San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-22
THE BXILES.
RUSSIAN STORY.

VINO, ordinarily, reaches 4akoutSk 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 Yalxoutsk, the capital of
eastern Siberia, with Kamtchstka.
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 a 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
Dimitri, the band included two Tunguses, a
Lamoute from the Bay Of Tausk, Koriak,
Ghiliak fisherman, Russian convict es-
capped from the colony on the Island of Sag
halien, the fierce Cossack Ivan with whom
our readers are already acquainted, and,
lastly, another escaped exile. 1t will be
seen that the band had been augmented by
the reception of several new recruits.
The Lamoute had drawn from his pocket
one of those enormous agates found in the
beds of rivers, which the natives use for
fire-stones. He began to strike it against
his tinder-steel, employing for finder ex-
crescences from the birch tree boiled. This
finder plunged in small bone box in which
was supply of sulphur, procured for him
a flame 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 dead horse, of which
they VIC devouring the flesh scarcely pre-
sented by them to the flames it was the
horse of one of them, an old hunter by the
name of Ephraim, great slayer of bears
In the district of Okhotsk, who had the rep
utation of Strengthening or capturing at least
twenty of these animals every summer
Ephraim, too tightly squeezed by the Iprav-
s k of his vllage-a young Russian Of
t..rty, who passed his time in getting drunk
behind an old trunk about which the heaped
up snow formed sort of rampant.
Very early awake, he saw the day return
after long and cruel hours of waiting, and
was much surprised to perceive at a short
distance reindeer browsing on the tender
portions of the branches of the birches.
He ran towards the animal. To judge
from the saddle and leather bride it Wore,
it was reindeer prepared for mounting,
which had strayed away In fact, it allow.
ed itself to be approached and seized by 3
strap.
The child climbed upon it, and thought
himself saved, when, trusting to the in.
or Of inf t1rra ha izaI
that, instead of going heedlessly forward il
was following path leading to some inhab
tied spot.
In few hours, he found himself in the
midst of a Yakoute village, half covered by
the debris of the recent pourga The huts
of this village were scattered about upon
the snow, as if thrown there by chance.
They were, nevertheless, constructed with
exceptional solidity of trunks and branches
of trees.
The villagers spoke little Russian, and
Ladislas received from them the most cor
dial hospitality. They warmed him, gave
him an abundant repast, and helped him,
the following day, to make with some birch
limbs and straps a little sledge to which he
harnessed his reindeer. He asked of them
information concerning the country and
what direction it was necessary to take to
reach Nijni-Kolimsk-the sole means, by
leaving that station to his left, thought he
of again finding Yegor and Nadege, who
were to pass to the east of that town.
Two hours later, he started on his jour
ney, driving a sledge for the first time in
his life. This vehicle was of the most ele.
mentary description. Well wrapped in his
furs, the little Pole held in his hand the rod
which serves to direct the reindeer and tc
stop them in case of too rapid descent on
snow-covered slopes. He went with ex-
IRENE swiftness, hoping to reach Yegor's
nartas on the morrow He took no rest at
night, and, as the sky was clear, guided
himself by the polar star.
OF all these things, Ladislas told only
what he judged proper to tell to the i'll
looking men by whom he was surrounded,
who questioned him with curiosity, greatly
astonished to meet child and foreigner in
these frightful solitudes.
"And the wolvesl" demanded Dimitri OF
him--'the wolves that were bowling behind
you, ready to devour youl Were you moi
afraid of theml"
1.-THE wolves 2" said the child to the lat
ter, whose red pantaloons, ornamented with
silver and numerous and varied weapons,
sufficiently indicated the chief of the ban0
-''the wolves that We're pursuing me' They
were behind me for know not how many
hours"
''They numbered at least two hundredP
said Ivan.
"At first" resumed Ladislas, ION turning
around, saw one-one only-which did moi
brighten me much. 1t trotted along, always