The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-05-05

began 1, boiling with passion, and max
ing desperate effort to shake myself
free, but. though / dealt few heavy
blows. | was soon overpowered by super
ior numbers, my wrists were manacled,
and was flung into the kibitka, with
policeman at my side.
Bon voyage." sneered the major as. |
was dragged away Hotter blood than
his has cooled, | warrant you, between
Siberia and this"
Siberia! The dreadful word sent
chill through my veins, and almost caus-
ed me to become insensible to the rapid
motion through the air, for the carriage
had now started, and at such pace that
the Cossacks of the escort were compelled
to keep their wiry little nags at hard
gallop. As we flew through the deserted
streets, and long after the suburbs were
cleared and the lights Of Warsaw were
lost to sight, | continued to ponder over
this strange event, and to puzzle myself
by vain efforts to guess why |, an
Englishman, quite free from political
complications of any sort, had been thus
suddenlp consigned to exile. | had
heard of such arrests, but never of a
foreigner. still less oil British subject,
as their victim.
This is Stanislawow," said voice
that | had heard before, speaking in
French, as the carriage drew up at the
door of low-roofed posthouse, and a
fresh relay of horses were harnessed and
put to. "And now, count, if you will
take my advice, and promise to abstain
from useless resistance, [ shall be happy
to give orders for the removal of that
chain around your wrists Come, come,
sir | make all allowance for your excite
ment at the outset of the affair, and do
not desire to cause your needless annoy
ance Should you refuse, your irons
must remain on until the Governor of
Minsk-"
Minsk" repeated, half-stupefed.
The Junior of the two officers who had
arrested me, and who stood beside his
reeking horse, smiled.
1t is the nearest fortified place which
you will pass" he said; "for | need not
tell you, Count Ladislas, that we are
anxious to get you safe across the Bug,
and out of Poland VIII you give your
paroleT'
And then flashed upon me, all at once
the key to the enigma that had perplex-
ed me. | had been arrested in the place
of my friend and entertainer, whom
suspected, rather than knew, to be
mixed up in one of those wide-spreading
conspiracies in which Poles are 50 often
concerned, and whose heart / was aware
was better than his head. As the glare
of the torches fell upon Us | could even
hurry of leaving the theatre | had put
on the Counts loose overcoat of rich
sables instead of my own, while in height
and figure we were much alike. | had
the presence of mind to repress the in
dignant protest as to my nationality
which was on my lips.
/ will give my parole, since you ask
it, | said, concealing my face as if to
hide my emotion, and the chain which
fettered my hands was at once removed.
9 1t will no longer, Count, be necessary
that an officer should accompany YOU"
said Lieut.. Imkof, civilly. VIII you
drink some brandy before starting? The
night is cold, and the stage a long one. :
shook my head, and made no articu
late reply, glad as | should have been of
the proposed dram of coarse corn brandy,
and chilled as | was by the unusual ex-
posture to the keen night wind. But |
feared to show my face, lest the mistake
| should be found out to soon for my
friends safety. The driver clutched the
reins, while a grim Cossack corporal took
his seat beside me, in the place lately oc-
cupied by the Warsaw police-agent. The
other troops were in their saddles.
Forward, there. Push on, menu
cried the lieutenant, in Russian, and off
we set, amidst bowling wind and whirl-
ing snow flakes
1t was not until Stanislawow was left
behind, and and my wild guards were
far on the road, that | began to reflect
that, i'll providing for the security of
Count Ladisias, | had perhaps seriously
compromised my own. My stratagem
had succeeded. My first captors were
convinced that it was the rich young
Polish land owner whom they had de-
spatched on the dismal journey to
Siberia; and in all likelihood the mar
riage next morning would take place
without interruption, and the newly
welded pair start for Italy, unsuspicious
of the danger which had threatened
their happiness with shipwreck at the
very outset of life's voyage. Could |
but keep up the deception for another
twenty-four hours, Ladislas and his
bride would be safe across the frontier.
But what would become of me, or
how would the Russian authorities re-
gard the author of their discontinue?
| True, had been arrested in sheer ignor-
ance of the blunder which promised to
be so profitable to my friend; but | had
! had fair chance of declaring who
was, and had chosen wilfully, it might
be said, to mislead the imperial police.
| | had heard-most residents in Russia
have hcard-ugly stories As to what can
/ 10 Jono In Nueooyv whom II - no lonrar