This time the man laughed. "If you visited this seaport you might think it all forts. There are defenses,—forts and guns,—whole lines of them, everywhere. The greater part of the population consists of soldiers and sailors."
Here my father broached the subject of which his mind seemed so full these days. "I suppose there are fine schools," he said.
I was so stiff by this time, and my back ached so much from the long unusual ride, that I was no longer able to concentrate my mind on anything except that I must not disgrace my father and myself by showing fatigue.
At last we approached the great Amur River. Across it we could just make out a few black spots and the shining roof of a church.
After a half hour ride we came to a place on the bank where a raft was stationed. A few people were already aboard, desiring, like ourselves, to be taken across. Two soldiers had the boat in charge, and as soon as we were on, every one helped them in making the somewhat difficult trip.
On the opposite bank we parted from our companion, and then, for the first time, I fully realized that we had reached our destination,—the important garrison town of Habarovsk.
FOOTNOTES:
[13] An officer in the Cossack cavalry.
[14] Now connected by the longest railroad in the world with Petrograd (St. Petersburg), Russia.