Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-01-27
CHAPTER N

ed since l set out from Little kolga one /
early morning nearly a month ago. And /
l, too, am changed. Like forest tree |
my frame has hardened and strength |
ened, and with it my mind has cast out |
nervous fear and become cain and |
strong. Since | got Maruscha's let er |
ct Luga telling me that she is at home |
and safe, | am imbued with hope and |
confidence, and have jOurneyed on, assO-
ciating myself with all sorts and condi- |
tions of men without meeting with q
single misadventure.
And now | am actually in the govern
ment of KovnO. getting very near the
frontier, and my first difficulty is staring
me III the face. | have noted its APP
proach every time l have occasion to
take out Maruscha's little purse to pay
for q frugal meal. and, calmly, phlo
sophical, l have thought:
when the time comes | will find a
way"
1t has come. The landlord of the inn
before whose door | sit has just received
on his dirty palm my last ten-copek
piece. have avoided towns as much as
possible, but to a town am | now bound,
having told Maruscha in my last letter
to write to Koynn. The landlord has
just informed me that 1t lies twelve
versts from here; | shall therefore be i'll
possession of my letter in few hours.
/ rise and stretching myself take up
a stout alder stick that | cut at the
beginning of my journey, and start at
steady pace up the street Soon the last
wooden hut is passed; the innumerable
oh ,,fr loi IN l,a
trackless wastes of bog and moor stretch
away to right and left, over which the
sparrow hawks quiver eternally.
"Halo, brother! Be mercifuln' eX
claims voice from the ground. | alb
ruptly stop, and looking down perceive
that my stick, which l have been sway
ing from side to side, has narrowly es-
capped striking the head of young man
who reclines on the side of the ditch.
He blinks up at me with a foolish maud
lin smirk, and | at once perceive that
he is not sober.
81 beg your pardon" say, lifting my
hat and continuing my walk.
Halo. stop. Wait for fellow, little
brother.' cries the man, as he scram-
bles out of the ditch.
The request affects me disagreeably;
/ want to get on, and prefer my own
company to that of a drunken-what? :?
not a Moujik, nor a voyageur, nor a
peasant farmer. What then?
He is dressed in a light summer suit
of no provincial cut, though soled and
spotted with grease. His hands show
white through the dirt on them, and on
the little finger of the left is a costly
ring, thick gold snake with a diamond
In its head.
He has struggled to his legs and stands
before me- a repulsive looking object,
with his sloping shoulders, his thin,
botched face, from which protruded a
sharp, mean nose, looking as if the point
had been dipped in red ink.
you might have put out my eye there,
my friend" he observes, shutting up the
left and cooking the other at me.
81 might, indeed" l respond, "for un-
til you spoke l saw you not. Again
beg your pardon
II accept your apology, brother" he
says condescendingly, and planting his
feet very far apart And now may
/ ask your destination? Kovno, eh?"
"Yes, go to Kovno."
"Ah, that is luck; | 60 there also, sc
we can proceed together. What think
YOU to see gentleman like me going Oh
foot the distance of twelve versts?
have been cheated, robbed, my friend, OF
all the money l had in my purse-fve
hundred roubles, that is what l hac
when left st. Petersburg. Well, let il
go. Help me along. brother, and | vii
pay you for it, when we get to Kovno
My uncle is Governor Of the Province
l am going on a visit to him. He IL
rich"
He swaggers along, stretching hi!
short legs to their utmost capabilities IL
order to keep step with me; yet attemp
not to adapt my walk to his, and pre-
serve a glum silence in my vexation
whilst / curb my longing to shake hin
off my arm.
what is your busness?' he asks pres
emily.
81 am a student" l reply shortly.
"What faculty?'
"Medicine."
"Studied in Moscow"
"St. Petersburg"
"What, ST. Petersburg! l, too, am
st. Petersburg student!'
truth. He stops short at stares at me
"Iet me look at you, brother". The
shaking his head-"No, may be hun
IL ever l saw you before"
He still stares and his jaw drops unit
his open mouth takes the form of tn
letter " "And yet, l have seen some
one like you-somewhere."
Suddenly he slaps his leg. by all tn
saints!' he exclaims. 81 know now.
went to see some fellows hung once, an
one of them, the ringleader, had the loo
Of you'll Perhaps you remember tn
case? Everybody talked of it at tn
time. They called the fellow l speak Q
vladimir Alexandrovitch Lubanof."
l thrill to hear my name thus mel
toned; nevertheless am sufficient
master of myself to reply with perfet
composure:
uVo, rom anhpr-all fha narticl