
lish their encampment in the open air. The
night was dark, but the sky clear and the
temperature comparatively mild. Besides
Lamoute from the Bay Of rausk, Koriak,
a Ghiliak fisherman, Russian convict es-
capped from the colony on the Island of Sag
halien, the nerce Cossack Ivan with whom
our readers are already acquainted, and,
lastly another escaped exile. It will be
| seen that the band had been augmented by
the reception of several new recruits.
The Lamoute had drawn from his pocket
! - IN,
! bods o. rivers, which the natives use for
! fire-stones. He began to strike it against
his Understood, employing for finder ex-
crescences from the birch tree boiled This
finder plunged in small bone box, in which
was a supply of sulphur, procured for him
a fame which he utilized to light the bivouac
| fire.
During this operation, Ivan, axe in hand,
was furiOusly telling the young pines of the
vicinity, and Koschevine was carrying the
wood with which to feed the blaze.
The two Tunguses had already establish
ed themselves beside a deaC horse, o. which
they were devourinS the flesh scarcely pre-
| sentet by them to the flames; it was the
hurSe Of one Of them, an Old hunter by the
name OF Ephrliln, a great slayer of bears
in the district OF OIhotsl1, who had the re p
Ctation Of slaughtering or capturing ii least
twenty of these animals every summer
| Eo'uaim, too t. cAIly squeezed by the Iprav-
of his ga young Russian of
t.lLrGy, who p,ssed dis time Ia getting drunk
In company with the priest--had treated MIN
| as he treated his bears and had afterwards
escaped by fight.
| He had met the band of gold-robbers only
| d few hours before, and had Immediately
become a member Of it. His horse, com
peting in swiftness with the reindeer, had
! broken d leg and for that reason, been con-
demned to death. The old Tunguse, who
had not too much feeling had slain it after
, the fashion of the country. These Tun-
guses, though in general mild and pacific,
are very cruel towards animals. Thus, their
| favorite mode of killing horse which is to
be eaten is to throw it upon the ground, tie
it firmly with ropes and then to open the
| breast and plunge in the arm to compress
the heart with the hand until death ensues.
They claim that the meat is much improved
by this process.
Old Ephraim and the other Tunguse were
capable of eating the horse before the break
! ing up of the encampment.
The latter, named Avaram, with bronze
skin, very prominent cheek bones and small
eyes black and bright as those of the Tar
tars, belonged to a Tunguse group of the
southeast of Siberia. Entirely clothed III
| reindeer skin, his chief garment was kind
of large fur overcoat, open in front. To its
neck was attached, to be used ct need, d
species of very gay hood-a malachi-made
of the skins of red, black and gray foxes
arranged in alternate bands, with a border
of sea otter fur: tight-titting skin breeches