The Republican journal., 1872-12-26

pcdCtltt lOuTlSnln1 towns MUST JneV
be sacrificed by an order issued in a mo-
ment Of anger, an order, the revocation
OF which depends, perhaps, on 4 brief de-
lay ?"
''What's that to me9 In Woleast they
whined and whimpered about something
OF this sort, but their whimpering was all
lost on old Staff"
"And vet, Colonel, YOU should listen to
the voice of humanity. and should, before
you proceed with these horrors, await the
return Of the delegation and the further
orders OF your august sovereign They
may, they certainly will be spared"
'Ah. bah Rob the soldiers of their
want needs no second order: one sutfices.
have It changed if | could TO the
devil, comrade! have listened to
enough! | have His Maiesty's orders.
and for me that is enough, But per-
1aps Won are not aware that the destruc-
! ton Of these Swedish towns was deter
mined upon in retaliation for what vour
countrymen suffered at the hands of the
SWedes at Altoona ?"
''ihat | know, Colonel And know,
also. that the Danish Commander-in-ch chief
has dispatched the courier to Prince Men
zikow, in order, through him, to inter
cedc. in behalf of the four unfortunate
cities, for imperial clemency, The courier
| may return at any moment with the re-
| ply. which certainly cannot be other than
such rs will rejoice the heart that is not
utterly dead to every noble instinct.
Colonel, u Danish officer is your suppli-
cant also for his worst enemy Await the
return OF our courier, implore you. be-
lore you proceed to Arklam. Thousands
bow, IN me, at your feet, and coniure you
to await further orders"
And, overcome by his feelings, the
youn@ man bent one knee to the barbar-
ou3 Russian, who cried. cursng in his
rage
"D.o YOU think am here to play a part
in farce? am 4 soldier Of the Czar.
and do his bidding without pausing to
ask questions or to have him repeat his
commands"
With this Staff put on has hat and gloves
and strobe to the door, where his horse
| and followers already awaited, As he
| swung himself into the saddle, crying:
'Forward to Anklam !" Carlson, who
had followed him, seized his horses rens
and again entreated:
''ilaVe mercy on the unfortunate towns!
Cio not to Anklam till the courier returns,
| implore -
''Let go of my horses head, or will
ride over YOU - beloved Staff.
lncendiary miserable ncendary.'' ~
cGied Carlson, wild with despair and ev-
l1peration, loosening his hold of the reins
Bat Staff did not ride on his way No;
there he stood, his eyes flashing fire In
a moment he dismounted and drew his
sword.
'l'hat calls for blood Draw Defend
vourselfh" he cried, as he strobe inturiat-
ed toward the Dane
Carlsen's sword flew also from its scab-
bard. The contest was short and deter
mined. The Russians stronger arm and
perhaps greater skill quickly decided it in
his favor and stretched the generous
Young Dane a corpse at his feet
At this moment Il horseman, with a
numerous retinuc, entered the market
place. Ii was the commandant Of the
city. lie saw the bloody scene and de-
mandei an explanation. This Staff gave
him with solder-like brevitv
"Eolone), Won are my prisoner" said
tue commlndant, and by glance intimat-
81 TO the officer Of the day that he should
demand Stars sword
"A am Colonel Staff. and am commits
stoned with the execution of His Maicstv's
decree for the destruction Of the four
Swedish cities"
'tor the present YOU are and will re-
main the prisoner Of the commandant Of
GrieIsWald. Your sword, Colonel "
Seeing that remonstrance was useless,
staff handed his sword to the young Of
licer, who an hour before had waited on
hum and received his orders at the inn
The commandant then ordered him TO be
conducted to the nearest gnarahouse, and.
before he rode further, gave the necessary
directions for The burial of the Danish
captain.
The sun already sank again in the west,
and from the sea there came q cold pierre
inc wind, but the trembling hundreds
who had crowded together on the market
place OF Anklam seemed to take no note
OF the change IN the temperature. They
had come together early in the morning
for mutual consolation. while they await
ed their cruel fate. For the whole day
the venerable pastor, Heydcmann. had
been employed in speaking words OF con-
ISOLATION and comfort to such of his trem-
bling flock a seemed most depressed
But who of them all, On this sad day,
rclmqnlshcd more cherished hopes than
did he For himself. he could have borne
their hard lot without Il murmur; for him
poverty and misery naA no terrors But
1T his side stood his Marr, his only and
dearly beloved daughter, whom he had
hoped soon 10 marry to the son of his old
friend, Rud0w. q handsome and thriving
young merchant. And now Before they
We're another day older, they would all he
he@ears. and the happiness Of the young
people destroyed, perhaps forever. This |
it was that made the good old mans heart |
heavy, that prev cntel the words Of eonso- |
lati"n he spoke to others from finding an |
echo in his own bosom. A glance at his |
anxious daughter, whose eyes were fixed |
intontly on the distant landscape, we'll |
nigh robbed him OF the little fortiude he |
had left
The youthful Carl Ru,low had that
morning quietly LETT the city, taking the |
road to Grietswald, that he might meet |
the terrible Staff. He was . cultivated |
young man OF pleasing address, and en- |
dowed with persuasive eloquence His |
errand was to move, if possible, the hard |
heart Of the Russian. The tradesmen of |
the city We're ready to pay u large sum of
money to have their town and effects
spared, OF even for q respite of few
days. And now the young mans return
was awaited with painful anxiety, for the
character Of the brutal Staff was 50 well |
known that scarcely Il hope was entertain-
ed OF the success OF the generous Young
mans mission
Hour after nour had passed-neither did
Young Ru'low return, nor did the redoubt-
able Colonel arrive as he had announced |
to the people of Anklam he would do 1t
was midday. Every hour the inebriated
Russian soldiers became more impatient
to begin their helish work and less re-
spccttul Of the rights Of the citizens who
crowded closer and closer around the
Older and more influential OF their num-
Der, ignorant whether this delay was the
harhinger of good or evil.
Evening approached, and vet no one
arrived from the direction of Griefswald.
The Russians becoming more lawless in
their jmpatience, began to plrmder some
of the shops and to drive the owners into