_Copyright, 1916, by_ THE PAGE COMPANY _All rights reserved_ First Impression, November, 1916 Second Impression, October, 1917 Third Impression, May, 1929 PREFACE The name Cossacks is given to a large part of the Russian population. These people are endowed with special privileges in return for specific military service. They are of different racial origin. There are ten separate _voiskos_, settled along the frontiers, those of the Don, Kuban, Terek, Astrakan, Ural, Orenburg, Siberian, Semir-yechensk, Amur, and Ussuri. These differ in many respects, though with a similar military organization, the primary unit of which is the _stanitsa_ or administrative village. The historical Cossacks are those of the Don and of the Dnieper Rivers in Russia, of whom it has been said that they were "originally passionate lovers of freedom who went forth to find it in the wilderness." The other Cossack divisions have been patterned after these by the Government. In the later sections the military spirit and the old Cossack traditions are carefully fostered. Our book deals with the Ussuri Cossacks of Siberia, among whom Colonel Postnikov lived for many years, both as an officer and as a civil engineer. Although the story is written in the first person, it is in no sense an autobiography of the author, who was born in western Russia. Besides the country around Ussuri River, other sections of Siberia and other classes of people than the Cossacks are described incidentally. In the spelling of Russian names, an endeavor has been made to give some idea of the actual pronunciation. THE EDITOR. Contents CHAPTER PAGE PREFACE v I. CHILDHOOD ADVENTURE 1 II. THE FIRST DEER OF THE SEASON 9 III. THE BOOTY SECURED 17 IV. A BIG CATCH AND NEW PREPARATIONS 25 V. "THE KETA ARE COMING!" 35 VI. TIGER! TIGER! 42 VII. THE NIGHT ALARM 52 VIII. WHAT CAME FROM ATTENDING A SKODKA 57 IX. THE HUNT 67 X. THE HUNT--CONTINUED 78 XI. A JOURNEY 86 XII. A GARRISON TOWN 97 XIII. A COSSACK DRILL 105 XIV. AN EVENING VISIT 118 XV. LENT AND EASTER 129 List of Illustrations