Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-03-15
CHAPTER vu

O1AI IL
A lover has occasionally been likened
to fool, as being a man possessed by
one idea. This was certainly somewhat
of poor Charlie Balgonie's state of mind
He saw only the dark eyes, the half
dropped lips, and the farewell glance of
Natalie; so full of hidden and tender
meaning; and while thinking of her and
OF her last words and promises, their mu-
tual hopes of the future, based almost
entirely upon Basil, he fell an easy prey
to the plans and schemes of the willy
Corporal Podatchkine, who saw only his
anticipated two hundred silver rubles;
and who, knowing the country as well as
If it had been every acre, rood and verst
his own property, led him on and on he
knew not where; but, at all events, two
hours after they should have met the
caravan, they found themselves, to all
appearances, lost in dense forest of
dark pine trees.
Failing the caravan, having now pro
ceede9. as he believed, some twenty
miles Or so, Balgonie had thoughts of
passing the night at the house of
friend OF Micro viz, Il country gentleman
of whom he had been told by Mariolizza.
who laughingly assured him that this
parsonage was "a fine Russian gentleman
of the old school, who beat his wife reg
ularly every Thursday and Saturday with
whip of thongs" and was seldom sober.
In short though he knew it net, Bal
gonie had been for the last tive hours
riding merely in a wide circle, and, by
the careful guidance of Podatchkine, was
now not many miles from the hut of the
gypsy woodman, Nicholas Pauovitch;
and, consequently, he was much nearer
the Castle Of Louga than he had the least
idea of.
well, Michail," said he, in reply to
some remark in which the corporal urged
that they should proceed, Eve have miss
ed the sugar caravan, and cannot dis
cover the residence of the gentleman l
spoke Of, so l am rather provoked at
you"
'Oh, exceIlency who can withstand
destiny! whined the fellow, using an
old Russian proverb.
Shortly afterward the wood opened
little, red light appeared, and they APP
preached the cottage of Nicholas Paulo-
witch, the half-breed.
lis the cottage of a man | know.
Here, excellency, we can pass the night"
said Podatchkine, leaping from his horse
and Jutifully taking BALCONIES bride. as
if to anticipate any proposition 6 pro-
ceeding any further. There is a shed
behind where l shall stable our Horses;
Nicholas, l know, will make US welcome
to his lodge"
In few minutes more. Balgonie found
himself seated in the cott age, the aspect
of which struck him as being peculiarly
comfortless. dingy and squalid, as he
viewed it by the light of a pine torch.
which stood in a rusty iron holder on
the rough deal table, wherein lay a pack
of frayed and dog-eared cards.
In addition to Podatchkine and the
host. Nicholas Paulovitch, who stood re-
spectfully at a little distance from Bal
gonie, and was appraising the exact
value of his costume, arms and orna-
ments, even to Natalie's diamond ring,
there was present another ill-visaged fell
low, with a powerful figure, square
shoulders and giant beard, like every
Russian of the lower order; eyes that
were small and piercing. ike those of a
mouse; a long, fierce nose and JAGGED
teeth, hair shorn off close above the eye
brows and brushed all down straight
from the crown of his head, which in
form resembled a cone or pineapple.
This barbarian, who was dressed chief
ly in a coat of sheepskin, and had a
small. but sharp, Ratchet and dagger in
his girdle was a Stepnak, from a dis
trict where nothing like town was ever
seen or known, but whose aid and
strength Paulovitch thought might be
useful and necessary in the work he and
Podatchkine had cut out for themselves
in the night