The children of the emigrants have never felt the pressure of landlordism. There are no great nobles in Siberia, and there is no
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aristocracy in the towns ; authority i s represented b y the civil officials and military officers ; but they are less like an aristocracy than a hostile garrison established by a conqueror. The cultivators are saved from frequent contact with them by the immense distances, and the merchants are saved by their wealth. This latter class, in Siberia, despise the officials : while professing to give place to them, they take them for what they really are - inferiors who are useful in matters of law.
Arms are indispensable to the settler, and everyone knows how to use them. Familiarity with danger and the habit of prompt action have made the Siberian peasant more soldierly, more resourceful. and more ready to resist, than his Great Russian brother. The distance of the churches has left him more independence of mind : he is lukewarm about religion and very often a dissenter. There are distant villages which the pJ:iest visits only thrice a year, when he christens the children in batches, reads the service for the dead, marries all the couples, and hears confession of accumulated sins.
4
On this side of the Ural ridge, the ways of governors are less eccentric. But yet I could fill whole volumes with stories which I heard either in the office or at the Governor's dinner-table -
stories which throw light on the malpractices and dishonesty of the officials.
5
'Yes, Sir, he was indeed a marvel, my predecessor was' - thus the inspector of police at Vyatka used to address me in his confidential moments. 'Well, of course, we get along fairly, but men like him are born, not made. He was, in his way, I might say, a Caesar, a Napoleon' - and the eyes of my lame friend, the Major, who had got his place as recompense for a wound, shone as he recalled his glorious predecessor.
'There was a gang of robbers, not far from the town. Complaints came again and again to the authorities ; now it was a party of merchants relieved of their goods, now the manager of a distillery was robbed of his money. The Governor was in a fuss and drew up edict after edict. Well, as you know, the country police are not brave : they can deal well enough with a petty
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thief, if there's only one ; but here there was a whole gang, and, likely enough, in possession of firearms. As the country police did nothing, the Governor summoned the town inspector and said :
' "I know that this is not your business at all, but your well·
known activity forces me to appeal to you."
'The inspector kn.ew all about the scandal already.
' "General," said he, "I shall start in an hour. I know where the robbers are sure to be; I shall take a detachment with me; I shall come upon the scoundrels, bring them back in chains, and lodge then in the town prison, before they are three days older." Just like Suvorov to the Austrian Emperor I And he did what he said he would do : he surprised them with his detachment; the robbers had no time to hide their money ; the inspector took it all and marched them off to the town.
'When the trial began, the inspector asked where the money was.
' "Why, batyushka, we put it into your own hands," said two of the men.
' "Mine I " cried the inspector, with an air of astonishment.
' "Yes, yours," shouted the thieves.
' ''There's insolence for you ! " said the inspector to the magistrate, turning pale with rage. "Do you expect to make people believe that I was in league with you ? I shall show you what it is to insult my uniform ; I was a cavalry officer once, and my honour shall not be insulted with impunity ! "
'So the thieves were flogged, that they might confess where they had stowed away the money. At first they were obstinate, but when they heard the order that they were to be flogged "for two pipes", then the leader of the gang called out - "We plead guilty I We spent the money ourselves."
' "You might have said so sooner," remarked the inspector,
"instead of talking such nonsense. You won't get round me in a hurry, my friend." "No, indeed ! " muttered the robber, looking in astonishment at the inspector; "we could teach nothing to Your Honour, but we might learn from you."
'Well, over that affair the inspector got the Vladimir Order.'
'Excuse me,' I said, interrupting his enthusiasm for the great man, 'but what is the meaning of that phrase "for two pipes" ?'
'Oh, we often use that in the police. One gets bored, you know, while a flogging is going on; so one lights a pipe; and, as a rule,
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when the pipe i s done, the flogging i s over too. But in special cases we order that the flogging shall go on till two pipes are smoked out. The men who flog are accustomed to it and know exactly how many strokes that means.'
6
Ever so many stories about this hero were in circulation at Vyatka. His exploits were miraculous. For some reason or another
- perhaps a Staff-general or Minister was expected - he wished to show that he had not worn cavalry uniform for nothing, but could put spurs to a charger in fine style. With this object in view, he requisitioned a horse from a rich merchant of the district ; it was a grey stallion, and a very valuable animal. The merchant refused it.
'All right,' said the inspector; 'if you don't choose to do me such a trifling service voluntarily, then I shall take the horse without your leave.'
'We shall see about that,' said Gold.
'Yes, you shall,' said Steel.
The merchant locked up his stable and set two men to guard it.
'Foiled for once, my friend ! ' he thought.
But that night, by a strange accident, a fire broke out in some empty sheds close to the merchant's house. The inspector and his men worked manfully. In order to save the house, they even pulled down the wall of the stable and let out the object of dispute, with not a hair of his mane or tail singed. Two hours later, the inspector was caracoling on a grey charger, on his way to receive the thanks of the distinguished visitor for his courage and skill in dealing with the fire. This incident proved to everyone that he bore a charmed life.
7
The Governor was once leaving a party ; and, just as his carriage started, a careless driver, in charge of a small sledge, drove into him, striking the traces between the wheelers and leaders. There was a block for a moment, but the Governor was not prevented from driving home in perfect comfort. Next day he said to the inspector : 'Do you know whose coachman ran into me last night ?
He must be taught better.'
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'That coachman will not d o i t again, Your Excellenq,,' answered the inspector with a smile; 'I have made him smart properly for it.'
'Whose coachman was it ?'
'Councillor Kulakciv's, Your Excellency.'
At that moment the old Councillor, whom I found at Vyatka and left there still holding the same office, came into the room.
'You must excuse us,' said the Governor, 'for giving a lesson to your coachman yesterday.'
The Councillor, quite in the dark, looked puzzled.