Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-10-03

are three cordons Of soldiers around 1t
and the neighb0rhood Is very un-
healthy, especially for strangers. 1t
Is really very dangerous the way you
Engltshmen 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 2. l hope you will enjoy your walk.
Au revoir. Peskoryei, WANT
l hoped so, too. but not confidently.
having suffered much abroad from the
national reputation for love OF adyen-
ture. In appearance I knew the ma
ticnalities of the Crimea to be equally
dlsreputabie, and I should have liked
a clearer indication of yiciousness in
watchmen, smugglers and watchdogs
than their religion.
After an hours walk through the
WOODS l came out on the sea at the
mouth OF a wooded glen between two
| low scarped headlands. Wherever
| the cliffs were not absolutely sheer un-
dergrowth and rank plants grew down
to the single beach. The path was
unmistakable, rough track leading
up over the bluff on either side. but in
one direction it led to luncheon and
| the countess, in the other to Liyadia
and the cordons. Scarcely was | Sc
curely impaled on the horns of this
dilemma when l heard a Gathering
ABOVE and pony appeared over the
eastern bluff. On the pony sat a port
| ly parsonage in blue caftan and red
fez. In one hand he held large white
umbrella open over his head in the
other he held closed green one, with
| which he banged the pony when it
made false step. Behind him a long
cavalcade of pack ponies successfully
topped the sky line; every third or
fourth was led by picturesque ruffian
with an armory of small arms in his
| sash.
My rapidity of decision often in
creases with the emergency. In mo-
ment | had decided and had swiftly
assembled the western bluff At the top
| turned. The cavalcade had halted
and the men were gathered around the
man on the pony, who was gesticulat-
ing with the closed umbrella and en-
forcing important points with the open
one.
Well" thought l, they are certain
ly smugglers. and probably Greeks. I
shall surely be taken prisoner and
probably be held to ransom. / wish |
had never left Ennismore gardens
Better an August in London, where
| police are, than a villegiature with
smugglers." So | turned to go down
the other slope, when below in the
next glen | saw a flat-roofed building
In courtyard. Not soul was to be
seen, but the yard was full of dogs
\ asleep In the sun or proving.
Well" | thought, they are certainly
watchdogs and probably Tartars. |
shall surely be bitten and possibly de-
youred. / wish had walked from Sim
phoropol. Better have worn out ones
boots than have preserved them at the
expense Of ones person" So turned
again and went into the woods on the
right. After pushing some way through
the grass l came out on a clearing
planted with vines. In the middle was
staging and on it stood an unkempt,
elderly individual. The sun glinted on
the barrel of long firelock as he
moved from side to side, uttering at
intervals melodious below.
Well" thought |, "he is certainly
a Waterman, and he looks like a Jew
II he sees me shall surely be shot,
and possibly prosecuted Better any
fate than Jewish widow with six chill
dren. s | returned to the cliffs and
made my way over the rocks, which
were piled half way up their face,
through very thick scrub. When |
reached the next headland I saw grow
ing above, on the top Of the cliff, a
grand bed of wild peonies. | climbed
up steep rock couloir to the top of
the bluff, and sitting down among the
peonies looked back on the supposed
Tartar farm lying below in the full
blaze Of a Crimean sun. Nothing
stirred except some restless or fiea-bit-
ten dog, but in strip of shade under
the caves, on a bench which ran the
length of the house, lounged yellow
serge-clad soldiers in every attitude of
heat and boredom. Along the glen.
in shade of rock and tree, stood SEN
tries, as invisible to me when on the
opposite bluff as I was then to them.
but now as painfully apparent to
me as / But / was in the midst
of the peonies before this thought had
had time to take shape. Unfortunate
ly, in moving, / started a stone, which
Iell ONcT Tic Cll1S OlltO the TOCkS De-
low, ringing through the still air like a
pistol shot. II was instantly answer
ed by a hoarse challenge from the
beach, repeated a few yards further on,
and again further, until the file-fire
of Russian gutturals died away round
the next headland and far inland up
the glen.
We'll" thought /, they are certain
ly sentries, and evidently Gordon. I
wish / had never seen the countess.
Better be convicted of poisoning post
master than arrested for trespassing
on the Car. / shall surely be shot
and probably sent to Siberia, for this
is the Livadia Gordon, and am inside
it."
carefully parted the peonies which
screened me from the beach and look
ed down. A soldier was standing an
kle deep In the ripple in an odd, con-
strained attitude. l wondered what
he was doing, until / noticed that a
little bright co. under his cheek was
a rifle barrel and that / was looking
down the muzzle. | withdrew to the
depth of the peony bed. A half hour,
/ should say, passed. held my breath
all the time. / was reused by a noise