The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-11-27
THE EXILES.
A RUSSIAN STORY

OF UnG EGace, OF N1Jnl-hOllInSK I'd UOWn Slbu-
ated at the mouth of the Kolima, on the Arc
tic Ocean and at the frontier of the country
of the Tchouktchis,) was Russian officer
named Toumanoff, who, having a daughter
and a son about the ages of Nadege and
Ladislas, had sent them to one of his rel
atives at Yakoutsk, there to receive an edu-
cation that could not be acquired at Mini
Kolimsk
These young people were, besides, pupils
of M. Lafeur, who, occasionally, gave the
lad lesson on the violin and instructed his
sister in dancing
Yegor, foreseeing that he would have tc
pass not far from Niini-Kolimsk- lasi
and most northerly Of the Russian towns
and that he would be compelled more thar
once, perhaps, to exhibit the false passport
he had prepared for himself upon sheet Of
paper stamped with the imperial arms, had
made it out as if for the Esaoule's chill
dren, accompanied by their cousin of the
same family name There remained to
find plausible motive for the journey ac-
complished at the commencement of win
ter. YegOr trusted to the situation to in
spire him.
He sometimes talked Of this with Nadege
and M. Lafeur, but without reaching any
determination.
The deep solitude, in which the fuitives
found themselves in the midst of the forest.
and the necessity for remaining concealed,
led them to look for the means of supplying
certain things they lacked.
To husband their supplies Of food and
munitions, they devised methods for pro-
curing game without the use Of powder and
for catching fish without showing them
selves on the banks OF the torrent, where
some unfortunate meeting might take place.
Yegor had noticed tracks Of wild goats
near the pond in which NJ. Lafleur had been
forced to leave, as ransom, his stockings
and pumps. The idea occurred to him to
take one Of these animals in a trap. He
succeeded with the aid Of rope and slip
knot, and obtained both goats milk for
Nadege and Ladislas and the kids which,
attracted by the cries Of their dam, remained
beside the captive, their gambols furnishing
amusement for the young girl and her adopt
ed brother
In another part OF the forest, he arranged
a more formidable engine, intended to trap
a bear after the fashion adopted by the
Kamtchadales. The latter suspend a weight
in the air, putting on it as q bait the flesh
of some animal The bear no sooner scents
it than it advances heavily, but scarcely
has it touched the fral support Of the
weight than the latter falls upon its neck
and Furnishes it for its voracity by crushing
its skull.
On the second day, Yegor was rewarded
by the carcass of a brown bear Of respecta-
bic dimensions. The skin Of the beast aug
mentod the supply Of furs. NJ. Lafeur pre-
pared the meat for the kitchen and declared
That, in his opinion, nothing was more de-
.icious than bear steaks cooked rare.
The following day, Yeg0r shot wild ram
which increased the stock Of food.
Ladislas was charged with furnishing the
household with birds and fish. The lad had
pulled some hairs from the horses tails and
made snares of them. He had snares fast
ened to stakes and snares with springs
snares suspended in the air and snares on
the ground NJ. I aleur was forced to de-
wise recipes for dishing up parGridges,
heath-cocls, jackdaws and s5arings which
were caught in the boys traps Nadege,
on her side, prepared a partridge pate, the
dough OF which was formed OF dry fish re-
duced to powder and mixed with Il little rye
-four
The little Pole had also manufactured
osior nets, which he kept beneath the water
Of the torrent by means Of stones; the fish
that entered them could not escape.
And while Nadege busted hers elf in get
ting ready winter garments, lining them
with the skins Of martens and zibellines
which Yeg0r caught in traps set for that
purpose, IL. LatIear was not idle. Seeing
that the birds became daily more distrustful
in the vicinity Of Ladislas' snares, he had
invented another stratageIn f0r their cap
tura II have lost my shoes, said he, ''and
aence no longer need my rubbers." And he
melted them over the fire with resin, thus
obtaining an excellent thick and pitchy
glue. He placed upon the eglantine bushes
little sticks stepped in this mixture, and all
the poor singing birds, which innocently set
tied ON them, stuck fast by the claws an
wings, and fell, uttering loud cries.
NJ, Lafeur at once fastened to the spot
and put them in his huge pockets. Ladislas
had at first been entrusted with the collec-
ton Of the poor victims, but M. Lafeur no
ticed at last, that the child, who, doubtless,
pitied the little winged musicians, set free
more than he brought home.
One day, the excellent M. Lafeur return
cd with a radiant look Had he captured
more sparrows than usual? He smiled arch
ly and winked, holding one of his hands be
hind his back
'Ladisias, my lad, cried he, approach
When the child stood before him, he gave
him g superb flute made Of a reed.
''And now, said he, elbow in it, placing
two Of your fingers on these holes"
The boy pulled out his cheeks, blew, and
clear, soft notes issued from the instrument
as if by magic.
Ladislas passed several hours daily il
practicing music, and, in the evening, NJ
La6eur drew his little violin from his peck
ct to accompany the airs improvised by his
pupil.
Does it not seem as though there were q
fairy in every young girl9 Nadege's hut
was embellished day by day, thanks to he1
care, her good taste and her love of neat
ness and order. She had made of that hum
BILE shelter Of leaves something charming, 8
delicious nest soft with moss and perfumed
with flowers; at the door, in.the guise of q
curtain, hung great mass of ivy torn by
Ladislas from one of the veteran trees of the
forest; thick furs spread upon the floor over
dry 1aavaS Se7,vad hn1s for q had YaUo1