The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-08-21
TREsPAss1Na ON THE CHAR.
A Crlmean Exnerlenee.


 above the broad belt of undercliff which sloped away below us, a confu- sion of gray rock and green forest, to the distant blue rim of the Black Sea-
 You English like walking; besides, I want some wild peonies, which you can bring to the Villa W. We lunch at two, Then this view has always the same effect on strangers; you will be silent or sentimental the rest of the way, and 1t Is an hours drive down."
 l thought marooning in a Crimean forest a severe penalty even for such offences against the social code; but knew the countess too well to object, though our acquaintance only dated from that morning, when she had res cued me from the posting master at Simpheropol, He had asked me for a drink out of my railway reading-lamp, under the impression it was flask. Being a nervous Englishman, I had not the courage to refuse, nor the Russian to explain. Besides, I thought it could not be nastier than vodly; but it was, and he gave me in charge for an at tempt to drug him, though the paraffin had certainly not acted as sedative. If the countess had not appeared, and settled everything out of hand by offer ing me lift over the mountains to Yalta I might have become an interna tional incident
 That path will take you straight down to the coast" continued the countess. You had better not leave it, because of the Jewish vineyards; the elders sit on stages in the middle and shoot. Oh, no! they don't ask you to go, because, of course, no one would do anything a Jew asked him. The count he is prokuror of the district-was so puzzled last week because an elders gun burst when firing at a trespasser, and he was killed. The widow and six children Sad? Oh, you don't under stand. It was the Jew that was killed. Well, they all came and accused the trespasser of murder; but the count let him off Siberia, because he agreed to marry the widow. Yes, I think the poor fellow was wrong to do so But then, if the worst came to the worst, it would only be Siberia again, and it's only ten years for a Jewess. You will keep on the path unless you meet peo- pie with packs, especially if they look like Greeks; they are always dangerous when smuggling. And if you come to a house keep away if it looks like Tar tar farm, for the men are abroad all day, and the women shut up, and the dogs go about in packs. Once they ate a Turk, all but his boots, and when the relatives claimed them the Tartar said they were his, because he owned the dogs, and the Turk belonged to them and the boots to the Turk; so the count had them given to the pack, and re-
 
 Then when you come to the coast fol- low the track along the cliffs, and it will bring you to the Villa W Don't go the other way, or you will come to Livadia, the emperor's villa. There are three cordons of soldiers round it, and the neighborhood is very unhealthy, especially for strangers. It is really very dangerous the way you Englishmen will walk about in strange countries. Be sure and remember about the Jew watchmen and the Greek smugglers, and the Tartar dogs, and the peonies and Livadia, and luncheon at two. I hope you will enjoy your walk Au revoir! Poskoryei Ivan."
 I hope so, too, but not confidently having suffered much abroad from the national reputation for love and adven-
 
 tionalties of the Crimea to be equally disreputable and should have liked a clearer indication of viciousness ir watchmen, smugglers and watchdogs than their religion.
 After an hours walk through the goods I came out on the sea at the mouth of wooded glen between two low scarped headlands. Wherever the cliffs were not absolutely sheer under growth and rank plants grew down tc the shingle beach. The path was un- n1istakable, a rough track leading uI over the bluff on either side but in one direction it led to luncheon and the countess, in the other to Livadia anc the cordons. Scarcely was I securely impaled on the horns of this dilemma when I heard a clattering above, and g pony appeared over the eastern bluff On the pony sat a portly parsonage in 2 blue caftan and red fez In one hand he held a large white umbrella oper over his head; in the other he held z closed green one, with which he banged the pony when it made a false step Behind him long cavalcade of pack ponies successively topped the skyline every third or fourth was led by pie IureSque ru1Ildn With an drHlOTy O small arms in his sash
 My rapidity of decision often increas es with the emergency. In moment had decided and had swiftly ascendet the western bluff. At the top turned The cavalcade had halted, and tht men were gathered round the man or the pony, who was gesticulating witl the closed umbrella and enforcing i'm portant points with the open one.
 "Well," thought l. they are certainly smugglers, and probably Greeks. shall surely be taken prisoner, ant probably held to ransom. I wish hat never left Ennismore Gardens. Bette an August in London, where police are than a villegiature with smugglers. So I turned to go down the other slope when below in the next glen I saw { fiat-roofed building in courtyard Not soul was to be seen, but the yart was full of dogs asleep in the sun oi prowling.
 Well" I thought they are certain ly watch-dogs, and probably Tartars shall surely be bitten and possibly de voured. I wish I had walked iron Simpheropol Better have worn ou one's boots than have preserved then at the expense of one's person." So