IOO THROUGH RUSSIA ON A MUSTANG. 



ment " — they govern themselves. A people who are 

 simply living under a " republican form of government," 

 because they think it better than any other, may pos- 

 sibly change their minds in time of some great public 

 excitement and think that a king or an emperor would 

 be better after all, but no such change is possible where 

 the government is really and truly a government of the 

 people — u natural government." 



We stayed all night, and the next morning the Count 

 and the writer took a long stroll about the estate. On 

 our return three pilgrims were standing outside the 

 house waiting for alms. On the roads of Russia one 

 meets every hour of the summer day little bands of 

 ragged, sunburned men or women, toiling wearily along 

 or sitting down resting by the way. These are people 

 making pilgrimages to Moscow or Kief, as good Mus- 

 sulmans make pilgrimages to Mecca or Medina. 



The three specimens who appeared at Tolstoi's were 

 uncouth members of the species ; their faces were a 

 dirty yellow, their hair and beards were all over their 

 faces and shoulders, and their garments were a mass of 

 rags and dirt. We came up to them, and the Count 

 stood looking at them for a minute with a smile of ad- 

 miration. Then, with a sweep of the hand, such as an 

 artist might make toward some long-worshiped master- 

 piece of art, " I like very much these people," he 

 said. 



He ordered a servant to give each of them a coin, 

 and then questioned them. One of the men, he ex- 

 plained, was very well off and owned a large farm near 

 Kief. The life the pilgrims lead was his ideal of a per- 

 fectly happy, peaceful existence. The only lamentable 



