Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-25
"These rascals I" cried Palkin. Now they

Excuse the man, your e1cellency, salc
the position; shat is the way for those
people to show the way; we must meet {
COLONY in the direction in which the arrow
was sent of.
"Well, then, whip your horses and go on. .
The horses now brought the heavy car
riage around and started in different direc.
ton. For an hour already, the Colonel had
been driving about OH the plain; for an houl
ago the position had told the Colonel that
he had lost his way. Jana was in despair
because she was very anxious to reach
Irkutsk. When the Colonel, however, rep.
resented to her that il would be better to
await the morning in some colony, than
to use up their own strength and that of the
horses, she yielded. After a considerable
time the postillion at last cried: 1--WE are
near the forest! L see the road againl"
Deep silence reigned in the coach. jana
looked all around the vast plain. hoping to
discover traces of human dwelling. Thus
thew reached the forest. OF sudden, the
Colonel turned to his companion, and, look
ing at her with passionate eyes, he said:
"Countess, you surely do not know the
power OF your beauty"
The ewes of the gendarme glowed like
will-o' -the-wisps in the dark coach, and
Jana drew back frightened. They had
made so long a journey together, and Palkin
had ever treated her with so much respect
and esteem that Jana had become quite
reassured, and now also sought to give his
words laughable turn.
81 have heard that so often But let us
drop idle compliments, and rather think
how we shall escape out OF this predlca-
ment."
Compliment They are no compliments,
but the expression of feeling that over
whelms me ]"
Then you ought to suppress it. In our
relative position you cannot speak Of such
things without"
"You think so? Do you imagine that a
man because he is a gendarme, has no feel
ings which a magically charming being
must arouse in every heart. Do you think
we can with impunity remain near you be-
cause we have authority
The coach was driving into the forest, the
birch trees and the larches stretched out
their bare branches into the air as if they
were skeletons. Jana began now seriously
to fear, as a glance showed her Palkin's
eyes glowing with strange fire and his face
burning red. Retiring into the farthest
corner of the coach, she said:
Colonel, what is it?"
"What it is? must at last confess that
love you! ! know that you are an honest
woman and will scorn me. Nevertheless"
"What do you mean? Are you out of
your senses? Stop, postillion!'' cried jana,
in, perfect anguish.
"You call in vainl The position as we'll
as all these people whom you see are sold to
me! They will obey me only. You call,
therefore, in vain. He has purposely lost
his way, because 1 ordered it.
Help! Save mel What shall 1 do, poor
woman that amp"
''I told YOU you would call in vain. Don't
you see how calm I am? l love you; l re-
peat it once more. In a few hours we shall
cut off from you. If you were to die
might forget you, but to live and to see
you"
At this moment the sleigh stopped. A
shed was visible between the trees at which
the position stopped. He jumped down
from the box and opened the door. Jana
breathed again and quickly got out.
Here we are at last" said the man. "I
must take the horses out, but in the mean
time Countess will find so many skins in the
house that you will be warm there"
"PostilionI" said Jana to him, "do not
leave me! Follow me and do not go away
one moment!"
Palkin laughed scornfully. Jana leant
on the arm of the position, who looked at
her amazed.
The huge shed seemed to be quite empty.
In the corners furs of reindeer, bears,
wolves, foxes and sable were heaped up.
Jana sank breathless on pile of furs
"Remain here, my friend" she said to the
position. "It your horses should run
away, I'll pay ior them. "You yourself
shall be richly rewarded If you will not
leave me-
Jana saw Palkin enter.
"Leave me-" she said, "to him. This good
man will surely protect me-"
Palkin turned to the postillion.
Take your horses away at once, and do
not return here till daybreak, unless you
wish to make me angry"
The position left Immediately.
Palkin cast a fearful look, full of bitter
ness ana scorn, at the Countess
"Postilion!" she called after the man
when suddenly she stopped, full OF astonish-
ment.
A strange commotion became perceptible
under the pile of furs, and q sudden light
illumined the shed. The Colonel crossed
himself, terrified, as he saw wolves and bears
come up against him. Soon the furs fell of,
md lanterns, kept concealed until now, shed
i better light, and 40 colonists surrounded
Palkin and Jana.
my wifel" exclaimed one of them. "Col-
mel, how did you get here?"
The officer, whose presence OF mind never
eft him, whispered into Jana's ear:
Keep silence, for your husbands sakeP
Palkin's voice sounded like a hidden
hreat and Jana was so fully convinced that
or the present Vladimir's fate lay in Pal
,In's hands-that with her usual devotion
he consented, and announced it by a
naughty bend of the head.
"Vladimir!'' she exclaimed, "God sends
you to help us. We have lost our way on
he plain. What lucky accident brings you
lere?"
'tI told you. we prepared an expedition
Igainst the Tunguses who steal our furs.
The inspector allowed us to lie in ambush
lere."
THAT was the e'hand of Godw she said,
ooking sterniy at the Colonel
But how could you miss your way?"
Isked one of the exiles. "Were you not on
7our way to Irkutsk?"
"Yes, indeed"
"Why, then, do not see-unless the pos
ilion was drunk, or perhaps bribed; other
wise he could not possibly miss the road"
Jana was determined to keep silent. She
aid:
81 must 90 on at once. Could you perhaps
how us the way to the nearest station?
The horses can very we'll make few versts
more. Colonel, you will kindly permit my
husband and one of these men to accom-
ANY us?''
"But-"Palkin tried to object.
"Oh, you certainly permit it." she said,
ooking him into the face; my hasband
an return to the colony in post sleigh.
10 much you can surely permit, Colonel"
Palkin saw that he could not refuse. He
consented, with rage in his heart Orders
we're given not TO take the horses out, and
n a quarter of an hour the four took their |
eats in the coach. Jana tried to keep up
he same conduct as be ore with Palkin,