BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 375
calling themselves, he believed, Socialists and Regenerators of the World, and once in a way the police had, he under- stood, to pay their polite attentions to some English ally of the revolutionists. He could not understand why England, having so many political and social difficulties of her own to attend to, should take so much interest at it appeared she did in the internal affairs of Russia. Possibly, as Mr. Chetwynd confessed, this young English gentleman, Mr. Philip Forsyth, had been led away by the fascinations of the Countess Stravensky, whose disaffection to the Govern- ment had been as great a surprise as was her sudden and extraordinary disappearance.
Many of the band starting upon their awful journey had favors and privileges to ask, which in some cases were granted and in others refused, but on the whole the men and women seemed to be treated, at least at this stage of their trials, with a certain amount of sympathy, particularly on the part of the governor whenever he was addressed or his intervention was invited by subordinate officers.
At the same time when the gates were thrown open, the strong military guard on foot made a formidable show, each man loading his weapon in presence of the prisoners.
Part of the escort was mounted, carrying long spears ; they were probably Cossacks, and in the experience of Mr. Bremner, previously quoted, the commanders of this light cavalry were in the habit of using the poor creatures with unchecked cruelty-, riding furiously about among them, striking them right and left with their strong whips, without any reason for their activity, just as brutal drovers might among their cattle.
On this occasion the men were banded together apart from the women, but Chetwynd noticed a far better dis- position than Mr. Bremner had noted in the treatment of the exiles who marched out under his observation ; but he restrained his tears with some difficulty, when the gates
