Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-01-26

this was not the first of his nocturnal en-
petitions; so at least concluded from
the agility with which he now sprang
from rock to rock, while the sea poured
in beneath his feet Suddenly he stopped
as though he had heard some noise, sat
down upon rock and placed his burden
by his side He was now Joined by
white figure walking along the shore.
had concealed myself behind one of the
rocks, and overheard the following con
versation:
"The wind" said a woman's voice, lis
very violent; Janko will not come"
"Janko," replied the blind boy. "Janko
is not afraid of the wind"
But the clouds get thicker and
thicker"
"In the darkness it is easier to escape
the coast guard"
"And what if he gets drownedT"
You will have no more bright rib
bons to wear on Sunday"
AS l listened to the colloquy, / re-
marked that the blind boy who had
spoken to me in the Little Russian dia-
9 ct, talked quite correctly the true Rus
sian language
"You see," he continued, clapping his
uduuSS was EISuG. OduhO Tears u0lIuSE
the sea, nor the wind, nor the fog, nor
the coast guard. Listen! 1t is not the
breaking Of the waves hear No, it is
the noise of his oars.
The woman got up, and with an anx-
ious look tried to pierce the darkness.
"You are wrong" she said, 81 hear moth
ing
also tried to see whether there was
some sort of craft in the distance, but
could distinguish nothing. A moment
later, however, a black speck showed
itself among the waves, now rising, now
falling. At last | could make out the
form of boat dancing on the waters
and rapidly approaching the shore.
The man who was guiding it must
have been a bold sailor to cross on such
night an arm of the sea some fourteen
miles across, and must have had good
reasons for Drawing so much danger.
watched the frail little craft which was
now diving and plunging like a duck
through the breakers 1t seemed as
though she must the next moment be
dashed to pieces on the shore, when sud-
denly the skillful rover turned into a
little bay, and there, i'll comparatively
calm water, effected landing
The man was Of middle height, and
wore on his head a cap of black sheep
skin. He made a sign with his hand,
when the two mysterious persons who
had been talking together joined him.
Then the three united their forces to
drag from the boat a burden which
seemed to be so heavy that cannot
even now understand how so light a
craft could have supported such a
weight. They at last hoisted the cargo
on their shoulders, then walked away
and soon disappeared.
The best thing for me to do now was
to return to my resting place. But the
strange scene had witnessed had so
struck me that | waited impatiently for
| daybreak.
My Cossack was much surprised when.
on waking up, he found me fully dressed
| said nothing to him about my noe
turnal excursion. remained for some
little time looking through the window
with admiration at the blue sky, studded
with little clouds, and the distant shore,
the Crimea, stretched along the horizon
like streak of violet, ending in rock
above which could be seen the tower Of
a lighthouse. Then | went out and
walked to the fort of Chanagora to ask
the commandant when | could go tc
Ghelendchik
Unfortunately the commandant could
give me no positive answer; the only
vessels in port were stationary ones, and
trading ships which had not yet taker
in their cargo. Perhaps" he said
Sin three or four days a mail packe'
| ooroa ~ fbo1, co11ootbipO ooT
be arranged"
went back in a very bad humor tt
my lodging. At the door stood the
Cossack, who, coming toward me will
rather scared look, said inquiringly:
bad news?'
YES" answered. Heaven know
when we shall get away from here"
At these words the anxiety of the
soldier seemed to increase. He came
close to me and murmured in a low
voice:
"This is not place to stop at. l me
Just now Black sea Cossack of my &C
quaintance-we were serving in the sam
detachment last year. When told hin
where we had put up: Bad place. h
said; bad people And what do 20,
think of that blind boy? Did any on
ever before see a blind person running
about from one place to another; goinI
to the bazar, bringing in bread an
water? Here they seem to think nothin
: of it."
"Has the mistress of the place com
in?'
This morning, while you were out
an old woman came with her daughter.
"What daughter? Her daughter
} away"
II don't know who it is, then. Blu
look, there is the old woman sitting dow
, in the cabin"
went in. A good fire was shining il
1 the stove, and breakfast was being pre-
pared, which, for such poor people
seemed to me rather a luxurious enc
= When spoke to the old woman she toll
me that she was stone deaf