The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-04-13

ly, but the woman did not seem inclined to
obey. The moonlight bad evidently de.
stroyed the strangers calculations. She fell
back step or two, and then turned to fly.
But it was too late; Pat was after her with
tigers bound, and, impeded by her petit
coats, she stumbled and nearly fell. In a
second, however, she recovered, and turned
on the Sergeant with most uncomfortable
looking yataghan.
"Tear an 'ouns', the Sergeant shouted,
"the woman's the devil. I can stand nails,
but these are rather too sharp"
A low mocking laugh burst from the
strangers lips, as he tried to get between
Pat and his musket. But the Sergeant was
on his guard; prentending to fly, he man.
aged to bear down within grasp of the wo.
man, and caught at her capote. The next
moment the yataghan had passed through
the feshy part of his arm, but he did not
relax his hold. He grappled with the stran-
ger, but meeting with an unexpected resist
ance, he drew his revolver. The stranger
clutched at it with frantic energy, and a
terrible struggle ensued, which terminated
by the pistol suddenly exploding and the
stranger fell to the ground with groan,
while Pat, weakened by the loss of blood,
followed the example. The quarter-guard,
aroused by the shot, soon hurried up to the
spot, and both were borne into camp. The
stranger was placed in hut, and surgeon
fetched, and it was evident that the ghost in
grey was fine looking old man. He was,
however, declared to be in a dangerous state,
for the ball had passed through his lungs.
His condition was kindly explained to him,
and he told his story readily enough.
His name was Constantine, and he was
by birth Pole. Having been engaged in
the revolution OF 1881, be was saved from
the death that fell to the lot of his comrades,
to endure worse fate. He and his family
were transferred to Russia, and he was forced
to perform the most degrading duties in the
secret police. For twenty. three years he
had endured the humiliation, for the sake of
bis wife and child, but he little reckoned
what was in store for him. When the war
with the allies became imminent, he was
ordered with his family to Sevastopol, for
he was perfect French and German schol-
ar; and when the campaign commenced, he
was compelled to risk his life nightly, by
going out to spy the progress the enemy
made. Death stared him in the face either
way if he refused the sentence passed upon
him at Warsaw still remained in force,
which, if he obeyed, he was in hourly risk
of detection. Why not desert, you will ask?
but the Russian police were Machiavels.
His daughter Eudoxia, a lovely girl of three
ard twenty, was taken into the Governors 3
house, ostensibly to protect her from the
horrors Of the siege but Constantine was
given fully to understand that her life de-
pended on his fidelity. The poor father was
sorey distracted his hatred of the Rus.
SLAMS was counterbalanced by his love for
his daughter, the only treasure he possessed
in the world, for his wife had succumbed
under the privations and exposure of win
ter journey across the steppe. Need 1 say
that the father triumphed over the man
Constantine was nightly visitor to our
lines, and by the cleverness with which he
played the character of French or English
linesman, long escaped detection.
At length dreadful ordeal was offered
him; he was told that if he could only in
duce an English soldier to desert, from
whom some valuable information might be
obtained, his sentence would be reversed
and would be free to 60 where he pleased
with his daughter. Maddened by the very
thought of freedom, Constantine attired
himself in feminine garb, hoping thus tc
attract some sentinel from his post. He
would then wound him, though not danger
ously, and drag him into the Russian lines
In fact, it grew monomania with Con
stantine, that he must catch Briton alive
but unfortunately, in Sergeant Leary, he
caught tartar.
Such was the story he told, and which
aroused considerable interest among tht
hearers. 1t reached the ears of Lord Rag
Ian himself, who visited the prisoner, and
bade him be of good cheer no harm should
befal him. But Constantine shook his heaG
sadly of what value was life to him now
when he was separated from his Eudoxia
need not say that every kindness wa
shown the poor fellow, and the doctors viet
with each in their attention to him. But
there was little chance of saving him tn,
wretched conical ball was apparently EN-
bedded in bis backbone, and there was NJ
prospect of moving it.
Pardon, reader, such a common plac
story, but the end is not yet.
X 4 X
Two days later, Serjeant Leary, who hat
bound bis flesh wound up, and laughed at il
was at work in the front parallel He wa
sitting in the trench, smoking very dirt.
short pipe, and growing inwardly, whe1
his wound gave him twitch. It was
lovely night, and double caution had to b
exercised, for the Russians were all alive
and seemed shooting for wager at the mel
in the trenches. Pat philosophically tool
off his shake, and placed it on the top Q
the earthwork. In five minutes be took
down again, and 10 there were three Mini
balls clean through it.
Whirrah! " said Pat, as he comicall,