Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-13

mind, too, that here was an opportuni-
ty to consummate his first complete
Russian conversation. So he smiled
and replied, 'Da! da. da" The officer
linked arms with him and conducted
him to the dinning-room, where Hardy
consumed his second blass of wheat
whisky, and ate more sandwiches,
pickles caviar and salt fish.
Zakouslla lasted off and on, for
about an hour, during which the cap
tain and his two officers ate and drank
almost continually, appearing to get
hungrier and hungrier all the time
and to suffer no llnduly eXhilarating eff
fects from the vodka
By combining the utmost frmness
with evident good nature, Hardy man
aged to pull through without getting
drunk, thereby accomplishing feat
quite remarkable in a foreigner accept
ing Russian hospitality
Luncheon was at last brought on,
consisting Of sour, cold soup, meat
boiler with vegetables, and more cav
lar. thanked by bottle of excellent
white wine from the Crimea.
The samovar, filled with water kept
hot by means of Goals poured into a
receptacle i'm its interior. was now
brought in, and small pot of very
strong tea. The Russians turned a
little of tho tea into water glasses,
which they filled with hot water from
the samovar, and seasoned with sugar
and slices of lemon. Hardy could
not help comparing this method with
that of the Japanese, who drink their
tea without "trimmin's,'' and directly
from the grounds, on which they let
the lecoction stand only few mo-
ments. The captain and the two Of
ficers each drank half dozen cups of
tea, and urged the beverage on their
guest, who, in this case as in that of
the vodka. was unable to do his share:
not this time, however. because he
feared Intoxicating effects, but for the
reason that his stomach lacked suf-
ficent powers of distention. He ac-
cepted with gratitude, however, sever
al of the long cigarettes, mostly paper
mouth pieces, but containing few
whiffs of excellent tobacco, which
they offered him. After swallowing,
for politeness, sake, all the tea that
he could contain without bursting,
Hardy made sign, easily compre-
hended, that he was sleepy, and went
to his cabin. Stretching himself on the
which had endured as it seemed to him
only q few minutes, when he was
awakened by a loud knocking on his
door,
"Da? da?" he yelled inquiringly.
.Zakouska," shouted the gruff,
friendly voice of the captain through
the door,
"zakouska?" inquired the captain
The American consulted his watch.
1t was six o'clock and he felt no more
hunger than if he had just eaten.
Nevertheless, he opened the door and
locked arms with the captain, who
conducted him to the, dining-room,
where another zakouska ordeal was
gone through lasting till seven, when
dinner was served, after which the
samovar was again brought in, and the
Russians settled down to tea-drinking
in earnest.
The next afternoon they entered the
magnificent harbor Of Vladivostol1,
passing the high rock, crowned with a
lighthouse, that stands as a sentinel
at it's mouth. The city, not visible till
the last moment, burst suddenly on
Hardy's view and gave. him very
favorable impression of the country in
to which he had come to live and to
retrieve, if possible, his shattered
fortunes. Here, GROWING the hills that
dominate the harbor, was modern,
European city of houses, many of them
built of brick and stone. A couple of
men-of-war, very trim in their white
paint, besides numerous merchant YES
sells flying the Russian flag, lay at
anchor in the bay, while several
Chinese sampans and a junk or two
drifting about, bore witness that here
the extremes of the East and the West
meet and overlap. Two or three Of the
sampans, indeed, floated up to Hardy
ship as she cast anchor, and their
long-cued owners made clamorous ap
plioation to carry any one ashore who
might wish to go. Hardy had already
picked out the Celestial whose appear
ance best suited, him, wondering
whether he would take Japanese mon
ey, ,1nen he noticed steam-launch
rapidly approaching, and a cheerful
voice hailed him.
SIS that an American on board
there?'
Yes Hardy shouted back, thrilling
with sudden delight at the sound of his
Nmother-tongue, how did you know?'
"By the cut of your clothes. Where's
your baggage?"
"In my cabin"
Cali right" said the man in the
launch, "I'll have it brought out. Ge
in here and I'll take you ashore"
A few words Of gruff Russian to the
captain, and Hardy's trunks and bag
gage were brought out, and five min
utes later he was flying ashore in the
launch OF the American Trading Com
pany.
AS he was leaving, the captain dash
ed up and wrung his hand, asking an
Xiously:
"Zakouska?"
HE wants to know" explained Har
dy, leaning over the rail, 'if l wan
more zakouska I've had zakoGsh;
enough to last me a lifetime. Wha
shall tell him."