The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-28

| the nOOr. The floor was earth and on
corner was covered with a felt carpe
spread with rugs and more cushions
| Sitting on the rugs were a group o
| Tartars, the dark one, the red one. an,
three guests. Each had pillows at hi
back, and in front on little round plat
tiers, millet cakes and melted butter i,
| cups, together with Tartar booza (beer
in little pitchers. Their hands Were
| greasy from the buttered cakes the,
| were eating.
The Tartars finished their cakes
After that one of the guests turned t.
| Shelin and said, in Russian:
'sYou were captured by Kasi Ma
homet." pointing to the red Tartar
''and you have been given to Abdul
Murad," pointing to the dark one
abdul Murad is now your master. Et
wishes you to write letter herne for a
ransom, and when the money comes
you shall 60"
Sheiin reflected awhile and then said
How much ration does he want?"
The Tartars consulted and the inter,
prefer said:
Three thousand roubles." ssv
"No." said Shelin, Il cannot pay sc
mueh"
How much viii you give?" said the
Interpreter.
Shelin thought little and then
answered:
''Five hundred roubles."
The Tartars consulted, sent the serv-
ant off somewhere, and then began ia
watch first Shelin and then the door.
The servant returned, followed by a
stout man, bare footed; in torn clothes
and his feet also in stocks.
Sbelin exclaimed with surprise. Ii
was Kostelin whom they had also cap
tured. Kostelin said that his horse
stumbled, his gun missed IRE and that
this same Abdul came up and made
him prisoner.
"You see," said Abdul, to Shelin,
"you are always getting angry, but
your comrade is peaceable.. He has
written home for five thousand roubles
ransom. He shall. be well-fed and well
treated"
, Shehn answered: "My comrade must
do as he likes. He may be rich but 1
am not. 1 shall do as I have said, and
so it shall be. Ifyou want to, you NAV
kill me, but viii not write for more
than five hundred roubles,'
They were silent awhile, when sud
denly up jumped Abdul, got out little
chest from which he drew pen, paper
and ink, which he pushed towards
Shelin, slapping him on the back and
saying:
Write" a
He had agreed to take five hundred
roubles. 4
Shelin lived on in this way with his
friend for whole month, the master
keeping up his perpetual smile.
"You Ivan good, Abdul good"
But he fed them miserably. All they
had was millet bread baked in cakes
and sometimes it was nothing but
dough.
But Shelin kept thinking: ''How can
mother ever get so much to pay for me?
She hasn't much except what l sent
her. If she has to raise five hundred
roubles it will ruin her. With Gods
help will make my escape" And he
walked about the Aoul whistling or
Icing some sort OF work, either shaping
igures out of clay, or making baskets |
nut of twigs. Shelin was slzillful at all |
Kinds of handicraft.
He fashioned doll with nose, arms
md legs, dressed in Tartar shirt, |
md set it up on the roof When the |
Tartar women went for water, Dina, |
he masters daughter, saw the doll |
md called the women to look They |
.ame around, set down their jugs, and |
TODD looking and laughing. Shelin
COX the doll down and held it out to-
hem. They laughed, but did not dare
axe it. He left the doll, went into the
he'd and looked out to see what would
lappen. Dina ran up to it, looked
round, snetched the doll and ran
way. In the morning at daybreak. he
aw Dina on the threshold Of the door
With the doll. She had dressed it in
ed rags like baby, and was singing a
lullaby to 1t in her own tongue. |
One day Dina brought a pitcher, put
down, squatted on the ground her.
elf, smiled and pointed to the pitcher.
helm took the pitcher and began to
rink, thinking it was water, but found
hat she had brought him milk. He
rank the milk, and said in Russian:
Good Dina"
After that time she brought him milk
hen no one knew it,
Shelin began to understand their LAM
uage little, and some of the Tartars
rev familiar with him, and when they
-anted anything would call out:
Ivan, Ivan"
Shelin lived on in this way for an
Their month, walking about in the day
me or occupying himself with some
'ork: but as soon as night came and
4 was quiet in the house and he was
.one he began TO dig under the shed.
was hard work on account of the
ones, but he fled away until he had |
ng q hole big enough to crawl
trough
He chose the time one dav when the
aster was away TO walk up the noun
in to see if he could discover from a
eight the place where they were.
henever the master went away he
ave orders to his son to keep a watch
/ Shelin and not let him out OF his
ght.
The ascent was not long, but difficult
i account OF the stocks. He walked
i'd walked but could hardly reach the
p. Shelin sat down and observed the
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