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Arthur W. Marchmont

When I Was Czar

Published by Good Press, 2021

goodpress@okpublishing.info

EAN 4066338084781

Table of Contents

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When I was Czar

Chapter I—A LETTER HOME

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The Palace, St. Petersburg.

MY Dear Miller,—

Your letter, which was as short as old Canfield’s temper, reached me in Berlin as I was starting for here. I’m off to Khiva, this wise.

You’ll remember my old yarn about the Czar having saved my life years ago in a pig-sticking do in Germany—he shoved or kicked me into a bush just in the nick of time when the brute made his rush—and how we then discovered the strong resemblance between us? Well, it’s still true, and things have been happening in consequence.

I ran across Burnaby’s book about Khiva a while back and resolved to go there. He says that three Tartars can eat a whole sheep at a single meal, and I want to see if it’s true. Any old tag’s good enough excuse for a globe-trotter, so I wrote to the Czar, reminded him of the pig incident, and asked permission to go East. As a result, I’m here as his guest; we’ve had a chat over the old time, and I’m to go where, when and how I like all over his dominions. He’s an awfully decent sort, and I’m in for a real good time. But it’s been a queer show.

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