The Career of a Nihilist (1889) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. AT THE FRONTIER. SAMUEL SUSSER, called familiarly Red Shmul, chief smuggler and tavern-keeper at Ishky, a village upon the Lithuanian frontier, was serving his customers with his usual alertness. His quick eye never failed to catch the moment when one of them was thirsty, and his practised hand never poured out one drop of beer more than was necessary to show the tumbler full, while leaving as much of it as possible unfilled. But his active mind was for the moment engaged elsewhere, following the rapid train then traversing the last miles between St Petersburg and the frontier. This morning he had received a telegram from David Stirn, a student of Jewish extraction, who had joined with the " Gois" (Christians) rebels against the authorities, and now " kept the frontier" for them. In a conventional language, agreed upon beforehand, David had announced his arrival by the evening train, with three companions, who had to be conveyed across the frontier. Three persons at ten roubles a head is not a bad day's work. But the fact is, Red Shmul reckoned upon getting something more than that for his trouble. It was conscription time, and special precautions were taken upon the frontier to prevent the young sons of Israel from escaping military service. An honest smuggler has a right to expect some extras in a time like that. But one must be cautious with such a screw as David. Not a bad man for all that, this Mr David. A sharp head, a genuine Jewish head, who would do honour to his race anywhere. He must be a general, or something of the sort, among the " Gois." A sharp lad, who knows on which side his bread is buttered. He will get on, and an honest smuggler has nothing to fear in dealing with him. He holds his tongue well, and, once his word is given, stands to hi...