The sun., 1892-11-24

In most cases q runaway was not pursued
far, for there was common saying amongst
the officers of the gGrrsons and stations
when q man had got away, that Nature
would bring back the escaped prisoner,
which meant that owing to the difficulties
! he would experience in traversing the in
no pitable country, and the hunted-animal
sort of life he would have to lead, mas
| much as every mans hand would be against
him, he would give himself up at the first
station he could reach.
Like all such sayings this one had to be
| taken with qualifications. 1t was quite
true many runaways gave themselves up.
The horrible hardshi ps they were compelled
to face appalled, them, and they soon came
| to believe that the slavery and wretched-
ness of convict life were preferable to the
torture of mind and body that had to be
endured in trying to get free. Neverthe-
less, great number who escape never give
way. Some are killed by the wolves,
which in the early spring are particularly
ravenous; Others fall from exhaustion, and
die a lingering and horrible death. But
others again on the principle of the sur
! vival of the fitIest surmont every obstacle,
every hardship every danger, and live to
reach their destination. IT, however, they
| return to Russia-and so strong is
the love of their native land in
every Russian breast that ninety
per cent OF the tugitiVes aim for
| Russia-they are certain sooner or Later to
be detected and sent back to exile. On the
! other hand, those who do succeed in cross
| ing the frontier may ultimately regain alb
| solute freedom in some less barbarous
| country than their own.
In Umanski's case there was a very
| strong determination on the part OF the
| authorities that he should be retaken, tor
| h s otfense in injuring an officer was con-
Si1 ro1
yated immensely by the fact of his being
| Jew. For a Jew to beat and maltreat a
| Christian was serious business under any
circumstances for the Jew but when the Jew
| was q convict and the person maltreated an
| officer ofguard the heinousne essOf the crime
! could not be exa gerated, and death was the
penalty, and in sucha case the Wretched OF
| fender would probably be beaten with the
| knnut every day for many days before his
sufferngs were finally ended by the rope
| or the bullet.
If Rachel had not been acquainted with
all this she soon learnt it from The common
gossip in the settlement, and she prayed in
| her heart that her lover, falling TO reach a
! place OF sa ety, might perish in the lore is,
| for she shuddered to think what he would
suffer if caught.
| When morning dawned report spread
| through the settlement that Balakh1n still
| remained insensible and that the doctors
|
| peared that the blow had been delivered
| with such force on the temple as to pro-
! duce serious conclusion of the brain, and
| the officer not being a strong man, his
| chances of rallying were looked upon as
poor. Throughout that day and night he
| remained insenslble, and though every
| means possible were used to restore him,
| all effo Is failed, and a sudden failure of
| the hearts action soon put an end to his
| life.
When Catherine heard the news she
| laughed and said to Rachel
Heaven works in our iavor, and there is
| one enemy of the people less
! come to regard all soldiers and their otfi-
| GERS that is, all in Siberia-With an intense
! hatred; therefore she could only be expect
, ed to rejoice when one ofthem died.
! As for Rachel, she was full of lamenta-
ton. Not for Balakhin's sake, for now
was it possible that she could have respect
or sorrow for him? but for Moshka, because
| if he were captured now there would not
| be the slightest hope for him. Her lam
, entations, however, gave no outward sign,
save in the pensive face and fearful eye.
| But as day after day went by and no word
| came of the fugitives recapture her feelings
were relieved, and she thought to her
Sc f.
He has found peace at last the peace of
death in the wilderness. But though his
grave know not, and my tears will never
fall upon it, yet in the fullness of time we
shall meet again where there shall be no
more weeping. and the just and the unjust
shall be judged according to their merits. "
The little parties that had been sent out
in different directions to hunt for the runa-
way gradually returned but brought no
tiIings. The telegraph had also been free
" used, to give warning to the different
villages along the road. But as the tele-
| I,iro
il was hardly likely to avail much; for no
man seeking his freedom would have been
! mad enough to traverse the telegraph route.
! His only hope was the wilderness; but
though that might enable him to elude
| the human bloodhounds, there were so
many other dangers to be faced that death
| was always near, and hope was only like a
| sickly glimmering star that seemed to mock
the fainting heart and weary ewes, and to
lure one on to madness.
When the soldiers reported themselves
there was general feeling of evaporation
among the officials that Umanskf shonld
| have eluded- what they would have term
ed-Justice But with many an execration
on their lips they said one to another, "Ah,
he rots anyway, for it is certain he is
| DEAL"
OF course the wish was father to the
thought.
As was always the case when a
|
extra vigilance was exercised, and
| increased severity was shown to the
other prisoners; for, as it seemed, the
| officers could not resist the temptation to
| resent their spleen upon someone. 1t was
tyranny, but every Russian officer, or Off
cial of any kind, no matter what his grade
may be, whether high or low is, generally
speaking, tyrant; and he seems to take a
strange, half fierdish delight in exercising
his tyranny upon those who are unable to
| resent it.
Throughout the whole of Siberia this is
particularly the case; perhaps it is because
they are made callous by the suffering and
wretchedncss surrounding them. And
then the power that is placed in their
hands is so great, and they are so far re-
moved from central CONTROL that the brute
nature-inherent in all men=is allowed to
gain the ascendency.
The incr eased stringencyof regulations
imposed after Umanskis flight and Balak.
hin's death affected the wives, friends and
children o, the convicts, as we'll as the con-
victs themselves. Rachel was ordered to
keep to her hut, with the exception of a short
time devoted to exercise each day. Paul
Patrovna who had been promised more
freedom was now informed that he would
be kept close prisoner, and the privilege
his wife bad enjoyed ofseeing him at stated
intervals was taken away.
| OF course, there was no reason or even
common sense in all this; but it was quite
in accord with the usual practice followed
at the Kara mines, at least, if not all over
Siberia under similar circumstances. The
idea that was uppermost was, perhaps,
that the increased harshness land severity
would induce the oonVicts themselves to
use their endeavors to prevent the escape
of any more of their number. But it had
no such effect, and when prisoner made
break for liberty he generally carried the
good wishes of his fellows with him.
: AS regards Rachel, the deprivation of the
small measure freedom she enjoyed die
not cause her much Concern; but Catherine
was furious. Hers was too rough and
fierce nature TO be tanned even by means
of bars and chons. She fretted and
fumed and vowed VOWS. Nevertheless she
had cunning enough to fight with hersel
and subdue herself; for during that long
and fearful journey across Siberia she had
learnt enough of the power of those in
command 10 know that though she was
endowed with the strength of Samson, the
might of Hercules, and the fierceness of the
tigress robbed of her young, she could not
hope to prevail against the numbers who
Fepresented the law, ssHch as if wgs, apd