San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-15
THE EXILES.
RUSSIAN STORY.

invented another stratagem for their cap
ture. Il have lost my Shoes" said he, land
hence no longer need my rubbers." And he
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 and
wings, and fell, uttering loud cries.
M, Lafleur 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. Lafleur 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. Lafleur return
ed 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! 7"
When the child stood before him, he gave
him superb flute made of a reed.
"And now," said he, "blow 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 in
practicing music, and, in the evening, M
Lafleur drew his little violin from his peck
ct to accompany the airs improvised by his
pupil.
Does it not seem as though there were a
fairy in every young girl! Nadege's hut
was embellished day by day, thanks to hen
ho,. NJ Nf
ness and order She had made of that hum.
BILE shelter of leaves something charming, o
delicious nest soft with moss and perfumed
with flowers; at the door, in the guise of .
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 leaves served her for a bed. YegoI
had made for his betrothed a rustic table and
chair formed of the roots of a tree felled by
the wind.
Upon the table, between two thin boards,
was enclosed the young girls most precious
possession her fathers last poems, written
in days of trial and trouble, which she de
signed to publish if she should ever set foot
upon land of liberty!
Above, the Holy Image, carried every.
where by Nadege in her exile-as the an.
clients carried the lares of the earth-stood
out from background of gold, suspended
beneath garlands of moss.
Meanwhile, the honest and good NJ. LAT.
leur suffered less from having lost his shoes
than from being deprived of tobacco. Think
ing to return to Yakoutsk in few days, he
had neglected to supply himself with it. His
| nose of respectable dimensions, planted
n IN, +ha Of
parchment-like face, had become melancholy
from lack of snuff, and was visibly falling
| away. Tobacco was evidently as necessary
for that nose, with its wide nostrils resem.
bling two thimbles, as the dew for the plant
and the manure for the fields. M. Lafeur
necessarily drew his silver snutf-box from
the depths of his vest pocket, and, opening
it with sad air, shook his head and rubbed
his nose; then he restored the snuff-box tc
his pocket, uttering deep sigh.
M. Lafeur, who claimed that his ideas
had vanished with his tobacco, nevertheless.
found one. Tobacco" said he, twas brought
from America to Europe. Suppose 1 were
to look for some similar plant! In certain
countries, they replace bread by the potato
and even by tree bark" So he began to
search, and, as all who seek find, he thought
that a species of arnica which he encounter
ed in his walks would supply the object Of
his desires.
He dried the leaves of that plant upon an
iron plate and succeeded in reducing them
to suitable powder.
TIE first Whit of this chestnut-hued snuff
made the good M. Lafleur sneeze for half an
hour His nose seemed transformed into a
mitrailleuse. 1t exploded, Numbered and
ragged He laughed at it, with tears in his
eyes. 'Ah!" cried he, II believe my nose is
firing salute of joy"
Thus the first week of the encampment
passed away. A few days more and the
Yakoute would return with his siedges and
reindeer That would be freedom, almost
deliverance! Yegor, without allowing his
feverish impotence to be seen, counted the
hours and the minutes. NJ Lafieur still
fattered himself with the hope that, Yer
mac dead and no witness of his completely
existing, he could readily return to Yak
outsk.
Thus far, nothing had troubled the fugi-
tives in their retreat. They, nevertheless,
continued to be very circumspect and watch
ful. Near the encampment was an elevar
ton, crowned with enormous pines, which
overlooked the rest of the forest. Morning
and evening, Ladislas climbed to the top OF
one of these trees to scan the vicinity; 1t
was the fugitives' lighthouse and post OF
observation. From it, the glance embraced
the immense forest, rolling away like sea
of leaves, of which the conical points of the
frs simulated the waves. And, afar or In
a long greenish perspective, chains of bare