Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-12-01
CHAPTER NN-
AT TIL. KARA MINES

AS soon as Kara was reached, paui i'et-
IONHa--aGalnSt whom a black report was
presented owing to the incident at omsk,
when he ihrea: ened q brutal officer who
had inSutcd Catherine-wa. ordered into
clo-c confinement in the jcalou> y-gua1ded
prison, while Catherine aud Rachel were
chartered in the houses of some so ca ed
tr convicts-hat is, convicls WHO were
allowed to build hut> 10: themselves and live
Il comparatively free lie. tree from the irk-
some restraint of the prisons. The on
ward journey still further to the east for
those who were destined for the lower
Amoor and Sakhalin W. uld not be COM
lnenccd until The spring lad opened the
roads aga II. so that those who had not yet
reached their final destination had many
months to get over before doing SO.
Chthcrines separation from The husband
she SO adorcd was gre at blow, but Just Ue-
tore parting he had managed to say to
her
BE OF good cheer my Catherine. We
shall meet again or cannot think that
God has forgotten us; and do not desert
Rachel. She is Onely an friend eSS.
Even without this expressed wish Of
her husband that she should not
dc>crt Rachel she would not have
done so; Tor they were more closely and
firmly Knit thar ever by the suffer. ng an
the sorrow they had endured.
Rachel had horne up bravely through it
all. but it was with ali inc xl,ressiblr sense
Of thaukiulness that she found herself at
last freed from the horrors and the restraint
of the etap and the forwarding prisons;
and yet the accommodation OF the hut
which she now obtained shelter in Kara
was OF the most mcagrc k nd. The hut was
built of drillwood. tho erst ces OF the
logs being stuffed with moss 10 keep
out the wind and the CO There was no
other bed than that whi' me dirty skins
and rugs on tue floor atfnru !, and warmth
was obtained by logs burnt III Il hole in one
corner oftne hut, tresmokr finding its WY
out through all OF ening in the roof If
Rachel had come suddenly to this pl ce
rom her once luxurious honcin St. Peters
burg >he would have shrunk with loathing
from her surroundings. bur what she had
gone through during the long journey
through Siberia made this wrrtched place
seem almost nike a litle palace.
1t was still a terrible trial TO have to
wait there inactive amidst the Attic snow
curing the long. long weeks that would
lav"t elapSe before tie first welcome notes
roads were open a ,ain. And then the sus-
Ien>e was well nigh maddenl &. There
was scarcely minute Of her waking hours
but what s c thought OF her loved ones,
and when she slept she dreamed of them.
She wondered what they were doing, how
they l.Een, II tuey thought as muCu u ueT
as she bought of them
And sometimes there was wordless
prayer in her heart that il God had not
already taken Moshka to his rest II would
do 50; !or ruthlessy torn from her as he
had been, and trarspor ed to one OF the
ulost inhosVitable corners OF the earth, his
life could only be one Of unutterahle tor
1lent y tier. far better therefore. that he
should die. Neverln her widest dreaming
did she deem, it probable that she would
meet NO-hka again on EARTH AMI as e
could have no hope OF freedom, it seemed
TO her but charity to wish him dead.
In the case OF her father II was some
what different. She had got perm ssion to
20 to INN; and her journey had BEEN I'M
But let not going to him be
to live with him and be with him always.
Tue stern and cruel Government r"gula-
tons did not permit of women and children
residing with their relatives on the bleak
Island of SAX haln.
In sending convicts to that inho pitable
place it seemed as ii the authorities, with
devilish ingenuity Ii aimed at rendering
tt C lives OF the men as utterly wretched as
modification to that was that sucl, relatives
$ chose of their own tree will 10 make
their homes at Nikoiaev>k, at the mouth OF
the Amoor. Immediately opposite the
northern end OF Sakhal:n. from which it IS
separa ed by narrow strai ht known as
the Cult OF Tartary, would be allowed ut
stated interval = t" pay brief visit t" those
belonging to them who were imprisoned on
the island