The Red Reign: The True Story of an Adventurous Year in RussiaDurland, Kellogg
History
The Red Reign: The True Story of an Adventurous Year in Russia
Durland, Kellogg
Russia -- Politics and government -- 1894-1917
We dared not show the disappointment we felt. A group of soldiers eyed
us with evident interest. The Fox did not appear. Apparently he had not
recognized Pasha, or he was not yet prepared to strike, or, he would
telephone to the mainland to have us captured upon the arrival of the
boat. Pasha looked up at me and laughed. That laugh was reassuring. It
steadied me like a stimulant. Across the landing was another steamer on
the point of departure.
“Quick!” I exclaimed, and hurried her aboard.
This steamer was due to sail at the same moment as the other, but a
minute’s delay had proved our salvation.
“But where is it going?” she asked.
“I haven’t the dimmest idea,” I replied. “It is leaving Kronstadt, and
that’s enough for us!”
“It may be going to another island in the Gulf of Finland,” she went on,
“and then we are nicely trapped.”
That was a disquieting thought, so I left her in the cabin and went
above to negotiate for tickets--and ascertain where we were going. At
all events we were now steaming away from Kronstadt.
“What is the first stopping-place?” I asked casually of a deck-hand.
He looked queerly at me for a moment, but from my bad Russian he knew me
to be a stranger.
“Orienbaum,” he answered.
Orienbaum is on the mainland, above Peterhof, and one hour by train from
Petersburg, so by that we were reassured. In the cabin we were
fortunately the only passengers, although many others were on the decks.
Our plan was quickly arranged. In Kronstadt Pasha had worn a golf-cape
over her jacket. She now planned to leave it on the steamer. She had in
her pocket a veil of a different color and style from the one she had
been wearing. With this outward change she was much altered. Then we
separated. We would meet--casually--on the train. If any description had
been wired to Orienbaum it would certainly not tally with her present
appearance, and we would not be together when we left the boat.
At Orienbaum there were fifty minutes to wait for a train. Where my
companion spent that time I don’t know. I went into a summer garden
where there was music, and impatiently tried to listen to Russian songs
badly sung.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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