The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-07-30

near when Womanlsb tears disgrace
thy manhood, in spite of theer'
/ strive to console him. And is il
not natural? Think of the constant
strain on thy nerves, going on for
many months. If thy constitution
had not been of iron thou wouldst not
be here. However, now it is at an
end and thou canst rest and recover
thyself."
Thanks to thee, he falters. How
Natalie will bless thee when she hears!
If l get to Zurich alive l expect to
meet her there. Poor Natalie! in anv
case it will be a wrench to thy heart
strings to hear of my death or 20 be
confronted by the cadaverous ghost of
thy former husbandn'
lie relapses into silence, and pres
emily l & can tell by his heavy breath
ing that he has fallen into q doze.
Thus hour after hour passes by,
Bakunin sleeping and rousing to NUT
ter, half dazed, a few words; then
dropping asleep again while I sit
Illuminating and gazing out on tho
ever-varying panorama that unrolls
and disappears before me. The pic
lures are dazzling. Hamlets gleam-
ing red and white amid orchards
where yellow, crimson and purple
fruits glisten. Woods ablaxe in au-
tumn foliage, pastures rich in brown
and yellow, dotted with notified COWS,
and stretches of yellow stubble. Full
lavishly has nature painted up her
ageing face yet with the skill of an
artist, pleased with wealth of exquis-
itely blended color where formerly
she charmed with her tender grace.
konigsberg is reached and l leave
the train and procure something to
eat, indifferent now to the sensation
my appearance may be creating. I
arouse Bakunin to take some food. 1t
is a difficult task. Fatigue. exposure.
hunger. anxiety. have made sad havoc
of him. The removal of the strain
has caused him to collapse, so that
now he seems scarcely equal to the
effort of moving his jaws. When we
are under way again l dispose him as
comfortably as l Can. and he slips at
once back to that wonder working
land of slumber:
The sun slopes to the west and sinks
out of sight; the shadows gather, the
landscape fades. and we are rushing
and roaring through the night. I
dream uneasy dreams and start into
consciousness out Of uneasy attitudes,
only to repeat the same process. And
another morn dawns and glows into
day, and the sun rides in the pale
zenith. The features Of the country
have gradually changed. Habitations
crowd. Every scrap Of ground is I'M
der cultivation. We are approaching
the center of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
The sight of its distant spires i'm
bues me with sudden animation.
Bakunin still sleeps. How he has
slept! l shake him.
:Rouse thee. brother!" I cry. In
a few minutes we will be in Berlin"
He starts up. '.Already" he OK
claims.
ALREADY" 1 laughed. The jour-
ney has seemed interminable to
me. But thou hast spent the time to
thy advantage in the land Of Nod!
Thou art better for thy s%ojourn there,
not 500"
Yes, I feel BETTER he replies.
dreamily. He stretches himself,
yawns, and removes his spectacles.
His eyes are still somewhat inhamed,
but the long rest has done wonders to
recover thcm, as also their owner.
His expression has changed. The
carcworn. haggard look has toned
down to something less intense. The
lines about his mouth have relaxed.
and there is more of repose in his
features.
Thou wilt not go to Zurich to-
day?" l question.
Yes, l must. Natalie and my
friends will be anxious about me.
Thank God, l feel equal to it now"
l know it would be vain to remon-
strate, though . nights rest between
sheets and a respite from the harrow
ing motion and noise of the train is
what he most needs.
There are tears in my eyes when I
bid him farewell an hour later and
his train rolls away.
AS l turn from the station with a
lonely feeling in my heart l am sud
denly aware of a pair Of soft arms
around my neck. l turn and look into
the tender eyes of my love-Maruscha!
vladimir: we are too happy" she
breathes at length.
| clasp her TO me in a close embrace,
for my heart almost misgives me at
her words. Then | feel her soft arms
about my neck, and, us in Il flash. my
I'm 1ra linc ,,ox-on1>l -