The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-08-24

HARDIN, May 2S.-Like myself, he
was bound for the front, and the fact
that he had been recalled f:om leave
made us chance companions in a first
class compartment between the Rus
sian frontier and st. Petersburg. He
was drunk when we met first, and on
every subsequent occasion this condi-
ton appeared automatically to renew
itself. In his cups he was neither bois-
terously hilarious nor in any degree ag-
gressive. He became unduly sentiment
al and unpleasantly affectionate. As he
was rarely sober enough to shave, his
kisses were like pinpricks, and one sur
vived these brotherly demonstrations
only because they occurred in the rare
intervals when he could stand unassist-
ed on his feet. To avoid them, it was
necessary to encourage him to drink.
Unfortunately, true to his traditions,
he needed no encouragement.
He was an admirable travelling COM
panion; stationmasters porters, and at
tendants in the restaurant car hung up
on his words. There was something al
most fascinating in his aspect. Lean,
muscular, and beautifully proportional,
with the legs of a born rider as he
swung forward in his stride, he lowered
head and shoulders above everyone.
The clatter of his sword and the pleas
ant jingle of his spurs drew attention
to him. Women, noting his good feat
ures, his clear-cut face, his smart
moustache, and wicked eyes. smiled at
him, then observed that he swayed un-
steadily, and gave him place But these
precautions were really undeserved. He
was always polite-not unusually de-
ferential and gallant. This aspect of
his nature, however, was shown only
( when he had caught the little smiles OF
welcoming tenderness which became so
frequently addressed to him. In appear
ance therefore, it will be seen that he
was essentially soldierly; in manner, in
his abrupt speech, and in his careless.
improvident existence he reproduced
the changing circumstances Of his days.
The journey which he was making rep
resented to him merely a new field OF
activity. Necessarily man of action.
never happier that when. the colonel OF
his regiment, he moved UP and down
the section of Central Asian frontier
with which he was entrusted, his new
environment promised a little wider
latitude. Already he had loosened the
reins of his discretion while he regard
ed, not unnaturally perhaps. the inter-
| vening journey as so many days in
which to raise the devil. He had anti
cipated the meeting in a series of ca
rousals, yet he was not SO Indifferent an
officer that he would not have aban-
1oned than. Perhaps WITH SOM trge
of melancholy, in exchange for imme-
date marching orders. In his own pc
culiar way he was entirely trustworthy
His spirits were inexhaustible, his good
nature apparent. but he preferred the
fumes of the camp fires to the crowded
and noisy thoroughfares of the capital
The days passed before any renewa
of the acquaintanceship was possible
By then however, he had discovered his
luggage He had shaved, too, and he
had made a change of clothing. In 9th.
er respects he was the same good tcrl.
pered, dissolute officer of Cossacks, q
little more handsome in his new uni
form, and a more subtle suggestion IL
the curl of his moustache. 1t was i'm
possible to deny the feeling Of exult7
ton with which one looked upon him
as he waited in the hall of the hotel tn
arrival OF his guests. Penniless and in
temperate, eXtravagant to the verge o
foolishness, he had offered a banquet t
any officers of his service who happen