The San Francisco call., 1896-10-11
Translated from the Russian.

Translated from the Russian.
During the war of the Caucasus 1 was
serving in one of the regiments sent
against the mountaineers. AT that time a
young officer from the Imperial Guard
Nedewitchef was transferred to our regi-
ment. He was remarkably handsome,
with the figure OF Hercules, and would
have become general faYoTite were it not
for his shyness and extraordinary misan-
thropy. Sulky and unsocial in disposi-
ton, his only affection seemed centered
on an enormous black dog with white
star upon its forehead, called Caro-.
Once our regiment had to move against
a Circassian village that was in revolt.
The Clrcassians defended their position
with desperate bravery, but through supe-
rior numbers we disposed of them easily.
The soldiers, driven to frenzy by the stub
born resistance of the enemy, killed every
one they met. Nedewitchef commanded a
company ana was in front of every
body. Near mud hut / met him face to
face, and 1 was thunderstruck. His
magnificent face was all distorted by an
expression o. brutal cruelty; his eyes
were bloodshot and wandering like those
of maniac in fit of fury. He was liter
ally chopping an old man to pieces with
his sword. was shocked at such a dis
play OF useless ferocity and hurried for
ward to stop him. But before l had
reached him the door of the hut few open
and a woman, with a cry which made my
blood run cold, rushed out of it and flung
herself upon the corpse of the old man.
AT this sight Nedewitchef sprang back
rH II bo had
trem bled violently. l looked at the woman
and could hardly suppress a cry of sur
prise Heavens, what a gorgeous beauty
was theyel With her lovely face, pale as
death itself. uplifted toward US, her mag
nificent black eyes full of nameless terror
and mortal hatred were phosphorescent,
flaming like two burning Goals as she
fixed them upon us. Nedewitchef stared
at her like one fascinated and it was with
an effort that coming out of his stupor
he gave the orders to beat the rappel in
ord er TO put stop to useless bloodshed.
did not see Nedewitchef again for sew
eral days, and only learned accidentally
from his orderly that the same young
woman, two days later, had come to his
tent, thrown herself at his feet, and pour
Ing her whole soul into her tale had con-
fessed an ardent love for him. She de-
clared that, according to the Circassian
custom, his courage had made her his
slave and that she wanted to be his wife.
Remem bering well her look of hatred l
did not at first believe, but had to yield at
last to the evidence.
After the submission of the village we
encamped there a considerable length of
time. One afternoon, calling my dog,
took gun and went out for a stroll in the
wild vineyards. l had no intention to
hunt, but simply to take walk and watch
the splendid sunset from the top OF ALI
Dag. Having gone two or three miles by
narrow path which wound up to the
mountain top entered small thicket,
drowned with sunlight and burning like a
jewel set with gold, rabies and diamonds
Under a group OF tall trees, lying lazily
on patch of green moss, saw Nedewit-
chef; the black-eyed beauty was sitting
near him playing with his hair, and asleep
at the foot OF his master was the faithful
dog. Unwilling to break their tete. a-tete.
I passed unperceived by them and began
climbing higher up. While crossing a
thick vineyard / suddenly came upon
three Circassians who, perceiving me.
rapidly disappeared, though not quickly
enough to prevent my seeing that they
were armed to the teeth. Sapposing them
to be runaways from the conquered village
/ passed on without paying them much