He had
entered it a somewhat careless youth. He came out of it a seasoned
veteran.
That his government had learned to appreciate his services is shown by
the fact that he was soon afterward placed on a joint commission of the
English, French, Russians, and Austrians, to lay down a boundary line
between Russia and her neighbors at the southwest. It was only one of
many later attempts to define the Balkans.
"The newly-ceded territory is in great disorder," writes Gordon. "The
inhabitants refuse to obey the Moldaves and own nobody's authority.
This is caused, I suspect, by Russian intrigues."
Already cracks were beginning to show in the new boundary wall.
After three years of steady but interesting work following up the
ravages of war, Gordon returned home. It was a rest well earned, and
likewise needed, for there were still more strenuous days ahead. Then
back he went, in the Spring of 1858, to complete his work in the
Caucasus.
"I am pretty tired of my post as peacemaker," he writes; "for which I
am naturally not well adapted. . . . I am quite in the dark as to how
my mission has been fulfilled, but it is really immaterial to me, for I
will not accept other work of such an anomalous character."
The "other work" that was being stored up for him was of quite
different nature.
Pages:
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131