Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-05-13
VOL. LIV. NEW SERIES, VOL. XVII.

months. VIII the bottom be Of wood or
iron .
"Of wood" answered at random.
"'Tis well T. said another voice. And
what is the breadth of the Clyde below
Greenock p
at varies much,"I replied "oa an
average about eighty yards.
"How many men does she carry? ask
ed an anamic looking youth at the loot OF
the table, who seemed more fit for pub
lie school than this den Of murder.
about three hundred, SAID !.
a floating coffin - said the Yum; NJ
hilist in a sepulchral voice.
Are the storerooms on a level with or
underneath the state cabins?" asked Pc
trokine
"Uuderpeath." said l., d, ,ciaigely,
though need hardly say hnd hot the
smallest conception. -,
"And now, most honored sir. SAID
Alexis, .tell us what was the reply OF
Bauer, the German socialist, to Lawn
sky's proclamation"
Here was deadlock with vengeance.
Whether my cunning would have eAtrica-
ted me from it or not was never decided,
for Providence hurried mo from one dl-
lemma to another and worse one. -,
A door slammed down stairs and rapid
footsteps were approaching. Then came
a loud tap outside, followed by two small
er ones.
.The sign of tho society = said Petro-
kino and yet we are all present who
can 1t be %
The door was thrown open, and a man
entered, dusty and travel-stained, but
with IN air of authority and power stamp
ed on every feature of his harsh but ex-
pressiye face. He glanced round the ta-
BILE, scanning each countenance carefully.
There was n start of surprise in the room.
He was evidently a stranger to them all:
.'What means this intrusion, sir?' SAID
my friend with the beard.
..Intrusion !" said the stranger, 81 was
given to understand that l was expected,
and had looked forward to warmer wei
come from my fellow associates. am
personally unknown to you, gentlemen,
hut am proud to think that my name
should command somo respect among you.
am Gustave Berger, the agent from Eng
land, bearing letters from the chief COM
missioner to his well beloved brothers OF
Soltef.
One of their own bombs could hardly
have created greater surprise had 1t been
fired in the midst of them. Every eye
was fixed alternately Oh me and upon the
newly arrived agent.
III you are indeed Gustave Berger,
said Petrokine, who is this?"
That am Gustave Berger these Gre
dcntials will show" said the stranger, as
he threw packet upon the table. Who
that man may be l know not but if he
has iutrudeI himself upon the lodge un-
der false pretences it is clear that he must
never carry ont of the room what The has
learned Speak, sir" he added, address
ing me, "who and what are you?"
l felt that my time had come. My re-
volver was in my hip pocket, but what
was that against SO many desperate men
/ grasped the butt of it, however, as
drowning man clings to a straw, and l
tried to preserve my GOODNESS as glanced
round at the cold, vindictive faces turned
toward me.
Gentlemen" said, 1.-THE role ! have
played tonight has been purely iIvol-
untary one on my part l am no police
spv, as Won seem to suspect, nor, ON the
other hand. have the honor to bea mem
Der of your association. am an inofien-
sive corn dealer, who, by an extraordin-
ary mistake, has been forced into this un
pleasant and awkward position"
. I paused for moment. Was it my
fancy that there was peculiar noise i'll
the street-a noise as Of many feet tread
ing softly? No, it had died away it
was but the thrObbing of my own heart.
81 need hardly say" continued, that
ANYTHING | may have heard tonight will
be safe in my keeping. Ipledge my SOL
emn honor as gentleman that not one
word of it shall transpire through me.
The senses of men in great physical
danger become strangely acute, or their
imagination plays them curious tricks.
NV back was toward the door az sat,
but could have sworn that heard heavy
breathing behind it. Was it the three
minions whom had seen before in the
performance Of their hateful functions,
and who, like vultures, had snitied another
victim?
1 looked around the tnble Still the
same hard. cruel faces. Not one glance
of sympathy. cooked the revolver in
my pocket.
There was painful silence, which was
broken by the harsh, grating voice Of
Petrokine
promises are easily made and easily
broken, he said. ",rhere is but ono way
of securing eternal silence. 1t is our
lives or yours. Let the highest among
us speak.
"You are right" sir, said the English
agent "there is but one course open.
He must he dismissed.
/ knew what that meant ill their CON
founded jargon, and sprang to my foet.
by heaven r l shouted, putting my
back against the door, lyon shnn't butch
er free Englishman like sheep. The
first among you who stirs, drops
A man sprang at me. l saw along the
sights of my Derripger the gleam Of n
knife and the demoniacal faco of Gustave
Berger Then l pulled the trigger, and
with his hoarse scream sounding i'll my
ears, l was felled to the ground by a
crashing blow from behind. Half I'M
conscious and pressed down by some
heavy weight, heard the noise of shouts
and blows above me, and then tainted
away
When | came to myself l was lying
among the debris Of door, which had
been beaten i'll OIL the top Of me- OppO-
site were IL dozen of the men who had
lately sat i'll judgment upon me, tied two
and two, and guarded by a score of Rus
sian soldiers Beside me was the corpse
of the ill-fated agent, the whole face
blown in by the force of the explosion
Alexis and Petrokine were both lying on
the floor like myself, bleeding profuscly.
well, young fellow, you've had mar
row escape" said hearty voice in my
ear.
| looked up and recognized my black
eyed acquaintance Of the railway car
rage.
'5tand up" lie continued; you're
only hit stunned no bones broken. It's
no wonder | mistook you for the Nihilist
agent, when the very lodge itself was
taken in. Well. you're the only stranger
who ever came out of this den alive.
Come down stairs with me- | know who
you arc. and what you are after now I'll
take you TO Mr.. Dimidoff Come down
and have a glass of liquor
lie explained as we walked back to the
hotel that the police of Solteff, Of which
he was the chief, had had warning and
been on the lookout during some time Of
this Nihilistic emiss,ry My arrival in
SO unfrequented place. coupled with rny
air of secrecy and the English labels on
that confounded portmanteau Of Gregory's 5
hnd completed the business.
| hive little more to tell My SeclaliS-
tic acqualntunces were all either transpor-
ted to Siberia or executed. My mission
was performed to the satisfaction Of my
employers. My conduct during the
whole business has won mo promotion,
and ray prospects for life have been i'm
proved since that horrible night the re-
membrance of which still makes me shiv-
er.-LOntiop Society.
"TuE merclful man is mcrciful Ia his
beast, and hencciorth even drovers can Le
mcrciful, if they will, 10 the cattle they take
to market by rail. A Cincinnati man has in
vented and built ''parlor cattle car one Of
which has arrived in New York, and excites
no little attention am ong cattle shippers. II
is somewhat larger than the ordinary cattle
car, which usually accommodates from
fourteen To seventeen mead. The pailor car
| accommodates Iygnly unl with amIlln rnnm