He Daughter of Loveski the Lost.

Bush Advocate, Volume XI, Issue 832, 16 September 1893, Page 6

He Daughter of Loveski the Lost.

A TALE OF SIBERIA. 1. " Our journey seems to have no end, Harold," remarked Denviers, as he lashed the horses which drew our sledge over the dreary plain; "for a ween we liave been pressing on, night and day Almost, in the hope of coming across the hut near tho road over which the exiles pass. If the mujik told us the truth, we certainly ought to have Been it by this time." " We have had a long, desolate ride «ince we parted with him," I assented ; *' yet the snow ließ in such drifts at times "thot we can hardly bo surprised to find ourselves still driving onwards." " See, sahibs!" exclaimed Hassan, as lie pointed to where the snow-clad plain was at last broken by a distant forest of stunted pines. "There is surely the landmark of which the mujik spoke, and the peasant woman's dwelling cannot bo far off." After wandering through the outlying provinces of China, wo doterniiued to visit the vast plains beyond, being anxious to see the Russian mine. To all our requests for such permission, we met with refusals, until Denviers pressed a number of roubles into the hand of au official, ■who eventually helped us to effect our purpose, after evincing some relustance. Staying a few days after this at a peasant's hut, we had been fortunate enough to win his goodwill, and it was in consequence of what he told us that we promised to undertake our present expedition. No sooner did the keen eyes of Hassan discover tho forest far ahead than we dashed onwards quicker chan ever, as our exhaled breath froze in icy particles and the biting wind struck right through the heavy sheepskin wraps •which we had purchased on entering Russia. Away across the snow our foamflecked horses sped, until we saw the blue smoke curling uDward in the frosty air from a long low hut, situated so that the pine forest sheltered it somewhat from the icy winds. "Someone evidently lives here," said Denviers, as he beat with the handle of his whip against the low door.- We heard a footstep sro3s the floor, then tho noise tif a bar being removed as a woman opened the door cautiously and peered into our faces. Bent as she was with age, with hair thafc hung in white masses about her shoulders, there was an unsubdued look which rested upon us from her darkeyesthatcontrastedforcibly with the dull patient glance of the average Russian peasant. *' Wno is it crossing the plains ? Are you servants of the Czar ?" she asked, in a tone of hesitation at our unexpected appearance, and glancing stramrely at Hassan, who iiad secured our steed-* and Joined U3. * * Wo are travellers crossing the Siberian wastes with our guide, and come to you for shelter," I answered, although we had a deeper purpose in visiting her. " It is yours," the woman replied, and naving shaken our sheepskin wraps, we «utered the hub and accepted the invita- . tion to gather about the pine-wood fire which burnt in one corner of the rude dwelling. "You are not a Russian peasant?" remarked Denviers m a tone of inquiry, for the wjman spoke English with some fluency. " I am not, for my people are the Lost Ones, of whom you may havo heard," she answered with a dreary smile. "We do not understand you," Denviers responded, as we waited for her explanation. •' If you were men of this country my words would be lucid enough. Among nil those who were overcome iv the many Polish struggles for liberty, none have ever returned who once trod the road by which the exiles passed to join those whom we call Our Lost." " You have a motive for living here ?" I remarked quietly, watching attentively to see what effect my words would have upon her. *' lam friendless and alone, choosina rather to dwell here within sight of the way to Tomsk, than in the great city from •which I came. The Czar is merciful, and permits this." " Then the muji'f who directed us hero was mistaken," I persisted. " lie related Rt range stories to us of fugitives, whom the peasants whisper " "Hush" sho cried, looking nervously round. " What was the mujik's name ?" Forreply I placed in her hand a scrap of paper, upon which the man had scrawled a message. She glanced keenly afc us -after reading tho missive, then answered : — " He may be mistaken in you, for you ore Englishmen, and do not understand these things. A piese of black bread— what is it that ifc should be denied to an enemy, even of the Czar, who has escaped irom the mines and wanders for refuge over those frozen wastes V "You may trust; us fully in this matter." said Denviers. "We have given our word to the mujik to render all the help we can." ** It is a terrible day to traverse the plain," the woman replied, as she rose and threw open the rough door to the icy blast, which was only imperfectly kept out before. We followed to where she stood, then watched as she raised her haud and pointed at a distant object. "See!" tho woman cried, bitterly; " yonder pine cross marks the spot where a brave man fell, he who was the lover of the daughter of Lovetski, one of our Lost Ones. By it, beforo the day is ended, will pass the long train of exiles guarded **by the soldiery and headed by the one who hates to see that monument of his own misdeeds, but fears to remove it, for, persecuting the living, he dreads the dead." She closed and barred the door again: then, after some hesitation, spoke of the one to help whom we had gone so far. •' It was the night of n masquerado nt the Winter Palace, long to be remembered by many, for on the following day another rising of the Poles had been planned to take place. A number of tho leading citizens of St. Petersburg wero involved in it. but so well apparently was their secret kept, thafc they ventured to accept the invitations issued to them. Amid the mad revel the plotters moved, making occasionally a furtive «'gn of recognition to each other, or venturing at times fo whisper as they passed the single word which told of ali *heir_ hopes and fears—" To-morrow ?" Chief among thorn was Count Lovetski, who murmured the watchword more hopefully than any of those concerned whenever his keen eyes searched out those sworn to take part in the revolt so near afc hand. " For three hours the gov crowd moved through the salons, then Lovotski, as he leant against a carved pillar, saw one of fche revellers, who was clad in strange attire, approach several of tho snasqueraders, and smilingly whisper something in their ears. At last the <sount saw tho stranger move close to .himself and a moment after he heard a U69)

mocking laugh from behind tho black [ mask, as the unicnown one stooped and uttered tho preconcerted word. Lovetski looked doubtfully at the man's sombre garb, for the glance from his eyos was by no means reassuring '• ' To-morrow 1 ' repeated the masker. ' Count Lovetski, you •do not respond. Havo you forgotten V " 'Loweryour voice, or we shallboheard by others.' said the Count, with a warning gesture. * Who aro you V " ' One of the throe hundred citizens who are sworn to revolt to-morrow. The appointed day is fast drawing near, for in ten minutes the great clock will chime the midnight hour, and then, Count Lovetski— Siberia. *' His listener stared in blank amazement, then, regaining his composure, he replied : — "' So the plot is discovered ? I am no coward. When is it settled for mo to set out ?' '"At the last stroke of the hour a drosky will await you at the main entrance. Tho palace is guarded by the soldiery. The others do not start immediately ; you are the leader, and will ' be ready, doubtless.' "'Quite,' answered Lovetski, for he knew resistance would be useless. He quietly passed his sword to the masker, who took it, smiled again, and disappeared in the crowd. One by one the followers of the Count were singled out by the strange messenger of the Czar, and whon the masquerade was over three hundred exiles followed the track of the sledge in which theii leader had been hurried away a couple of hours before them on the long, dreary journey to Tomsk. " Lovetski was refused the privilege of communicating his whereabouts to his wife, who shortly after this event died, leaving their daughter to the care of strangers. Before low; a rumor reached the capital that the Count had been shot while attempt ing to escape in disgui.su, and thia was eventually f jand to bo true. Scarcely had Marie Lovetski reached womanhood when she joined a political movement, fired with a mad resolve to avenge her father's death, and within a year her name appeared among thoso ou the list of suspects, whose every action was closely observed. A Russian officer of high rank -Paul Somaloff — who had more than once made her an offer of marriage, begged her to remember the fato which overtook Count Lovetski, but tho bare mention of it only made the woman more inexorable. The rad which everyone foretold soon came, for seated ono day in the midst of a treasonable correspondence Marie Lovetski was surprised by three gendarmes, who burst into her apartment. She tore the letter into fragments before they could stop her, then scattered tho pieces over the floor. One of the gendarmes, motioning to his companion to pick thorn up, moved towards hor and attempted her arrest. For one moment the woman stood at bay, then thrust the cold barrel of a pistol into the gendarme'?, ear. " ' Raiso but a hand or move an inch nearer and I will shoot you !' she cried, warningly. Her would-be captor shrunk back, and before he had recovered from his surprise Marie Lovetski darted past him towards the door. She seized the handle to wrench, it open, then saw that all was lost. The door was locked and tli? gendarme had removed the key. There was a fierce struggle, in which one of the officers was dangerously wounded, but eventually they secured her, and within two months Marie Lovetski set out to traverse the same dreary road over which the Count hud gone long before when she was a mere child. " Ivan Eachioff, tho masquorader who had whispered into Count Lovetski's ear tho fate to which he was consigned, was at that time a young attache at tho Court of the Czar. Tho zeal which lie displayed in hunting down the autocrat's enemies rapidly brought promotion, so that when Marie Lovetski was exiled ho had risen to be a general of the Euss nrmy, and specially chosen for the duty of heading the Cossacks who conducted the exiles over the Siberian wastes, while among his subordinates was Paul Somaloff, who held a position ssarcly inferior to his own. " Convicted of a double offence, Mario Lovetski was condemned to walk the whole of that wearisome distance among criminals bound for the mines, while the political exiles worn somewhat _ less harshly treated. General Rachieff had boen warned that a band of discontents had threatened to attempt the rescue of the prisoners, and speoial powers cf lifo and death wore granted to him. By long forced marches he hurried the exiles on, scarcely giving them a few hours' rest each night when thoy arrived at their halting places on the route. "It was with a deep feeling of soirow at his inability to lessen her cufferings that Paul Somaloff glanced many times on the wav at Marie Lovetski. In spite of the strange position in which he found himself, his lovo for tho woman was by no means lessened, but increased each day as ho saw to his dismay how plainly her strength was failing as ho looked upon tho woman's haggard countenance, who was wearily dragging her limbs forward over the frozen wastes. One day Marie Lovetski's condition became so serious that Somaloff begged Gr>noral Rachieff to order the. fetters which bound her wrists to be removed, receiving in reply a refusal as contemptuous as it was decisive. All that day the exile's secret lover walked moodily on, racking his brains for some method by which to savo tho woman from dying before even the terrible journey was ended. "Not far from the hut in ivhich you aro now resting, the weary exiles were halted that night, ancl soon sank uown in the log building into an exhausted sleep. After a severe conflict between his love and his alletrianco to the Czar, Paul Somaloff rose, and, stealing carefully among tho unconscious ones, he bent at last ovor tho form of Mario Lovetski, stretched upon a straw pallet. " 'Marie,' he whispered softly, ns ho cautiously awakened her. ' 'Tis I, Paul Somnloff — I come to save you.' " He remained by the woman's side till ho had deftly removed the manacles from her wrist f. then stole to the entrance as she silently followed him. Once ho was outside the log building Sonmlott mado for whoro hi 3 general's horse was stabled, nnd quickly untethoriiig it led it forth. For ono brief moment he clasped the exile to his breast, then lifted her into tho saddle and placed the reins in hor hand with a few hurried words as to tho bost course tv pursue to avoid pm suit. " Suddenly Paul Somaloff felt a heavy hand grip him by tho shoulder, and turning round he found himself face to face with Ivan Rachieff, his gt noral. At tho same timo the woman was dragged from the horse and held by threo of tho Cossacks. "'Your traitorous plan was well thought out," said Eachicfl', as he smiled in derision at its failure. ' Paul Somaloff you have broken your oath to the Uznr, and I swear you shall die lor thia.' " ' You may do your worst,' replied

the young officer. ' You would not listen to my repeated appeals for a lipht act of clemency for Mane Lovetski, and so havo turned a loyal snbject of the Czar into a traitor.' '" ' Insolent !' cried General Rachieff. 'At sunrise you shall be knouted to death.' " ' Coward that you are,' retorted Somaloff " thafc is a punishment you dare not inflict upon one who wears a decoration given to him by the august Czav. lam a soldier, General, and, at the hands of my comrades, will die a soldier's death. " ' So be it,' answered Rachieff, calmly; you shall bo shot at sunrise,' and ho motioned to the soldiors who had gathered about him to tako Somaloff' into their cliarco. then turned on his heel and strode away, humming an idle air. " The grey morning had scarcely dawned when brave young Somaloff was blindfolded and led "forth to bo shot in sight of the exiles, while the woman ivliom ho had failed to save looked helplessly on. '* A few minu.es aftorwards, Paul Somaloff knelt on the snow-covered plain, j the report, of a dozon rifles rang out on , tho morning air, and tho exiles saw his arms raised ns he clutched convulsively at his breast. Then he fell forward, dead ! " Tho wild, despairing cries of tho exiles were quelled with threats of the knout, thon the prisoners were hurried ou, as they had been for so many days and weeks past. Ten days later a lart:e number of Polish insurrectionists, illarmed, and accompanied by a throng of even worse accoutred peasants carrying a red banner, flung themselves upon tho line of march, and made a futile effort to bioak through the soldiors who guarded the exiles. Tke trained troopers of the Czar thrust tllem back and, as they broke and fled into the lorest. chased nnd cut them down like sheep, till the snow turned to a crimson hue with their hearts' blood, " The exiles made desperate efforts to avail themselves of tho opportunity to escape, which the confusion presented. Those who wore unbound fought with branches, which they toro from the stunted trees, while tho others madly thrust the shackles upon their wrists into tho faces of the brutal soldiery, who knouted or cut down men and women indiscriminately. Long will that massacre be remembered, and tho dreadful suffeiings which the survivors endured at the command of Ivan Rachieff. When at last Tomsk was reached, only a handful of decrepit exiles passed into the city out. of all those who started on the long journey." " And Marie Lovetski ? " I interrupted, " did she live to completo the distance, or what was her fate ? " "It was reported that she was cut down during the massacre," tho woman replied slowly ; "for nothing has been hoard of her since by General Rachieff although her body could not bo found among the slam." I glancert at the woman thoughtfully as sho concluded her story, and Denvierir, who had listened in silence throughout, asked : — " Where is Marie Lovetski 1 You aro aware that sho is alive — nay, more, you know her place of concealment. " Surprised at the directness of the question, tho woman involuntarily rose, nnd then, seeing that we suspected the fugitive was hidden in the log hut, she answered : " Marie Lovetski is not here, yet il the mujik has rightly judged your courage, within a week he will see your sledge return with one moro occupant than when it started. Once she is carried there her escape is assured, for ." She stopped suddenly and pointed to the door. Wo listened attentively as tho sound of footsieps drew nenv. then a heavy blow smote the barred entrance nnd a voice, exclaimed — " Open, in the Czar's name ¥' Tho woman's face turned ashy pale as she muttered faintly — "That is the voice of Ivan Rnchieff. who is again in command of the exileß," and she drew away the heavy bar to admit him. We rose to our feet in an instant as tho door was flung open and General Rachieff entered and stood before ns. (to be COXriMUED.)