The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-05-25

oa the fra, day ,tcy were upset thre,
timss, ard duflng the ensuing night III,
horses Tell over the s,ecp side Of a moun,
tain bot the sledgc vas saved from de,
sifuc'ion By leg, Which had been sc, up be.
side the wsy aa railing.
GA the second hight, while esrecripe q,
full speed down the aide Of another noun.
tala, they ran over the slsdge ola peasant
who was ascending the slope. Again the
telsgA was overturned, and the three horses
bccsme almost lnexh iesbly entsngled with
those Of the other sledge,
After srduous aorls in The bitter wind
ard snow, the horss were aisentsng led
aud compelled to get up; but before resuul-
Ing their way kolovlu bea, the peasant
with hi, taber numerically, although II
wss not easy 10 say how the poor man had
been TO blsme
@ slng 10 the hesalong asd vio'e & man.
Ter tf travelling brcskdowng Of the sled 20
were an almost daily occurrence and csus.
ed many hours Of delay, over which X kolo.
via beesm furious.
His chief solace Tor all these eaio retd
hslts lay In beating the hapless driver, who
Tell Into such pitable ststs Of terror ss
to ba unable properly to guide the horses,
since he WAS continually looking back over
bis shoulders Interpretation OF blow from
the hard scehhard OF the fileer.
All the while the C Ia was so intense
that kolovlh's kslmucx servant, who was
Obliged to vt beside the driver Ia front, Of
ten beeame so benumbed that be had to be
carried from the sletga to the heated plat
form over the Russian stoves II the post
stations. Both his feet were badly f,ok ~ !.
OF his clothing Holman says, | wore two
pairs OF woolen stocks 81, with two pairs
Of fur boots which came above my knees
the inner ones made Of he skin OF the wild
goat, the outer ones Of leather, lined with
fur and having thick sol.s. Added to thete,
my legs were enveloped Ia thick fur
cloak, Independent Of my ordinary cloth
ing, | also wore thickly wadded greatooat
and over ,hst an immense shuha, made Of
he skins q wolves, vhiio my head was
protected hya large wadded cap.
10 short, they wore all Ibe clothing that
they could move about 10, but even this
was insufficient to with;tand the deadly
chill.
Thus they went on nigh. and day to Kras-
noyarsk, Tomsk, Ekaterinburg, kszin, and
faally, on March ls:h, reached Moscow.
Not once In all this prodigioui journey Of
two months mad the traveller been able to
lie down in an ordinary bed. IL was one
constant forward rush Of galloping horses,
and the sledge bad been overturned more
times than they could remember.
IL will hardly be thought strange that
Holmans condition on reaching Moscow
was go bad that rest ana proper food were
imperatively necessary. He hsd fallen In.
to fever, and was so shaken that he could
hardly stand. They would not permit him
to see his friends at Moscow unless In the
presence Of the police, or allow him to con-
verse In English with any one.
The doctor whom he summoned en- lined
rest and quiet but the governor ordered
him to 20 on the mex. day, and sent the
chief Of police to communicate the mar
date. Holman refused to start so soon. |
am too unwell, he replied.
The chief Of police sent for the doctor
and asked him severely II 1t was MOI po ssi.
bic for his patient to travel.
IL Is possible, replied the doctor, but It
is not advisable.
II he carii,s his medicines with him he
cannot suffer much exclaimed the chief.
He Is very unwell, the doctor ventured to
say.
The weather is fine. |, is impossible
that II can hurt him, Insisted the chief.
Then James Holman, blind, III and alo ne
put bis foot down and deiied the authorities
OF the Russian empire.
cannot and will not 20, be said.
don't see what prevents cried the chief
Of police, sngrily. You are well.clot he'd.
II you rub your hands and face the cold
will not hurt you. The governor will not
allow you to remain. he said.
Then he must compel me to 20 by force,
was Holman's resolute reply.
Asa bad storm was clearly at hand, the
authorities conceded the point grudglpgly,
and hspless traveller remained at the capi-
tai for four days. The enforced Journey
was then resumed, and Holman was at last
tur, cd adrift at Krakow.
He was never able to learn why suspicion
had fallen upon hin. A few months after
ward a RussisD tfllcial intmated to Hol-
man that II he would again apply for per.
mission to travel 10 the empire, 1t would te
granted. Blu. he had had quite enough Of
Russia.