Two American Boys in the War Zone

by Levi Worthington Green

“Yes, but Russia is backed up by England and France.”

“Has England joined in the war, too?”

“She joined yesterday; she and France are Russia’s allies, and they are bound to help her.”

At that moment the officer in charge of the unloading called out sharply and the sailor hurried along with his load. After the boat had left the wharf at Kazan, the boys took every opportunity to speak to the sailor, it was so pleasant to be able to talk English with some one. They asked information about the country through which they were passing, and about the strange people on the boat. The topic that would have interested them most was the war, but the sailor could tell them very little about that. The man, though a Russian, had served on English ships, and had been in many English and American ports, in that way learning to speak English well. In the course of the voyage to Astrakhan the boys picked up many Russian words and phrases and soon began to feel that they were prepared to travel anywhere in the empire.

On August 8 the boat tied up to the wharf at Astrakhan, where the English-speaking sailor gathered the news and imparted to the boys the information that President Wilson had issued a proclamation of neutrality.

The boys soon began to notice that the people on the boat appeared greatly interested in them, though at first they had attracted little attention. After passing out on to the Caspian not only the captain but other officers of the boat talked with them through their friend the sailor, for it happened that none of the officers spoke English, as would not have been the case on a boat in the regular passenger service.

They told the circumstances of their trip very frankly to the captain, who assured them that they need not be alarmed about their father, for he would certainly be released, though he might be held some days. All Russian officials, the captain said, would be extremely busy in the mobilization of the army, but he was sure that Mr. Porter would not only eventually be released, but would probably be helped back to America. The captain informed the boys that the Government had wired instructions to the chiefs of police in all towns where there was likely to be any foreign travel, that all English, French, and American travelers, but especially the latter, should be treated with the utmost consideration, and should be assisted whenever possible. Such a message had been received at Astrakhan.

Sidney asked why Americans should be treated with greater consideration than the citizens of other countries, and was told that it was because the United States was the only great nation that had remained neutral, and would probably continue to be neutral throughout the war.

The boys became quite excited at that information, and imagined that their father might even then be at liberty. Sidney declared that when they arrived at Petrovsk he would try to reach his father with a telegram, and if he succeeded they would return to Nizhni-Novgorod.

The captain dashed their hopes, however, by telling them that all telegraph lines had been monopolized by the Government, and that it would be impossible to send a private message of any sort. He advised the boys to continue as they had planned, saying that they would probably reach home before their father. He said, moreover, that he could be of great help to them at Petrovsk.