ON MY WAY TO ERZEROUM
At seven o’clock in the morning General Kousminski was at my door, and
I started bravely for Erzeroum, full of happy hopes and expectations. A
crowd of Turks gathered round our carriage, wishing us Godspeed.
For the first mile or two all went well, but soon there was an accident;
the road was heavy and one of our horses slipped and fell down. It
was not a good beginning, but we still had the worst before us, and a
long way to go. We only made a hundred miles that day, the roads being
shockingly bad, all covered with big stones over which we rumbled down,
our carriage bouncing like a roasted chestnut. I tried to console myself
with the thought that the way which led to “Paradise” was also covered
with stones and strewed with pebbles. We stopped for the night in a small
Turkish hamlet and continued our journey at dawn; the worst bit of it now
began. The road which led to the next station was a terribly bad one; we
had to abandon our comfortable coach and take a sledge. The road grew
steeper with every mile; it was a succession of hills, one after the
other. Up and down we went all the time, but I felt a wonderful access of
courage at the thought that each mile drew me nearer to Sergy. I could
already feel myself flying into his arms. In descending a terribly steep
hill our sledge was upset and bang—there we were in a deep ditch! Happily
we had come to no harm, and after having assured ourselves that we had no
broken limbs, we remounted into our sledge and travelled on till sunset
Dreading to be overtaken by darkness in the mountains, we made a halt in
a village under the hospitable roof of Mr. Iliashenko, a Russian officer
who took up his quarters there with some dozen soldiers. I was pretty
well fagged out and hurried off to my room. It was so nice to sleep
again like respectable people, between sheets, on our second night’s
resting-place.
A most dreadful surprise awaited me in the morning. I was roused by
Helena coming to tell me that General Kousminski was summoned back to
Kars at once. The prospects of so long a journey without my protector was
the most distressing thing that could befall me. The worst of all was
that we were in danger of dying of starvation, for we were not supplied
with provisions. The next stage was known to be a very risky one, and
I had to make all the way on horseback. Helena had set out before in a
peasant’s cart with an old military doctor who was also proceeding to
Erzeroum, and to whose care General Kousminski had entrusted me. It was
not nice at all to be left behind! Our horses were led up, but I couldn’t
manage to climb into the saddle which one of the soldiers had lent me;
the clumsily tied arch would not hold and I slipped down continually.
I was growing quite desperate, when it occurred to Mr. Iliashenko to
propose for me his transport-van, an enormous vehicle with a team of six
horses. I climbed into it tremblingly, and off we went.
After crossing a bridge thrown over the “Arax,” we began to mount the
slopes of the opposite bank, creeping along the high shelf roughly
bedecked with fallen stones. Here we met a long caravan of camels; our
horses took fright at them and drew back till we were almost on the
very brink of a precipice, perhaps three hundred feet deep. Though Mr.
Iliashenko made an attempt to hold me in I jumped out of the van and
scrambled up the steep hill dabbling in the greasy mud flushed and
breathless. Suddenly a happy idea struck Mr. Iliashenko, he proposed to
me to mount his horse, saddled with a wide Cossack saddle. I settled
myself down comfortably in it and went valiantly onwards. My anxious
Helena awaited me at the next station. I was already beginning to
feel General Kousminski’s absence, and now learned what it was to be
desperately hungry. I was as a ravenous wolf, seeking what I might
devour, but we had only a meagre luncheon of bread and cheese. Here I
had to bid good-bye to Mr. Iliashenko, who proposed for me to keep his
horse as far as Erzeroum, thinking he might be useful to me in dangerous
places, too bad for carriages; he gave me, besides, a Cossack.
After many difficulties, we succeeded in reaching the next station. We
were obliged to advance very slowly; it took nearly seven hours to get
there, although the distance was only sixteen miles, for there was no
road as the Europeans generally understand it. Our horses plunged in the
snow up to their necks. We met on the road groups of soldiers returning
to Kars, who seemed greatly astonished to meet a woman in these dull
parts. It was almost dark when we reached a tiny village, where we
stopped for the night in a dirty dairy-hut, and slept in the company of
my brave little horse who shared all my mishaps. I had to lie down on
a mat stretched upon the floor, and being tired out, I slept the sleep
of the just, when at dawn an enormous tongue, trying to find my face,
woke me. I soon realised that the tongue was my horse’s, who had freed
himself from his bridle and came to bid me good-morning. When I got up
I saw the snow falling heavily. We weren’t able to start before the
following day until the snow-storm had passed away. A young officer on
his way to Kars took shelter under the same roof with us, which helped me
to while away the weary hours of waiting-time.
We started at cock-crow, and soon discovered that we were in no path at
all. There was no road, not even a track; our driver was compelled to
clear a way for himself _à la grace de Dieu_, as best he could over heaps
of snow. We came near falling into a hut through a big hole in the roof,
which, instead of a chimney, gave passage to smoke. In comparison with
the enormous heaps of snow on our untrodden road this hut presented but a
mere mound. We were now in the most dangerous parts and followed a track
winding round precipitous ravines. On the narrowest part of the cliff,
just over a deep precipice scarcely three inches between the wheels and
the brink, we met a field-battery and there was hardly room for our
sledge to pass.
We intended to reach the village of Yus-Veran that day, which we
succeeded in doing, though not without considerable difficulties, pinched
with cold and very miserable. For the night we stopped at a wayside
farm-house, a dingy, uninviting place. I was immediately surrounded by
a group of native women, whose noses were adorned with metal rings.
After they had lavished on me their _selamaleks_, Helena made me up an
impromptu bed upon the bare boards covered with straw. To my disgust the
room was invaded by sheep, pigs and goats, nevertheless I slept soundly.
After freeing my hair and clothing of the straw and chaff, we set off at
sunrise. When we passed the village of Kepri-Kay, a pestilence-stricken
Russian camp, I had to put my handkerchief up to my nose for the horrible
smell which hung in the air.
From Kepri-Kay I made all the way on horseback, the roads being too
rough for carriages. I felt tired, so very tired, and oh, so cold!
The wind began to blow harder every minute, and made me nearly lose
my equilibrium. On the top of a steep mountain we encountered General
Avinoff, who was returning to Kars. Seeing me so lightly clad he made me
put on his big fur boots, which had to be held up by bits of rope tied on
by my Cossack attendants.
In the middle of the passage of Deve-Boynou we perceived, all of
a sudden, a cloud of dust and saw a group of ferocious-looking
horsemen, armed from head to foot, who came galloping up, shouting
and gesticulating vehemently. I was horribly frightened, taking these
individuals for highwaymen. The seeming brigands proved to be peaceful
Turks sent by my husband with shawls and furs to bid me welcome. And I
had expected my arrival would be such a surprise to Sergy! It was the
young officer with whom I had passed the night under the same roof during
the snow-storm who had betrayed my secret and announced my arrival to
Sergy by wire.
It was nearly night when we perceived the tops of numerous minarets. My
long journey had come to an end; Erzeroum was reached at last.
As soon as we stopped before the house inhabited by my husband, I jumped
out and bounded upstairs three steps at a time, and rushed into Sergy’s
study, my heart beating wildly. The next instant I was in my husband’s
strong arms, listening with rapture to his voice. “My wife, my love,” he
repeated constantly and smothered my face with kisses. It was no dream,
I was resting on Sergy’s breast and felt plainly that one can become mad
with joy. What ages we had been apart, and now my darling husband was
wholly given back to me. I nestled against him and the world seemed to me
a pleasant place again and I forgot that I had ever been wet and cold and
lonely. I have him now for good and all and always. The day of suffering
was over!