Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-01-05
THE COMPACT.

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE COMPACT.
AS Rachel set her foot upon the dread
island of Sakhalin she felt that at last two
things were about to come to pass, two
things for which she had suffered so much
and travelled so far. She would see her
and now it may be stated what that pur-
pose was. 1t was revenge: revenge on the
man who had wrought such misery and
ruin in her family-the hateful and hated
Peter Alexietf.
Such man, so she thought was but an
earth, and she had resolved that he should
die. The mode of accomp ishing his deai h
she had not yet thought of; what she did
think was, that once she was in Sakhalin
some means and some opportunity would
present themselves. And though she was
now on the island by the Governors ex-
press command and as his prisoner, she
was not downcast, not disheartened. The
end as it seemed to her, was in view, and
the end would crown her work.
AS the eXiles landed on the desolate,
barren shore they could scarcely repress a
shudder. Great masses OF ice were still
piled up there, and the whole island
seemed wrapped in dripping mist.
A strong convoy waited on shore to
escort the prisoners to their destination,
and as soon as all were landed, the march
inland began, Tor the settlement was many
miles away towards the east. The route
was through narrow, dreary valley, the
bottom OF which was q marsh, and made
travelling exceedingly disagreeable and
difficult There was no road only track
WI" -, nc 1s'.". '..o ,''.~'...1 49,
and convcts. Anything more III elAnaholy,
more desolate and saddening than the
whole valley presented it would be no
easy matter to imagine. and the clanklng
chains OF the poor convictS seemed suited
to the scene. Cultivation there was none;
the vegetation consisted of course marsh
grass and bog cotton. Nowhere was there
sign Of human habtaion, and the slopes
OF the mountains that hemmed in the
valley were mere stony wastes.
Through this awful region, where the
air was bitterly cold and the wind some
times moan"d like a thing in pan, and
anon screcched as it in fierce delight that
more victims had come to that living grave.
the people toiled EDWARDS for hours, u!ti!
the day began to close. Then they reached
Il large wooden harrack erected at the edge
Of q swamp, and which was used as q
temporary shelter for convict parties
marching to the set lement.
At this place they halted for the night.
1t was dirty in the extreme, and devoid OF
everything that might have c"nduced to
even the most barren of comf"rts For
beds there were only bare greasy plank.
Such ventilation as there was came through
the cracks and crannies 0, the hall rotten
boards; but from time to time many of
these crannies had been stopped With moss
in order to keep out the draught. with the
inevitable result o. causing the inside air
to become peStiferous and tetid when party
of convicts had been congregated there tor
a short time.
In short, the accommodation afforded for
the Wretched beings WHO were at once the
objects otthe Russian Governments hate
and revenge was such that in amy
civilized country a man would have hest
tated to put his dogs in such place;
AS soon as the muster-rolld had been
could do as they liked until reveille in the
morning, when the march would be re-
sumed.
Rachel was the only woman in the gang,
and it can well be imagined how her whole
being revOtcd against the misery she was
called upon to endure; and feeling faint
and sick she went forth into The open air,
and in few minutes a soldier OF the guard
came up and spoke to her. Women were
not often seen on lhe island, and that
fact made her conspicuous, and then her
beauty had attracted him.
"EIuw comes it, woman that you are
herr?' lie asked. not unkindly.
II am a prisoner" she answered
''That know, but wherefore are you SOP"
II is due to the caprice CT your master,
the Governor"
"Ah he has many caprices; but why
have yoM been sent to this part OF the
country"
II have not been sent. 1 came voluntar-
You speak riddle. You are a prisoner,
and yet you came voluntarily. How recon-
Gle you the two things?"
father"
Your father?"
Yes. He is cxiled to this place. But
when arrived at Nikoaevsk l was made
prisoner by order of1he Governor"
vhat is strange whit qt cred the Tolde e:
strange that Peter AIrxieff did," The
soldier in answer TO this simply shrugged
his shoulders either as sign of lnditfer-
ence to the subject or of contempt TOR the
Governor. know you the Governor
wel?" asked Rachel.
No. l have been here out four months.
i was sent from Toholsk. Do you know
him well?"
would to the God of Abraham did
mot"
you are Jewess?" asked the man.
II am"
''And you come to see your father?'
"Yes"
what is his name?"
"AarOn Arama."
For moment or two the soldier looked
at her lityingly and sadly and then lie re-
markell
Know you not that Aaron Arama is
dead?"
Dead" echoed Rachel, in a strong hol-
low tone as ii she were n mechanical figure
rather titan Living, breathing woman,
and. Keeling little, she supported her
self against the wooden wall OF the bar
rack.
Eyes. said the man sympathetically,
and failing to recognize altogether how
terrible was the shock he had impaired to
his listener, whose eyes were fearless, and
almost stony. her breath labored and ster-
torOus and her whole manner that of ono
who was partially stunned. But suddenly
she seemed to recover herself, and laying
her hand on the soldiers arm she exclaim-
ed, "Did You say he was dead?"
II did," returned the man.
'.When died hel"
"NNell, it must have been about three
months before camel"
lyon did not know him, then?'
mo. but his death was much talked
about amongst the soldier, an the exiies,
for it.was said that he was. tlogged to death