San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-10

marriages which bind the future of the
children they may have. His attention TO
doubled and took the character of veritabls
surveillance
Yegor did not confine himself to procuring
what could assure materially the success Of
his attempt He studied infinitely all the
maps OF the country he could procure, ques-
toned the merchants and hunters, and
learned the language Of the natives Atlast
he found himself prepared to adopt the fol-
lowing plan:
Furnished with passport from the gov.
ernor for himself and his betrothed, he
could, at the commencement Of the journey,
| take advantage Of the relays of horses es-
tablished upon the right bank of the Lena
rs far as the spot whore the Aldan flows
into the great Siberian river At Adam
skoi, town situated at the mouth of the
Adam, he would find horses purchased by
M. Laheu!, and a Yakoute guide, selected BY
| the same NJ. Lafieur, whose kindness was
| inexhaustible.
The Partisan, in his h ~ Of tyranny Of
every kind, had placed l.. nSelf entirely at
Yegors disposal. He was to go on before,
| in the little cart serving to transport the
| merchanI!s'H in which he dealt. Besides
| the carp tent, the provisions and the winter
| garments, he was to take the little Pole.
| They could leave Yakoutsk without exciting
| the least suspicion-such was their belief at
| any rate
NJ. Lafeur would accompany the fugitives
| to the Verkho-Yensh Mountains. This
| chain of mountains crossed, the exiles were
| to hide in one Of the impenetrable forests
| which cover the region beyond, there to
| await the first SHOWS.
They counted upon winter as an auxiliary
| to level the roads, freeze the rivers and
cover their flight with its darkness. 1t was
| only with sledge that it was possible for
| them to go towards the north as far as
| Niini-Kolimsk, the last Russian town, stu
ated at the point where the Kolima pours
| the tribute of its waters into the Arctic
Ocean, and not far from the polar regions
| where the immortal Nordenskiold was able
| to confirm his discovery Of the northeast
| passage
According to the calculations of Yegor
| Semenoff, they could hope, with the favor
| of the long winter night, to penetrate to the
| country of the Tchoukchis. Although the
tribes of these natives are not equally hos
pitable, Yegor did not shrink from the diff
culties he might encounter when this mo-
ment should come; nothing could ever ap-
proach the infamous life of a convict from
which he was escaping.
Among the Tchoukchis it was already lib
GRAFTON; it would only remain to find the
means of reaching Behring's Strait, on the
| return of the summer season and OF the
| free waters, which bring yearly into that To-
| cality American and English whalers.
The interesting daughter of the poet Davi-
| doff, in whose eyes Yegor assumed unnatu-
raj proportions, drew from her chaste love
| all the stimulants capable of increasing the
| ardor of the man who was about to expose
| his life for her, wishing to relieve her from
| the shame of being an exile's daughter. She
| could not forget that Yegor, thanks to the
favor he enjoyed with the governor. had
ameliorated and rendered supportable her
| situation, and that it was, above all, to fulfil
the sacred promise made to the dying old
| poet that he aspired to liberty.
Yegor already caught glimpse Of that
| liberty.
But besides this seductive prospect, what
| terrible punishment in case of failure, what
dolorous expiationl Yegor in his moments
| Of weakness, remembered the convict dis
| figured with sulphuric acid whom he had
seen on arriving at the Oukboul mines, ex-
posed to every kind of insulting treatment.
What fate, if he failed, was he preparing for
poor Nadege and little Ladislasl For him
self an ignominious death and for them q
prison, that is to say, death also, slower but
as surei
At last, he could hesitate no longer
One evening, in the early part of Septem-
Der, when the temperature was quite mild,
Yegor and Nadege quilted Yakoutsk Yegor
had spoken for long while to the family Of
the governor Of two or three days trip
that he wished to make upon the right bank
Of the Lena which was still unknown to
him; he came very near having for a COM
panion on his journey the governors eldest
daughter, who, more than once, had, on sim
liar occasions, imposed herself upon him.
The fugitives took hired boat to cross
the Lena, which is encountered with little
islands dividing it into several arms. One
of these arms of the river was not less than
three miles wide
Grave and serious, as at the commence
ment of perilous enterprise, they saw re-
cede without the least Joy the sad capital
with its broad, deserted streets, its dull
habitations ensconced behind high wooden
enclosures, the belfrys Of the four or five
churches, and, towering little above the
miserable huts, the convent and the bazar.
The night was clear and starry. There
was not sound in the country, not a shadow
behind them. Soon, in the east, faint, gray
dawn seemed to announce to them the morn
ing Of free and happy existence
Courage, Yegorl" murmured Nadege,