The Portland daily press., 1898-05-03
Chapter XXXII.
On pHE FRONTIEk.


balmy night proved fresh and pleasant
after the sitting malodorous town. My
unknown guide was | soon discovered,
typical jail-bird, the fact being made
plain by the scanty growth OF hair on one
side of his head revealed when he inadver
tently removed his cap TO wipe his brow
with his dirty hand. His strong knee
boots were well patched, but he was out
at elbow, ana his moustache and matted
beard sadly wanted trimming. He kept
his appointment to tho moment, and de-
elining my invitation to drink. we set off
together, ascending the low hill behind
the town and taking a circuitous route
back to the river bank. BY no means
devoid of a sense of humor, he strobe
along jauntily, laughing, joking, and
making light of any risk Of capture, I'M
til | began to regard him with less sus-
picion. That he was no ordinary moujik
was certain, for he spoke of life and
people in Moscow, in Mini, and even in
Petersburg, his conversation showing a
more intimate AGO ualntance than could
be acquired by mere hearsay. Our way
at frs was through narrow lanes of
dirty wooden houses, where the fetid
odors of decaying refuse greeted our
nostrils, then, leaving the town, we as
cended through some cornfields until, sud-
denly descending again, we came to
where the Niemen flowed onward between
its sedgy banks, its placid bosom a sheet
of silver beneath the light OF the full
moon.
Fully three miles we trudged along the
post-road, passing solitary little hamlet.
Not 3 soul stirred, not a dog barked. The
place seemed uninhabited. Now and then
we passed country cart driven by some
sleepy peasant who had imbibed too freely
of vodka, until ne came to where
striped verst-post stood at the junction of
another narrower highway.
THAT'S the road to Jurburg, and to the
frontier at Poswentg," my companion
remarked, in reply to my enquiry. sit is
too dangerous for us. %
"Why?'
at swarms with frontier guards he
answered, with low laugh 'We have
no desire to encounter any of these gentle
men this evening therefore we must pres
emily take to the paths See!" and he nod
ded upwards to the sky, 1.-The tail of the
Great Bear points downwards. We shall
have luck to night"
sis this the route you take with the
fugitivesr' 1 asked, pausing to take
breath, and gazing around upon the love-
1y scene, for here the moonlit river flowed
among it's OILERS and rushes, across the
grass covered steppe.
"Yes." he answered. "This is the only
portion of or journey where there are
serious risks of detection, SO let us hurry.
On a bright night like this man can be
seen long way off. The guards are too
fond of hiding along the banks. fearing
that any German boats from Endruszen
may creep up the river"
l straightforward again, and we both
Quickened our pace. [ now saw from his
demeanor that he feared an encounter,
for at each unusual sound he paused, his
hand uplifted in silence. At last, at a
point where the stream made sudden
bend, we left the river road and plunged
into a great marsh, where the reeds grew
almost as high as ourselves, and where
e.,
chill Shiny mud. AS soon as we had left
the river my strange guide became as
iovial as before. and spoke entirely with
out restraint. Fear of detection no longer
troubled him, for as we held on our way
over the soft clay, the silence of the calm
night was now and then broken by his
coarse laughter. On that fat, marshy
land each step was hampered by huge
cakes of yellow mud that chung to ones
boots, while often l sank with splash
ankle-deep in water, much to my COM
panions amusement. Whistling softly to
himself. he laughed at all misfortunes,
assuring me that We should very soon
find drier ground. and that before dawn
/ should meet Sonia Korolenko, who was
awaiting me.
'sShe is your leader-eh?" asked.
We'll, of course" he answered, with
grim smile. In the moonlight he looked
shaggy, evil-faced ruffian, and more
than once, when remembered that l
had upon me a good round sum in notes
and gold, regretted that I had trusted
myself with him unarrned. "The police
drove her from Vienna, from Paris from
London; SO she has come to US.
g Aid is yours paying professional
I asked, interested.
Generally he answered, with that
frankness that characterised all his con-
yersation. you'd be surprised how many
people seek our assistance. Some of our
Warsaw, and make the contracts with the
fugitiyes; then they hand them over to
US, and we do the rest
''You guarantee to put them on Ger
man soil, or bring foreigners into Russia
for fixed sunni"
Eyes You would open your eyes if
you knew some of the people I've guided
over this very path. Sometimes it is a
Jew peasant who has no permit and desire
to emigrate to London, or to America at
others an escaped prisoner a murderer,
or revolutionist, who is beiHg tracked
down by the Security Section. We always
know why they are leaving Russia, and
make them pay accordingly. Not long
ago [ brought young titled lady across
here; accompanied her into Germany and
put her into the train for Berlin. We had
a narrow shave of being captured, but she
gave me thousand roubles when we
pa rted. -
why did she want to leave secretly?"
asked.
"She had poisoned her husband some
where down in Mipsk, and the police
were in search of her, he laughed.
Never night passes, but one or the
other of US crosses the frontisr''
And you find it an adventurous game
-ehP'
"Well, it is pleasant after ten years of
Siberia" he answered grimly. 81 let
loose the red rooster and burned down
the barin's house in a village in liver. He
well deserved it. l and two friends got
away with his money and jewels to Mos
cow, but one night, a week later, had
an appointment to meet my companions
opposite the fountain in the Lubyansky
Square, and was arrested
And you got ten years -
They made out that the BARN got
burned TO death, so 1 was packed of for
life to Kara. After ten years managed to
escape and become a ''cukoo.' Then,
after years wandering 1 succeeded in
returning to Moscow, where I found one
or two old friends, and we started togeth-
er in this busiOaGs We dou5t inland ~