The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-03-24

waited for us i'm the courtyard. into
which he and | got. The fortress gate
opened on Fontanka bridge. The sleigh
moved rapidly. We crossed the Cam
pus Martius, and crossed the Neva on
the ice The night was dark as pitch,
and the wind blew i'm violent and
lugubrious manner. We were soon at
the fortress gate. My guide gave the
soldier the password, and in it we
entered. The sleigh was before
the Governors house. The password
was given. We entered the Governors
house as we had entered the fortress.
The Governor was in bed, asleep. He
instantly rose when he heard the potent
phrase, 1t is the Emperor's orderp He
came to meet us, concealing his uneasi-
ness with smile With man like
Paul there was no more security for
.jailors than for captives, for execution
ers than for victims. He looked at us
as much as to say, What do you want?
My guide pointed to me to show that |
was the principal. He looked at me
more attentively; nevertheless he hest
tated about speaking to me. My youth
probably surprised him. To end his
ror's orders without saying a word. He
took it to the candle, bowed at the seal,
saw it bore the impress of the Emperor's
private signet ring, the sign of secret
orders. He bowed, made an almost i'm
perceptible sign of the cross and opened
it. He read the order once looked at
me, read it second time, and said to
me:
SO You are to see itY
60 Yes, am to see it,
"' What are you to see?'
90 You know
80 But do you known
al do not
He remained pensive moment, and
then he said:
Didn't you come in sleigh p
%. Yes
80 How many persons can your sleigh
hold?'
"'Three.'
- Does this gentleman come with
us ?-he pointed to my guide. | hest
tated, for | did not know what reply to
make.
90 No. replied my guide, Il am to
wait
90 Where?
"'Here.'
"What are you to wait for {?
"'Until it is over
"Very we'll
90 Prepare a second Sleigh said he,
speaking to an attendant select four
strong soldiers let one of them take a
lever, the other hammer, and the two
others, hatchets.'
"The attendant so addressed instant
ly left the room. Then the Governor
turned to me, saying:
80 Come along, and you'll see.'
:" He led the way. | followed him.
A turnkey walked behind us. We went
on until we got opposite the Exchange,
as well as | could suspect, judging from
the distance | remembered. The Gov
ernor pointed to door. The turnkey
opened it, went in, lighted lantern,
and showed us the way. We went down
ten steps more, but did not stop here.
Then went down five other steps,
twenty-five steps in all. Here we
stopped. The doors were all numbered.
The Governor halted before a door
marked No. H. He made a sign to
the turnkey. 1t seemed as if in this
house of graves the quick lost power of
speech as well as the dead. 1t was q
good many degrees below zero out of
doors. In the depths where we were,
this cold was increased by humidity
which penetrated to the very bones.
The marrow in my bones was frozen,
and yet | wiped the thick beads of per-
spiration pouring from off my forehead.
"The turnkey opened the door. We
went down six steep, slippery steps, and
entered dungeon eight or ten feet
square; thought l could discover by
the glimmering lantern a human form
at the bottom Of the dungeon. The
Governor remained on the last step, for
the floor of the dungeon was covered
with humid slime several inches deep.
| heard a low and strange murmur, and
| looked to see whence it came. dis
covered a loop-hole foot long by four
inches wide. The wind came through
this aperture and made current with
the open door. | saw now what was
the noise heard. 1t was the ripples of
the Neva beating against the walls of
the fortress, for the dungeon was below
the level of the river.
acct up and dress said the Cover
nor. / wondered to whom he gave this
order, SO | told the turnkey to light up
the dungeon. The turnkey directed the
lanterns rays towards the bottom of
the dungeon. then saw an old man
rise from the floor. His hair and his
beard were very long, and as white as
the driven snow. He, doubtless, had
been incarcerated in this dungeon,
habited in the clothes he wore when ar
rested but he had lain there so long
his clothes had rotted away piece by
piece, and he had nothing on him but a
tattered fur coat. Through the rents in
this garment | could see his naked,
shivering bony body. Perhaps-it was
far from being improbable-that body
had ohce been covered with splendid
clothes; perhaps the ribbons and stars
of the noblest orders had glittered on
that famine-worn breast. Now he was
nothing but living skeleton, which
had lost all rank, all dignity, even its