1 90 THRO UGH R US SI A ON A MUS TA NG. 



relations between police and people in England and 

 America. The officer probably did not believe him, 

 since a Russian seldom believes what is told him, unless 

 it agrees in some measure with his own knowledge and 

 conceptions ; and nothing in all the wide range of 

 human affairs could seem so wildly improbable to this 

 man as the explanation that had been vouchsafed by 

 my companion. 



Still there must be something in it, for on no other 

 grounds could my extraordinary bearing be explained. 

 And so, after considerable consultation together, they 

 decided to compromise matters by simply asking me 

 to assume an upright position in the chair instead of 

 the free-and-easy American loll. 



Sascha explained afterward their talk among them- 

 selves, which is worth mentioning as an evidence of 

 the Russian idea of Americans. They were more 

 puzzled than affronted at my independent bearing. 

 They had always had a friendly feeling toward Ameri- 

 cans, though they knew very little about them, they 

 agreed among themselves and with Sascha. But my 

 conduct was decidedly different from anything they 

 had ever thought of in connection with us*. 



" Tell them that the police officers are the servants 

 and not the masters of the people in America," I said 

 to Sascha, not, however, without mental reservations 

 that would, if expressed, have made my case rather 

 foggy and difficult to be understood. 



" But this is Russia," replied one of the officers. 

 " Here the Czar is master and the police represent his 

 power among the people. Here the people not only 

 have to obey the police, but they also have to come to 



