The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-17
Copyright. 1895


old and 1 would like to see my beloved
con once more before die. Come to tell
nc zoodbye. and lay me in my grave, and
fhen in the name of God. you may 90
bacl. to your post I have found bride
for YOU. She is intelligent ana good and
has some property as well. Should you
take d fancy 10 her, you might marry and
settle down"
Shelin went TO the colonel, got his leave,
said goodbye to his brother officers. dis
rributed four buckets of vodka as a part
ing gift to his soldiers and made himself
ready.
There was war at that time in the eau
casus. The roads were impossible by
Jay or night. Any Russian who ventured
tar from the fort was sure to be killed By
the Tartars or carried captive to the
mountains. So twice week an escort of
soldiers went from one fort to another, the
soldiers marching in the front and rear
ana the people in the middle.
Tt was summer. Wagon loads of people
gathered outside the fort at daybreak,
the escort sailed forth and they all started
Oh the road. Shelin was in the front on
horseback, and his telega with his bag
gage went with the wagons.
They had twenty-five versts to go. The
caravan advanced slowly. Sometimes a
wheel would come off, or a horse would
stumble, the soldiers would call halt.
and the whole party would come to a
standstill and wait.
Sheiin rode on ahead, and then stopped,
waiting for the rest to come up. He heard
the bugle behind him and said to himself
There, they are hating again. Suppose
T go ON alone without the soldiers? AIy
horse is good, and If the Tartars should
attack me / could outrun them. But per-
haps I'd better not"
While he stood considering. Kostelin,
another officer, came riding up. He had a
gun.
Il say; let us go on alone, Shelin. can
not stand this any longer. L am hungry
and this heat is unbearable. My shirt is
wringing wet"
Kostelin was tail, stout man, with a
red face, from which the Precipitation was
pouring. Shelin reflected little and then
said:
is your gun loaded?"
Yes, loaded
Then let us go on. Only I make one
condition, we must keep together"
As soon as the steppe ended, the road
entered mountain pass.
Before we go on here" Shelin said, we
must ride up the mountain to be sure there
IS no ambush"
So saying Shelin turned his horse to
the left and started up the mountain. The
horse Shelp rode was a hunter. He had
paid a hundred roubles for it, when it was
4 colt in pasture, and had broken It in
himself. 1t carried him up the hill as
though on wings. He had Just reached
hph a ORC z ,fe,1
rartars in front of him. They numbered
about thirty. The instant he caught sight
Of them he turned, but they had already
perceived him and made dash for him,
while drawing their guns from their hoI-
sters
Shelin tore down tho declvity at full
speed, calling out to kostelin;
'-Have your gun ready" and then
whispered in his horses ear, carry me
safely little one, don't let your foot slip,
for if you stumble I am lost"
kostelin, the moment he set eyes on the
Tartars, instead of waiting, set off at
full speed for the fort, lashing his horse
1rst on one side then on the other. until
soon. all that could be seen through the
dust was the flying tail of the poor beast.
Shelin saw himself in a bad plight The
gun had gone. and his own short sword
was no defnse.
He began galloping across the plain
irusting to escape to the guard in the rear,
but he saw six Tartars in pursuit TO cut
off his retreat. His horse was good, but
theirs were better and besides they would
intercept him. He tried to turn and go
back, but there was no stopping his little
horse for the impetus al which they were
going, and there he was flying straight
10 meet the Tartars. Nearer and nearer
zane Tartar with a red beard on a gray
horse, with gun raised over his head,
anarling and showing his teeth
GhaIfp nf To- h
was brave. He seized his sword and made
rush on the red Tartar, determined TO
ride over him or cut him down with his
sword,
But Shelin never reached the place.
They shot at him from behind. The
shot struck the horse. The horse fell
with all his might and rolled on to Shelins
leg
Shelin tried to, rise, but two Tartars,
TWO dirty Tartars. were already on top
ot him, pinning his arms back. He made
= spring and got loose from the two Tar
tarss but three others had dismounted and
began to beat him over the head with the
butt Of their guns. His sight failed and
he reeled. The Tartars seized him and
pinioned his arms back in a Tartar knot
with one of their extra saddle girths and
dragged him off. They knocked off his
cap, tore off his boots. searched him, took
his money and tore his clothing
The rcd beard mounted his horse and
ne others handed Shelin up to him, who
bound him with strap to the belt Of the
Tartar, who then rode off toward the
mountains. Shelin swayed from side to
side, his face close to the dirty back of
he Tartar. All he could see before him
was that enormous Tartar back the big
muscles of the neck and the blush color
of his shaved head from under the Tartar
zap. Shelins head was bleeding, and the
blood had stiffened over his eyes. He
could neither change his position nor wipe
off the blood. His arms were bound so tight
that his shoulders ached.
They Travelled for some time UP and
lown the mountains, forded river and
hen came to a road along the mountain
side. Shelin tried to see the road they
were taking him, but his eyes were clotted
with blood, and he could not move.
It grew dark. They crossed another
river and began TO go up a stony mountain
side. Before long there was a smell of
smo1e and sound of dogs barking They
had reached an Aoul, a high cheek-boned
Nogai Tartar, mounted. The Tartar chill
dren gathered around Shelin, screaming.
hooking and throwing stones at him. The
red Tartar drove the children away. I'M
hon