164 FORESTRY IN EASTERN RUSSIA. 



standing all round. After the executioner had made all 

 ready, he rolled up his red shirt-sleeves (his face redder 

 than his shirt), threw a white towel over his shoulder, 

 drained off a tumbler of liquid fire, and took the murderous 

 looking whip in his hand. The chief officer then read her 

 sentence, which I could not hear, she looking calm and 

 pale as a corpse. A priest then advanced and confessed 

 her, waving the cross several times over her head. As 

 soon as Jack Ketch prepared to strike the first blow, he was 

 stopped by the military commander, who read out a 

 commutation of her sentence to transportation to Siberia. 

 I felt thankful that both she and I were spared the tor- 

 ture, but there was- a hum of dissatisfaction running 

 through the mob as the poor swooning creature was taken 

 down and tumbled into the cart and straw. They had 

 been cheated out of the fun. She had been condemned 

 for child murder, they said. I then drove back to finish 

 my business, but nobody turned up, and I immediately 

 heard the drums beating again, and I saw two convicts 

 being borne off this time ; but I had had enough, and 

 thought I must wait here. I had not waited long before 

 the executioner was brought in bound. It appeared that 

 he had no sooner begun to flog one of these poor culprits, 

 who was condemned to receive eighty lashes, because he 

 had escaped from Siberia — not the first time either — when 

 he was discovered picking something up from the stage, 

 which turned out to be a letter containing three roubles, 

 begging of him to use the instrument of torture as ten- 

 derly as possible : consequently the execution was stopped. 

 Such a flagrant act of dishonesty as that must be visited 

 with condign punishment! As the man was led off in 

 irons to be sent back to the Governor of Orenburg, 

 I thought how these men strain at a gnat when they 

 can swallow a camel. 



' I have often been asked about the climate up thert;. 

 Well, I myself asked that question of a German when I 

 first went to Ekaterineburg. He answered, " I will tell you 



