San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-23


the spring. That is if you do not prefer to |
accompany US tothe Gulf Of Anadyr, where |
we shall quit simultaneously Siberia, Rus
STA and Asial"
''That remains to be seenm muttered Yer
mac, in low tone.
CHAPTER NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. FOR THE WIN
TER
The fugitives and the chief of police
paused at the edge of small frozen river,
the water of which could be drunk. On the
banks of this stream they could gather
drifted wood to burn during the winter.
1t was in the vicinity of Cape Baranoff,
which bristled with rocks of strange and
fantastic shapes; one fancied he saw there
figures of men and gigantic animals scatter
ed among ruined towers and dismantled and
crumbling walls, which one might take for
the wrecks of a fortress.
The north and northwest portions Of the
cape are composed of rocks of schist, plung
ing perpendicularly into the sea and cut
here and there by narrow valleys.
To the north, bounding the horizon, were
vaguely outlined huge mountains Of ice,
called icebergs by English and American
navigators. A little in front of them stretch
ed out a vast open space in the ice.
Upon the Siberian shores Of the Arctic
Ocean, one does not see immense glaciers
like those of Smiths Strait. Nevertheless,
as the current of the Polar Sea flows from
west to east, it will readily be understood
that enormous masses of ice are drawn to-
wards Behring's Strait. From various
causes, the height of the frozen mountains
augments as one leaves the coast behind
him.
At this spot on the shore of the Arctic
Ocean the people from the banks of the
Kolima stop, when they start out to hunt
the fur producing animals.
There exists, between the limit they as
sign to themselves and that adopted by the
Tchouktchis, a neutral and uninhabited zone
very favorable for the establishment of
winter camp for fugitives.
The coast was covered with drifted wood,
which could be utilized in the construction
of hut for the winter, which gave promise
| of being excessively severe.
Everybody assisted in erecting the hut
| even Yermac. The interior was so arranged
| as to furnish, besides the room common to
! all, chamber for Nadege, in which her
| pologue was erected. The men were to
| sleep together, in another apartment, on q
sort Of bed made Of pieces Of wood. A rein.
| deer skin was hung over the door of the
| hut Outside, covered passage, construct
/ ed with blocks Of snow, formed a screen,
| preventingthe icy air from penetrating into
| the hut when anyone entered or went out.
The hut, which was very low, was strength
ened by means of an exterior wall of hard
| ana6 SnnIp a nrapantion taken apainSt hlr-
| ricanes which, otherwise, would have swept
it away. The roof, exceedingly slight de-
spite the care bestowed upon it by the exiles,
had been in like manner covered with solid
cakes of snow Finally in front of the
passage, veritable glacis formed of enor-
nous blocks was designed to act as an OBJ
stacle to the tempests and to prevent the
hut from being suddenly invaded and shut
in by the snow,
Afterwards, they took an inventory of
what they possessed. Their property, be
sides large quantity of skins and furs vari
ously fashioned, consisted of the following
objects: an iron plate with four feet for the
hearth, an iron tripod, boiler and kettle,
some spoons, knives and forks, lantern,
a saw, two hatchets, two hunting knives,
pistols and guns with hundred cartridges
for each gun, a thermometer and the tiny
compass belonging to the charms of Yegor 8
watch-chain-the watch was to play the
important role of chronometer.
Unfortunately, the supply of food, as the
reader already knows, was not large.
From the first day, the chief Of police re-
fused the food that was offered to him. A
kettle had been placed upon the fire in
order to make soup from reindeer meat.
The meat set aside, each one, except Yer.
mac, dipped spoon into the kettle. Yer
mac drew from his sack some rye biscuits
he had furnished himself with at the ostrog:
these, with a morsel of youkoula of mouk'
soune "a sort of sea gudgeon dried,) consti-
tuted his supper.
| Yegor and NJ Lafeur looked at each 9TH
er, painfully impressed by the chief of po-
| Ices determination.
| And when you have eaten your biscuit
what thenl" asked the Partisan.
Tomorrow, l shall begin hunting" re-
sponded Yermac.
| "To hunt one must have a gum"
"And you have mine No matterI Twill
| set traps. You will trust me with Ratchet
to prepare my traps, will you notl"
| Certainly" said Yegor, who admired the
character of the chief of police.
"But you will be compelled to have bait,
observed the Partisan.
Right; did not think Of that" answered
Yermac, and ceasing to eat, he put aside
his morsel of youkoula.
He refused the tea prepared with melted
snow, and, after his more than primitive re-
| past eaten amid biting cold, stretched him.
/ 4 l. -,