The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-12-14
THE L|EU1ENAN1'S FATE,

said the lieutenant, ''exactly the same
thing happened again; the queen of
hearts at the top, meaning love; the king
of clubs to the right Of her, showing
in the last three, showing that the sign
was to be fulfilled Immediately s. *
/ had always hoped that1 shouldn't marry
a heroine; I can stand your masculine
women He sighed with Slavonic resig.
nation, and added, ''Roku ne minovat,"
which is Russian for kismet.
/ pitied him from the bottom OF my
heart, and was glad that the cards had
no such power over destiny in England
as they have in Russia.
We we're marching along the white
road under Kislovodsk, down into the
green valley of the Terek, l with my
wanderers wardrobe and sketching pack
slung over my shoulders. The six SOL
diers Of the lieutenant's detachment
tramped behind us, softly singing; the
big corporal was taking his turn as solo
ist, the five privates joining in with 4
monotonous cay lulf, lulf,'' at the end Of
each line. The shadows of the hills We're
Mount Elbruz, which faced us impertur-
badly over velvet forests from the dis
lance.
The lieutenant's orders We're to reach
Col. Orsha's house, on the lower slopes
of the Okova, by nightfall, and hold IT
against the rebellious Chechens; and l..
the peaceful landscape painter, had been
his march, sketching umbrella and all,
from my roadside attitude Of artistic un-
concern with the quarrels Of governments
and subjects.
The trouble between the tribesmen and
the Russians had arisen from the in
veterate incompatibility of their ideas as
to the right method of acquiring proper
ty in horses. Arak, son of the power
full chieftain Feraz, was to be married
to Bella of Sizi-aul; and by way of
kolym, or dowry. the bridegroom was to
present Bela's father with twenty noun
tain horses. Feraz had no horses to
spare. What Chechen has? They must
be got. But in matters of horsehesh a
Chechenian aristocrat cannot stoop to
would a Chechenian bridegroom be re-
spected by wife who could say Of him:
He bought a horse.'' Therefore father
and son raided the war-0tfice pastures.
A hireling Waterman betrayed them; or
ders were issued for their arrest, and six
villages went on the warpath for the
honor of the tribal custom. 1t was plain
that the tribesmen would try to hold the
Okova range, as they had done in '93;
the business Of the Heutenant's regiment
was tC anticipate them, and COL Orsha's
house was one of the first positions to be
occupied, for it commanded access to the
hills from the Terek side.
The lieutenant and l stopped at the
divide and waited for the soldiers to
come up.
(Which is the way, Pavel?' asked my
companion of the big corporal.
up here' replied the giant, pointing
to a narrow path which wound it's way
up among the fir trees to our right.
LEAD the way said the lieutenant,
and the corporal Joined us in the front.
He willingly impaired his large knowl-
He told us of the exploits of Col. Orsha
against the hillmen in the days before he
lost his right leg in an aul Of the Cru
zians.
1.-The apple lies near the apple tree. as
the saying is, masters; like father, like
daughter. Varvara Petrovna's a fine
lass, tall and strong, and as bold as a
empty barracks that day and the stable
men fed to their stalls, she faced the
rebels like a man and rated them for
their cowardice, till they skunk away
from before her with their tails between
their legs. A fine lass =
But you'll judge for yourselves this even
ing when you see her. A heroine she
is! Everyone says so; true heroine"
The lieutenant and I eyed each other
with "wild surmise.' Were the cards
true prophets?.
Half an hours. climbing brought us to
COL Orsha's house. low white building
on rocky promontory. Passing the wall
which cut off the promontory from the
hillside, we stepped on to a fresh green
the rocks to the right dubbed a spring,
whose waters ran in little stream
across the lawn and flashed down the
sheer hillside to the left. Beyond the
stream stood a girl-a little slender fig
ure clad in pink and topped by broad
straw hat. she was feeding a flock of
white Caucasian pigeons; some were
picking the breadcrumbs from the grass
at her feet, others were poised in the air
waiting for a morsel to be thrown them.
and one was seated on her arm helping
himself from the plate which she held in
her hand. Her back was turned to us,
and she did not notice our approach, but
bridged the stream, the pigeons flew up
into the cedars, and she turned toward
us-a bright oval face, with loose brown
hair shading the soft eyes. Her lips
quivered in surprise at the sudden ap-
partition of the armed band.
"Forgive our intrusion, mademoiselle, "
said the lieutenant, saluting her: Have
mo. that is my cousin; y IS but
what are the soldiers come for?'
''To defend your house, mademoiselle.
I regret to say that the hillmen are in
revolt. And permit me to suggest that
under the circumstances it will be better
for you to retire within DOORS" IS
There was no need for the recommen-
dation. Before the lieutenant's sentence
was ended the little pink figure was in
full flight for the house. Another figure
appeared in the open doorway as the
fugitive disappeared; tail, handsome
young woman, with a high aquiline nose
and commanding presence, came down
the steps to meet us. She listened with
out any appearance of surprise, while
the lieutenant stated his mission.
"Pray send your men to the kitchen,''
she said, land follow me to the drawing
room. My father will be glad of the op-
portunity Of putting his house and
goods at the service of his country"
The evening passed without alarms