Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1906-03-07
EvNTINo THE BLACK BANDS
Graphic Account Of Work Falling TO
Lot Of the Patrol in Rus
sian City.

1.-THE suburbs Of Moscow thin quickly
pnto gardens and bare spaces among
tine wooden villas in which the we'll
lEto-do people spend the summer. and
the roads are rough and devious. No
lights guide the passenger on these
bitter nights Of winter; the Black
bands have the darkness on their side.
YAt the back Of us the city on its hills
twinkle through the snow. The patrol
was only i've strong, but the men Of
1t knew the ground as they knew the
ypalms Of their hands. They we're all
young and all civilians, informally en-
rolled to repel the gangs Of roughs
whom the police incite to riot and
murder. The men walked warily from
cross-road to cross-road, muffied in
their furs, with ample overcoats that
fell in wide folds about the loins and
legs. Under his coat each man wore
carbine, slung from his neck by Q
lanyard; he had but to unbutton and
the gun was free for use. They were
Of various classes in the community,
for in those days every man must take
up his own defense and lend bis Per
Sonal weight to the cause Of order ana
security. Two were students, clean
built, keen young fellows, who had
done their share on the barbados; one
was q shopman Of 20 years, almost
gleeful in the throng Of events,
charmed with the recurrence OF vivid
happenings, q brisk and imaginative
boy who reveled in his share in his
toric dolngs. The fourth was the son
OF q wealthy merchant, whose sleek
furs cleaned richly in the glow Of his
cigarette; and the last was q painter
whose sister had been blinded by .
whip-cut from q dragon in the street
"0nce, far away, we heard two shots;
some other patrol had seen something.
For US, midnight came, and we halted
under hedge to eat chocolate ana
drink brandy. The men Of the patrol
talked briefly among themselves with
bated voices, for even on them the
night had fixed its weird, and a loud
word would have made one start The
rich mans son was Of opinion that We
might as well go home to bed; but
the two students and the shopman re-
minded him Of the shots we had heard.
and when the chocolate was eaten we
moved on. We were punched together.
. little warmer now, and they were
telling ME OF the brushes they had al
ready had with the enemy, when the
painter, who was ahead again, pulled
out his carbine and fred. The nash
cut groove In the night like streak
Of lightning, and from somewhere In
the darkness q few pistol shots pune
tured the murk with brief stars. My
companions raced up. and in mo-
ment the guns were out.
"The painter was pointing, and tho
shopman had dropped on one knee,
with his carbine at his shoulder.
There was second Of search with
the eyes; thought, but could not be
sure, that / saw movement, and then
the shopman fred and the Others got
to work after him. Their eyes, old ct
the game. saw what was invisible to
me; almost at once cry travelled 70
us athwart the snow and the patrol
men laughed between their shots. Only
pistol IRE answered them; for the
bands do their numbering at close
quarters as yet; but no bullets reached
us, and the thing was over in the tins
one would take to fill pipe.
eve heard them shouting to one an
other as they drew of, and for min
ute or more the pistols spat futiieiy
at US. IN half Jan hour, at the point
where one turns off to get back 70
the city that cleaned over ones shout
der like a fleet at anchor we met po-
licemen, three Of them. They grinned
at US and asked for cigarettes, and
we told them Of the man we nad
bagged."