Dedukla, Johannes

"He was lassoed around the neck and dragged away. ... [He was] severely whipped, he was carred into the depths of the Kirghiz horde where he stoically underwent unspeakable tortures. ... Father Johannes was forced to herd sheep. [He] served as a shepherd for almost three years, suffering torture and horror at the hands of his heartless master. ... Fate eventually smiled upon Fr. Johannes and sent him a liberator in the persons of Orenburg merchants who wanted to procure a large quantity of sheep from his master. At the appearance of the shepherd, the merchants immediately guessed that before them was a captive and they began to converse with him. After a short eye-to-eye visit and having seen the captive's terrific desire for freedom, the merchants began to negotiate his purchase from his Kirghiz master. Having completed negotiaitions, the Kirghiz sold his captive for 150 rubles. ... Fr. Johannes [eventually] returned to his former parish [Mariental] where he gathered the flock for his last sermon, because his successor had been appointed in his place."