The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-17

dame A3nseieH ana 2zssS sara tz8f
Upton
s1nts story OF TolstoS ~ among tlsoee
which be writes for the Russian pe=S-
pie in The simplest words. and the
sa1rpsess way. Tnts special one II dis
tvlfsuted by the government In the Rus
gan army for the men % read)
There orpce served in the Caucasus
a certain offioer. whose name was Shell
fn RE received a letter from faaoe. IL
wis from his old mother. she wrS1te:
- sm getting cid. and l goaild like 70
nee nay beloved son once more before I
die. Gene to tell Else goodbye. aud lay
sne ia my grave. ard then In the NAME
OF God. you may go back TO yoasr post
have found bride for you She -
intelligent and geoi, and has come
property as well Should you take a
fancy 10 her, you might marry ard
settle down.
ssheiin vert 30 the colonel. got his
seaye. said goodbye 90 his brother
officers. distributed four buckets Of
ysEaka aa @ parting gsft 10 his soldiers
and made himself ready.
There was Aar al that time In the
caucasus. The reads were In1passa-
bic by day ar night Any Russian
VINO pesatuzed far from che fof was
sure to ze killed by the Tartarg or
carried eagstise TO the mountains. So
awlca n week an escort 81 soldiers
went from one fort t. another. the
szel5aerx marching in the front and
rear and the people So zhe msdalle.
e waS summer. Wagon loads OF
fssop.e gathered outside the fort at
daybz-eats. the sseort sailed forth ami
they started on the road. shsiin
was in rnc front on horseback. and his
telesa with tbs baggage went with the
wagons
gg1ey had twenty FIVE versts TO 60
Tbs caravan advances! slowly. Some
times wheel would come Of, or a
sss.rss Nzsuld stumble. the soldiers
would call \ hak. ard the whole party
would c1aaas to a standstill and wait.
Shelsn rode Of asaead. and then stop
ped wagsing for fhe rest 10 come up. He
heard the bugle behind him and said
- ssaHlsrE. There. they are baking
again. Safsslse I SO on aione without
fhs soldiers. aiy herse r. good. and il
the Ta4lars SHOULD attack be- could
ontrun them. But pertassps Ia better
not"
White he sto.ad considering, Kostelin.
another officer. came riding up. He
lad a gun.
Il aay. ist as so on alone, shelin.
can no staud this any longer / am
hungry. and this heat Is uabearable.
ais SHIRT h wringing wet"
kAstesan was a tab, stout man. with
4xgs5
VAS pouring. Shclin reflected little.
aaI then said:
rs your gun ioaded?''
Yes. loaded
Then lea Us go on. Only / make
osle cousition. We must keep together"
Az soon as the steppe ended. the
roat entered q nlouatain pass.
Before We 40 On here" Sselin said,
we mist ride up the mountain 10 be
sure there il no ambush
50 saying. sSslelim turned his horse tn
the sefs and started up the mountain.
TIE horse Shciin rosfe was "a hunter.
lie had paid a hundred ruuhies Tor il,
when wits a colt in pasture and
haA breiNssss IL tn himself. 1t carried
ham up the bin as thoGga IN wings,
lie had just reached the top. when.
healosi, a group ~ mounted Tartars In
front ct him They numbered about
thirty, The iuStan: he oangfs. sight OF
them he turned. but they had already
perceived him and made q cash for
hsia. while drawing their guns from
their holsters
Shestn tore down the deeiiyity at
fun speed, calling oat to Kosfeiin:
Have your gun ready" and then
whispered r. has horses ear: Garry
me safety. little one: doa't let your foot
slip. Fol Il you stumble ans lost
kesteiin. the moment he set eyes on
the TarsaFx. instead OF waiting. set of
at fnI speed sor the fort. flashing Ma
horse first ON enc side ana then on
the ether. uatll soon AZ 3hat could
be seen Through the dust WIS the n.y.
ing tan OF the poor beast.
Shelin saw hinaSeiT in a bad plight
The gun had gone. and BIS own short
sword was ns defense.
lie hegaEr 10 gaIiop aeFoss the plain
trusting - escape "a the guard fa the
rear. but he saw six TartarS in pursuit
II cut OF his retraat His horse was
sad. hus theirs WAS better. and be-
sides they wsstsld intercept him. He
tried to turn and so back. But there
WAS 30 stepping ,sts l}ttla horse for the
impetus at witch they were sx,inr
and tsssre De was flying Strvtfv4ss ~
meet the TartaFs, Nearer ana ne~arey
came a Tartar with. a rel heard on a
gray isots*. with gun raised over mis-
h2asf snarliag and showing his teeth
Though SAelln was rot a hEs- man
be VAS brave. lie scfsaxi his xu.,-3
end made 81 rush on the rv,s Tartar
determined ~ ride over him, or ,,s,f
atgn dosgt with his sword.
Hsst She8n gsnVer reached tbs, ,s,so.,
They Shsst at harm fg>,na behind w,
shssf struck the horse. tn, horse f.tl
WITH al hls might ana relied oD,n
Saelin'x neg.
siieiin sEfe~t tc raise. bat tgso Tartarv
twa dirty TartarS. were alrsa,sy ~,
Tsp ~ him. Eepssing hts arms hasel.
IL made spring aass got lsss.> fF,,g,,
the twe Tartars. bar thrac others has
dlsu}aanseSi and began - heat hfs,
over the fsai with tho hsltt ~ rhy.s~
Enfas. His sight fsilesi ana 81, i,,e,.~,
The Tar;ars sstSed him axsr-e,gnsN.es,
his arms hack ia a Tartar kns.s v,s,b
sssse 81 their extgg saddle e4rshs .s,.s
dragged him ofT. They knocked <,gr his
cap. tore or MS tssts. sts4rv hsse h1Ys,
tgseS his nsaoey and soee his clothing.
TIE rcd fsesrt Yrsosutesi hts horse. ars.
THE others handed 'SAelsn ua II ssr,,
w2sa eouipi f1e9n With a strap to the tvs,t
- sEsc Tartar Who thea r.ssse of To-
wards tho mountains shefsn swgsvs,sf
Tsoaa SIDE - S5sss. a,ts face Gloss. TO the
dirty hack ~ t}4v Tartar. All ass> s,,s9a
sgees before Mfla WAS r9eas s,v.,,..,,. W.