The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-07-02

= 1vllet III cart on the top OF q pie
o. saclks while three horses are tear
lLg full gallop with you through the
darkness However: necessity has
beer known to make a man
pllsh wonders; thus, after many curses
from the Cossack and from myself not
a lew. owing to some extraordinary
entanglements Of each others men,
bers. this seeming impossible ieat is
accomplished.
What bliss it is to lie still among
the sacks with u dry skin after the
wet clothes have been slowed away,
and listen to Kalatch describing in
his terse. powerful diction. his adven-
ture with the warden. And how
Yerack enjoys it!
"1erack." | say at length. where
are we at present? 1t is necessary
that | get to a post town as soon as
possible"
I'VE are about ten versts from
Borlitch,' replies Yerack, without
looking round.
Il must send u letter from Borlitch,"
| say.
''Bah-nouscnse!." exclaims Yerack,
impatiently. This is not q time to
write letters! 1t is bad-bad-to send
writing through the post! l believe
not in this letter writing, it has lost
many a man,"
''Yerack, when I tell thee that the
safety CT one to whom | owe my life
is endangered through me and that
the-the individual knows not of it,
therefore without being warned cannot
escape it. thou wilt recognize that l
cannot argue this point with thee"
The Cossack gives a dissatisfied
grunt but says no more about it.
Presently he informs me that we pass
through Borlitch on our way to Wilma.
Where thou wilt take train direct to
Konigsburg,' he adds quietly. as if it
were the simplest thing in the world
my passing the frontier.
'Kon,gsberg?" l repeat in amaze.
Yes. that is the programme. And
thou wilt arrive safe and sound in the
Prussian town without.a single hind
rance. The officials at the frontier
will take off their caps to thee and
say, God speed thee. Holy Father:'"
AAo1e ~ v pAOooOO " JOhC, L Cl 0Ch,
I respond ~mournfully. II fail to sec
the fun of it myself. The crossing of
the frontier is a serious business; for
consideration, God only knows how it
is to be managed
EXACTLY; a joke-a good joke!
That is it!!' And his shoulders shake
with laughter. He slaps the breast Of
his tunic. 1t is all here. that joke.
1t is so good a joke that l am loath to
part with it; yet by-and- by. all Rus
sia-all Europe shall enjoy this ex-
cellent joke that now is all mine!"
A long silence ensues. Kalatch's
head disappears from the range Of my
vision, and ere long loud shores rise
at intervals near me. Yerack
slackens the pace of the horses to a
steady trot and thus we proceed till
we come TO a low bridge thrown over
a stream. He pulls up at the side of
the road.
Come. rouse rhee, Kalatch!" he
cries.
Get down n stand by the horses
heads"
Kalatch, still half asleep. stumbles
over the edge Of the cart and me-
chemically does us he is told.
Now give me the clothes. Vladimir
Alexandrovitch!"
l dive amongst the sacks and fish up
the two wet bundles. He takes them
from me and looks anxiously up and
down the road. Having satisfied him
self that it is deserted. he hurries up
the stream and is soon lost to sight in
its tree-fringed windings.
In ten minutes he returns without
the bundles.
What hast thou done with them?"
inquiries Kalatch.
Sunk them in a pool, - is the laconic
reply.
I am on the road. stamping up and
down to stretch my legs about which
the long sllken skirts of the Rattan is
Tapping. My appearance must be
startling, for Us Yerack catches sight
of Ire he uttecs a little cry of surprise.
latch. and he too looks at me.
| break into a laugh at the open
mourhed wonder on their faces.
We'll" says Yerack at length.
Thou art good enough to show in a
caravan at the fair of Nishi-Novgorod.
Thou art a big man, brother, and what
with the long gown and high cap of
the priest touh lookest gigantic"
He takes me by the arm and twists
me about, viewing me from all sides.
and his countenance grows more