Two American Boys in the War Zone

by Levi Worthington Green

When they arrived at that port, where the boys were to leave the boat, the captain went with them to the chief of police, taking the sailor along to assist in the conversation. He explained the state of affairs to the official, and though no instructions concerning foreigners had been received at Petrovsk, probably because that town was so insignificant a place, the chief of police was finally convinced that it would be his duty to help the boys to the extent of his power. The captain assured him that he had seen the order sent to Astrakhan, and he was certain the Petrovsk official would rue the day that he went contrary to the spirit of those instructions.

The boys had expected to proceed from Petrovsk by rail to Vladikavkaz, and then by wagon along the Georgia military road through the Dariel Pass to Tiflis. They had been told there was a daily automobile stage through the pass, but feared that if they indulged in such luxury, they would not have money enough to reach home, so decided to choose the very much slower, but also very much cheaper, mode of travel.

When the captain learned, however, that mobilization of the army was being pushed so vigorously that the Dariel Pass would be filled constantly with moving troops, he feared that it would not be safe for the boys to attempt that route, and advised them to give it up. He said they would be almost certain to encounter acts of aggression by the soldiers, no matter how well disposed the officers might be. The chief informed them there was another possible way of crossing the mountains by trails that led almost directly south from Petrovsk. But the mountains through which those trails passed were extremely rugged and difficult, and the people who inhabited them were very rough and sometimes even fierce. That it would be, in short, a dangerous road, and he doubted if young boys who were strange to the country could accomplish a passage. When those drawbacks were explained to the boys, however, they declared that they were too familiar with mountains to be scared by anything of the sort. Indeed, the mountain route looked very attractive to them, and they immediately chose it.

The captain thought if the boys were to pass through so wild a country that they should have something in the nature of a passport which they could show, and suggested that the chief of police should give them one. As a result, probably accelerated by a fee of five rubles offered at the captain’s suggestion, a paper was made out which stated that Sidney Porter and his brother Raymond were returning to their home in the United States on account of the war in which Russia was engaged, and that all officials of Russian towns through which they passed should help them on their way in obedience to an order received from Petrograd. Signed by the “Chief of Police of Petrovsk, Province of Daghestan.”

The sailor read this paper to the boys so they would know exactly what they were offering as a passport. When he came to the end Raymond exclaimed,—

“Where in the world is Petrograd? I never heard of that place before.”

The man could not inform him, for he had never heard of the place either; but when he asked the captain, it was explained that the Czar had just changed the name of St. Petersburg to Petrograd, on account of the German origin of the former name.

“Well, if they feel that way about everything German,” said Raymond, “I don’t wonder they arrested father, who could speak the German language.”

When that matter was arranged, the captain said that he must return to the boat. He accordingly bade good-bye to the boys and embraced them most affectionately. But he left the sailor with them until they should have purchased horses and whatever of an outfit they needed for their mountain journey. The boys learned from the sailor that the captain remained in port several hours longer than he would otherwise have done, solely to help them get started on their way.

With the assistance of their friend the boys purchased two young, spirited horses and high Tatar saddles. They also bought heavy boots, horsehair cloaks, and saddlebags. Then they bade good-bye to the sailor with hearty thanks for his aid, and went to the inn to get a good rest in preparation for hard work the next day.