San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-24
THE EXlLES.
RUSSIAN STORY.

without bearing stlffened BODY wrapped
in sheet Of cloth. Ladislas preceded them.
He held in his hand lantern to illuminate
the dark points of the road. Yermac came
behind them, followed by Yegor and M
Lafleur.
Around the hut, the dogs were bowling in
a lamentable fashion 1t was the knel of
the dead.
This group of men advanced over the
rough surface of the soil, through lugubri-
Gus obscurity and beneath sky yelled by
rapidly moving clouds. Itwas terribly cold,
the thermometer indicating thirty-two de-
grees below zero.
They reached the grave. There, without
the least rite, the frozen body was laid in
the frozen ground and covered with snow
for monument The poor father saw all
this done with fearful eyes.
The two Yakoutes had prepared wooden
cross They erected it and it stood out black
from the surrounding whiteness.
And when the spectators raised their eyes
to the sky, they saw to their great surprise
that the full moon was shining in the centre
of an immense cross-shaped glory, repro
ducing itself six times in the heavens with
a sinister effect.
The polar night stretched out its tremen-
dous veil through which the stars pierced
with extraordinary brilliancy; through the
cold air, a great light fell upon the black
hills, the snowy peaks and the CLASSY sea-
The vast silence, broken only by the howl
ing Of the dogs, filled the mind with an in
describable feeling Of uneasiness and fear,
as if it were under the empire Of night
mare which nothing could drive away.
The same thought then assailed these
three men, so far from their natal countries.
Yermac, Yegor, and good M. Lafeur
We're transported in imagination to the
lands of the sun. Who knew if they would
ever see them again, and if a cold grave
would not open for them also in this region
of the pole!
Yegor and M. Lafleur grasped the hand Of
Dimitri's father to console him, and then
graspod each others to strengthen them
selves in their resolutions.
"Shall we, Yermac," said Yegor, "before
this tomb promise mutual assistance and
succor!"
mo, Yegor," answered the Chief Of po-
lice; ''you brought me into this region. j
followed you without too much resistance,
preston upon ma But ask nothing further
of me-"
The Yakoutes started on their journey the
next evening in a southeast wind, vulgarly
called the warm wind, which had blown all
day, causing the thermometer to rise above
zero, softening the snow, and melting the
ice incrusted in the two little windows Of
the hut. The moon lighted up their road,
and if the dogs held out at the rate they
commenced, they would make over eight
miles an hour
On seeing them depart with the two
nartas, Yermac, already much discouraged
by the death Of his son. lost all hope of fee
ing. More taciturn than usual, he refused
all consolation, all assistance. Nadege had
tried without success to induce him TO &C
cept food at Ladislas' hands.
When the guides had gone, he seated
himself near the spot where Dimitri had
been buried. In the pale light which fell
from above, the wooden cross seemed to be
the centre of a vast cemetery.
In the distance, upon the sea, in the direc
ton Of the icebergs, the ice, broken up by
the action of the sudden heat and the dash
If the free waters set in motion by the
wind, gave vent to resounding and con-
tinued craclzings, which mingled with the
noise Of the waves dashed against the
promontories by the gale. The Polar Sea
had, for few hours, shaken off the yoke Of
winter.