106 FORESTRY IN LITHUANIA. 



authorities to mark their proceedings by an act of such 

 egregious folly. 



1 During the absence of the messenger, the Count said 

 to me, " Why do you not yield to their demands ? " 



' " I will do so," I replied, " as soon as I am informed 

 what their demands are. But I will not submit to the 

 indignity of being treated in this manner, without any 

 reason assigned." 



' The reader may probably think that I was wrong in 

 making this resistance ; and, if more time for reflection 

 had been afforded to me, I should probably have ab- 

 stained from the attempt to interpose any delay. But, 

 at the moment, I was filled with deep indignation, which 

 absorbed every other thought. 



' After waiting about half an hour, the Chef militaire 

 arrived, and was soon followed by the Chef de police 

 and the Cossacks. The latter were forthwith despatched 

 at full gallop to the Count's farm, with orders to seize 

 and bring away everything which they could find belong- 

 ing to us. The Chef militaire, I must here mention, 

 was an officer of the Imperial Guard, only acting tem- 

 porarily in the office which he then filled. He was a 

 thorough gentleman ; and I could read in his counte- 

 nance the disgust which he felt at the arrogant offensive 

 manner of the Chef de police. Having been informed 

 of all the particulars of our arrest, and of my refusal to 

 undress, the Chef de police turned round to me, and 

 said, in broken English, " But you moost, my friend, you 

 moost deshabiller." I repeated what I had before said, 

 and told him, that, if the cause of my arrest were 

 explained, I would obey any and every order which it 

 was his duty to impose : but that, otherwise, I should 

 do nothing. They had of course the power to do what 

 they liked. It would be useless for me, I said, to resist 

 them: and I could only appeal to the Governor for 

 redress. 



' " May the soldiers undress you ? " was the next 

 question. 



