The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-12-15

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1.-THE third time ! laid out the carfs,..
said the lieutenant. "exactly the same
thing happened again; the queen OF
hearts at the top, meaning love-; the
king Of clubs 10 the right OF her, show
Ing heroic character, and the sever Of,
spades In the last three. showing that
the sign was to be fulfilled Immediately,
i had always hoped that i shouldn't
marry a5heroine; can't stand your
masculine women" He sighed with
Slavonic resignation, and added, ''Eo6G
ne minoyatH which Is Russia for Kis-.
met. u. III rs
Ipltled him from the bottom of my
heart and was glad that the cards mad
I no such power over, destiny In England
as they have in Russia,
We were marching along The white
road under Eislovodsle down into the
green valley OF the Terek. With my
wanderers wardrobe and sketching
pack slung over my shoulders. The six
soldiers OF the lieutenant's detachment
tramped behind us, softly singing, the
big corporol was taking his turn as So
lolst, the five privates joining in with n
monotonous "Ay lulf, lult' at the el,d OF
each line. The shadows of ! the hills
were creeping slowly un to the white
top Of Mount Eibruz, which faced US
impeyturbably over velvet forests from
the distance.
The lleutenant's orders were to reach
Colonel orsha's house, on the lower
slopes Of okova, by nlghtfa,l, and hold
It against the, rebellious Checens; and
I, the peaceful landscape painter, had
been swept away protesting in tue
current Of his march, sketching UNI
brella and all, from my roadside atti-
tude OF artistic unconcern with the
quarrels Of government and subjects.
The trouble between the trlbesmen
and the Russians had arisen from the
inveteratc incompatibllity of ti;elr
ideas as to the right method of acquir-
ing property, in horses. Arak, son of the
powerful chieftain Feraz, was to be
married to Blea of Sizl-aul; and by the
way Of kolym, or dowry, the bridegroom
was to present Bleas father with
twenty mountain horses. FeraE had no
horses 10 spare. What Chechen has?
They must be got. But In the matter
Of horsefesh ,Chechenlan aristocrat
cannot stoop to the sordid methods OF
purchase; nor would the wife who could
say Of him: He bought horse"
Therefore. father and son raided the
war office pastures. A hireling watch
nan betrayed them; orders were is
sued for their arrest, and six villages
went on the warpath for the honor of
the tribal CUSTOM 1t was plain that
the trlbesmen would try to hold the
Okova range. as they had done In 'o3:
the business Of the lieutenaDts regi.
ment was to anticipate them: and Col
onel Orsha's house was one OF the first
positions to be occupied. for 1t CON-
mandad access to the hills from The
Tcrek's side.
The lieutenant and 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 its way
, up among the fir trees to our right
Lead the way" said the lieutenant.
and the corporal Joined US in the
front.
Fle willingly impaired his large
knowledge OF the people and places
about us. He told us OF the exploits OF
Colonel Orshn against the hillmer in
the days bafore he lost his right lex in
an aul of the Gruzians.
THE apple lies near the apple tree,
as the, saying Is, masters: Ike father.
like daughter. Varvara Pe:rorna's n
fine lass. tall and strong. and as bold
as lion. When the Gruzians b,oke
Into tho empty barracks that day, and
the stablemen fled to their stalls che
faced the rebels like man and ratad
them for thqir cowardice, TIL they skunk
away from before her. A fine lass! But
you'll Judge for yourselves this even
Ing when you see her. a heroine she
Is! Every one says so; true heroine"
The lieutenant and ! eyed each other
with wild surmisc" Were the c..rds
true prophets; Half an hours climbing
brought US TO Colonel Orsha's house, q
low white building on rocky prot .on-
tory. Passing the wall Which cut OF
the promontory from. the hillside, v e
stepped on to u fresh green lawn run.
ming UP to the house. From the rocks
TO the right dubbed spring. whose
waters ran In a little stream across the
lawn and flashed down the sheer hill
BIde to the left. Beyond the stream
stood a Girl-a little. slender figure.
clad In pink and topped by Il broad
straw, hat. She was feeding tlocE Of
white Caucasian pigeons; gone were
picking the bread crumbs from tll'
grass at her feet, others were poIsc In
the air waiting for . rnoTscl - be
thrown. them. and one wa. seated on
her arm helping himself from the plate
which she held In her hand. Her baci:
was turned to Us. and she did not,n Jtlc.
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