The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia
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wasplaced before an upright board, shaped like an inverted cone; in theupper or broad end of which are hollowed out three notches, the middleone being contrived to receive the neck of the culprit, and the othertwo the arms, which are securely bound; the legs being fastened to thebottom of the board. The upper part of the body is then stripped quitebare. These preparations being completed, the brutal executionerflourishes the knout round his head, and with tremendous force itdescends on the back of the victim, horribly lacerating the flesh. Thehandle of the knout, is a thick stick eighteen inches long, to the endof which is fastened a twisted thong of leather, twice the length of thestick; and to the end of the thong again, there is a copper ring,through which is passed, with a slip knot, a double strap of leather, aninch broad near the ring, and tapering to a point near the running end;the straps being boiled in milk, to swell and harden them.
Poor Karl looked at this formidable weapon, in the hands of theexecutioner, with feelings of the most intense hatred; but even theshrieks of his precursors in suffering, as the lash descended on theirbacks, did not make him waver in his constancy. He was doomed to astill greater trial; for just before it became his turn to suffer, heheard a voice, calling out his name, proceeding apparently from a telga,which, with some others, had just left the gates of the city, and wasquickly passing by. He turned round for an instant; and a glance ofpleasure lit up his countenance, as he fancied that he recognised thevoice: but instantly recollecting himself, he again hung down his head,and appeared to observe nothing around him, till the telga had drivenrapidly away.
At length he was also lashed up for punishment; but he uttered not agroan, until nature almost gave way before the executioner had finishedhis hideous work, which he seemed to go through with greater zest, fromthe practice he had already had; as the wild beast, which has oncetasted human blood, feels insatiate until he has gorged himself with it.Karl knew that at one moment he might have saved himself the tortureinflicted upon him; but he willingly suffered without a complaint--atrue specimen of the Russian national character, displaying sturdyfidelity and passive endurance, without an expectation or hope ofreward.
As yet, he had not half expiated the crime he was charged with, andjustice still retained him in her clutches. He was carried back toprison till his wounds were healed, at which period he was compelled toserve the Emperor as a soldier. The constant draft, which an unhealthyclimate and the Circassian sabres made in the army of the Caucasus,necessitated the frequent incorporation of criminals in its ranks. Withmanacles on his hands and feet, he was marched off with others, formedinto large bands, containing many volunteers, who were, however, treatedin the same way, to prevent their escaping, lest they should changetheir minds.
Karl knew that it was useless to complain; and as he was of a contentedand happy disposition, not much addicted to thinking, he determined tomake the best of his lot. Fortunately for themselves, his companionsalso were blind to the hardships and miseries they would probably becompelled to undergo; although thus loaded like culprits with heavychains, they passed their time in singing and laughter. As they marchedon, their shouts of merriment rose to the skies, amid the clank of theirchains, as if to mock the cruelty of their oppressors: the poor wretchesbeing entirely ignorant of the blessings of freedom, and incapable offeeling their degradation, perhaps even incapacitated for thought! Suchare now the only people in Europe who can securely be governed bydespotism; and such are the senseless tools with which the mighty Czarof Russia works out his imperial will. What care they how many freementhey bring to a like state of bondage as their own? The yoke has solong pressed on their necks, that they heed not its galling weight; butlike the patient oxen, they are content to be goaded on to their work,at their master's will. This vast, soulless engine, is indeed oftremendous force; and has but too often been used to crush and overwhelmfreedom, and to plant the banner of tyranny amid lands, where the flagof liberty has hitherto waved bright and unsullied.
Volume 1, Chapter XVII.
It was towards the close of the day, when a young and active peasant,who, contrary to the usual character of his class, was ratherintelligent-looking, was slowly driving a small telga or wagon, filledapparently with hides and merchandise, at the end of a bye-way or narrowlane, at a point where it joined one of the principal roads leading fromthe south towards Moscow. Observing a cloud of dust rising in thedistance, in a southerly direction, he drew up his telga, anxious toascertain the cause of it. He presently found it to proceed from a longtrain of wagons, about twenty in number, mostly drawn by oxen, butothers, of the same description as the vehicle he himself drove, drawnby horses. The drivers of the wagons were short, ugly-looking fellows,with sandy moustaches and beards, black woolly caps, sheep-skin jackets,the woolly side next the skin. Many of them were half asleep on thetops of their vehicles, trusting to the sagacity of their beasts; but itwas now time to rouse themselves into activity, for they wereapproaching the end of their journey, on which perhaps they had comeseveral hundred miles. Moscow, their bourne, was at hand.
The young peasant joined in the line of the caravan, driving between thecarts as if apparently he belonged to their party.
Laughter and joking soon arose among the easily pleased wagoners, causedby his jests and stories; and, searching, under the hides which coveredhis cart, he produced a case of vodka, and a glass, which he filled withthe much-prized liquor, handing it about to the people nearest to him.By this means, and from time to time also singing a song, he soon wonall their hearts; the Russian peasants being as passionately fond ofmusic, as they are addicted to vodka.
"Jump up, my friend," said he to one of the men trudging along-side,"you will find a better seat here than in your own wagon."
The man readily complied, and the young peasant began to ply him with anumber of questions. In this way he learned that they were to remainonly one day to rest their cattle, and to start on the following morningfor the south. The information seemed to give him much satisfaction;and he intimated to his new friends, that he should wish to enter thecity as one of their party, and to return at the same time with them,reminding them that he should not forget to fill his can of vodka.
The lofty towers, and polished domes of Moscow now appeared in sight;and being allowed to pass the gates without hindrance, the caravanproceeded to the part of the city where that class of people chieflycongregate: the young peasant acting in every way like the rest of theparty.
After dark, however, giving his telga in charge to one of the wagoners,whom he had more particularly made his friend, he sallied forth into thestill crowded and bustling streets, meeting parties of pleasurereturning from the gardens in the neighbourhood. Rich nobles drivingfrom one gay scene of dissipation to another; the military returningfrom relieving guard; drunken men of all classes, reeling home,attempting to support each other as they tottered against thedoor-posts; none of them, however, joining in bacchanalian songs, as inEngland and other countries; for the Russian, though a careless,light-hearted being, when sober, becomes when overpowered with liquor, asurly, morose animal, with all his worst passions aroused, and having nopretensions to enjoyment. This is too common a scene in Russia; but weshould rather pity than blame such slavish beings, sunk so low inapathetic ignorance, and who are never taught to respect themselves.
The peasant seemed well acquainted with the city; for without oncedeviating from his course, he quickly threaded its intricate streets.Whatever was his business, he soon performed it; and on his return,again joined the most convivial of his new friends, treating them fromhis can of vodka, and singing songs to them till late at night. Thewhole of the next day was spent by the carters in distributing thecontents of their vehicles to their different destinations, and inreloading them with goods to convey to the south. The stranger peasanthaving likewise apparently disposed of his cargo, returned with a verylight one, saying that he had a friend with a broken limb, whom he wasanxious to convey to his home in the country.
In the evening, he again unloade
d his cart, leaving his goods undercharge of his friend the carter, and drove away in the direction he hadformerly taken; saying, before he went, that he should return with hismaimed companion. He drove his light cart quickly along the streets,till he reached that part of the city before mentioned, as theneighbourhood of the place in which the conspirators held theirmeetings; when on his giving a low whistle, a lad sprang out from behinda wall, and taking the place of the peasant, drove slowly on, the otherhastening to the door of the vault, in which Ivan had been so longconcealed.
"Is all safe?" he asked of the lad, who took his place. "Have you seennone of the cursed police in the neighbourhood?"
"There is nothing to fear, and no one could pass near here, without myseeing or hearing them," answered the boy.
The peasant gave the peculiar knock at the door of the vault, whichbeing opened by the old man, he immediately entered. No one appeared insight, as the telga drove up